The Real Reason

My sister found out my secret and sent me this pic.  I'm not  raising my own food in an effort to improve my health and that of my family, I actually know a secret.  ZOMBIES ARE COMING!!!!

In our house we have a plan for fires, tornados, earthquakes, AND Zombie apocalypse. No joke. You can ask me about it anytime. 

The Proof is in the Pudding

Well...the proof is in the yolk actually.  In case you are still confused about why you should eat local, fresh, and organic, I snapped a pic last week that I wanted to share with you. 

First a little back story.  Did you know that a well cared for hen can live as long, if not longer, than the family dog or cat? True, but they only lay for about 3 or 4 years, and you usually won't get a whole lot of eggs in the colder months. I have been getting farm fresh eggs from my parents for years, but well, their gals are getting a little on the old side. A couple of months ago they just stopped laying! Much to my dismay, I actually broke down and bought eggs at the store.  Something I hadn't done in a very long time. So I really studied those eggs at Walmart, trying to make the best choice for my family. I finally chose organic, free-range eggs for almost $4 a dozen. 

I should have know something was amiss when I opened the carton and all the eggs were the exact same shade of brown (can we say "spray paint!"). I guess you could say I was turning a blind eye. About 3/4 of the way through my last dozen store bought eggs I get the call I have been waiting for all winter..."The girls are laying again!" YAY!!!  I was so excited when my mom brought me my fresh eggs, but I wanted to make sure the others didn't go to waste. So as we were making dinner (I can't remember what...fried rice maybe?) I cracked open the last old egg and needed one more. So into the bowl went a fresh, local, truly organic egg.

I knew there was a difference, but until I saw them side by side I didn't know how big that difference was.  Keep in mind that on the outside these two eggs were the same size.

The one on the top is the one from my parent's chickens.  After I saw this, I actually said, "Holy S#*t! I have got to take a pic of this! No one will believe me!" My husband was even impressed...not easily done.

Another fun fact...you can actually tell what a hen has been fed by the color of the yolk. A hen that has been fed yellow corn and has been allowed to really and truly roam and forage will have a nice, large orange yolked egg.  Chickens LOVE to eat bugs and grass and anything else they can find hidden in the shallow earth. Some sources even say that these eggs contain more nutrients.  I like to think that is true.

On the other hand, hens that are kept "cooped up", not allowed to forage, and are fed a diet of wheat and a little white corn have very pale yolks.  Much smaller one too.

They say you are what you eat...so you have to decide...do you want to be weak, anemic looking, and tiny on the inside, or do you want to be strong, vibrant, and full of health? Hhmmm....seems like a no brainer to me. 



Darby O'Gill

I moved to Paducah 11years and 5 days ago. I was 9 months pregnant with a burning desire to leave Mississippi for good. I would have stopped at nothing to make sure that state was NOT on my daughter's birth certificate. I don't really remember why I hated Mississippi so much, but I did.

Knowing that time was of the essence, my sister took my then 4 year old daughter back to Nashville with her so we could unpack and get everything ready the coming baby. I still had over 2 weeks to go, but we wanted everything perfect for her arrival.

As we were unpacking the moving truck we discovered that the movers had riped my couch and broken my washing machine. So, 11 years and 1 day ago my mother dragged me all around Paducah looking for a new one. The day started off good, Hannah was coming back today and I was excited for her to see her new home. I know she was excited as well. She wasn't used to spending much time away from David and I. Around lunch time I started feeling very bad. I wasn't joking when I said my mother dragged me around town. All I wanted to do was sleep.

Hindsight is always 20/20 isn't it? Little did I know that I was one sick young woman. I just thought I was coming down with a cold or the flu or something. My reasoning was solid...I had just moved from a semi-tropical climate to place where winter is an actual season not just a word on the calendar. So all day I did a zombie walk, found my washer, then went back home to bed.

Late that night, as I was lying down, something strange started  happening. My abdomen started doing this weird little dance. It looked like the baby was doing the worm or like she was fighting to get out. Which I guess she probably was. I was amused but also worried.

11 years ago, I went to my doctor.  I was still feeling pretty bad, so David drove me. The first thing they always did was take my blood pressure, today was no exception. Now, there are some words you never want to hear when you are the doctor's office. Here is one sentence that immediately raises a red flag especially when followed by a routine procedure. It goes something like this, "Hmmm...Let me go get the doctor." The doctor came in and confirmed the nurses finding, I had developed Toxemia. They told me that my pregnancy could not continue safely.  I other words, I was about to become a mother for the second time!

They told me to get to the hospital right away and the doctor would be right behind me. So we loaded up and hit the road. At this point David decides he is hungry and insists on going to Burger King. He even asks me if I want something. I don't think I cursed at him but I know I thought about it. Upon arrival at the hospital I am whisked away to maternity and hooked up to all kinds of monitors and IVs. Fluids and anti-seizure medicine and medicine to induce labor, fetal monitors and blood pressure monitors. I was so hooked up that I wasn't allowed to leave my bed all day! Oh, those stupid monitors!!! They kept blasting their warnings all day long!

It was all worth it though. Emma Darby Ward was born at 8:33pm weighing in at 6 pounds 6 ounces and 21 1/2" long. She was and still is everything I always dreamed she would be. I thank God everyday for blessing me with her. She's not perfect. She can act a little bit like Eeyore and she could definitely be a little nicer to her brother, but I wouldn't change one thing about her.