The garish red numbers light up the shiny new blue and white sign at the gas station as I drive by — the Marathon where that girl was murdered and stuffed in a dumpster a few years ago, back when the sign was old.
I want to deeply honor you Cass for being vulnerable enough to write this.
I see you, all of you. You're not alone in the despair.
I can see that through this writing, it's healing for you just to put it out there. That's why you should continue doing it. My heart aches for you and your family. You have a tribe who, though we can't be on your farm, can at least witness and sit in the mud with you. Thank you for letting us know, so we can support you, however we can.
Sometimes the best thing is just to be witnessed, and I'm sending all the good vibes that your heart will feel supported in this part of your journey.
Fuck branding and, respectfully, any of those who unsubscribe because you don't keep pushing the happiness manifesting BS that all the self-help gurus want to push.
Letting people know where you are is some of the most honest writing you can do.
Thank you so much for getting it, Mitch, and for seeing me, and for honoring my process of self-expression through my very messy, deeply complex human experience.
You are carrying a heavy load, Cass. Parenting neurodivergent children is hard going, as I know from personal experience. And there is plenty going on in the US to make things difficult.
I have no answers for any of it; all I can say is that your honest writing about your life makes a valuable contribution. Who says anyone has to be positive all the time? Sometimes life just stinks! The stinks are worth writing about too and showing you still produce the eggs for charity, you still carry on running your farm according to your beliefs—all those things are worthwhile.
Meanwhile, whilst I’m imagining the contented clucking of your happy chickens, here are some virtual hugs: 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
My heart breaks as I read this. I immediately went to my subscription (thinking it was free, as I do not usually pay for subscriptions on my budget, and thinking I'll pay for a subscription). But I am already a paid subscriber.... Now what? I have no advice.
One form of Buddhist meditation I practice is Compassion Meditation, where we focus on the black clouds of someone's suffering, inhale it into our hearts which connect to the infinite compassion and wisdom of the universe, and exhale the glowing white clouds of that compassion, wisdom and healing back to them. Does it change anything? Who knows? I believe it can, as we are all connected. So I will be doing this daily for you, for the foreseeable future.
Thank you so much, truly. I already feel a lot better today, and I can't help but believe it's at least partly because there are so many wonderful people here putting out so many good thoughts for me.
🌞 My astrology background always reminds me that everything runs in cycles. My Buddhist studies continually remind me that everything is impermanent. My personal postscript to that is that sometimes impermanence is a very good thing 🌞
Thank you for reminding me of Tonglen, which I used to practice quite regularly. Then I got depressed and I stopped. Now I will start again, with Cass along with millions of others in mind. When I was young, I dreamed of changing the world. Now I just pray that my pebble dropped into the pond joins with all the other ripples of human prayers.
My teachers tell me that when we meditate we are in fact changing the world. There are anecdotes of groups of meditators reducing crime rates in the area around them.
According to the theory of entanglement, two particles separated by space can influence each other. Or as Wikipedia puts it: “Quantum entanglement is the phenomenon in which the quantum state of each particle in a group cannot be described independently of the state of the others,” So, if one changes the other also changes.
I find that notion jibes well with the Buddhist concept of ultimate reality, where we are all in fact inseparable. This is the idea I use to support my practice of Tonglen: also to Buddhists distance and time are just labels.
What is scientific, is research that shows that tonglen activates parts of the brain associated with empathy and happy and pleasant feelings. See this research from the National Institute of Health. I know my mood is definitely better when I am practicing meditation and especially Tonglen. Dang, I can’t attach the link…. pubmed.ncbi.nih.gov/20804370/
Madom, I have meditated over 50 years and it does relieve stress and I too believe changes the world because everything and everyone is connected and thoughts, intentions, feelings are all energy! ❤️🔥⚡️🧡 the orange heart is my symbol for Reiki. I have also been a Reiki practitioner for close to 50 years
Snap! I have also meditated for over 50 years! We must both be old… LOL
I wish you lived close enough to Cass to go and give her a Reiki treatment as an act of compassion.
You might also find this video talking about the difference between empathy and compassion in the brain, and the role of the vagus nerve in regulating emotions; which I found very helpful. Dr. Tanya Singer is a psychologist associated with the global compassion coalition.
