There is not one night or day that we don�t pray to God and ask him for another good day and thank him for everything he has given to us and others. We pray for every meal we eat. I recently bought a devotional book for my daughter and myself to go over together. On some weekends my husband will read from the bible to us. Spending time with my family is important I think it brings us together closer to God too.

As he gets older we will probably go back to church. I feel closer to God when I go to the old folks center and give them eggs to eat for the week. I know they are getting fed. I feel good saying afternoon or morning to them and asking how they are doing. I see genuine smiles there and so is mine. Someday when Tommy is older we will do the meals on wheels program.

Today we woke and had cream of wheat with toast. I had closed the chicken coop last night. We were going to collect roosters. It is also a good time to count our chickens. We have lost a few but it was to be expected in a year. Some from hawks, a few drowned in the trough and some might have been carried off when they were feeding in the woods. We have to many of the roosters so it was a great time to try out our new chicken plucker, which just came in. The last time we butchered roosters it took over 20min to pluck just one. Now with our plucker it only takes a few seconds. Still with 6 roosters it took us 2hrs.

The reason for this is we were trying to get things together. Tables had to put up, water hoses moved and brought over, knifes, bags, paper towels, ice, temperature gauge, pitchers the scalder had to be set up and warmed a make shift cone had to be made. We decided to move everything under our big tree near where the cars are parked near. It�s a huge oak tree with plenty of shade. I also had to discover my job. I couldn�t stomach cutting the roosters neck I couldn�t even look as my husband as he did it. I could hold on to the legs while he did it. Once cut the rooster would slowly fade away.

Sounds harsh but any dieing is going to be harsh on an animal. Wringing its neck or stunning them with stung gun, which they do in most big factors is cruel to me. Sometimes they don�t die and end up being scalded alive. I couldn�t stomach the actual cutting up of the bird either. Once while my husband demonstrated to me on cutting the chicken the voice cord actually made a sound like a chicken and I got freaked. Husband laughed. I looked at him and said, �umm maybe in a few months!�

I ended up grabbing the rooster from the cone when it finally died and put it in the scalder. We had to have it a certain temperature to hot would tear the skin off. To cold no feathers would come off even with plucker I kept track of it. We had daughter timing it for a minute. I then placed it in the chicken plucker turned on the hose and turned it on. I made sure it didn�t get stuck which sometimes it did. When done

I placed it on cutting board for husband to cut up and gut. After he did that I cleaned it up inside and out and placed in a container of cold water and ice. Later I bagged it and placed it in the freezer. We found out our jobs and it worked out ok. We just cant wait to get enough money for cement and material for a make shift outdoor kitchen with sink and cutting boards and a screen to keep the flys out. It was too cold for flys but as it gets hotter they will come.

We have two tables father gave us and we just need to get some metal to place on top of it. It would be a lot cheaper then buying table with it already on it. It was hard at the end to clean up the plucker to get all the feathers off but in all it went well. We found out our jobs and what we needed in the future. We need larger aprons and gloves and I forgot to buy more ice etc. Long day but very tiring, thank goodness son slept for most the two hours.