Thursday, December 25, 2014

Was it good for you?


 Did all of you have a nice Christmas day today? I hope so. We had a fantastic day here in chicken land. The three of us spent the day together, opening gifts, eating, eating, more eating. We went for a walk under Carolina blue skies and cool crisp air. We let the chickens out to play. Finally a day with no rain so they could roll around in the dirt, not the mud. Gerry gave me some new insulated Carhardt overalls to go with my future goats. A while back you might remember our visit to the lady up in Walnut Cove with the goats that I made friends with. She had a pair of these and last year Gerry looked everywhere for me a pair for Christmas. It took him until this year to find them. They are amazing! We look a bit American Gothic, don't you think?!

I can't explain it, but walking around in the yard this afternoon, I had the greatest sense of contentment come over me. My chickens were pecking around, I was cleaning out the coop and getting fresh water in my new pink puffy suit on Christmas day, and I could not have been happier. I was dirty, the air was cold, it was quiet all around, the sun was shining, Gerry and Wesley were inside in their worlds and I was at peace. What more does a person need?


i gave Wesley a new bowl from my pal Barbara. We made Tibetan noodle soup last night for our Christmas Eve dinner and had leftovers for lunch today. I used to make the most elaborate meals on Christmas Eve, I look back on those days and shudder. It almost never went well and I was so tired by the end of the day, it hardly seemed worth it. Who can keep up with Martha Stewart anyhow?!
A bowl of noodle soup is so much better!


Gerry gave me a new Macbook Air, since my poor old dinosaur has died and he was tired of listening to me bitch about trying to blog with my iPad. This is one sweet little computer and blogging is now efficient and easy again. Hello, blog...... hello keyboard. Hello easy photo editing....


My girl is off to San Francisco in the morning. Her Christmas present. We are getting up at 3:45am to get her to her flight on time... ugh. It has been a lovely week having her home. Now a week on the west coast and then back here for one more week before school starts back. A nice balance.....
when did I get so short? I look like a puff ball in my carhardts, but I don't care, they feel so great!


Wishing you all a very wonderful holiday season. I survived quite well emotionally this year, thanks to very little contact with those that cause me to go into fits of rage, and spending time with those who make me feel loved and necessary. Thanks to those of you that do that :)
Thanks mostly to Gerry and Wesley for making this such a special day and going to great effort to keep me sane! I love you both very much
xoxo

14 comments:

smartcat said...

So good to hear that you had a wonderful day. That's what Christmas is supposed to be, after all!
Proge and I had a lovely low key day. The sun came out so he was able to roast the duck on the grill. It was not an elaborate meal, just what we enjoy.
Happy New Year!

Tracey Broome said...

I used to cook a duck at Christmas, one of my elaborate meals that sometimes didn't go too well, haha! I am for getting Christmas more low key every year! Glad yours was a good one, cheers!

Anna M. Branner said...

For Christmas dinner we cleaned out the various leftovers in the fridge! Ha! Just the two of us hardly makes an elaborate meal worth it.

And I love the overalls. :)

littlemancat said...

Your Christmas sounds wonderful - I'm all for the noodle soup menu! All that crazy cooking, timing everything, it's tough and you feel, at least I do, so tired afterwards.
I am so happy to see the day after Christmas!
Love the Carhartts! You look good! A very happy 2015 to you and yours -
Mary

Michèle Hastings said...

Sounds like a perfect Christmas to me! Last year a phone call with my parents on Christmas eve really ruined the holiday for me. I vowed it wouldn't happen again. I gave my sister a heads up that I wouldn't be calling to talk to Dad (he was at her house), I would wait until the 26th. I know she was a little miffed, especially since it was the first Christmas without Mom. At some point in life it's time to take care of yourself... and not feel guilty about it.

Tracey Broome said...

Hey Anna, Merry Christmas, yes to the small meals for two, Im liking that more and more, so much easier!
Mary, yes the timing! Its so hard, and now that Im working I feel like I have two or three jobs. Too much for elaborate meal planning. I do like these Carharts:)
Michele, the greatest advise I got this year was from a nurse telling me I needed to divorce my mother. I have pretty much done that and this Christmas was a painless one. She called, I talked briefly and then put Gerry and Wesley on the phone to run interference when she started talking about ailments and death. On Christmas day, not the best topic! No guilt trips this year, so nice!
Merry Christmas all of you
xo

Dennis Allen said...

So nice for everyone to gather round the old blog to warm up and share Christmas greetings. Very glad to hear about contentment.The older I get, the more I realize that happiness comes from within not without and it more a matter of how you react to things than a matter of what happens to you.Have a happy Christmas season and a fulfilling new year.

Tracey Broome said...

Amen, Amen!
Happy Christmas Dennis!

Judi Tavill said...

Miss you Tracey ... Glad Christmas was so nice for you!!!

June Perry said...

Glad to hear of you and your family's lovely Christmas Tracey!

You are going to love those goats! When our children were young I got a pair of Nubian cross twins, Priscilla and Penelope. They are so smart and will provide you with more laughs than you can bear.

Can't wait to see photos of them!

just jody said...

Sounds like my kind of Christmas. I just passed my old Carhartt bibs to someone in need so maybe my next pair will be the pink…I'm loving them! Simple living with those who matter….nothing better! I miss my goats….I had fainting goats…soooooooo much fun and FULL of personality. You're gonna love 'em!

Vicki said...

Warm, wonderful, sunshiney photos! You all look fabulous!
American Gothic, haha, love it! Minus the pitchfork, and stern expressions. I like your version better - chickens always make things better ;)

Loved your words of feeling content. I so get you there.
My happiest, most content days were spent on our little property, where our chickens clucked around the apple tree outside our cottage, and I milked our lovely goaties every morning - I used to be called "the crazy goat lady" and... hope to be so again, except add "old" after the crazy ;D
Back then, I spent blissful days toiling away, tending to my herbs, veggies and cottage garden.
One day again...

Wishing you a most wonderful 2015, filled with many, many moments of contentment and happiness xx

Tracey Broome said...

Hi Judi, great to hear from you, happy holidays!
Hi June, everyone keeps telling me how great goats are, just gotta find some land for them!
Jody, fainting goats! I have watched so many you tube videos of them, they are so funny! Poor things though, what a stressful life. Carhart does make the best clothing.
Hi Vicki, you sound so wistful for that life you had, maybe one day you will return..... Happy Christmas to you
Xo

Peter said...

Happy Christmas and New Year,
That is a very pretty looking chicken that you are holding! We have daily visits from our neighbour's rooster, and I enjoy having him around and hearing him greeting the rising sun each morning with great enthusiasm. Your chicken reminds me of a lovely bantam hen that used to walk in and out of the old stable building that I made my first pots in. She used to climb up the shelves of pots and roost in a large bowl on the top shelf!

Anyway, hope 2015 goes well for you and your family.