Lori Seaborg

A Wishlist of Things to Do in 2009

 

I keep a little spiral notebook handy for jotting down things. In it, is a long list of things I want to do, started on January 9th, 2008. I've added to it over the past year (I want to do everything in the world that's not scary or evil, so my list is quite long).

1. Streak*: A 28-day (Sundays off) of strength exercises each morning
2. Spin on a drop spindle
3. Weave on a loom
4. Design a rug hooked piece
5. Complete the rug hooked piece I designed
6. Learn Photoshop actions
7. Plan menu for 30 days
8. Create recipe notebook of healthy options
9. Streak: 14 days of moving every day (heart-pumping exercise, Sundays off)
10. Plant a fall garden
11. Schedule goat & cat vaccine and worming care
12. Streak: Carry a snack bag wherever we go for 14 days
13. Get new Nikon lens and learn it
14. Learn f-stops and other buttons on camera
15. Knit an intermediate project
16. Write an ebook
17. Learn how to create Adobe .pdf documents
18. Streak: Read to children for 10 days straight
19. Create school schedule for rest of year
20. Design a softie
21. Write a tutorial on that designed softie
22. Read all of the Old Testament (Bible) to kids
23. Streak: Go to the riverbank for 14 mornings in a row
24. Print 50 photos
25. Write a letter
26. Write a thank you note
27. Write a letter again
28. Teach kids a new sport (note: my man totally needed to help out here!)
29. Streak: 7 days of being only positive to my man
30. Start FreelyEducate.com
31. Visit North Carolina
32. Schedule time for my learning (use this time for learning new things)
33. Schedule time for creativity
34. Give away 20 books for nothing in return
35. Knit scarf for our big fella
36. Make salve
37. Streak: Tea Time at 4pm for 4 days in a row
38. Attend a symphony
39. Attend an opera
40. Learn to hand quilt
41. Finish a hand quilted piece
42. Identify five birds
43. Learn to needle felt the goat's mohair
44. Learn to smock
45. Put photos into at least 2 frames
46. Make our little gal a softie or soft doll while she's still little
47. Make a chore chart for the kids
48. Make a chore chart for me
49. Plant a spring garden
50. Design a punch needle embroidery (photo above)

There is an update in the middle of my lists that says, "On May 5, 2008, I had a big setback, tearing ligaments in my left ankle. It is now September 5th and it's still painful and swells but finally I'm up to working on this list again." It makes me sad that I missed so much time due to a silly injury, but, ah, well. While laying around, waiting for it to heal, I accomplished the things I could and dreamed about the things I couldn't.

I'm still working on that list. The problem is, it grows more quickly than I can complete it.

What would you add?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Streak means all in a row. For example, "Streak: 14 days of moving every day," would mean I need to move for 14 days straight in order to check it off. Streaks, I hope, will help me kick-start something so that it becomes a habit.

-------------------------
Lori Seaborg
http://loriseaborg.com

Black Gold! (Composting 101)

Composting 101 

by Lori Seaborg 

Would you like to have "Black Gold" for your garden?  Black Gold is basically just free dirt that is full of minerals and of a perfect texture for your plants.  It is also known as compost. Compost is easy to make, inexpensive, and odorless despite its ingredients.  

 

How Does Compost Work?

Composting works by little microorganisms eating away at plant or food material until it breaks down into a soil-like substance.  I'm sure you have noticed the dark black soil that you have seen under a deep pile of leaves in the forest. That is compost. 

What Materials Are Needed to Make Compost? 

All plant matter will eventually become compost, but since you don't want to wait a decade, you need any combination of the following, preferably a balance of "brown" and "green":

Brown Material (provides carbon): newspaper ( black and white pages only), brown leaves, pine straw/needles, other brown plant material

Green Material (provides nitrogen): green leaf clippings, grass clippings, other green plant material

Other Material (provides various nutrients): banana peels, fruit/veggie peels, coffee grounds, tea bags, eggshells, other garbage, hair clippings, manure from chickens, cows, horses

Do not include: Meat products, dairy products, urine/feces from
humans or your dog and cat, or weed seeds

Keep in mind that you will not have compost until the microorganisms have broken the plant and food matter into tiny bits.  To help speed the composting process, break all matter into small pieces if possible.

 

Where Should I Put the Compost Pile?

