Thought I’d say hello again as the last post was on thanksgiving a couple of weeks ago. We’ve been inside a lot as it’s been really rainy (it’s winter I guess!) and everywhere is mega soggy. We haven’t had snow though and it’s been fairly mild really for December I suppose. I just start feeling like staying in at this time of year and have to forcibly remove myself from the house in order to go anywhere. It’s quite funny though because once I’m out it’s like ‘wow, isn’t it lovely! lets go!’
I’ve mentioned before, Chris has been working six days a week for a while now, so he’s just off on Sundays and I have found that change difficult. We’ve had the car a bit more though, so that’s been good, although it is because Chris has put a motor on his push bike and has been going to work on that. He says he loves it (and yes it is totally legal in this country before anyone comments on it) and he wraps himself up in layers and a waterproof suit and rides off most mornings. It takes a bit of maintaining as he’s doing a fair few miles every day, but he seems to like that too and he’s good at it.
We’ve got four turkey’s left now, I need to process them very soon and get them in the freezer. There’s a bird flu warning out in Ireland and all poultry is supposed to be housed at the moment, I haven’t got anywhere inside to put them, so I’ll probably sort them this week. I’ll be glad when it’s done. There doesn’t seem to be many places in Ireland (not nearby anyway) that slaughter poultry, so it looks like it’ll be me doing it. I know there’s often strong feelings on this, but like I’ve said before, I think if you eat meat it is fairly healthy to know how it’s been brought up and kept. Also, to have an idea of what is involved.
We also have ten hens and one rooster in another pen (they do have a house) and nine young chickens in the polytunnel at the moment. The young ones are doing really well, they scared me the other week as I went in one morning and their crops (the place they store food) were absolutely massive, they looked like they were ready to burst! but it turned out they’d just gorged themselves and they are absolutely fine. They looked so odd, little chickens with massive bulges to one side of their necks. Because they’re light sussex/cream legbar crosses it’s interesting to see how their appearance changes every week because I’ve never seen these particular crosses before. They’re just getting little crests on the top of their heads at the moment. And unlike the purebred cream legbars (that are autosexing), I couldn’t tell which were male or female very easily, so I’m still waiting to be sure.
We’re still home educating, we enjoy it on the whole, it’s very nice to have the freedom to decide what to do with our time and brains! but like anything, there’s ups and downs. But to be honest I’m very glad we’ve had the continuity of just home schooling all the way through covid, it’s kept them without all the ups and downs of schools opening and shutting and you can attend this and see people and now you can’t and recently there’s a whole new debate on younger ones wearing masks etc. So I’m glad to be out of all that too. We aren’t homeschooling due to Covid, we decided to do it before it started, but I’m glad we made that decision.
I love Christmas, we’ve got a devotional book to do and we’re making some decorations and crafting and painting and all that a fair bit. We’ve got the tree up (I think it’s the earliest I’ve ever put it up) and we’re on countdown. I love talking about Jesus to J (he’s 6), it sort of clarifies things and makes you realise whether you can actually explain about it in a clear way or not, because a six year old is very forthright and honest and says if he doesn’t understand or gets a very clear look on his face if he’s bored or confused. And you also soon realise how much rambling you do rather than get to the point! (or how unclear you can be) haha.
Enjoy advent folks! If you don’t know Jesus, if you don’t know why he came, or what he has done, try having a read of one of the gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John). If you read one chapter of Luke a day in December, you get all the way through by Christmas Eve. Jesus is just the best present ever, He frees you, to be you. No one else and nothing else will ever do that. He is also real, not some mystical figure way back in history. Knowing him is a real and active thing, not just a distant figure in a book. And the only way we can meet God is through Jesus. As Jesus himself said ‘I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me’ (John 14:6). Talk to Him, tell Him whatever you need to tell Him. Ask Him questions, seek Him and you will find Him (Matthew 7:7).
Good bye!
Cathy.
The Shepherds Adventure 