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Blessed Be the Tie That Binds
He arrived one morning in a cat carrier, the last duck at my son’s farm. His destiny was the chopping block if I did not adopt him. Why could I not make room for one more fowl? I reasoned with myself. I have three white chickens and a little hen-house. One more body would fit comfortably, and they could be a family. Gently placing the carrier on the ground,my granddaughter Lillian suggested that since he had hung out with her chickens, he would feel right at home with my chickens. With trepidation, I opened the door to the carrier. Will he stay here on our little patch of Kansas, or will…
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on neighborly social distancing
Thud! Judd and I had just settled into our recliners in the living room. That strange sound had come from outside the kitchen window. “What in the world was that?” I leaned forward, my eyes scanning the dining area to the kitchen. What I saw caused me to giggle and jump from my chair. Our neighbor’s chickens have not heard of social distancing. Every morning for weeks they had been coming across the brome field to accompany me in my morning chores of feeding two chickens, two ducks, a goat, and a donkey. And then, they gravitate to the bird feeder. Judd feeds the birds, and ever since our grandson,…
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Re-Collecting in the Pasture
Today I needed to walk the old familiar trail in the pasture again.The thoughts and feelings swirling in my mind and heart were and are disconcerting. Thirty-eight years ago, this pasture was new to me. My body was younger. I was filled with anticipation of what could be, Things in the world were . . . just different. Yes, we were on a down-swing in our culture, but there was hope of changing it. Yesterday we were young, God was with us, we could carry out the vision under God’s direction. We were a community with one heart. Today, we are not so young. Our community living here is of…