You can make your compost area as complicated or as simple as you prefer. Online you may find many products to buy, ranging from drums to fancy containers for your compost.  We have always gone with the free and easy method.  We have had a loose compost pile, a compost pile surrounded on three sides by recycled wooden pallets, and presently we use the chicken coop as our “compost pile.”  We just toss all compost matter into the coop, even if we know chickens wonÂ’t eat it (such as pine straw).  They are wonderful compost turners and give us rich Black Gold much quicker than if we do it ourselves. 

If you do choose to enclose your compost area, remember that the two necessary ingredients to compost are air and water, so leave your pile open at the top and with slits on the sides.

No compost pile should be more than 4' high by 4' wide, for turning purposes.

 

How Do I Make Compost?

Begin your pile by spreading out a layer of green material, then brown material.  Next, add some dirt to get soil microorganisms near your pile (they will find it anyway, but this speeds up the process). Keep repeating the layers. The more balanced your pile is between brown and green, the less likely that it will smell. If it does smell, make sure you have not added anything from the "Do NOT include" list above, and make sure you are keeping the pile balanced between brown and green materials.

Each time you add a layer to your compost pile, sprinkle water on the pile unless it is forecasted to rain.  Your pile should be always moist like a sponge; neither very wet nor dry. Sunlight and/or heat will cause the compost process to move along more quickly.

You need to turn, or stir, the compost pile since the microorganisms work from the inside to the outside. The more often you stir the pile (I use a pitchfork or let our chickens do the stirring), the more quickly your pile will be ready.

 

How Long Until I Have Finished Compost?

When it is summer in Florida, in the full sun, and if I am keeping the pile moist and turning it daily, I have compost ready in only about two weeks.  Most often, a compost pile is ready in 2-3 months.  Some gardeners start a pile in the fall and allow it to sit, unstirred, all winter.  It is usually ready by spring. 

There are a couple of things you can do to speed up the process:  keep the pile moist at all times, keep the pile in a warm location (sunny), and turn the pile frequently.

Your finished compost will look like the prettiest black dirt you've ever seen, and your plants will love it!

 

Some Tips On Making It When You're Broke

I wrote the following last September (2004), when my man lost his job and Hurricane Ivan hit us, within 2 weeks of each other.  As we were spinning, literally and mentally, I learned a few things and wrote them in the below article: 

 

A side benefit to being frugal with money (ie. broke) occured recently when the children wanted to decorate cupcakes. We'd run out of sprinkles but my!, they were amazed that I could make colored sugar. They kept hollering, "Look! Mama MADE this sugar! Look, it's colored!" I've learned a few other things about being frugal in the house in this hard time:

 

* Buying generic brands in everything is frustrating to me, but it has also introduced me to a few alternate products. The store-brand Saltines in one store, for example, taste like the Premium brand.

 

* Laundry gets just as clean on a longer cycle with half the detergent called for on the box.

 

* Dishes get just as clean on half the detergent, as long as you rinse them well first.

 

* Breakfast is cheaper by far without cold cereal. Cereal uses too much expensive milk! I've been making muffins, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, etc. (my 9yo said, "Mom, I don't know why, but our breakfasts have been really good lately!")

 

* The children don't need prepared snack foods like Cheez-Its and Rold Gold pretzels. They will keep content as long as they have something when they are hungry.

 

* Free, fresh eggs from our chickens are awfully useful.

 

* Margarine, even though I'm not happy to have it instead of butter, at least spreads more easily when cold.

 

* The chickens can live - and thrive - on only table scraps (thanks to the baby, we have plenty!) and free ranging (that's a term for letting them loose).

 

*  All scrap paper should be saved.  The toddler (2) doesn't notice that one side is used when she is in a scribbling mood. 

 

*  Children are immensely amused with scissors, magazines, a glue stick, and paper.  Tell them to create a book by folding the paper  in half and stapling it (or using a hole punch and yarn) on the folded side.

 

* People love homemade cards from the children, made from the above.

 

*  Meat does not have to be a main dish.

 

*  Rice & beans or pasta can be an inexpensive main dish, with meat as the "seasoning" or as the side item.

 

*  Water and microfiber cleaning cloths (.99 at WalMart in the automotive section) can polish any window or stainless steel, and can clean any smooth surface of grime - without expensive, unhealthy chemicals.

 

* A garden is an important thing to plant each year. You never know when life will throw you a curve ball. 

 

* Hospitality is still important, even when broke.  I have been more blessed by going to a poor gal's home and experiencing her generosity with her homebaked goods and tea, than I ever have in a rich gal's home who can afford the fancy things she offers. 

