~*~ “… And, when all else fails, remember there are windows too. LOL!” ~ Beckie Cutler ~ BC 2019 Quote Credits: Pinterest and Me, Myself, and, I.
via 🍎 November 30, 2019: “Quotes and Food For Thought” — Beckie’s Mental Mess
She’s the sweetest cat and her markings are beautiful. Love her white feet. The minute I think of grabbing her and bring her inside, she moves away from me, even if she’s getting the pets she wants. She’s a mind and body reader.
it’s that time of the year
when everything
glitters
and
sparkles
and lights
light up the night
people are smiling
and shopping
and eating
and carols
are in the air
it’s that time of the year
when we think different thoughts
and give more to others
when we’re kinder
and more open
to the things
and people
around us
it’s scarf
and mitten weather
hot chocolate
and cookie mornings
but all of those things
depend on who you are
some people
only have a doorway
or cardboard box
to sleep in
and instead of a fireplace
they have a metal trash can
because no matter what time of the year it is
things don’t really change
our culture makes sure of that
power and greed don’t disappear
just because it’s Christmas
power and greed
are with us all year long
The once shinny mall had been closed for decades. People, as well as other things, had long ago set up house inside the decaying shops and restaurants.
But at Christmas time, people worked to clean up the place and make it look a bit more presentable. After all, everyone knows that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Besides, there were still a few children left in the surrounding area. Presents, and I use the word loosely, were made or scavenged, and a chair was set up in the parking garage. Someone painted reindeer on the walls.
Food, such as it was, was laid out on old newspapers and the Christmas countdown began.
The earth had been ravaged by one environmental disaster after another. Insane leadership had made sure of that. So people did the best they could with what they had, which wasn’t much, believe me. They really had no one to blame but themselves, but it was Christmas and blame didn’t do anyone any good.
The volunteer Santa didn’t have the kind of lap anyone would want to sit on, so the children just stood in front of him and told him what they wanted. Clean air, was at the top of almost all of their lists, followed by water. They all wanted to see the sun and they wanted to have better things to eat. They wanted to be able to go out more often and not be poisoned by radiation and they wanted cookies. They wanted everyone to stop coughing and dying and they wanted to live long enough to grow up.
Santa, listened to each request, and tried not to cough until he fell over. He told the children that he wished he could give them each one of the things they asked for but he didn’t know how. He said that he was sorry. Sorry for a lot of things. But he told them that the one thing he could do, was tell them stories. So, the children gathered around Santa’s chair and listened to tales of dogs and cats, beaches and baseball. He old them about books and salad bars, of bottles of pop and water. He told them about birds. He talked about families and doctors, contact lenses, and cars. He told them about a lot of things and then he told the children to dream those things back into reality, if they could. He told them to be better than past generations, more caring and thoughtful. He told them to be kind. He told them what went wrong. He told them it might be too late. He told them to love each other while they still could. Then he smiled and sang Jingle Bells at the top of his damaged lungs. The children joined in, and those who could, danced around, clapping and pounding their feet.
When the small fire burned down, and darkness started eating the light, the party ended, and everyone went back to wherever they were hiding. Another Christmas was over.
I feel the thunder in my heart
the energy
and wonder of running free
that is what I am made of
I am not yours to break
I am a separate being
wild and untamed
I do not belong to you
I belong to no one
but myself
Alone here, I can hear the chatter of anxious birds. The wind and rain have shredded their nests. A sudden flight of wings fill wispy gray petals of clouds passing over. Wandering further beneath the tall pines I hear their creaking branches stretch like old bones. Needing to be heard, the brittle crunch of leaves […]
Morning Gory and Charlene are in charge of the Housekeeping Committee. They have a huge job, when guests are visiting. Lots of chicklets are part of this committee because there’s always so much to do. The guests are ever so polite and grateful, helping the chicklets as much as they can, so it all works out, in spite of the constant laundry chores.
There’s a different branch to this Committee. One that takes care of the big barns and nesting material. They all work together, so everyone has fun
Picture is a rerun.
The Poetry Slam is always one of the highlights of any party at The Coop. Yesterday’s Slam was no exception. Several poems are below.
Please know that starting yesterday morning, the names of turkeys who were killed and eaten, were read, until midnight. The names were read by four turkeys and seven chicklets, at the same time, because there were so many names to say. A Bell was run, at intervals, during the reading, to send their souls to where all birds go after death. It was Beth’s idea to ring the bell.
Here are a few of the many poems read last night:
From:Â Spike
I am a Guinea Pig
and I’m grateful for all of you
and The Coop
I’m grateful for being safe
and treated with respect
and kindness
From:Â Gezelle
I think butterflies
are beautiful
and we should
plant more flowers
they like
From:Â Arnold
Ducks need clean water
if they are to survive
humans are destroying
my home
the water
at The Coop
is fresh and clean
because it’s filled
with love
From:Â Nan
Baby chcklets
are so much fun
their tiny peeps
make me happy
From:Â Bluebell
turkeys are fun
they make wonderful friends
they are kind
and generous
and they are pretty
I wish humans
would stop killing birds
From: Min
I am grateful that I’m a chicklet
I am grateful for my family and friends
I am grateful for fun
I am grateful for The Coop
I am grateful that we can rescue others
I am grateful for love
Most of all
I’m grateful that I’m not a human
because they don’t have hearts
From: Thomas
I speak for my kind
we are born
to be slaughtered
and eaten
by cruel beings
who care nothing
for the suffering
of other living beings
when the killing stops
I will be grateful that
until the dying is over
I am grateful for the chicklets
and their kind hearts
that are always open
and filled with love
All the members of the Poetry Club read several poems. Many others, as well as many guests, also recited poetry.  The hedgehog spoke to habitat destruction and climate change. Two horses read poems about the last of their wild kindred. Everyone is concerned about what the humans are doing to the earth and to the plants and animals who are left.
The small wagon of baby chicklets was there simply to get them used to being on the stage. They will be performing at the Chickmas Party. They had a very good time and fell asleep the minute they were back in the nursery.
All of the guests are staying at The Coop until New Years. They are needed to care for the wounded and help with the party. Some of them are being temporarily attached to the Committees so they will know exactly what to do. The Construction Committee is building another barn, since there are even more guests coming for Chickmas and they are running out of room. Everything is wonderful, because the chicklets believe, the more the merrier.
Rethinking Life 
Written
on November 30, 2019