Expiration Date

I usually write in the mornings but have some time to write this late afternoon.

Last week was truly busy taking care of Sharon's kids while Sharon and Dave were at the conference in Orlando. Everything worked out very well. Sharon's detailed lists were a great help.

We split up the responsibilities: Paul was to take the boys up to Route 13 to be picked up each morning and picked the boys up at Notre Dame after football practice every night. I took Ida to her class in Odessa. After picking Ida up from school each afternoon, she and I went to the house so she could do her chores: making sure the cats and chickens had fresh food and water, taking care of kitty litter, getting the mail.

When I wrote last Tuesday morning, I wrote that we would be there that afternoon.

As we drove up, Ida said - "oh, my. One of the chickens is lying down and the others are pecking at it. It's old and dying and we have to shoot it." As a born and bred Long Islander, the only thing I do to animals is pet them, feed them, and take them for walks to poop. Shooting them is not in my ability range.

So - we called the expert-on-everything: Paul.

He suggested separating the chicken from the others so they couldn't peck it. Great idea. I would have thought of that, but he said it first.

Ida covered the chicken with an old tee shirt of Charles', picked it up, and put it in the back room of the chicken shed (with a little water. . . .my suggestion. I also had her wash her hands extra good.)

Later that afternoon, Sharon called to talk to Ida. We talked about the chicken and discussed several options.

Paul, I and Ida were going to Ida's Open House at her school that night, so we'd stop by and he'd "see what needed to be done."

Meanwhile, Charles and Lee needed some things at their house and decided to do their homework there, while we went to see Ida's third grade classroom. So we dropped them off there, and we went on. Dave called the boys on his cell phone, and told Charles what to do. So -Charles waited for Grandpa, he got the gun, and with Grandpa looking on, disposed of the almost expired chicken. And that was that.

BTW: Happy 80th Birthday today to Lue, and Happy First Birthday to my little granddaughter, Yvonne. Or Evie, as she is known on this blog. Last year at this time, we were here celebrating Lue's 79th when Nancy called from the hospital, announcing the birth of my granddaughter.

So - what's happenin' in your neck o' the woods?