 

* When you give away extra things generously, God will always bless you back.  I have seen this many, many times. 

(Originally published on my 2005-2008 Keeping the Home blog)

Flood Update

 

In case you're worried...you don't seem to be, but just in case...I'm letting you know that we made it through the flood okay. It flooded to 22 feet. The record is 22.8', so this was a big one!

Our Earth-loving-artist-neighbor lost an amazing sculpture that he'd worked weeks on, a really ugly alligator he made out of a log, a broken-down Volvo, some power tools, and a freezer full of food.

Our four-dogs-and-a-brother-in-Iraq neighbor lost a basement full of furniture and clothing. He also lost a really gross futon mattress that floated across our yard and wrapped itself around a tree. I was happy to show him where it was this morning when he asked, although I was surprised that he'd ever want to see it again.

The T-family (all five members' names start with "T", plus the dog, Toby) lost a 10' section of porch railing which floated four houses down. The flood missed going into the interior of their house by 1" (that's one inch!). They lost an air conditioner, yards of lattice, and several odd items.

We lost 2 lawn chairs and some beach toys. We also lost a chicken (one of the best layers, of course) and our hen house came crashing down.

Today I took a tromp through the wooded lot next to ours with the neighbor from the opposite side of the woods. We found two 4' pieces of picket fencing (mine), 2 kayaks (the 4-dog neighbor's), a beer carton (nobody's), a pink cup (ours), 2 smashed lawn chairs (ours), a chair (the searching-neighbor), a mattress spring (ours, but the 4-dog neighbor took it while I silently let him think the piece of trash was his), 3 planks of wood (ours, from our chicken pen), a wooden staircase three steps high (only God knows)... and I finally quit looking.

There are 3 really good things about having two major natural disasters in a six-month span of time (Hurricane Ivan then this flood):

1.) It brings out the neighborly-ness in neighbors,
2.) We are reminded of God's power
3.) Life is never dull here.

...Just in case you were worried.

(This article was originally published on my 2004-2006 Keeping the Home blog)

A Flooding Day

My last post was about a rainy day, "a lovely day," I said, "my kind of day." Well, sometimes rain is not so lovely. That "lovely" rain turned into a national-news-deserving flood, just 8" below our record flood for the area. It certainly has not been a funny April Fool's Day joke!

We live on a river Our river has already flooded 22' over its banks today. Our house is up 28' from the river, so we're fine, but some of our neighbors' homes have already flooded. These are houses that, just 7 months ago, suffered damage from Hurricane Ivan and were since remodeled. Some neighbors' houses are on stilts and right now those houses are literally islands (with the neighbors in them!)!

We are getting hugely ignored from even the local news so there was no warning about this, other than that there was going to be some thunderstorms today. Please pray for our neighbors and for us, too, for safety and all. The neighbors say it has never flooded this far in the past 10+ years, even in Hurricanes Ivan and Danny.

You all might like knowing that at 6:30am, my Hero Husband rowed our rowboat out across our flooded backyard and saved 9 of my 10 chickens. We woke up to the water already up to the level of their perch, which is 10' above the river. I immediately became a frantic mess, so worried about "my girls." I wished for chickens for over 12 years before we could move to the country, so I love those dumb birds! It was too dangerous to swim out to their pen, though, with the swift current and the lightning.

 

That's how my man ended up in the boat. By the time he got there, the water was over the perch and the hens were clinging sideways to the chicken wire surrounding their pen (we have an open-air pen, with only chicken wire around it). One perished before he got to them. Two have lost 1/2 of their feathers from the struggle. And all look hilarious as they are wet and worried. Like Noah, he put the chickens in the boat. On the way back, though, the rope broke that was anchoring him to a tree on dry land. The current was terribly swift -- too swift to row. There was a real danger of he and the hens and the boat being carried away. My man clung to a tree, trying to get the boat to move closer to land. I called a neighbor on the phone meanwhile. The neighbor finally came -- I thought he'd come with a kayak or a rope, but instead he just dove into the water and pulled the boat, my man , and the chickens to safety! (he's an artist, kind of eccentric, you know)

 

It hasn't stopped raining.

(This article was originally published on my 2005-2008 Keeping the Home blog)

Today I Am...

Enjoying...a visit from my "kissin' cousin" who is here from Texas with her husband - possibly the nicest man in the world - and their baby doll

Losing...our boy bunny who looks like Peter Rabbit. He escaped one time too many and this time we weren't here for my hero to catch him.

