Perhaps surprisingly, our blond roo named David Bowie was decidedly a keeper.
Today was the first day we had the children actively assist us with chicken butchering. The boys did a great job catching each rooster for us to slaughter.
Picture them both in black galoshes, tramping through the chicken coop and emerging triumphant with a squawking rooster held aloft by his feet. Daniel was so proud of catching one all by himself.
They also paired up to cleverly plead for the life of a particularly handsome rooster they caught. They won.
We set up a table on our back patio to serve as our workstation. We didn't bother with plucking feathers today. I hate plucking feathers. We skinned them quickly and cut off portions of meat to freeze: breasts in one bag, thighs in another bag, wings and drumsticks in the last bag. Carcasses were boiled all day in a stockpot to yield rich broth for winter soups. The only thing wasted was the feathers (although we DO always keep some for crafts- rooster feathers are so gorgeous!) and the entrails.
This afternoon I had the privilege of serving a post-funeral meal to some friends in our ward. An elderly gentleman passed away this week and I was blessed with the opportunity of planning the funeral arrangements (The Relief Society president was out of town, so I was assigned to take care of the details.)
At first I felt inclined to panic (Where do I even begin? Caring for a mourning family is something I've never done before!) Thankfully, our wise (and experienced) secretary knew what to suggest and gave me directions on what needed to be done.
It was a wonderful learning experience for sure!
At the funeral dinner, I learned more about this man. I had never known his story! He was a true hero! He lived in Poland when it was occupied during World War 2 and he was part of the Resistance. He smuggled Jews safely out of the country for a long time. Finally he decided to make his own escape to freedom, but was caught along the way by the Germans. He was sent to the infamous concentration camp Auschwitz He survived there for an extended period of time, suffering unimaginable things. Finally the Allies arrived to Poland, sending the Red Cross to rescue and rehabilitate the inmates of the concentration camps. He met a lovely Red Cross nurse and they were later married.
Isn't that an amazing part of his life story? I never knew this history behind the face of this quiet old man. It gave me a lot to think about this week. I never before pondered his life, and now a rich opportunity is gone forever. I feel remorse for never getting to know him deeper than a quick smile on Sundays while I rushed my children to class.
I wonder what everyone else's story is. All around me are faces, so easy to ignore while I wander in my own thoughts. I feel a stronger desire to connect with people and dig deeper, past the superficial mask we each present to the world.
After serving at the church for a few hours, I returned home to my little ones and sweetheart. Nathan and the boys built a campfire in our backyard fire pit after the sun set. They set up chairs around the fire and happily roasted hotdogs while we relished sharing scary ghost stories to make us shiver in the dark. Nathan played his harmonica while the smoke rose to the bright stars above us. I could hear wildlife and dogs singing along with Nathan's music. We laughed together and made extra-gooey s'mores for dessert.
I soaked up every moment with my little darlings. I feel a renewed gratitude for life today. Life really is a blessing!
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