Change

These days it seems we all want some sort of change. I just got finished reading a manifesto yesterday written by the Weather Underground in the 1960's. They wanted change. (I wish I could say they were irrelevant now, but they are still hard at work, and have some pretty powerful connections.)

I was pondering the differences between their change and my change and realized a beautiful thing... the change I want does not have to be talked about in secret. It does not have to be manipulated to be sold to the public. It does not have to be plotted out for 100 years through progress so it will not seem abhorrent to the public. It can be talked about openly and be achieved through truth, because it is not abhorrent to those who discover it's truths. That has to be some sort of advantage, right?!

In the paper, they singled out women and emphasized the need to make them abandon their roles as wife-mother... to make them feel oppressed by their husbands and society. To break down morals, and family structure. They also singled out the youth and taught them that school was a prison, rather than a place of opportunity. They singled out blacks and told them that they were oppressed, and will always be oppressed unless they overthrew our capitalist system. They sowed discontent, for the sake of social unrest. Now we all feel a bit dissatisfied with our lives, and we wonder why. We've been fed lies for the last 50 years!

The wife-mothers are the bonds of society that hold the thing together. We are not oppressed, we have chosen to take on a beautiful God given responsibility of raising a family and providing a husband and children a place of order to call their home.

We can rejoice because to stand up for families, children, capitalism requires no dark corner.

Capitalism is an economy's natural state, to change it needs planning... and as example after example shows, we do not know enough about the workings of the subtleties and natural laws of economics to make a planned economy work. We are being sold a planned economy under the false name of capitalism, and being told capitalism is dead when their planning does not work. They are convincing us to abandon capitalism (economic freedom) willingly (because of course it has failed) and offering us a system of their planning... remember to say thank you!

Quotes that make a homemaker feel good...

I was reading a book and found a quote that really makes a homemaker like me realize the importance of her work... This was written by a frenchman in the early 19th century, who came to greatly admire our young nation of America, Alexis de Tocqueville,

"There is certainly no country in the world where the tie of marriage is more respected than in America, or where conjugal happiness is more highly or worthily appreciated. in Europe almost all the disturbances of society arise from the irregularities of domestic life. To despise the natural bonds and legitimate pleasure of home is to contract a taste for excesses, a restless heart, and fluctuating desires. Agitated by the tumultuous passions that frequently disturb his dwelling, the European is galled by the obedience which the legislative powers of the state exact. But when the American retires from the turmoil of public life to the bosom of his family, he finds it in the image of order and peace. There his pleasures are simple and natural, his joys are innocent and calm; and as he finds that an orderly life is the surest path to happiness, he accustoms himself easily to moderate his opinions as well as his tastes. While the European endeavors to forget his domestic troubles by agitating society, the American derives from his own home that love of order which he afterwards carries with him into public affairs."

... in other words, marriage and family life is the basis and strength of any society. If the home starts to fall apart, the rest follows. It's always nice to know that your work is important.

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Things have changed a bit since the 1800's, and our current culture does attempt to produce "a restless heart" in the best of us, but to be reminded of the importance of our domestic life is reassuring.

Human nature will always remain the same, although the "Gods of the marketplace" tell us otherwise. There are some basic and eternal truths that do not change.

(Gods of the Marketplace a reference to the Kipling poem, "The Gods of the Copybook Headings". Copybooks were books that were full of blanks pages. On the top of each page was an eternal truth, the "headings", which the children would copy.)

Happy 234th Independence Day!!!

The Declaration of Independence, 234 years ago today.

Chicken Update...

This is the coop we have chosen to build for the four new hens we adopted at this year's Chickenstock 2010. We built the frame on Saturday and are now about half done stapling on the hardware cloth. John helped me toe nail the door after my weak attempt at making a door. I am terrible at toe nailing.

Here are our four feathered ladies. One Americauna (lays blue eggs/ dark brown), Two sex links (half barred rock, mixed with something else/ black), and a Cochin ( with fuzzy feet/ tan).

This is what the cochin will look like all grown up. Her name is Honey.

This is what the sex links will look like when all grown. We chose the sex links because the seller was very unsure about the genders of his chickens, and was sure that these two were girls. No roosters around here. Sex links are bred so you can tell the gender by their color alone. It is very hard to tell the gender of baby chickens, after the first couple of hours. I am still crossing my finger that none of then turn out to be roosters.

I had my heart set on Ameraucanas (easter eggers). They lay blue eggs, and I was told that this one will lay bright blue like her predecessors. This is what our Ameraucana will look like when grown.

I am building the coop during baby nap times and after the babies go to bed. I am hoping to finish up this weekend. John and I made a good dent in the progress this last Saturday. We still have to find names for three of the hens. Right now they are living in the dog kennel out back. They seem to be very happy, with a thick bedding of grass clippings and large helpings of greens from the yard everyday to compliment their usual feed. This is a fun little adventure. I almost "chickened out" the morning of chicken stock, after googling the cost of raising chickens, but I had a chat with a good friend that morning (just in time) to realize that this is not just about cheap eggs. This is all about the experience, my kids seeing the source of their food and finding an appreciation for life. I was raised with all kinds of animals, my favorite being rabbits. I have a feeling that the rabbits will make a return into our lives next spring, plus probably a couple more chickens.

The chickens are very fun, and the kids love to go out and "hug" a chicken. The coop does hold up to eight!

2010 Vanna Winners now posted Online!!!

The Grand Prize Winner

http://vannaschoice.com/

People definitely stepped it up this year!!!