Catching...our girl bunny who decided to escape, too, yesterday. Good thing she is FAT and SLOW.

Struggling...to get up at 6:30am for a walk with God in the mornings. Goodness, do I ever struggle there!

Reading...too many blogs. I am addicted, I admit it, but no - I am NOT ready to quit yet.

Writing...nothing but my blogs here

Wishing...I'd write more

Fearing...writing (for publication)! Why fear writing? I don't know, but I do.

Praising...God for providing us with our latest van to replace the wrecked one.

Planting...petunias, Holly ferns, periwinkles, and transplanting St. Augustine grass

Buying...seeds, 50 lbs. of chicken feed, pink child-sized wooden chairs, oat groats, wheat berries, a breadmaker, and a power inverter - all this week!

Thanking...God that I am an American every time I walk into WalMart and see the surplus that our country has

(Originally published on my 2005-2008 Keeping the Home blog)

Today I Am...

Ordering...50 baby chickens from McMurray Hatchery (up 25 from my idea last week -- still don't tell my man!)

Screaming...inwardly at the computer because I can't figure out how to put a photo next to my profile on this blog

Listening...to our baby girl make her sweet baby noises while playing in the room next to the one I'm in.

Waiting ...another 12 days or so to see if our bunnies really do "breed like rabbits"

Hoping...(all of us except my man) that we have baby bunnies for Easter to go along with our 50 chicks

Liking...my man a lot better now that I am writing about all the animals he is being so patient to let me have

Looking...at the Dead Sea Scrolls in Mobile, Alabama yesterday afternoon. Wow! Israel has never let them out of their country before and we are so honored.

Breathing...or not. A minute ago, I tried to see if I would really pass out if I didn't have a mouth and had to use my congested nose to breathe. Experiment failed, but just barely.

Sorting...through piles of children's clothes to store or give away. I cannot keep up with it!

Writing...a newsletter

Making...something that takes no imagination for dinner. I do NOT feel well! What's on TV tonight?

(Originally published on my 2005-2008 Keeping the Home blog)

Today I Am...

Driving...a rental car. Our van was wrecked last week, but it was a single-car accident and - thank God! - my man was perfectly fine. The van slipped off the road in a heavy rainstorm, landing in a ditch with an unluckily-placed pipe that smashed up the underside. C'est la vie!

Reading...Laine's Letters, a site written by a wife & mom in California who has a heart for God like none I've read, and shares yummy recipes to boot!

Loving...my time with my brother, Stephen, who is moving to Chile in a week. We enjoyed a coffee-and-bookshop kind of day in my artsy-writerly town.

Drooling...over a bit of toffee from Punta Clara Kitchen. There is no doubt that the angels will serve toffee in Heaven!

Chatting... about chunky yarn and bamboo knitting needles with the shop owner of a tiny yarn shop in our tiny town.

Collecting...19 eggs while the 20th was being laid. Anyone want some?

Laughing...at my man's reaction when I emerge from the car with a girl bunny. Our boy bunny needed a wife and I simply could not resist her black spots on white fur.

Grinning...when he asks me if I realize that we are now going to have baby bunnies all over the place.

Ordering...28 baby chicks from Murray McMurray. Don't tell my man, okay? :)

(Originally published on my 2004-05 Keeping the Home blog)

Lori's TidBits

As promised, I have a few holiday tips to share with you:

* Next year, think of celebrating in Santa-style on St. Nicholas
Day, which is Santa's birthday, on December 6th. You may wish to
lay out your shoes the night before St. Nicholas Day as they do in
Holland and Germany each year. When you awaken in the morning,
Santa (er, you) will have placed sweets, cookies, and/or a small
gift in the shoes. Why make Santa such a big part of Christmas Day
when he can have his own day? Celebrating St. Nicholas Day extends
the festivities while leaving Christmas Day to only Jesus.

* Nicholas was a kind man around AD 325 who liked to help others
anonymously. Over time he became a legend. When he died, he was
called Saint Nicholas. Nicholas loved Jesus, history tells us, so I
doubt that he would be comfortable overshadowing Jesus on Christmas
Day.

* Again, this tidbit may be too late for this Christmas, but I
thought I'd pass it on. Some people like to give their children
only three gifts for Christmas, with the idea that if three gifts
were all Jesus received (from the wise men), then it is enough for
their children. If you want to limit your gift-giving to only
three, here is another idea based on Jesus' gifts of gold,
frankincense, and myrrh:

For Gold : Give the child a gift he really wants, as gold
represents something desirable.

