Lesson 657 – Quotable Chicks

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

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Another week has flown by.

I met with a friend yesterday and we reminisced about how when we were kids, the longest time in the world was the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Not so anymore.

Things have gotten so hectic that at times, I can ever forget what holiday is coming up (did we already have Halloween? Wait there are Christmas decorations up, what happened to Thanksgiving?) And as much as I try, it’s difficult to slow the days down so that we can focus on the present and not obsess about what will happen in the future.

It’s not easy, working around the school leagues, sports, student council meetings, concerts, and everything else that goes on in a hectic household. Sometimes we’re so busy that we just don’t know where we’re going or even what we’re doing. (Your soccer shoes are too small? Well, we don’t have time to get new ones, just wear them for this game and I’ll get a new pair next week.)

I want my chicks to be involved in the community and schools, that’s an important part of the lessons I am trying to teach. But I also want them to appreciate being at home and know how special it is to be with members of your own flock. I want them to understand that an important part of any holiday is time spent with your family.

The other night I popped some popcorn, handed out candy canes and we were all able to stop what we were doing in order to catch the original animated version of the “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”

To anyone my age, there is a certain joy when you head the beginning of the theme music. All at once I was back in my youth, lined up with my siblings in front of our color(!) TV waiting for the highly anticipated annual showing of “The Grinch.” For the entire program, there would be no bickering and no shoving of an older sister who had invaded your space. No, we sat and watched and listened to the magic of a life lesson begin performed right in front of us. If only for a few minutes, us kids were a flock united, content to be with one another, and thoroughly convinced of the magic of the Christmas spirit.

Just as my family was the other night.

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I want to remind you that next week will be devoted to the UB SNAP Challenge – It starts on December 2 but I’ll begin posting about it on Saturday December 1 where I’ll show you the groceries I got for the week.

December 02 will be the first official day and I’ll have a (rather long) post for each day while on the challenge. In order to get all of this information up on a daily basis (and still get my other work done) I started the challenge this past Thursday and will continue for seven days. It’s still a week on the same amount of money, it’s just that this allows me some time to write things up and get photos and videos ready.

On the logistical side, there’s been a slight change to the challenge. If you receive SNAP benefits in New Hampshire, you don’t get the $35 dollars allocated to those in Connecticut (where the challenge originates.) Instead, up here in the Granite State, where apparently we are as tough as nails, you get $30 per week.

And so I have agreed to live on the New Hampshire budget for the week, now things are starting to get interesting.

Lastly, I want to clearly state that I am not doing this challenge in order to prove myself better than anyone else. Knowing how to shop and cook comes from years and years of experience. Finances and illness have dictated that healthy food on a budget be a priority in our family.

But even if I do make it successfully on a $30 budget, I’m not advocating that food assistance be removed or cut back from anyone.

Instead, I’m advocating that people on assistance be taught and shown how to create healthy meals that don’t necessarily take a long time to make. I’m stressing that eating good food takes planning and organization and should be considered a priority in everyone’s lives, not just with those receiving SNAP.

What is comes down to is this – Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime

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After the challenge, I will return to the flock.

See you next week.

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As always, happy weekend everyone, health and happiness (and safety) to your flock.