Happy memorial Day!

                                                      HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!!


                                         What a gorgeous perfect amazing day! Not just because I got to sit out under our shade tree ,lazing about and enjoying the constant and hypnotic breezes like some old lady well past retirement, but because I got to do so with my son who shadowed me all day in fear of me relapsing into the vile and horrific illness which kept me bedridden the past 3 days. We sat beneath the shade tree and watched the chickens and pet them and talked. Really talked, about nothing profound, about nothing guided, just chatted like to old golf buddies hanging out at the players lounge after a good 18. He kicked back and put up his feet and closed his eyes and said,"man, I am loving this breeze today. I could go to sleep right here". I had to agree and follow suit. After not eating and running fevers well over 103 on and off for 3 straight days,this was  just what the doctor would have ordered were I the type that frequented those sort of professionals regularly. ironically I am not. I prefer to wait and see, sweat it out, suffer it thru if you will first. I got some antibiotics from my friend on day 2, but after 1 pill didn't stay put, I refused another-why be wasteful right?
                                         Occasionally we got up to walk around the property and check on Dr. danger (he had a stroke and is healing well) or to water or weed a garden (though to be perfectly honest neither of us put much effort into it and that was fine too) or to grab a cool glass of water or sweet tea and devour some of the simply divine potato soup Layla made me this morning. So velvety and creamy it was sinful and left me craving more even when my stomach said I was full. I shall post our family recipe for you soon. I am still feeling a little weak and ready to lie down with my boo. Edd worked doubles all weekend and still stayed up most of 2 nites caring for me while I was delirious with fever (I am not joking people-I saw my dead grandfather ok?) yeah that fevered. He held my hand, held my head and catered to my every need. Bless him forever, because I am the worst-THE WORST patient in the world. He should have put a pillow over my head when I asked him to( I would have), but no, he clung to the memory of the woman he loved just 24 hrs prior and nursed  me to wellness. So today was day 1 of recovery and it was perfect.
                                       We lost a little bunny-baby Fernando-Dawsons bunny. Not sure what the cause was but our dear friend Jeff is replacing it for us with a lovely little buck on Thursday. Dawson was very upset and given that he has had a rocky week at home this week I am most grateful to Jeff for his generosity. We have Cornish down with a swollen foot, cannot determine source but we are treating her in the "wellness unit" for fever and giving her extra nutrition and fresh cold water as well as a room of her own until she recovers. We hope anyway. The guinneas were released into the yard with the rest of the chickens 3 days ago and have been doing wonderfully. They stay in the yard and go right into the hen house to roost at night. They started learning to climb trees and fly today it was amusing for Kieren and I, it took up over an hour of our time. They will "bounce" up to the highest point and then "bounce" to the end of the branch and then just LEAP with the last bounce like a high diver off the platform. and they FLY.
All the veggies are producing now and Kieren enjoyed gathering hot peppers and banana peppers from the salsa garden today almost as much as Owyn enjoys racing outside to see how many eggs we have. We have a couple new layers, I suspect the new Hampshire reds but we are not certain yet. Still hoping to find a barter or the extra money for the goats before season draws to a close.
                                           On saturday we pick up our summer guests. The kids are very excited and we are getting the rooms ready now to accomodate a couple extra. Layla is organizing the craft boxes and preparing her itenerary (she is in charge of crafts) Kieren is  making sure that all targets and weapons are ready and in good shape for target practice and all the fishing/sports equipment is as well (he's our activities man) Owyn is in charge of toiletries/bath (managing towels/shampoo/soaps/TP etc) and assisting the older children. looking forward to summer, so ready for more relaxed schedules and laziness than usual. We stay pretty busy and although we have charted so pretty lofty projects for this summer, it will still give us more down time than the hectic school year provides.I have a request to post the recipe for the cardamom cupcakes Layla made along with the ones she is making tonite-s'mores cupcakes! yummy! I will post these next blog.
                                             Good night all, before you close your eyes say a prayer of thanks to all the men and women who died preserving our right to live a liberal, and disgustingly privleged existence. Given their lives so we can live ours the way we choose, saying, wearing and doing what WE choose. I do not support war. However, I do  believe in supporting those who are given little chhoice in the matter. Many men and women in the last 10 yrs have not joined the armed forces because of an unwavering loyalty to our country or because they are blood thirsty war mongers. They became soldiers to feed their families. They became soldiers because UNCLE SAM promised them huge sign on bonuses and enormous paychecks during deployment along with what sounded like alot of other wonderful options. many were promised positions they were never given and deployed anyway. Most have missed the birth of at least one child, many, 2 or more children. Some have not seen their children yet. They do not make enormous paychecks. They live as meekly as most of us. One day at a time. But they still get up every day and defend a country that has broken promises and refused medical treatment and turned its back on it's veterans. Most do not believe in this war, most I have spoken to think it is bloody nonsense we are even there, but they do it anyway-because they are told to.Because Someone said it needed to be done. It is a job I could not do. I would not do,therefore I give utmost respect to anyone who does. My Grandfather fought in Germany 2 tours. My Father did 2 tours in Vietnam and came home ruined with a Purple Heart and more hatred than I have seen since. I know first hand what military life can be like. It aint easy. So when you say your prayer say thanks to the wives, the children, the families of those fallen, broken, damaged souls who went to war. To fight to, do what you and I DID not WOULD not,COULD not do.it's not just the soldiers who hurt, who suffer , sacrifice-it's the families on a whole. War sucks. It is an inevitability however, of a nation grown so large so strong and so wealthy, to have to defend itself by whatever means needed. The individuals doing so should be revered as Knights of old. Not looked down upon or forgotten. take these thoughts with you to bed and say THANK YOU.