This is a great post because it’s real! It tells how you feel. And if people unsubscribe because they can’t handle reality, which is some days we’re up and some days we’re down, it’s almost like we’re bipolar, but we’re not. And today just happens to be a down day, it may even be a down week or longer but it always gets better. All the old sayings, it’s always darkest before the dawn blah blah blah are very true, so hang in there Girlfriend and you’re gonna be fine. It’s just right now it’s tough and I understand and I see you and I feel you. Take care, keep your head up and keep on writing!
Hi Cass, boy oh boy do I get this. I've been spending the last 9 years taking care of a husband with cancer who is now disabled AND has cognitive dysfunction. Oh and i have a small farm as well. My sad little joke is that someday I want to run screaming through the forest and never return. No support from his family ( he has two grown daughters in another state I have none) If it wasn't for the VA I don't know what I would have done. So I always have that nagging fear waiting for something to happen to that. Anyway just don't ever feel guilty for expressing your reality. I've experienced that as well and working everyday to realize I deserve to enjoy whatever small pleasure I can eek out of this inescapable situation I'm in. Hoping you can do the same. Many hugs and blessings for you.
I'm so sorry that you also are dealing with a situation like this. You absolutely deserve to find joy and I hope you're able to do so where you can! I relate so much to the "running screaming through the forest" sentiment. Sending you all my warmest and brightest thoughts.
Sending hugs, things will sort out. It may not feel like it right now, but they will. I have faith in you. We have faith in you, even if and when you don't. Let our faith carry you for awhile.
I see you and feel you. And I respect you for sharing. Our superconnected society is ironically one of the most socially isolated societies, and farm life can make that even more so.
I love connecting through your writings. ALL of them, high or low. I hope sharing that may have helped. Write what you need to write. Period. THAT is your brand, so you are staying true to it.
We are all here for you, let us help carry whatever load we can for you!
Cass, I'm so glad you shared this, and I so appreciate your honesty. All too often, it's difficult--if not impossible--to lighten burdens like the ones you're carrying. But no one should have to carry them alone. Please know that I'm thinking of you, and I know others are, too.
Alright, all real and fair feelings. You ARE stuck right now. You have 2 young children that are challenging. When you get pregnant you hope for the best, but it doesn't always go the way you hoped and planned. Nature had other ideas. However, this does not last forever. By 10 yrs old your children will be very different. You have to hold on to that. Also any child under 5 can be very difficult and tempermental. As to your job and the farm...stop worrying about a plan and a "job". You have a job. It is just not what you had before. I would think more along the lines of what you can still do with the farm that is possible and growth. I would think this needs to involve making more income (yes, we are all feeling 4% inflation). Maybe that means boarding or training horses again. You have the space and the ability. May not be your dream, but it can bring in cash. What else can you do? Breeding chickens? Selling more eggs? Only you would know. Be creative. Mostly realize that this is temporary. Your life will again become your own in time. And, oh yea, forget moving for now. You can't swing it. Work on what you've actually got to work with and save whatever money you can. Money is not everything, but it does offer choices. Much is still coming in your life and you are most certainly not actually in prison. You always have choices. Just not ones you want to make. (P.s. I felt much the same as you when in an emotionally abusive relationship with 2 children and without a job. Now 40 years later kids are grown with kids of their own and husband has long moved on to abuse someone else. Life is very different now with different challenges. Point being this is where you are NOW. Not where you will always be.) With love Cass. Hang in there. Do what you can and wait.
Thank you for that reminder of the temporary nature of things, Linda. It's easy to get so mired in a situation you can't see that it won't last forever.
The only thing that i would add to what everyone else said (and sending big hugs as well! Tell your husband he has to fulfill these hug orders in person as touch goes a long way!) Is that as someone who is just now living in the sunlight after many years of dangerous darkness, including for my children, my lodestone during that time was my stubbornness and finding my path. During the times I couldn't see anything else in the storms and the wilderness, I tried to find just the next step to take on that path. Sometimes blind and on faith, sometimes waiting for the fog to clear enough for me to see just right in front of me, sometimes figuring out what to do when the path took an unexpected drop or had a tree lying across it (homeschooling felt like that and turned out to be a smoothing of the path instead and one that made it so my child was walking their path right next to mine). That became more sure over time and through the trials until I was running on the path and could see all the way to the sky. It took a while but started when I finally was able to stop being dragged down a path that wasn't mine after far too many years and find my way to my own. None at that was easy, but the core was simple: find your path, start walking it. And soon, that process starts to take care of itself. I hope there is something in there that helps.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Katharine. It helps so much to hear that someone else has gone through this. I feel like I'm right on the very verge of finding my own path right now... Like I've been working on it tentatively for a while but the fog is finally parting a little bit and I'm starting to see the outline of things. I feel more hopeful about that today after everyone's helpful comments.
