I have been contemplating comfort things lately. Perhaps it is the cold weather that has finally jelled my thoughts or maybe the gloomy, rainy sight outdoors has prompted the more contemplative side of me to come out of hiding and come to the fore as it were. Anyway, this is not going to be long and profound like the tomes of my son, PG OBrien, because I am not the sage that he claims to be. But I think that the thoughts that I have been thinking bear writing down if only for my own sake and not for the sake of others. Be forwarned that they do go together, barely, but it will be difficult to find the coherancy.

I have been teaching a class of fifth graders about the sacraments. Let me say that it is a distinct pleasure to teach kids who can read after years of teaching kindergarten. Anyway, we have been learning about the sacraments and I taught them about the matter and form of the sacraments and how God gave us this matter and form because he made us human and we need to have some kind of visible substance in order to "see" what is happening when a sacrament is administered. For instance, when a child is baptised we pour water, the matter, on the childs head and say, the form, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. All of this brings about a rebirth into the life of the spirit, the soul is cleansed of original sin, and the child is filled with sanctifying grace. We believe that these supernatural things are happening but being natural beings we need to have a handle on something natural to do or see to go along with the supernatural to help our faith along. God made us this way and it is okay.

Anyway, these to me are a type of comfort things. It is something that God gives us to let us know that he is working in the sacraments. Just like when we look out and see a sunset or the rain or whatever, we know that he is working in the world and is keeping it running.

Now, in between classes I am always running the material from the previous class and the next class through my head so that I can make the transition from one to the other as seemless as possible. (here is where the barely visible thread of connection comes in) A dear friend called this week and let me know that her sister who had just announced that she was pregnant is now losing the baby, would I pray for her and the family. My immediate response was to think of what else I could do for them. Now I have a slight reputation around her as a person who cooks for everyone and anyone who needs a meal. So I fired up the stove and baked a cake, made bread, and chicken noodle soup. Then I called Ellen back and made sure that her sister would be home so that I could deliver the food. Ellen made a comment that got me to thinking even more. She said that what I made was the perfect comfort food for such an occasion. That it would be just the uncomplicated thing to help make the family feel loved and comforted.

Loved and comforted. Isn't that what we all seek? Every morning I get up, now that the days are getting colder, I come downstairs and I make a fire in the woodstove. Then I pull my rocking chair up close, put my bare feet up on the fender and have a heart to heart with God before the day officially gets started. Loved and comforted is how I always start my day. Sometimes when it is really cold, I don't even have to start the fire myself, my husband has it going for me before he has left for work. I come down to a warm house. Love and comfort fill this house.

I think of all the things that I see when I go to the store. I just recently made one of my scouting forays to WalMart. Periodically I go just to see what is there. Don't buy anything just look. All of the things. They are all, to a degree, just comfort things. Made and sold to supposedly make someone happy. They cannot do it but they sure try.

There used to be a song when I was growing up, don't remember the artist or the title all I remember is one line and a snatch of the tune "simple pleasures are the best, are the best in all the world"
So, here I sit with my feet on the fender of the stove, in the dark, with my thoughts around me and the memory of my loving husband who built the fire this morning. The promise of a sunrise yet to come and I know, I don't have to believe, that simple pleasures are the best and that the things that comfort are those that are uncomplicated and are made and given with love.

This past summer Ian did some work for a neighbor.  Being a lot like his mother, he did some of the work for barter rather than for cash.  This week he received the product of that barter deal.  Here she is.  Her name is Silver.  She is a lovely beef heifer.  She is part Scottish highlander, Texas longhorn, and holstein.  He is planning on breeding her and raising her offspring for sale as beef.

She is a pretty start to a new beef herd.

This weekend Doug's boss started harvesting the buckwheat that he planted on one hundred acres of land on our farm that he is renting.

He brought the combine over from his farm first.  The first day that he tried to run it he had a little trouble with one of the straw crawlers.  So today he and Doug put the repaired crawler back into the combine.

Then Wayne fired up the combine and got to work on the crop.  What a beautiful sight to see it going up and down through the fields.

When the hopper is filled he drives it back to the farm and blows the buckwheat into the back of the tractor trailer.  If you know anything about farmers you know that a job isn't  a job unless they climb up and discuss the merits of what they are doing.  Today Matthew had to get in on the discussion.

This weekend St. Joseph's Church is having a garage sale, a chicken barbcue, and a pie sale.  Friday afternoon Matthew, Mary-Kate and I volunteered to help setup and sort for the garage sale. 

Matthew came across two WWII vintage duffle bags full of some great stuff that he just had to buy right then and there.  Of course, since he was such a great help, the ladies couldn't resist letting him do just that. 

Then his sister came across a box full of costumes and dress-up clothes.  She didn't try things on herself before deciding what she wanted but she did manage to try this wig on her brother before he protested. 

