Stories from the good ‘ol days (while processing chickens).
We did it…Hubby and I (along with my parents) processed some chickens.
Don’t worry…I’m not going to detail the butchering process.
Instead, I’m going to tell you how we learned more about the good ‘ol days. You know the good ‘ol days when life was simpler, full of hard work, and…
when butchering chickens was…well…common practice.
I am blessed to have my parents (both in their 70’s) still teaching me things…with words and actions.
We got up early that morning and got everything ready – tables, buckets, hot water, knives.
My parents came over with their own supplies – butchering ax, knife, and a lot of knowledge (all from the good ‘ol days of course).
Oh how the memories started flowing…
My Mom told stories of when she was a young girl, helping her Mom process chickens on Saturday nights. She reminisced how she and her sisters would argue over who was going to remove the lining from the gizzard. Many times that morning I heard my Mom say “this is how Mom did it”. Her eyes lit up as she talked about the good ‘ol days, while also teaching me how to ‘dress’ a chicken. She told a story of how she and my Dad raised 30 meat chickens when they were first married. Her mom and some of her sisters helped to process them.
My Dad talked of ‘how his Grandma did it’. He said “you have to make sure to remove the ‘lights’ from the inside”. He remembered his Grandma making noodles with the egg yolks that were still inside the chickens. Because he said that they make the best noodles, of course I made some. The next day we had chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes. (For the record, I know mine weren’t nearly as good as my Great Grandma’s, but I tried.)
The stories they told that day were not only entertaining, but so full of information…
information about my heritage…
information about a lifestyle…
information about the good ‘ol days!
My lifestyle has come full circle – I did grow up around butchering animals and preserving from the garden. But, after college I didn’t want that type of lifestyle. I lived in a subdivision and worked in the big city.
It was after I had my first born daughter that I had a desire to homestead.
I wanted to tend my own garden and have our own livestock…
I wanted to feed my family healthy, home grown food…
learning along the way, and teaching my children.
This homesteading way of life is making a strong comeback to society. It can be different from those long ago days where families had lots of acreage, a huge garden, and many livestock animals, yet very effective in its own right!
From my first desire to where we are today took many years… I started with a raised garden in my small backyard.
People are creative these days…
a couple of acres with a few animals and a garden…
suburban living with backyard chickens and a small garden…
apartment living with a patio or roof top garden…
container gardens…
and everything in between.
Bloom where you are planted – make it happen!
Tap into a parent, a grandparent, a family member, or friends for valuable information. They want to share their knowledge…if only we will take the time to listen and learn.
1 Comment
Great article! Brings back many memories for me…