Making mistakes... and being a good parent along the way :)

Another way to say the quote above is, you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet.  Ha, ha.

My last post didn't have much about chickens- so I thought I would write another one on this beautiful spring day.

My son, DV, came home from school yesterday with a note from his teacher stating that he was unprepared for class.  It was pretty serious to him- you know, one of those papers that they used to call carbon paper with triplicate copies :)  And, he's in 3rd grade- this was his first one EVER.

He forgot to bring his binder to school! He left it sitting in the living room.  On a recliner.  I told him twice to check his backpack.  He is 8 going on 9..... time to break a few eggs to make an omelet (or a responsible teen/adult.)

Someday, children have to accept responsibility for their own actions.  And I do believe that my job as a mother, although it can be unpleasant is to give him just enough rope to "swing for a while but not hang."  Ha, ha I think I made that one up.

I love my son, unconditionally.  And, sometimes in loving someone we have to let them make their own mistakes so that he/she can learn from their mistakes.  Without ever making a mistake (which I admit would be more pleasant) I think I would be pretty stupid.

Uh, oh.  I meant this post to be about chickens! And, it was about DV and raising kids.... guess I am in a deep thinking mood today.  I am going to call one of my girlfriends and see if she'd like to paint nails or something on this lovely day.

If you want to read about chickens check out this Freedom to Fail in a nice blog which actually IS about chickens!

Jennie

Spring vegetables the easy way.... from your local CSA!!!!

I found this great photo today in my facebook feed- you just have to LOVE facebook! My husband swears if you look long enough you can find anything on there.  

It comes from this GREAT CSA located here where I live in Southwest Alabama, Seasons In The Sun.  Actually, I haven't had the pleasure of visiting their farm yet- but I hope to do so soon.  They have a really nice facebook page and are very friendly on the phone.  They also have classes for children (which I like since I have DV) and all levels of adults.

I hope to get out there and visit them soon- they have a working farm with livestock and organically grown vegetables and flowers.  They also deliver CSA baskets to our area- so if you are local check out this website: http://www.seasonsinthesun.biz/.

Anyone interested in sustainable agriculture on a small or larger scale might like their facebook page which is linked above- and they run contests periodically (which I enter faithfully!)

Enjoy the spring weather friends! And, if you are local and like me avoid the yellow pollen or take an allergy pill- it is THAT time of year :)

Jennie

Plans and dreams (of chickens?)

Hello friends,

I will start with this- it is the 3rd Friday during Lent and I attended Mass at our local Catholic Church- and was really, really touched.  My heart was healed today by the readings, the homily, the hymns, and the people.  It's so nice to be able to go to Church and have what you need given to you freely.  I LOVE our community.

But, that is not really what I wanted to share today.  I am planning to start a new hobby.  Or, I am hoping to anyway.  Around here, in southwest Alabama, backyard chickens have become very popular.  I have heard this is true in many parts of the country- and we have a nice large, fenced yard.

I am looking into getting a chicken coop, and run.  We have a medium size dog who mostly lives in the house but also runs in the yard- and does love to chase birds. :)

I have been reading books and joining groups and surfing the internet, in general researching.  Plus, I love birds of all types. And, I did raise chicks ONCE as a child in science class.

So... I checked out a book on gardening and chickens from the library:

And, I have two more coming today from Amazon.  Maybe I'll have some chicks for Easter!!!

Jennie

PS- If you like chickens, and are interested here is a cool link to a recipe for homemade chicken feed, organic and soy-free.

Homemade Chicken Feed. Organic and soy-free!

Return to Me.....

This quote is from Loyola Press, A Jesuit Ministry-

Return to Me with Your Whole Heart

From the first day of Lent, the Ash Wednesday readings make God's call to us clear: "Return to me with your whole heart" (Joel 2:12 NAB). It is an extraordinary invitation from God to each one of us - to me in a personal, individual way. God invites me to drop the defenses that I hold up between myself and God. God wants us to realize that our standards, our ways of judging and loving, are very different from God's way, and so much smaller. God loves each one of us. For an entire Lenten season, for an entire lifetime, God loves each one of us. "A clean heart create for me, God," Psalm 51:12 NAB offers. "Give me back the joy of your salvation." That is exactly what our loving God wants to give us, the joy of salvation. This is the invitation of each day of Lent. Today is the day to accept it.

For me, personally, it has always been difficult to accept that God truly loves ME.  I think as I have gotten older, and I hope wiser, certainly more mature (read more wrinkles) that I have learned I am a perfectionist.  I don't like this about myself.

I don't think perfectionism is an admirable quality in myself.  It helps me to be successful- sometimes- but it also hurts me.  It doesn't let me see what I do well, it doesn't let me enjoy the moment now, I spend to much time hoping to be "the perfect Jennie."

I truly believe God wants us to strive to be as perfect as we can- but he does not EXPECT us to reach that goal.  Here is another quote that helps me- and this is my favorite:

For God so loved the world that he gave^* his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.^k

It can be found here if you are looking for a Catholic Bible.

Of course, this quote is also found in Protestant Bibles :). 

I wasn't always Catholic- I was BLESSED to find my home in the Roman Catholic Church- and it was the crucifix that called to me, and that symbol, which is sometimes misunderstood, comforts me still when times are hard.