Cass... this one is full of blistering honesty. "Endless decision-making"... I, too, find that tiresome, but I have always tried to live as simple a life as possible in order to have less to worry about. Wife-mother-farmer-author... that's a full plate for anybody. There's nothing there you can pare down without it costing you dearly. Adding 'teacher' to the list can't be very appetizing as you have outlined.
Part of your plight is lack of time to even think. Your time for 'conscious thought' is all reserved for Responsibilities and Contingencies. If you have no time for self-examination in the way of "What am I doing and What are WE doing right now?" then you begin to lose yourself. That feeling of "I'm in this alone" begins to creep in.
I think you might want to have a Come to Jesus moment with your husband, and discuss your current situation and whether or not it's sustainable. It might be wise to find a simpler way to live - maybe an apartment - and sell the farm.
In your analysis, try to measure how much TIME each aspect requires to maintain. Your difficulty will be finding a location that provides an environment that works for both of your children.
This is pretty seismic shit I'm talking here, and I have no idea if you guys have already talked about it. Everything out there - real estate prices/rents, cost of gas and utilities, availability of required medical care, better school situation - makes it bad to move right now. You'll need to weigh primarily the short term advantages against the long term advantages. A short term fix that allows you some time to think may be required to reset for the long haul.
At least I will stay one of your paid subscribers... at least until you fold up your Substack tent.
So just think! That, and about $4, will get you a cup of coffee downtown.
I realize how little help any of this probably is, but I can't just sit here and let you feel like you do without trying to help somehow. You're smart and your husband is smart. Don't let this try and defeat you. You're stronger as a team, and I think you two together can figure out a better way forward.
And do not pray for an easy life... but rather pray to be a strong person.
Thank you so much, Joseph. It really is some seismic shit... I'm trying to remember all the decisions don't have to happen at once, so it's not as stressful. You are absolutely right that the number one thing I need most right now is more time to think — I have a strong feeling that if given that time, answers will reveal themselves. In the light of a new day, I'm determined to find that time and space and I feel hopeful that I can. I really appreciate all your support and thoughtfulness.
You're very welcome, Cass. This is a situation that I feel somewhat removed from due to the distance and the forum we have to work with. So I will offer things to think about and I will be a constant source of support in any way I can.
The internet is so full of really lightweight bullshit... and that is definitely NOT Cassidy from Golden Thread Farm. You have a good heart and a good mind and that can be a very powerful combination when applied in the right ways.
Keep on keepin' on, Cassidy Fewell. We the People need to hear about the kindness and generosity and love in your life that you live.
Cass, I am so thankful you feel safe enough with us to share your feelings with us. I remember telling you a while back that you had created a safe space to chat and I am glad that you are taking advantage of it yourself as well. I can remember a time in my own life not dissimilar to yours that was incredibly difficult and I honestly thought I would not survive. Now, is not the moment for my specific story here but I will share that the way through things was truly a paradigm shift for me personally and not a strategy I would recommend for a
Life is constant cycles. This is simply the down part. I would not quit you for that! Thanks for your honesty in articulating it. God knows there is little enough of it right now out there!
I want to deeply honor you Cass for being vulnerable enough to write this.
I see you, all of you. You're not alone in the despair.
I can see that through this writing, it's healing for you just to put it out there. That's why you should continue doing it. My heart aches for you and your family. You have a tribe who, though we can't be on your farm, can at least witness and sit in the mud with you. Thank you for letting us know, so we can support you, however we can.
Sometimes the best thing is just to be witnessed, and I'm sending all the good vibes that your heart will feel supported in this part of your journey.
Fuck branding and, respectfully, any of those who unsubscribe because you don't keep pushing the happiness manifesting BS that all the self-help gurus want to push.
Letting people know where you are is some of the most honest writing you can do.
Thank you.
