We did it?

Between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. we butchered 17 chickens.  It is done.  It was anxiety-provoking, scary, interesting, amazing, perspective-changing, educational, prayer-inducing, and exhausting.  That's a lot of emotions to move through in one day.  We are now hoping that they will taste good, but we are also wondering if we will even be able to eat them.  There's a good chance there will always be questions like, "I wonder if this was the one with the bad eye?"  Then I'll be faced either with placing my fork back beside my plate, picking up my spoon instead to use with my soup, or continuing to eat my beautiful chicken that was raised with love for this very purpose.   Indeed I must remember they must have died for a purpose, and they must fulfill their destiny by nourishing our bodies (that was part of our prayer this morning as we began the process).

This is what I know: 
1.  When I do eat our chickens, I'm certain I won't be able to waste any of it...not after this.
2.  I will probably continue what I have already began... eating less meat, for it's far too precious to eat without it really being special and eaten intentionally.  And something can't be special if it happens in haste, can it?  (something to ponder)
3.  I miss our chickens, and I want to build a coop immediately for housing chickens during the winter
4.  I feel sorry for Woodchuck all alone right now
5.  Clara may become a vegetarian after today, while Ruthie found the entire experience incredibly interesting.
6.  I will be reflecting on this experience for many weeks to come
7.  This is the beginning of something for our family

The Last Breakfast

The scorching pot, plucker, killing cone, and 2-gallon bags are ready.  Other than that, I'm not sure we have much of a plan (actually I don't, I'm sure Todd does).  We fed the chickens breakfast for the last time this morning.  By the end of the day tomorrow they will laying in our freezer.  We've discussed it a lot as a family...even before we received them in the mail.  Once again, I think I am the one who is holding back tears.  Everyone else already seems prepared to make a chicken noodle soup with them.  Such is life. 

Our many questions about the process of live "pet" to meat on our plate:  Will we be able to tell easier which are roosters and which were hens?  Will we find eggs inside the hens?  Will their feet really make tasty chicken stock?  Will the plucker look like a snow machine during the process?  What will Woodchuck think about why he was spared?  How long will this all take? 

So we'll spend one last afternoon and evening learning from them and enjoying their magnificence...

Brewery Tour

So, after watching the "Samantha" American Girls movie (year-1904)), we had a lively discussion about factories since factories were just forming during that time period.  The kids decided that they wanted to go see some factories themselves, so they chose...the New Glarus Brewery!!!  So, we traveled there today and toured the brewery.  Clara was mesmerized, and I must admit it was pretty amazing watching all of those bottles travel around so quickly.  The magnetized bottle cap holder were also a favorite.  An interesting discussion occurred about the fact that actual people used to do those jobs instead of machines.  More wows. 

The whole trip was full of adventure.  The actual town of New Glarus was fun to be in, so many interesting patterns on all of the buildings (the diamonds and circles)...fascinating for Clara as well as Simon.  The park where we ate lunch was bombarded with 6th graders who ran over to play for 5 minutes while on their way to a 1:00 lunch at the high school, a treat for them every other Monday per their teacher.  We watched them, mesmerized by their energy, until they left.  The monster dollhouse in a storefront window built in a Swiss style was drooled over by Clara, who wasn't sure if we could get it through the door.  What may have been the most fun were the large boulders in front of the brewery...perfect for climbing and finding secret paths.    What may have been the biggest bummer was the fact that we were not able to sample after the tour.  Todd still can't even believe that we went to a brewery and didn't drink any beer.

So, the kids now want to tour more factories.  We'll see where we are led.  I forgot my camera...HUGE bummer. 

When Given Lemons...

This is what we found yesterday shortly before leaving for a birthday gathering.  I left the present in the car specifically because I thought it would be the safest place.  We have a little lady who loves to open things.  She went outside to play, and when she returned I asked her what she had found outside.  She told me she was opening the birthday present.  Here was the opportune Aldort moment.  Lots of thoughts went through my head, but I chose to say "I feel sad" which I DID NOT need to say (I'll keep working on that).  I said to her "it's hard to resist opening a present" to which she began to cry.  I said to her "you feel sad" of which she actually replied "I wanted the present to be for me."  WOW!  She cried for another minute and then went on about her business.  Without the help of Aldort, that moment would have been a nightmare for her (and for everyone else).  Thank you, Aldort.  Best moment of the day.

Anyway, so neither Clara nor Simon were angry about the present opening, even though they had been so excited about the wrapping job.  Instead, Clara said "Mom, we can use cloth!"  They both ran inside to find the perfect cloth and this is what followed. 

Much more interesting indeed.

So, this led to more sewing projects that day.  Heart-shaped pillows for her dolls...

of which her dolls slept on that night...complete with a nightgown fashioned with Ruthie's old pants

and I just have to throw in the outfit Clara fashioned for Ruthie out of her own old dress and pants...

Lemons made into lemonade indeed.

Top Ten Loves and Clara's Annoyance List

CURRENT TOP TEN LIPPERT FAMILY INDOOR LOVES AND THEIR USES

(the current outdoor loves are, of course, the chickens, rope, and the trees...the three aren't ever used together at the same time though:)

Marbles

 (games of all kinds, counting, actual family members that ride in cars, sorting toys for the little one, balls, and just beautiful things to look at and admire)

Colorful Silks

(scarves, dresses, skirts, capes, dance props, blankets, curtains, you name it!)

