Dark and Twisty - Lessons from a Bird

Fifi LeFew.

Neurotic French chain smoking chicken.

One of two survivors from The Great Raccoon Attack of 2009.

Still suffering from Post Traumatic Syndrome.

Calmed by the hormones of hankerin' for babies.

She's been broody.

Sitting.

Persistent.

Unshakable.

Crazy.

25 days.

Yesterday I had the sad task of giving her the news.

"Ain't gone be no babies Miss Fifi."

She's still sitting.

Relentless.

Aching for motherhood.

I'm thinking of shaping ice into the shape of an egg and let her sit on that.

Might cure what ails her.

Might cure what ails me.

It's hard to see her want something so badly, and she can't have it.

At least for now.

I've tried telling her in God's time it will happen.

I candled all of her eggs yesterday.

She was trying to sit on 11.

I really had no idea what I was doing, as I've never done it before.

I was in the bathroom, shades drawn, lights out.

iPod touch in one hand Googling 'candling eggs',

reading lamp and cardboard in the other hand.

I felt a tremendous responsibility to 'read' these eggs right.

Life or death, baby.

In my hands.

As the light flooded the eggs, they were transparent.

It didn't appear that anything was 'growing' in them.

My heart broke for Fifi.

I thought about this a lot yesterday afternoon.

My prayer lately has been that I would be transparent.

That if a light was placed on my heart, that it would shine through.

There would be no 'spots' of bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, or other infections of the soul.

Then I began to think of it on the other side of the coin.

An empty egg.

Nothing growing on the inside.

I so hope that I'm not that.

I know I've let many a dream die.

I didn't sit on them long enough.

I wasn't persistent enough.

I've felt a bit dark and twisty the last couple of days.

I know this 'Change' that is taking place is really starting to take hold of my heart.

Sometimes it's not comfortable.

It's hard to let go of control.

It's hard.

For the fleeting moments I have let go, it's bliss.

Right now I'm living in the bliss bits between the hard parts.

Like a partly cloudy day.

Miss Fifi will hatch a batch, of that I'm sure.

I will be a 'good egg' and hatch dreams and schemes, all the while being transparent.

Of that I'm sure.

Friday Giveaway!

Happy Friday friends!

I've been so encouraged by all of your kind comments, that I wanted to do a little giveaway. Mother Plumtree (if you haven't met her yet, click here) has been busy stitching, and offered her first embroidered towel for the giveaway! I really thought Mrs. Puffington was going to have hers done, but she isn't finished yet!

It's just a little vintage style dishtowel, embroidered by a chicken.

All you need to do is leave a comment, telling me what celebrity you would like to look like. I'll announce a winner on Sunday morning. If you have trouble leaving a comment, please click on the 'Contact Me' link, and send me an email.

Here's a couple of other chicken photos from today. Aaron sure loves the girls too. He dotes on them all the time.

Fifi LeFew (click here if you've not met her yet!) started laying this week. The sweetest little blue eggs you've ever seen.

Thanks so much for stopping by my little corner of the world and reading my ramblings.

The Early Bird Gets The Worm....

The Coop Keeper felt the need to sleep in until 7 today. The girls weren't too happy. Unbeknownst to me, they had this big meeting planned. I wasn't invited. Apparently they do this every morning. I guess I must be blogging or something when it happens.

I was weeding nearby, trying to nonchalantly eavesdrop. Stubs was leading the meeting, and assigning the daily tasks. Fifi LeFew was to be on cat patrol. What was Stubs thinking? She's much too anxious for that! Maybe I should put a bit of Xanax in her mash. Mother Plumtree was to monitor the southeast corner of the yard, looking for grasshoppers. Scarlett was to take the northwest corner, gleaning for leftover mulberries that had fallen. I could tell by the expression on her beak, she was none to happy about it. Common work for a glorious red hen. Helen was to scout the entire yard looking for freshly mulched areas to destroy and prepare for dust baths. They always take advantage of Helen! The whole yard? Really Stubs? Isn't that a bit much? By now I could tell they knew I was listening, so they broke it up.

Off they went.....Stubs leading the flock. I rolled my eyes at her as she passed. She shot me a look that could kill. "Hey, wait a minute there Stubs'......she kept walking. Acting like a rooster I must say. Cocky. She must be the top hen. "I'm the Coop Keeper baby" I said, pointing my trowel at my chest "....ya, ME". She pooped and kept walking.

The Peep Show will continue tomorrow........

Meet Fifi LeFew

Remember Fifi? She was Helen's faithful companion during the Raccoon Raid of June 2009. One of only two survivors from that nights fateful attack. She didn't get much blog time since Helen was so ill, and Fifi escaped unscathed. Fifi, named after an imaginary anxious French woman, has become of my favorite birds. She is the most animated, loudest of all the girls. She squawks the most when I pick her up. I've never quite seen a bird move so fast, and in fact, I'm sure that's what saved her life! She probably ran circles around that coon.

She's an Easter Egger. She should be laying some bluish green eggs before the first snowfall. I got her the end of May, the cutest little chick you'd ever seen. I've not figured out the birds pecking order just yet, but I'm sure she's near the top.

I'll introduce you to the girls one by one.