Where did November go? I feel like I'm on rocket skates speeding through life, not unlike Wile E Coyote. I should probably slow down. It never ended well for that guy. Of course, the Acme company made tons off of him. I suppose it was in their best interest to see that he survived to pitch another episode.
Veterans Day saw us harvesting 24 of our own cockrels and another several hens belonging to friends. Now that we have the complete chicken slaughter set up down and a some experience under our belts, we're okay with that. Michael even invested in a drum plucker. That thing is worth its weight in, well, poultry. It was really nice to go through the process with friends and neighbors. Michael, our neighbor, Phil, and friend, Tibi, were down on the killing and plucking station. We had Rex and Daniel and Luca getting chickens from the coop and taking them to the cleaning table where Amber and I worked. Valerie and Madelyn fine tuned the plucking with needle nosed pliers and then put the birds on ice.
When it was all done we gathered around the picnic table for some chili, caponata, cider and beer. It was really a good experience and sort of festive at the end. And now our freezer is full and the land is at rest for the winter. I tilled up the chicken yard and threw down some poultry pasture mix. I can't wait to see it green up. Maybe I'll throw down some wildflower mix too.
A week later Michael and I harvested the turkeys. Dang! Those guys were heavy. They ended up between 16.5lbs and 19.5lbs. (Luggage scale works great!) Also, the one we had at Thanksgiving was extremely juicy. It had a surprising layer of fat about 1/2" thick all around the breast. Extremely local food. Last night I made a pot pie with the left over bits and stock I'd made from the parts. I threw in some kale and chard from the garden. Yaaaaard fooood!!!
So, on to the book reviews! We do manage to find time to read. Quite frankly, I barely have energy to do that at the end of the day sometimes. But it's nice when we all get comfy in front of a fire with a good book at the end of the day and enjoy the quiet togetherness.
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand:
I read this book in September as it was chosen by my book club. I have to say that at first I was really not into it. I thought it was going to be a story about WWII. Then I thought it was about Olympic running. Neither of these subjects are a draw for me. But, when I got into the book, I found it to be a wonderful story about humanity through many lenses and perspectives. It's a well researched book and re-tells a long story through the eyes of allies and enemies. It is well written and told with a sense of humor and compassion. I passed it on to Rex after I read it. He couldn't put to down. I highly recommend this book. It's a real page turner!
The Maze Runner by James Dashner:
I'm not reading this book, but Rex is. He has not been able to put it down and went to the library to pick up the next two books in the trilogy. I don't really know what it's about, but it appeals to a 12 year old boy.
The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan:
Valerie has read and reread The Mark of Athena. She is a huge Rick Riordan fan. In fact, most of her friends have read this book. Rick Riordan is the author of the Percy Jackson series. I've read a number of his books. But after a while, I moved on. This book steeped in mythology appeals to many 10 to 12 year old girls and boys.
The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop:
Amira likes reading just as much as the rest of us. Presently she's into this one. It's a great read for ages 7 to 9. A young boy finds a castle in the attic and the little figures come to life and have adventures. I enjoyed these books myself.
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver:
One thing I love about Barbara Kingsolver is that each of her books are so different. So, if you like a book or hate it, you really have to give the next book a chance. They are not all alike! This takes place in Appalachia. A young woman is about to emark on an affair but she suddenly witnesses a miracle of nature. She doesn't go through with her planned infidelity but what she witnesses has a life changing effect on her and those around her.
Lastly, on the subject of stories/books, anyone who likes stories might like to check out some of the following pod casts. I download them from iTunes and take them to the gym with me. I have to give credit for Snap Judgement to Paul Bollinger. He recently turned me on to it and it has become a new favorite of mine!
Snap Judgement
This podcast takes you to a different place each time. A series of poets and story tellers recount funny, unusual, life altering or just strange stories. The host, Glynn Washington, is thoughtful, humorous and charasmatic. I have become a "Snapper" as he lovingly refers to his audience.
This American Life
What can I say? Ira Glass pulls out some of the best storytellers ever. And, he checks his facts!
Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me
If the only way you can take your news is by laugher injection, then this is the podcast for you. I laugh out loud from the cardio room at the gym (which is difficult to do when you're as out of shape as I am!) So worth it.
Stuff You Missed In History Class
I love, love, LOVE history! The hosts of this podcast revisit EVERYTHING from scandalous royals of old Europe to the history of underwear to the Samurai. If you like history as much as I do, you will appreciate most of these podcasts from the "How Stuff Works" team.
Stuff You Should Know
This is Rex's favorite podcast. I enjoy the banter between Josh and Chuck as they inestigate all kinds of seemingly mundane topics. Well, they're not all mundane. What I'm saying is they can conversationally add some humor and little known facts to a subject to make it more interesting than just googling it. Check it out.
