Friday, February 11, 2022

Friday At The Moon's


I've been thinking lately that the trillium is probably coming up and blooming and today I was outside doing a little cutting back and trimming (little being the key word here) and sure enough. 



 Such a magical plant to my eyes. 

I spent time outside today, doing some of this and some of that. The hen house has fresh straw in the nests and I cut back the firespike that froze last week. I picked up some downed branches and hauled everything to the burn pile. It wasn't one of the indigo-sky winter days that make you want to call up your own personal idea of a god and say "Thanks!" to because it was partially cloudy but it wasn't unpleasant out by any means.  

Here's a picture I took this morning of one of the hens telling a sister-wife on the nest in the pump house where some of them like to lay, "Hurry up, girl! Your time is up!"


I believe that is Gracie and Plucky. I have too many hens who look alike to keep them all straight and they don't seem to mind at all if I call them by name or not. 

So. Guess who's here?


Owen! Lord but he is the clone of his mama. 
Technically, it is Gibson's turn but there's some sort of youth duck-hunting thing happening tomorrow morning and Owen is fulfilling his grandfather's dream by agreeing to get up before dawn and go out into the cold wearing camo with him to shoot at innocent birds. 
I doubt that too many ducks will actually be killed in the making of that movie but who knows? I always feel like I have to apologize when I talk about Mr. Moon's hunting, especially if it involves Owen, but I knew the man was a hunter when I married him and that's just the way it is. Some of his very best memories from childhood involve going hunting with his daddy. It means a great deal to him. I think it is something primal, and having known his father and knowing my husband, I can honestly say that both men were and are examples of the most gentle-men I've ever known. Owen, too, is a gentle boy, as tender and sweet with his sister and other younger children as anyone could wish for. 
So here we are and I'm glad the swiftly growing lad is with us tonight. His dinner choice was chicken and dumplings and so it shall be. I have the broth made and simmering with carrots (from the garden), onions, garlic, mushrooms, celery, and green beans. The chicken is cooling, waiting to be added in. Owen wants flat dumplings or what we might call southern dumplings and I buy those frozen because I don't have the knack for them. 
I should learn. 
But the frozen ones are as good or better than the ones I'd make, I'm sure, so frozen it shall be. Thanks, Anne! 


It's that night of the week. The folks are showing up for Friday night church next door. Clean sheets are on the bed, martinis are being sipped, and a grandchild is helping his grandfather get his air buds paired with his computer. There is sherbet in the freezer for after-dinner purple cows. 

Happy Friday, y'all. 

Love...Ms. Moon










33 comments:

  1. Indeed he is the Clone of his Mama! I'm certain a good time will be had by all, you make the stays of the Grands so Memorable for them and I'm always salivating at what you're preparing for Supper! Those Hens are so photogenic. The Man is a Hunter too, it's how his Family bonded, both the Guys and the Gals... so I guess it is dependent upon how you grew up... I don't think my Dad ever killed any living thing, but my Mom said during the War her Dad had to sometimes kill their Chickens since meat was on ration... she said all the Kids were sad and wouldn't eat it becoz the Chickens had been Named.

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    1. It is very hard to eat something that you've named except, in my experience, a mean rooster.
      I think hunting is definitely a family bonding thing for many. Vergil, though, grew up vegetarian and now takes one or two deer a year for meat for their family which I think is an honorable thing to do.

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  2. The nearest my family's ever been to hunting was in wartime when we lived up on the moors, and my dad went with his ferret to bring back wild rabbits for food. I remember my mom making rabbit pie. We had chickens but for the eggs, don't know if we ever ate them!

    Lovely boy there. I hope he's not a good shot, so the ducks live to swim and fly another day

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    1. I think probably a lot of people ate rabbit during the war. Around here, people have eaten (and probably still do) everything from squirrel to possum which I hear is horribly greasy but needs must, I guess.
      Sad to say, Owen did shoot a duck. The young are often good marksmen, being so quick and well-sighted.

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  3. He looks so like his mama.
    My brothers took me out to learn to shoot a rifle. It knocked me down. End of game hunting for me. My husband tried and tried and I would not learn. So, he took me fishing. I caught a trout. He took it from the hook and handed it to me. I tossed it back.

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    1. Haha! Good for you, Joanne! I've never once taken a fish off a hook although I have caught quite a few. Someone else always had to do it for me. Now I let someone else catch them too.

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  4. the lovely Owen....and yes, a clone of his Mama! Gorgeous young man...and ready for his *Mer and Boppy* night and day adventures. I would have loved to have a Mer and Boppy like you!
    Though I'm not a *fan* of sport hunting....I *get* it.....and have nothing negative to say about it. Except.....I hope the ducks stay clear of them tomorrow LOL

    Susan M

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    1. One duck did not stay clear enough.
      Sigh.
      It's so interesting having an older grandchild now to spend the night. He's so easy! And helpful.