Today we worked the sale for about three hours.  It was a good experience for both of them to have to serve other people with kindness and patience even when the people were not too nice to them.  We'll see how we do tomorrow for the barbcue and pie sale. 

..........or more accurately, the gift.  It must be explained that Matthew is truly not a material guy.  But, like any kid he is aware of when his birthday is coming and the implications of that happening.  Like any kid he will begin anticipating his birthday early.  So, several months ago he began telling me what he wanted for his birthday.  Each new declaration was of course punctuated with something that was totally ridiculous and not possible.  For instance an Abrams tank.  Each time that he would mention something that I might get, it would be "the thing", only to be followed weeks later by something else that would replace the last "thing".  You all get the picture.

The males in this family have a tradition that must be followed when it comes to gift wrapping, also.  So, when Matthew mentioned something that he wanted that was not only possible but, to my mother's mind practical, I went out and purchased it.  I then proceeded to wrap it in the traditional wrap, the bag that it came in with miles of duct tape.

It isn't good unless it takes a knife to get into your birthday present.  This one was not exception, and with Mary-Kate's help it was actually more challenging than others have been in the past.  We used two layers of bags both wrapped with duct tape.

The anticipation caused by the extra layers was great for the spectators.

You can barely see the surprise on his face but he is very pleased.  He never thought that I would actually get him a set of ACU's.  These things wear like iron.  The BDU's that he is wearing are actual army issue and even my boys have trouble wearing them out too fast.  His friend Brett in the background is a little green with envy.  I think I will get him some for his birthday.  Do I know how to please boys or what?

Oh, and by the way, the food was great and everyone had a great time at the party.  But what else matters besides the birthday boy and his gift?  Also eight more piglets were born that day.

This is the stuff of which poetry is written.  At least my son wrote a poem about it when he was overseas.  (I think to get me to make him some when he came home on leave, and it worked.)  I wish I was there to make you some so that you can feel better sooner, it is guaranteed.

5 large chicken breasts, skin removed

5-6 stalks of celery chopped

1 1/2 small onions chopped

6 med. carrots scrubbed well and chopped

1 very generous tablespoon of garlic

Place all ingredients in pot and just cover with water.  Sprinkle with two generous sprinkles of kosher salt.  (this is all the salt that you will use).  Bring to a boil and let cook for about one hour until the chicken is cook through.  Remove the chicken to a plate, turn off heat and add 1/2 lb of your favorite pasta.  I use mini bowties.  Cover and let sit until pasta is cooked through.  They should reduce the liquid by quite a bit.  Bone the chicken and break up into bite size pieces and add back to soup.  Add a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.  Taste broth.  It should taste slightly sweet of carrots and celery with a slight hint of garlic.  Only salt if there is a hint of blandness.  Serve with home made bread or biscuits.

This soup is guaranteed to help anyone with a cold feel better and anyone coming down with a cold avoid one.  I think it is the garlic.  My men like it because there are more "ingredients" than broth. 

You guys are funny and totally unsympathetic.  I have a pocket full of pig poo and all you guys can do is side with the pigs.  They aren't as cute as you may think.  And pig poo is very stinky.  Too bad I can't blog it.

Time to go out and see if Sweety has had her piglets yet.  I was a bad pig mom and slept soundly all night long in my own bed last night and never once went out to check her.  Thought I'd let her do this on her own.  Besides, I needed the sleep.

First of all, the second sow finally had her piglets.  This morning she gave birth to 12 piglets.  One of them died at birth. 

This is Carolina Ruby, Ian's sow.  She had 8 piglets and I am happy to say that she still has 8.  She is a good mom.  I think that we are going to keep her.

This is Sugar.  She had 12 this morning.  She isn't the greatest mom but she is doing pretty well.  She is very content to let Carolina Ruby take care of her piglets.

This is Sweety.  She has yet to farrow.  She is mostly interested in sniffing the piglets and eating.   It will be a few days before she has hers.  You can tell when they are ready when their bags become very pendulous.

What a great looking batch of piglets.  I love to watch them playing with each other.  Already they are confident enough on their feet to chase each other around the pen.  The sows take turns nursing them and bossing them around.  They really seem to take this motherhood thing a lot more seriously then some humans that I know.

These boots leak!!!! I was outraged when I put them on and then walked across the road to clean out the pigpen.  Why would anyone keep a pair of leaky boots around?  Why did I put them on in the first place you may ask?  On this farm we just buy rubber boots when they are on sale in large sizes and keep them around for anyone who needs them to slip on when we need to go out to the barn.  I try to get everyone to throw away any boots that get leaks in them.  Apparantly this pair got neglected and I am the person who paid the price.  Not only did they leak water but they also leaked mud.  I guess I needed to wash my feet more than once this year.

There are now 19 piglets out there.  Mom's and piglets are doing fine.  Two down and one more to go.  Then I will be able to sleep all night long in my own bed without interruption.  Pictures to come.