Sizzlin' Chickens

Today is an update of the urban farm we live in. Hopefully the pictures of my garden and chickens will load today! My little garden is busy growing beautiful sunflowers, fennel, green beans- both standard bush and some interesting Hopi beans. The Hopis have much smaller leaves, almost look like a pretty flower bush- with tiny blue/purple flowers. They are setting beans on now, small but firm. I can't wait to try them as green beans, and they can also be dried for later. fun!

The tomatoes and peppers are rocking- I'm picking mild peppers now, and eagerly watching the tomatoes for the least sign of red in there. I sprayed fish emulsion on everything last week, and now the cantaloupe, watermelons and cucumbers are looking much stronger. We've eaten beets and radishes for a while, and the fennel seeds look ready to pick. I left the fennel from last year in the ground, and this year they are setting seeds like crazy! Fennel is good for stomach distress, so I plan to save the seeds for more plantings, and also for my food storage.

The chickens are doing a good job of keeping the bugs down, but I can't let them in the garden to pick bugs- they'll eat all the good stuff too! They love beet greens, swiss chard and beans. I let them out daily, and they catch everything that wanders outside of the fence- at least I hope so.

Even though fibromyalgia slows me down and keeps me from doing many of the things I enjoy, I refuse to allow it to suck the life out of me. I know many people are dealing with much more serious health issues, and my heart goes out to them. Mine isn't cancer, I'm not fighting for my physical life exactly- fibro won't kill me, but it certainly colors everything I do. The choice really, is how to balance my energy to the best advantage. Sometimes I blow it all on a big project, and then I'm in bed for days. Most of the time I carefully consider the things I want to do, then plan how much to do per day so as not to 'hit the wall'. Most of the past 20 years I've fought it, pushing through the pain and fatigue, determined not to be affected by it's symptoms. My wise friends keep telling me to stop fighting, find acceptance and embrace who I am now, not wish I was still the person of 20 years ago. Honestly, that is much more difficult for me, but I'm adjusting my perception of myself, and I practice acceptance every day. I am always, always grateful for the blessings in my life- especially my family and friends, but also for the health I have, our great country, my home and community. I'm grateful for the little things, listening to the birds sing in the mornings, the flowers, the sunsets. Life is good, albeit painful! The pain just reminds me that I'm still here, and I'm happy to get up every day.