An opportunity

~Shannon holding Ann Bancroft, our Dark Brahma hen~

When we made the decision to get chickens, more specifically hens, it wasn't without thought. In fact, an entire year's worth of thought, research, reading, learning, and more research went into it. We saw it as an opportunity. An opportunity to help produce more of our own food, to be more connected with the Earth, to teach our children about nature, where food comes from, and some nice biology lessons too. We saw it as an opportunity to take another step along our path of self-reliance and self-sustainability. We saw it as an opportunity to perhaps help show others that might not know about keeping chickens that you can do so without ruining the neighborhood. That it can bring neighbors together.
Unfortunately, as happens sometimes, it didn't bring all our neighbors together. As you know, one neighbor out-right hates us for not living the way she thinks we ought to: cooped up inside the house with windows always down, never venturing into the yard except to pick up a stray stick, and with landscaping that isn't over a couple inches high unless it is a tree. If she wants to (or anyone for that matter) live that way - go for it we say, but it isn't for us.
So now, today, we got our official letter from the City about the chickens since "technically" their illegal. We, of course, are going to try and convince City Council to ammend Zoning regulations to allow residents to keep a small, well-kept, backyard flock of hens.
Despite the instinctive reaction to run into my room, throw myself onto the bed, and cry into my pillow (or to go next door and just kick some butt), I'm going to see this as an opportunity.
An opportunity to learn more how the City works, to be involved in our community, to try and affect change. An opportunity to show our children all of those things, and to allow them to be part of it. To hear your 5 1/2 year old and your 3 year old say "Please don't let them take our chickens" breaks your heart. I might as well be shooting Old Yeller. So, it's an opportunity to show them that when there is something you really believe in, you do everything you can to support it.
It is an opportunity for us to become more involved in our community, and that community doesn't end with City lines, it is world-wide. That is inspiring.

Revelations

Sometimes I am hesitant about how personal I want to be on here. While I believe there are some things a family, or just a person, best ought to keep to themselves, I also believe we have utterly lost the knowledge of how to be a thriving a functioning community or village. Locally it rarely exists. Online it is beginning to come back.
October was a really rough month for us, as I am certain it was for most of the country given the current economic troubles. I will begin with I know how blessed we are for the things we have and we are TRULY grateful for them. But, you can be as grateful as you want and that doesn't make times any less tough sometimes. November is shaping up to be the same way, and I am sure with the holidays coming that December will be rough as well. We're luckier than many, and we know that, but it is still rough.
We are eagerly awaiting the results of the election tomorrow. No matter which way it goes it will be historic. We're VERY much supporting Obama & Biden and VERY, VERY much against McCain and Palin. We don't see ourselves as Democrats but more as independent thinkers who look at the pros and cons and make our choices from there, without looking at party tickets so much.
I keep seeing these commercials about Obama wanting to raise taxes and it bothers me since one of his core messages is lowering taxes for those who don't make a lot of money, and pretty much taking away tax cuts for those who do (so they would be back to where they were under Reagan). I see Obama saying what he wants to do and seemingly with a very detailed plan. I haven't seen that from McCain. I have gone to both of their respective websites to research their stances on subjects that matter to me, to hear it in their own words. And based upon that, we are very scared of what is going to happen should McCain get elected. We plan to make a stand should that occur, a definitive stand to continue with greater energy and dedication to they way we've been living our lives and trying to live.
So, what has my revelation of late been? It has been how I've watched the people who have the least to give be the most willing to give. Be the first to help out. We've been very blessed with help from my family in the last week.
The chickens have all recovered from the attack, and seem to have actually bonded nicely because of it (a silver lining) ~ but it was the help from my Mom and Step-Dad that allowed us to get the supplies to fix the tractor to try and help prevent another attack. We were blessed that someone was willing to "share" a deer with us this year; my mom, knowing we couldn't afford it right now gave it to me as a early birthday present. And today, my Dad has offered to give me another early birthday present to help afford the pork I have to pick up this afternoon. (Long story short: we ordered "extra" pork this year because we didn't get any deer last year, and so this year is turning out to be a wonderful example of Murphy's Law). The people we are picking up the pork from have agreed to let us pay what we can now and the rest by the end of the month. We will certainly never cease doing business with them. It is without their help and giudance that we would've even been able to make the leap for organic meat, and it is with their help and understanding that we're able to continue to do so.
My father also saved for us his bags of leaves from his maple tree. It was several VERY full 55 gallon bags. We've used them as bedding in the coop for the biddies and also to give the garden a nice covering. This helps let us put off getting some more straw until we can afford it a little easier. One man's burden is another's treasure at it's finest.
Justin and I have talked about the things I do: baking goods, canning things, and making soaps and shampoos, along with postcards & other things I do with my photography, and I've told him I would like to be set-up enough to be able to sell some of these things at the local Farmer's Market by next Spring. Hopefully that will help us out some as well.
People talk, well commercials talk, about what each candidate represents. I believe in Obama and his sincerity in wanting to help the middle class out. I believe in McCain's desire to keep helping those who really don't need it. Those are things I believe, but here are the things I know: that some of the kindest and most sincere people I've ever met have been members of the middle or lower-middle class. That those without great monetary worth have so much more worth and generosity within and about them. That the amount of money you make doesn't equate to the kindness in your heart. Of course there are exceptions, but in general, this is what I do know.
We, these people, DO work hard. And we appreciate the things we have even more so because of the difficulites it takes in getting them. Because of the physical labor it takes to produce something. Because we know how close we are, as well as those we care about and those like us are to being without and losing everything. I resent the notion that we (those who are liberal or who will vote Democratic, and so on) aren't hard workers. We are. We are the backbone of this country, and it is a strong backbone. And I am grateful for everyone who is part of that with us.