I woke up to a mess this morning. Both sides of the double sink were full of pots and pans, and the dishwasher was packed with more dirty dishes. We didn’t even have any clean butter knives to spread peanut butter on the girls’ waffles; I used a spoon. After voting last night, we walked from the community center to the store and bought a couple of six packs before heading home to turn on the tv. This morning, the evidence of that decision was all over the counters, empty. We had eaten a late lunch yesterday, and I couldn’t find the gumption to cook an actual meal, so Snacky Dinner it was: popcorn and craisins, yogurt and apples, pita chips with hummus. Our stuck-up Schnauzer has decided he’s too good to clean up the food his girls drop, and so our living room rug looked like something exploded. A huge pile of laundry was sitting in front of the washer. And yet, I am thankful we have enough to eat to make such a mess, enough to wear that I have to wash it.

We will clean up this mess, together. 

J killed the rooster this morning. We offered Dottie for adoption in multiple places though phone calls and Facebook, but no one wanted him, and he had to go: he attacked Beanie, raking his claws down her back, and my children, my girls, are my priority. She was not seriously injured, but we couldn’t let her near the coop any more without him puffing up and flying at the fence. He even came after me the other night while I was grilling, and that was the last straw. I will not be afraid of the animals who are supposed to be providing for our family. We didn’t have time to prep him for the freezer, and so into the ground he went, back to the earth to nourish new life in the spring. I am thankful I have a husband who is not afraid of hard work, who is willing to stand up and do what needs to be done, again and again, to take care of his family.

We will protect our children, together. 

Maybe I’m kicking a dead horse, but I have to say again how happy I am that we landed in this tiny town. One of our neighbors is organizing a recurring Sunday soup swap at the community center, and invited us to join in. It will be a time to share conversation and break bread together, to warm ourselves and each other with good food and good company, to parent our children as a village and help our neighbors nourish their bodies and their souls. It’s a beautiful idea, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. I am thankful that we chose a kind and loving place to call home.

We will care for our neighbors, and come together as a community. We will love one another, and we will teach our children by example. We will work hard. We will support the helpers. And we will be the change. Together.