For Frankincense: Give the child a gift she needs. Frankincense
was of high value at the time of Jesus.

For Myrrh: Give the child something of educational value, because
myrrh was used to help in healing.

* Cinnamon-Applesauce Ornaments:

Mix 1 cup cinnamon and 3/4 cup applesauce and 2 Tablespoons white
glue in a bowl. Knead the "dough". Roll out and cut with cookie
cutters. Pierce with a straw if you want a hole in teh ornament for
hanging. Bake in a low oven until dry (I did 250 for 1-2 hours) or
let air-dry.

Makes around 2 dozen small oranments. Mmmm! Your house will smell
good while doing this project!

* It is not too late to invite someone over for the holidays. In
fact, just after Christmas is an even better time to invite someone,
as many people become lonely after the holidays or suffer from
depression during that time. Make it simple on yourself and serve a
one-dish meal like pizza. For dessert, eat your Christmas goodies,
of course! Play a card game or board game with your guest while
listening to Christmas music. In doing this, you are practicing
hospitality.

* We are having a frugal Christmas this year since we do not know
what our future holds income-wise. Here is what we are doing for
some gifts:

1. I made several types of candy to ship out to our married
siblings. They were shipped in tins that I found at WalMart for
around $1 each.

2. Magazine subscriptions are inexpensive at this time of the
year. I was able to get 3 subscriptions of Everyday Foods (a Martha
Steward magazine) for only $30 for my sisters-in-law to enjoy all
year round.

3. The children are making napkin rings and wreath ornaments out of
Sculpey clay for gifts. The clay is a bit expensive, it seems when
you buy it, but a little goes a very long way.

4. We want the children to shop for each other so they can practice
selflessness, but we didn't have enough extra money to let them ALL
shop for ALL of them. So this year, we assigned them each one
sibling and they have $10 to spend as wisely as they possibly can.
I can't wait to see how well they do! (As of now, they are thinking
that 10 dollar store gifts would be great -- I'm trying to teach
them about watching out for quality as well as price).

5. My dad always got a can of peanuts from us when I was a kid, but
this year I think I will make it a little more special and give
him "Spiced Nuts". I will look on the Internet for a recipe. (He
also always got a pair of socks from us kids)

6. For Alyssa Belle, our 1-year-old, I am making a patchwork quilt
out of cordoroy and denim clothes that she used to wear. I cut the
clothes into 4" squares. The back is from a flannel blanket that
she used as an infant.


7. I made some cinnamon candles from paraffin wax and cinnamon
oil. I melted the wax, added the fragrance, then poured the wax
into little tins that I found at WalMart for .50 each (they match
the ones I mentioned above, #1).

* For Jesus' birthday (and because it's a great dessert) have Red
Velvet Cake. Decorate the cake with white frosting in the shape of
a bow so that you can tell those gathered that the cake represents
the gift Jesus gave us on His birthday when He came to Earth to save
us from our sins. The red cake represents Jesus' blood on the cross
and the white frosting represents that our hearts are washed as
white as snow because of His sacrifice.

Happy Holidays from my family to yours!

Lori Seaborg

Preparing for an Emergency When Money is Tight

Hurricane Ivan is barrelling down on us on the Gulf Coast. We expect him to start showing us what he's made of Wednesday. Tomorrow, Tuesday, everything is shutting down as people evacuate. We think we are staying put. With no income coming in right now, it is expensive to leave and we have lived here long enough to know that a hurricane can turn at any moment. We'll wait and see how dangerous it looks, then head to a local shelter if need be.

You, too, should have an emergency plan and at least a list of what to buy for an emergency. Here, we get warnings about our storms, so we don't have to keep the hurricane items on hand at all times. If you live where tornadoes and earthquakes are, you'd want to keep these items around:

flashlights
batteries
lanterns
oil for lanterns
canned food
boxed food like crackers
candles
grill or other cooking device
water to drink
water in your tubs
medication
important papers ready to go

Now, I'll tell you some things I am doing on a limited income, since some of you also may not be able to just go out and buy all of those things:

1. Look at what you already have, for example:

• I don't have enough candles, but I do have candlemaking supplies. Since I will have power for the next two days at least, I will make candles rather than purchasing them.
• We're making do with our under-cabinet kitchen radio rather than buying another one. We will just unscrew it from the cabinets to carry it throughout the house with us.
• I'm baking bread and making cookies. We don't have the extra money to buy convenience items already made. I will store the baked items in containers like Tupperware. I will make some healthier items like whole wheat bread and blueberry muffins.
• Rather than purchasing water, we are going to fill pitchers and water containers with the drinking water that we can get out of the faucet now.
• We don't have a tarp, but we have a roll of plastic that we bought for Hurricane Opal years ago. We'll use that, if need be.

