With “How To Explain Christmas To Chickens” at last in print, I am eager to get back to drawing and posting new story ideas and illustrations. This is a “to be continued next time” story and illustration…I don’t know where either will be going.
It is late October, early November. The garden plants have put forth their last and best efforts. They sense winter is coming and their lives will end. Daytime grows shorter. Nighttime grows colder.
They are doing their best to carry on into the future. The okra, the tomatoes, and the eggplants have put out blossoms and then their last fruits. None will have time to mature. The tomatoes, if they are fortunate, may get a slight blush, but most will remain hard and green. None will mature. The first frost will see to that. But they will try. They may succeed. Who knows? It is not for me to say.
Their lives seem so much like my own. Make something, make anything, just one thing that will continue on past the coming winter, past the time when I am gone.
I feel that for my chickens too. We can have no roosters in the city, only hens. “No roosters” means “no future.” Gracie’s sweet disposition and kind heart will end with her. We truly have only here and now to make a mark.
And so I draw. And then I write about what I draw. And I feel the same sense of urgency my garden plants are expressing in their final fruits of the season.
I tell Pearl, “People will always know how much you and Blanche meant to each other and what a glad and joyful heart you have.”
I tell Emily and Amelia, “People will always know how one of you was the first chicken to fly to the moon and back and how the other one made that possible.”
I tell Bessie, “People will always know what a strong defender you are of life and fairness and respect.”
And I whisper softly into Gracie’s ear, “People will always know how full of grace your heart has always been. They will know how we danced together in the streets of Paris even if only in a drawing.”
Once everyone has been reassured, I return to my sketchbook and study the fall tomato vines. They have become bent and beaten down by the heavy winds and rains that have come at the end of hurricane season. Their growth has become straggly in search of more sunlight in the shorter days. They remind me of the lines on a face, the lines on a heart, the lines on a map.
When I look up from my sketchbook, I see Amelia doing something I have never seen her do before, and I know I must add her to the drawing…
Our latest paperback book, “How To Explain Christmas To Chickens,” is finally now available through Amazon around the world! I truly appreciate all of the warm wishes and positive comments from you, our readers. Your encouragement throughout the process made this a much better book than I would have been able to make on my own!
Your drawings are excellent as always.
Autumn is a mixed season a beautiful show of colour in the dying leaves but the sadness in the loss of light as the days shorten. The real problem with Autumn is that it opens the door to winter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Phil, and you are so right. Winters can be very brutal, so I think we need to enjoy the beautiful things that autumn brings that much more!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yum! Tomato vines!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, indeed. Thus summer, I do believe my chickens got more of the tomatoes than I did. Whenever I made BLT’s, they got the “L” and the “T,” and I had only the “B”!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ha ha
LikeLiked by 1 person
May it become as effortless to us as it is to dear chickens to grow fully in our season without wondering about the fruits we may or may not bear.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Judi. What a wonderful thought and prayer!
LikeLike
Beautiful post, John. I could have read 20,000 words like this ❤
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Will. That means a tremendous amount to me coming from you!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Beautiful post. Needed today. Thanks
LikeLiked by 3 people
I’m so glad, Lisa. Have you sent me your address so I can send you a free book? I’ve been checking my email but haven’t seen one from you yet. It’s john.spiers@yahoo.com. There’s a special page in the beginning, just for your Gracie to put her name.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I did but let me try again. I’ve now had two emails not go through to people so I wonder if my email is messed up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Okay, great! I’ll be watching and let you know. (Mine does weird things too sometimes.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just found it. Yahoo put it in my “junk” folder! Definitely not where it belongs!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s happened to me too! No problem!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I didn’t know that you also drew!
Today I lost my favorite chicken, Pippen, and my heart is totally broken. I have been crying most of the day………the ONLY mention this because I know that you would understand………thank you for reading……
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wendi, I’m so saddened to hear about Pippen. I completely understand. My chickens and I will keep you in our evening prayers. I promise. You did get the book I sent to you, didn’t you? Amazon said it was delivered, but I want to make sure it got to you. Your friends, John, Gracie, Bessie, Pearl, Emily, and Amelia.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so very much for understanding John, I knew that you would. I also deeply appreciate your prayers as I am having a really hard time focusing on much other than our loss.
Yes, thank you, I did receive your book today. I have to go pick up my mail and I sometimes only get there about once a week, so I apologize for the delay!
I hope today has been very kind to all of you, as you have been to me and I look forward to reading your beautiful book this week.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are very welcome, Wendi.
Just so you know, the book is dedicated to Blanche who left us on Easter Sunday last year. That affected us all, especially Pearl who is the main character and Blanche’s true best friend. It is part of the story and would not be right to leave that out. It does bring the joy of Christmas into sharper focus.
It may be a tender time for you for a while, so if you’re unable to read right now, I certainly understand. I just wanted to make sure that it arrived safely for when you are ready.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much for letting me know. My youngest daughter was with me when we were at our box and she read this to me and we both started to cry………so, I know I won’t be able to read the book this week but I am hoping that by next week I will mentally be able to handle it. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever become so close to a chicken! 🙂 Thank you again for your sincere kindness.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I truly appreciated receiving your “thank you” note in the mail. May God bless you abundantly!
LikeLiked by 1 person
you are very welcome, the very least I could do!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a wonderful and vivid story. You taught me something new, I didn’t know chickens ate tomatoes! Well at least they left you the best part, the bacon!!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Everything is better with bacon!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person