Thank you so much for getting it, Mitch, and for seeing me, and for honoring my process of self-expression through my very messy, deeply complex human experience.
You are carrying a heavy load, Cass. Parenting neurodivergent children is hard going, as I know from personal experience. And there is plenty going on in the US to make things difficult.
I have no answers for any of it; all I can say is that your honest writing about your life makes a valuable contribution. Who says anyone has to be positive all the time? Sometimes life just stinks! The stinks are worth writing about too and showing you still produce the eggs for charity, you still carry on running your farm according to your beliefs—all those things are worthwhile.
Meanwhile, whilst I’m imagining the contented clucking of your happy chickens, here are some virtual hugs: 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
Thank you so much for the kind words and your understanding!
My heart breaks as I read this. I immediately went to my subscription (thinking it was free, as I do not usually pay for subscriptions on my budget, and thinking I'll pay for a subscription). But I am already a paid subscriber.... Now what? I have no advice.
One form of Buddhist meditation I practice is Compassion Meditation, where we focus on the black clouds of someone's suffering, inhale it into our hearts which connect to the infinite compassion and wisdom of the universe, and exhale the glowing white clouds of that compassion, wisdom and healing back to them. Does it change anything? Who knows? I believe it can, as we are all connected. So I will be doing this daily for you, for the foreseeable future.
Thank you so much, truly. I already feel a lot better today, and I can't help but believe it's at least partly because there are so many wonderful people here putting out so many good thoughts for me.
🌞 My astrology background always reminds me that everything runs in cycles. My Buddhist studies continually remind me that everything is impermanent. My personal postscript to that is that sometimes impermanence is a very good thing 🌞
I’m so happy to hear that you are feeling better. I’ll keep going.
Thank you for reminding me of Tonglen, which I used to practice quite regularly. Then I got depressed and I stopped. Now I will start again, with Cass along with millions of others in mind. When I was young, I dreamed of changing the world. Now I just pray that my pebble dropped into the pond joins with all the other ripples of human prayers.
My teachers tell me that when we meditate we are in fact changing the world. There are anecdotes of groups of meditators reducing crime rates in the area around them.
According to the theory of entanglement, two particles separated by space can influence each other. Or as Wikipedia puts it: “Quantum entanglement is the phenomenon in which the quantum state of each particle in a group cannot be described independently of the state of the others,” So, if one changes the other also changes.
I find that notion jibes well with the Buddhist concept of ultimate reality, where we are all in fact inseparable. This is the idea I use to support my practice of Tonglen: also to Buddhists distance and time are just labels.
What is scientific, is research that shows that tonglen activates parts of the brain associated with empathy and happy and pleasant feelings. See this research from the National Institute of Health. I know my mood is definitely better when I am practicing meditation and especially Tonglen. Dang, I can’t attach the link…. pubmed.ncbi.nih.gov/20804370/
Madom, I have meditated over 50 years and it does relieve stress and I too believe changes the world because everything and everyone is connected and thoughts, intentions, feelings are all energy! ❤️🔥⚡️🧡 the orange heart is my symbol for Reiki. I have also been a Reiki practitioner for close to 50 years
Snap! I have also meditated for over 50 years! We must both be old… LOL
I wish you lived close enough to Cass to go and give her a Reiki treatment as an act of compassion.
You might also find this video talking about the difference between empathy and compassion in the brain, and the role of the vagus nerve in regulating emotions; which I found very helpful. Dr. Tanya Singer is a psychologist associated with the global compassion coalition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbWG2ItNtsk
I can send her Reiki. Thanks for the reminder. I will ask her! 🧡
Thank you for the information and encouragement 🌼 I will look forward to finding the link. Best wishes!
Thank you, Deb. 💗
Sorry to hear of so many difficulties being extreme at the same time!! ❤️ Not in that now, but I remember times like that. Hang in there!
if you put https:// in front of what I wrote you will have the complete URL
This is a great post because it’s real! It tells how you feel. And if people unsubscribe because they can’t handle reality, which is some days we’re up and some days we’re down, it’s almost like we’re bipolar, but we’re not. And today just happens to be a down day, it may even be a down week or longer but it always gets better. All the old sayings, it’s always darkest before the dawn blah blah blah are very true, so hang in there Girlfriend and you’re gonna be fine. It’s just right now it’s tough and I understand and I see you and I feel you. Take care, keep your head up and keep on writing!