2. Natural disasters create a mess! Don't start out with a mess, or it will be much worse for you. Start now to clean the house:

• Mopping and vacuuming.
• Do all laundry.
• All important paper items need to be stored in waterproof containers. We are using some Rubbermaid totes that we have already.
• Pick up loose items that will hurt your feet when you walk around in the dark when the power is out.
• Put books and other papers in waterproof containers or at least get them off the floor if your storm is a watery one.
• Do the dishes.
• Make the beds.
• Straighten up anything you can. With the power out, you need everything to be already in its place so you can find it when needed.

3. Be prepared. If you have the luxury, as we do, of knowing a storm is coming, you can start getting ready days ahead. Here is my list:

• Charge the chargeable flashlights.
• Charge the cellphones.
• Charge the digital camera and clear it for ample storage after taking photos of the house (pre-storm) for insurance purposes. Email those pictures to someone in another state for safekeeping, or create a photo CD and keep it with the important papers.
• Bake items now for eating when the power is out.
• Have insurance and emergency information in a place where you can find it easily.
• Pack a bag in case you have to get out fast. Put in a change of clothing for everyone, snacks, water bottles, and a special blanket or animal for the kids.
• Pack another bag with important papers and medications along with your purse/wallet and car keys and cell phones. You will grab this bag if you have to evacuate.
• Email or call someone to let them know of your plans.
• If your emergency is a water one, dig any needed ditches for water run-off, clear gutters, have tarp ready.
• Have a plan for the outside animals. Our chickens are going to the garage (yuck!) if they are in danger from the high wind speeds. Bring in the cat and dog in plenty of time.
• Fill Ziploc bags now with water and place in the freezer. They will ice, keeping the freezer colder longer if the power goes out.
• Fill prescriptions and place medicine in the bag mentioned above (g).
• Fill the gas tanks of the cars (gas stations can't pump without power).
• Get some extra cash out of an ATM (ATMs don't work without power).
• Gather any loose items from the yard (we have lawn chairs and a deck box and planters)and place them in the garage or in the house.
• Cover windows, if you are preparing for a windy storm, with plywood. If you can't do that, as we cannot this year (plywood is too expensive for us now, and all stores are out of it anyways), then create a plan for what you'll do if the windows shatter. For example, as soon as the power goes out, we are moving the television to a safe room without windows. We will move the living room furniture into safer rooms, also.
• Create a "Storm Central." We will create a space in either our master bathroom, which is large, or in the hallway. We will bring in blankets, pillows, snacks, water, emergency lighting like flashlights and candles, games to play, my crocheting needle and yarn, the radio, paper and pen, and the children will each bring a small bag filled with favorite toys.

If I think of more things to add to this list, I will. I hope all of you stay safe. If you read this before Hurricane Ivan comes to the Florida/Alabama border where we live (around September 15, 2004), please say a prayer of safety for us. I rather love a good storm as it reminds me of the power of God. But I don't like a deadly storm, nor do I like the mess it causes.

(Originally published on my 2004-05 Keeping the Home blog)

Drag Queen Chicken?

Princess crowed. For the first time, she crowed. Then seven more times. We were wondering why her comb and wattle were so big. We wondered why she developed more quickly than the other 9 chickens. We wondered why her tail feathers were so long.

She could not be a he! We discussed the possibility now and then, but always with a dismissal. She is a Golden Sex Link. She was a yellow chick, and in the Golden Sex Links, the yellow chicks are girls and the black ones are boys.

Princess apparently was a drag queen chickie, dressed in yellow to save her skin from becoming Puppy Chow. It worked, her life was spared at the hatchery. It worked again, her cute yellow drag queen attire, when I let each of the four children pick out a chickie "that Mama won't stew." Yes, even if it quits laying eggs, and even if it becomes old.

And if she is a he? Yes, even then, although I never thought it could happen. Golden Sex Links are for sure girls when they are yellow, and those chicks were bright yellow. We thought Princess was more healthy, more mature. We thought our 4 year old daughter, who chose that chick, just babied her and gave her extra food.

We thought wrong. Princess just crowed again.

(from a journal entry)