The Sunday before Thanksgiving usually finds me polishing silver, organizing serving pieces and platters, decorating, fussing, and checking my "to do" and grocery list twice. That is because typically, friends and family (often 20 or more) gather here to celebrate. It is something I treasure. When we found out that our grandchild was due to arrive just days before Thanksgiving this year, we changed things up and had a more casual family gathering in October. I will still cook a turkey (raised just a few miles from here) and our favorite side dishes, but it will just be the two of us, our daughter and son-in-love, and The Owlet (my new nickname for our big-eyed grand.) It feels odd not to be in the throes of planning the feast. Cooking for such a small group will be simple.
So today, instead of hustling and bustling and getting ready for a big party, I slept in a little. After breakfast, Chris and I went outside and cleaned the chicken coops and the goat house. It's not difficult work but takes some time. We find that, like everything in life, it is easier when we do it together. I shovel and sweep; he hauls the old shavings to the manure pile and hands me bales of fresh new ones. I love the feeling of spreading a deep layer of clean, fragrant pine shavings in each of the houses. As soon as we are done, the chickens come to check out their cleaned homes.
I leave the bedding in a pile in the center of the goat house. They will spread it themselves, but first, they like to rest on top of the mound. Here is Bliss, smack in the center, looking pleased.
Chris kindly got out his power tools and sealed the little door in the side of the goat house for the winter.
Wonderful Brenda was here last week, working her magic. She comes in the fall, her little car loaded with pine, cedar, and juniper. Winterberries, too. While I work inside, she bustles about, lugging armloads of greens here and there. Soon every garden bed is tucked under a fragrant blanket.
And the arbor, well, she dons her winter garb so prettily that everyone comments on her.
Today I had time to walk around and admire Brenda's handiwork up close while I filled bird feeders and tidied up a few things.
Once our chores were done, we cleaned ourselves up and went for a drive. We ended up at The Whales Tooth Pub in Lincolnville, where we enjoyed a relaxing late lunch and a view.
It was a pleasant and productive Sunday at the Farmlette. While I am not celebrating in a big way this year, I have so very much to be thankful for.
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