Facing reality

This little chicken house, with attached pen, is advertised on Craigslist for $150.00; it's twenty-five miles from here. Judging by what I know about chicken houses, it's well worth that money.

I love fresh eggs, and I would enjoy having a few chickens around again. They're fun to watch, and they eat table scraps that would otherwise go to waste. I love hearing a rooster crow in the morning.

Cliff and I watched a public television broadcast, "Except For Six", about how hospice comes in to help dying patients and their families. (Stay with me here, I'm making a point.)

One man expressed his intentions of traveling to Colorado just one more time.

He was too far gone, though, so the trip never happened.

Cliff and I reminded one another that we've pretty much done all the things we really wanted to do: I won't be saying, on my deathbed, "I wish I had gotten just one more Jersey cow," because I did that.

And Cliff won't be saying, "I always wanted a big Oliver tractor; if I had enough time left, I'd get one," because his Oliver is sitting in the shop, waiting for a paint job.

Cliff agrees that if I want some chickens, I should go for it; he'll go get that chicken-house.

But you know what? $150 would buy a lot of eggs, and that's not even talking about the cost of the chickens and feed. Cliff works with a lady who would sell us all the fresh eggs we want.

Guess how many eggs we use in a week? Maybe six, unless we have a lot of company and I'm baking and making noodles.

I think I'll pass on this whim, at least for now. If Hospice comes in for me and I mention the chickens, just remind me I had my Jersey cow, so shut up about the chickens.

By the way, if your PBS station airs "Except for Six", by all means, watch it; it makes you appreciate Hospice, but more importantly, it will make you appreciate this day and this moment. You can see the trailer HERE.