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  5. I love your sleepover stories. We have six grands, the youngest being 18, but how I loved Friday nights when they were little. We’d usually have one or two at a time, and I even furnished a bedroom with two twin beds and toys galore. We read so many books in that room, everyone’s favorite being ‘Sleep Tight Elmo’ (I know I’ve told you this before). It’s now in my great grandson’s room, and his mama (our first grandchild) reads it to him every night. Aw, damn! I’m a little teary-eyed now….

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    1. I love how traditions and books and toys get passed down. It is a beautiful thing. I especially like telling the kids, "Your mama loved this book when she was a little girl."

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  6. Trilliums! I do miss the spring wild flowers - thanks for the photos!

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    1. You are welcome! They are a trippy plant aren't they?

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  7. Oh, memories! My mum used to make chicken and dumplings, the fluffy dumplings that puffed up and floated in the soup. I learned to make Golden Syrup dumplings as a dessert, but it really is way, way too sweet to have more than once in a decade. I'm going to make a note in my recipe folder to make chicken and dumplings this winter.

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    1. Those are the kind of dumplings I grew up eating and have always made- the fluffy ones. But sometimes, to truly please my husband whose mama made the flat ones, I will use those instead. I've never had Golden Syrup dumplings. I shall have to explore.

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    2. Basic dumpling mixture with the dumplings then boiled for about 10-12 minutes in a hot syrup made of 2 cups water, 1/2 cup golden syrup and 1/2 cup brown sugar. You need to check them often because the syrup can dry up and burn.

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  8. I get the "apologizing about hunting" bit. I know if I had to hunt it/kill it I would never eat meat - and yet I do. It's like most traditional farmers really do love their animals even though they are going to be sent to slaughter! Hunting and eating what you hunt is undoubtedly a lot kinder than factory farming!

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    1. I agree- if I had to kill my own meat, I'd be a vegetarian and grow a lot more beans. But hunting is not a bad way for an animal to die. One minute they're living their best life and the next they are simply dead. If killing can ever be humane, I guess that's it.

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  9. Your family would never do anything to harm the spirit of that beautiful and much loved boy. That is all.

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  10. We've lost so many skills, things ordinary people knew how to do. If it all comes crashing down humans in industrialized countries are going to be in for a world of hurt so it's good that hunting skills are being passed on. Owen is so amazing.

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    1. If people want to continue to eat meat if everything comes crashing down, they better learn to hunt and to process what they kill, too. There is a lot more to it than just killing an animal. I think Owen's amazing but he is my grandson.

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  11. I am married to a hunter as well. William is turning 11 and is almost ready to be a youth hunter. My husband wants to be his mentor in the very worst kind of way. I'm not sure it is a thing that William wants to do. Not to be discouraged, my husband has bought a special gun, a step up from his bb gun, so that he can practice target shooting. It is a necessity here. Truly. I see the need for hunting season. But I also know that I myself am not a hunter. Maybe if I were starving...but that hasn't happened yet.

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    1. "Maybe if I were starving..."
      That's what I always say.
      I don't think that it's the right thing to do to push a kid into hunting. If they don't want to do it, they should be allowed to not do it! That is my opinion, anyway. So far, Owen has been very interested although not overly so in a weird way.

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  12. I wonder if Mr. Moon's memories of hunting with his father are precious to him more because he was with his dad than because of the hunting itself. Would he have similarly fond memories of a photography trip or a kayaking expedition? I think boys crave attention from their fathers and any activity that involves that attention is going to be remembered favorably.

    I may be saying this only because hunting is inconceivable to me. LOL!

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    1. I think he would have very fond memories of other types of activities but the truth is, his daddy didn't have the time or money for most of those things. Time off was rare and when it occurred, going out to get meat (or fish) was something that he enjoyed and was of benefit to the family.
      Hunting is inconceivable to me too, Steve. I have gone through a lot to get to this place of acceptance.

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  13. I haven't had chicken and dumplings in ages. It was one of the best things my grandma used to cook for Sunday dinner. Those frozen ones are available at the local grocery stores, so maybe one of these days I'll try cooking some. They won't be as good as hers, though, guaranteed.

    Owen sure is growing up fast. I think it's wonderful that he gets to go make these memories with his grandfather. One day in fifty years or so he may be taking HIS grandson out duck hunting and remembering his Bop and Mer. Isn't that a nice thought? :)

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    1. Yeah- use some of those frozen dumplings and tell me what you think. I'd like a more experienced opinion.
      Owen is growing up fast. I really wonder how tall he's going to be. I hope he always remembers the times he's spent with us. I think he's already a little nostalgic for some of those times. I know I am.

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  14. My Nana made chicken and dumplings using Bisquick...I've never seen flat dumplings. I hope Owen enjoyed that, and his sleepover.

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  15. This felt like home. Especially the last paragraph.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.