Last year we raised "meat chickens" and put them in cages and sent them off to be killed. I was crying the whole time. It maybe was a little easier because I knew this kind of chicken wasnt bred for a long life. But I felt guilty for raising such a chicken (kind of like the Replicants in Blade Runner) This year we got "mixed heavy breeds" and are keeping the females for laying. We raised, hugged, talked to and spoiled all of them. We started with 15 males. They are now at the point where they are terrorizing the pullets and each other. So weve started butchering them. Five last weekend were the first weve killed ourselves. We decided this was more humane and in a way the completion of the process we had started. My husband cut off the heads, I plucked ,and he eviscerated them. He was cutting up the first when I heard him say"There are live bugs in this crop"we both kind of laughed. But it was just this whole cycle of life thing. It was very hard, the whole thing and harder for him since he actually killed them. We helped each other through it. It was kind of agreement between us to raise these animals, care for them (believe me they had good lives), humanely kill and then eat them. There is something kind of profound about putting into your body food that really comes from the land you live on. There is a wonderful section of a book by John SeymourThe Self-Sufficient Life: Independence on Five Acres (1970) in which he talks about thishe did all his own butchering and was a most kind soul. Has anyone read it?

Thanks all! As much as I don't like to hear that other people went through the same thing, it's also a little comforting to know that I'm not the only one. As to the cautions to "get it in writing" - that's part of what we are finalizing - and where the hold up has been. When we last talked in May, he said that he anticipated cabinet install in July. He has been quite busy with work - which is a good thing and he's had a vacation scheduled too (can't blame anyone for that! I want one as well!!! I'll NEED one by the time the kitchen is complete!) The cabinet maker gave us an estimate based on my drawings...there have been a few minor things that I have changed since then with the cabinets, and he has my updated drawings on that. But he wanted to come in and do his own measurements and his own drawing (which I encourage wholeheartedly...I want him to be responsible if there's anything that is off, not me) - which will be attached as part of our agreement. As well as all the "details". Ours is not a small project. There are a lot of cabinets and a ton of details that we have gone over (thanks GWers!)....to be fair, his admission that he might not have all the details clear on some of the interiors is far superior to his saying "oh yeah, we're good". Honestly, it's hard for me to remember all the details and with it being in the agreement, it will be way less of a potential issue. So yes, I've heard you all loud and clear on the "get it in writing"...and that's where we're at our hold up is right now. We'll get there. Disappointment is that it took him this long to tell me that he re-needs some of my details so he can get everything finalized. And a fair additional dose of disappointment to find that we aren't just a few weeks out, but a few months from getting our cabinets. I will be recompiling everything and getting it sent out via email here shortly. We'll get there, just going to take some time....I feel as if this is the never-STARTING project. :( And it keeps giving me time to doubt some of my decisions and pain myself over them.

Oh Kay, I'm so sorry. It's just never easy. I nearly fell over a lose board in our subfloor this weekend and my DH was making all kinds of racket with the power tools in our torn up kitchen late Sunday evening. Sigh. I "get" it. I know it would have been ever so nice to have a lovely new kitchen that FUNCTIONS for your aunt when she comes to visit. But what matters most is her time with your family and getting a good visit in with your Mom, huh? I agree with Dianalo; might be a welcome distraction to see what's going on with the construction. When you step back and think about this, family (yours for you, and your carpenter's for him) matters more than a construction schedule. Especially during the coming together and support around death and dying. I hope you're doing things to take care of yourself these days, while your Mom is on her final journey. While your Aunt is here, you can nuture each other in other ways even if you can't cook for her: pot of tea, looking over old photos, and just sitting together. Take care.

Buy more plants and put some chicken wire or similar around them. There's a superstition that says parsley will only do well if you are pregnant. And there's another that says the seed has to go to the devil 9 times and back before it will germinate! Also, if parsley grows well, a pregnancy will occur within a year. The wife also Âwears the trousers Here's how to get parsley started. Pour boiling water over the seeds, and leave overnight before sowing. Sow seeds 5mm deep. Germination may also be hastened by freezing seeds briefly to help break dormancy. Germination may take several weeks. When transplanting, be careful not to damage the raproot. Parsley doesn't really like transplanting - best to sow in situ.