I appreciate you, Lori!
Hi Cass, boy oh boy do I get this. I've been spending the last 9 years taking care of a husband with cancer who is now disabled AND has cognitive dysfunction. Oh and i have a small farm as well. My sad little joke is that someday I want to run screaming through the forest and never return. No support from his family ( he has two grown daughters in another state I have none) If it wasn't for the VA I don't know what I would have done. So I always have that nagging fear waiting for something to happen to that. Anyway just don't ever feel guilty for expressing your reality. I've experienced that as well and working everyday to realize I deserve to enjoy whatever small pleasure I can eek out of this inescapable situation I'm in. Hoping you can do the same. Many hugs and blessings for you.
I'm so sorry that you also are dealing with a situation like this. You absolutely deserve to find joy and I hope you're able to do so where you can! I relate so much to the "running screaming through the forest" sentiment. Sending you all my warmest and brightest thoughts.
Hey I'm in Florida too!
Prayers for you and yours ❤️ Wish I could offer more ❤️
Sending hugs, things will sort out. It may not feel like it right now, but they will. I have faith in you. We have faith in you, even if and when you don't. Let our faith carry you for awhile.
Thank you so much, Rebecca. I'm so filled with gratitude for how much people care about and believe in me.
Our best work is when we lift each other up. Hope your days are feeling more hopeful.
Mama, I so feel you. I wish I could tell you it gets better. I don’t wanna tell you how strong you are. I just want you to know that I see you.
Thank you so much. Sometimes just being seen is enough to power us through.
I see you and feel you. And I respect you for sharing. Our superconnected society is ironically one of the most socially isolated societies, and farm life can make that even more so.
I love connecting through your writings. ALL of them, high or low. I hope sharing that may have helped. Write what you need to write. Period. THAT is your brand, so you are staying true to it.
We are all here for you, let us help carry whatever load we can for you!
Thank you so much, Terry. I do feel a lot better after being honest and not feeling like I'm hiding a part of my reality.
Cass, I'm so glad you shared this, and I so appreciate your honesty. All too often, it's difficult--if not impossible--to lighten burdens like the ones you're carrying. But no one should have to carry them alone. Please know that I'm thinking of you, and I know others are, too.
Thank you so much, Beth.
Communication known no barriers. The power is in the word.
Alright, all real and fair feelings. You ARE stuck right now. You have 2 young children that are challenging. When you get pregnant you hope for the best, but it doesn't always go the way you hoped and planned. Nature had other ideas. However, this does not last forever. By 10 yrs old your children will be very different. You have to hold on to that. Also any child under 5 can be very difficult and tempermental. As to your job and the farm...stop worrying about a plan and a "job". You have a job. It is just not what you had before. I would think more along the lines of what you can still do with the farm that is possible and growth. I would think this needs to involve making more income (yes, we are all feeling 4% inflation). Maybe that means boarding or training horses again. You have the space and the ability. May not be your dream, but it can bring in cash. What else can you do? Breeding chickens? Selling more eggs? Only you would know. Be creative. Mostly realize that this is temporary. Your life will again become your own in time. And, oh yea, forget moving for now. You can't swing it. Work on what you've actually got to work with and save whatever money you can. Money is not everything, but it does offer choices. Much is still coming in your life and you are most certainly not actually in prison. You always have choices. Just not ones you want to make. (P.s. I felt much the same as you when in an emotionally abusive relationship with 2 children and without a job. Now 40 years later kids are grown with kids of their own and husband has long moved on to abuse someone else. Life is very different now with different challenges. Point being this is where you are NOW. Not where you will always be.) With love Cass. Hang in there. Do what you can and wait.
Thank you for that reminder of the temporary nature of things, Linda. It's easy to get so mired in a situation you can't see that it won't last forever.
