The Remains of November

 I was awake before the Sun this morning, which is my preference. Although my sleep was rich with dreams, I slept well for the first time in quite a while, and I feel well-rested and eager to see what this day brings. 

50-something years ago my parents started trying to teach me to always do my chores first. Those lessons never took hold the way they wanted them to, but these days, my way of doing things works well for me. I have been sorting out a morning routine that helps set me up for a good day because it allows me to focus on what I really want to do. In other words, I get my morning chores done first, then I can have fun. Thanks, mom and dad! You were right. (love you and miss you)

Yesterday I pulled chicken carcasses out of the freezer and put them in my stock pot on top of the stove. Then I added water, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and some herbs and let the whole thing simmer all day long. It wasn't long before the whole house smelled of comfort and care, so I used that as a little boost for a home energy clearing ritual. Multi-tasking kitchen witching is a lovely thing, friends. 

At the end of the day, I separated the bones, meat scraps, and veg from the stock before pouring it through cheesecloth to strain out the tiny bits of left-behind stuff. The stock went into a pot to cool overnight in the fridge, and all the scrappy stuff into another for the same purpose. How strange when I woke at 6 am, that finishing up that kitchen work was the first thought on my mind. 

I filled a glass quart jar with the rich stock so I can drop it off to a friend today and poured the rest into silicone molds to go into the freezer. Then I spent about half an hour removing the bones from the other goodness. The veg and meat mixture will go in the freezer so I can use it to supplement chicken feed. 
Yes, this can be a controversial topic, and I gave it a lot of consideration before making the decision to give them the meat. The choice is between that or throwing it away, and I am working more diligently toward not wasting food or other resources. 

The bones will go into the forest later this week, well away from human habitation. What isn't consumed by a critter or two will be consumed by the earth, and the cycle of life and death will continue. 

I have a couple of other small projects to finish in order to neatly wrap up the remains of November. This time of year always brings an inward focus, and each year it seems I move ever more deeply into that space. This season is no exception. 

I hope this day brings you whatever you want or need; peace, fun, quiet time, excitement, comfort, love. 

Peace out. 

    

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