Nuts of all kinds--Acorns, Horse Chestnuts, Hazelnuts) and Shells 

(again...people, balls, games, art projects, food for dolls, fun things to hold)

Blankets

(beds, hide-outs, caves, tunnels, curtain!, roads)

Cloth Scraps

(used for making and sewing just about everything)

Yarn

(rope, roads, hair, belts, pulley systems, seatbelts for dolls, hitches, just fun to cut)

Blocks

(houses and castles, marble runs, towers, roller coasters, roads, rooms, designs)

Money

(designs, counting, food)

Books about fun characters

(for dreaming and imagining)

Lyra Colored Pencils and Paper

(for creating everything else)

TOP FOUR THINGS THAT BOTHER CLARA

 (she just asked me to include this)

1. My siblings

2.  mosquito bites

3.  chicken poop

4.  escorting Simon to various destinations in the house

First Play and What We Are Eating!

Clara's 1st play today at Shake Rag.  She was the snow fairy and was so excited about her part and to be on the stage.  A year ago she was not interested at all in being in a play, and this year she asked to do it, practiced her lines at home all the time, and couldn't wait to perform it. 

Meanwhile, here's a peek into what we are eating these days for those who keep asking me what a typical day of food is in our house.  So, here goes... 

Candida Diet (Day 24) & Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Diet

Breakfast:  Gluten-Free Oats (rolled or steel-cut) with almond or rice milk and blueberries & raspberries

Snack:  Carrots & homemade Hummus

Lunch:  leftover beans & rice with salsa & guacamole; potato salad with winter squash, peppers and green beans; leftover kale salad; leftover lamb and sweet potato fries; rice cakes with almond butter...everybody had something different today to finish up our leftovers; almond or rice milk or water to drink

Snack:  Apple slices with almond butter and pear slices

Supper:  Gluten-free Multi-Grain Pasta (DeBoles--good brand!) that is made from rice, amaranth & quinoa with a sauce of olive oil, onion, garlic, red peppers, broccoli, and great northern beans (we actually aren't supposed to have white beans on the Candida Diet right now, but I did it any way...hopefully it is OK); almond or rice milk to drink (yes, the kids did eat this...mostly...it was good by the way!)

No bedtime snack tonight because we were out late riding horses and bottle-feeding calves -didn't eat supper until after 7:00

This is a typical food day for us except that we usually have a little bit bigger supper.  That sounds pretty normal and tasty, doesn't it?  You would never know that we aren't eating wheat, gluten, eggs, soy, dairy, peanuts, walnuts, yeast, vinegar, sugar, honey, maple syrup (or any other sweetener), fruit (except for apples, pears, and berries), potatoes (actually Todd and I are), meat (except for rabbit, lamb, fish, and the chickens we are raising), processed foods, foods from restaurants, anything that isn't organic, and probably other things that I don't even think about eating anymore and have forgotten they exist.  (It was kind of fun to write all of that.)  None of us are going hungry.  Everyone is happy for the most part (I do miss dairy, though, and Ruthie still misses everything but only when she sees it).  The folks with food sensitivities appear to be healing.  We feel the healthiest we have ever felt.  We'll see where it goes from here... 

American Girl=educational?

Who knew the American Girl series could be educational?  Maybe everyone did but me already.  I had crossed it off as not being for us, but we checked out Kitt Kitridge (spelling?) because Clara wanted to, and it was educational as well as entertaining!  It is about a girl in the Depression Era.  And, it is rated "G."  Wow!  And come to find out there are others in the series that sound just as educational!  There is "Felicity" about a girl growing up during the American Revolution, "Samantha" about a girl growing up during the turn of the century, and "Molly" about a girl growing up during WWII.  We're checking out "Felicity" next since we have studied American Revolution era.  I guess one never knows what one might be missing...

Clara's Laura Ingalls Wilder Day

The day finally came on Tuesday that Clara had been looking forward to since the Laura Day at Shake Rag in August.  It was a perfect day of friends and pioneer fun!

Making Rag Dolls

making dumplings for the Jackrabbit stew

eating the stew!

Making animal books and eating apples

Creating a space for play with the rag dolls and covered wagons and Lincoln Logs from the day

the rag dolls created by Clara

Clara in the nightcap I made for her

the covered wagon

a willow bough broom

Our pioneer unit seems to be complete!  We have read books about Laura Ingalls Wilder and others during the pioneer days, mapped out Laura's houses on our map, watched the Pioneer Life for Children series, toured the pioneer-era spring houses at Gov Dodge State Park, attended the Old Threshers Reunion (where we experienced weaving, spinning, asking questions about an old log house, watched a saloon show and a train robbery!, etc.), attended the Laura Ingalls Wilder Day at Shake Rag (where Clara milked a goat, churned butter, made home-made ice cream, made a candle, weaved, watched a blacksmith, played pioneer games, made rag dolls, etc.), made bonnets, made a nightcap, put together pioneer outfits, designed and addressed invites for our Laura Day, learned pioneer songs, made tanagrams, did everything in the pictures above (made Jackrabbit Stew and Dumplings, willow bough brooms, animal books, rag dolls, built log homes, made a covered wagon), and probably a lot more that I have already forgotten unfortunately.  What a fun unit!

And now we seem to be moving on to important figures in our history (mainly women) and math, reading, going to see the Rockettes, getting in character for the play, and taking care of the chickens (learning about what animal may have gotten into the chicken tractor by how the remains look the next morning...and how to protect our chicks better for the future!)...and much much more!  The fun never ends!