The only thing that i would add to what everyone else said (and sending big hugs as well! Tell your husband he has to fulfill these hug orders in person as touch goes a long way!) Is that as someone who is just now living in the sunlight after many years of dangerous darkness, including for my children, my lodestone during that time was my stubbornness and finding my path. During the times I couldn't see anything else in the storms and the wilderness, I tried to find just the next step to take on that path. Sometimes blind and on faith, sometimes waiting for the fog to clear enough for me to see just right in front of me, sometimes figuring out what to do when the path took an unexpected drop or had a tree lying across it (homeschooling felt like that and turned out to be a smoothing of the path instead and one that made it so my child was walking their path right next to mine). That became more sure over time and through the trials until I was running on the path and could see all the way to the sky. It took a while but started when I finally was able to stop being dragged down a path that wasn't mine after far too many years and find my way to my own. None at that was easy, but the core was simple: find your path, start walking it. And soon, that process starts to take care of itself. I hope there is something in there that helps.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Katharine. It helps so much to hear that someone else has gone through this. I feel like I'm right on the very verge of finding my own path right now... Like I've been working on it tentatively for a while but the fog is finally parting a little bit and I'm starting to see the outline of things. I feel more hopeful about that today after everyone's helpful comments.
Thank you for sharing. Def not unsubscribing. It all belongs and you are giving voice to a full human existence. 🙏🏻💫☮️
Thank you, Paul!
Cass... this one is full of blistering honesty. "Endless decision-making"... I, too, find that tiresome, but I have always tried to live as simple a life as possible in order to have less to worry about. Wife-mother-farmer-author... that's a full plate for anybody. There's nothing there you can pare down without it costing you dearly. Adding 'teacher' to the list can't be very appetizing as you have outlined.
Part of your plight is lack of time to even think. Your time for 'conscious thought' is all reserved for Responsibilities and Contingencies. If you have no time for self-examination in the way of "What am I doing and What are WE doing right now?" then you begin to lose yourself. That feeling of "I'm in this alone" begins to creep in.
I think you might want to have a Come to Jesus moment with your husband, and discuss your current situation and whether or not it's sustainable. It might be wise to find a simpler way to live - maybe an apartment - and sell the farm.
In your analysis, try to measure how much TIME each aspect requires to maintain. Your difficulty will be finding a location that provides an environment that works for both of your children.
This is pretty seismic shit I'm talking here, and I have no idea if you guys have already talked about it. Everything out there - real estate prices/rents, cost of gas and utilities, availability of required medical care, better school situation - makes it bad to move right now. You'll need to weigh primarily the short term advantages against the long term advantages. A short term fix that allows you some time to think may be required to reset for the long haul.
At least I will stay one of your paid subscribers... at least until you fold up your Substack tent.
So just think! That, and about $4, will get you a cup of coffee downtown.
I realize how little help any of this probably is, but I can't just sit here and let you feel like you do without trying to help somehow. You're smart and your husband is smart. Don't let this try and defeat you. You're stronger as a team, and I think you two together can figure out a better way forward.
And do not pray for an easy life... but rather pray to be a strong person.
Thank you so much, Joseph. It really is some seismic shit... I'm trying to remember all the decisions don't have to happen at once, so it's not as stressful. You are absolutely right that the number one thing I need most right now is more time to think — I have a strong feeling that if given that time, answers will reveal themselves. In the light of a new day, I'm determined to find that time and space and I feel hopeful that I can. I really appreciate all your support and thoughtfulness.
You're very welcome, Cass. This is a situation that I feel somewhat removed from due to the distance and the forum we have to work with. So I will offer things to think about and I will be a constant source of support in any way I can.
The internet is so full of really lightweight bullshit... and that is definitely NOT Cassidy from Golden Thread Farm. You have a good heart and a good mind and that can be a very powerful combination when applied in the right ways.
Keep on keepin' on, Cassidy Fewell. We the People need to hear about the kindness and generosity and love in your life that you live.
When we read about it, we are better for it.
That means so much to hear. I will absolutely keep on keeping on, because being here is part of my purpose.
Cass, I am so thankful you feel safe enough with us to share your feelings with us. I remember telling you a while back that you had created a safe space to chat and I am glad that you are taking advantage of it yourself as well. I can remember a time in my own life not dissimilar to yours that was incredibly difficult and I honestly thought I would not survive. Now, is not the moment for my specific story here but I will share that the way through things was truly a paradigm shift for me personally and not a strategy I would recommend for a
Life is constant cycles. This is simply the down part. I would not quit you for that! Thanks for your honesty in articulating it. God knows there is little enough of it right now out there!
Thanks so much for sticking around. It means a lot.
And I just love your chickens! I never thought of them as people before you!