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- That we had a fatted lamb to slaughter. And we have ten friends with whom to share our meal.
- That I have spent another year on this planet without experiencing true want or hunger. I acknowledge that experience is an anomaly in human history.
- That we still live in a global economy and good scotch is only a containership away. Hopefully the memories and skills to build clipper ships remain in the years to come.
- That I had the help of Hannah and Caleb this year as we rebuilt fences on the farm. Without their help and younger backs I’d be further behind and the cattle would be roaming our valley.
- That I had a chance to reconnect with my older sister Cynthia these past five years. Now that she has passed away I am reminded once again of the fragility of our lifelines. Carpe Diem.
- That I have lived in the epoch where antibiotics were discovered. A casual walk through the nearby church cemetery reminds one of the costs of their absence.
- That a literate culture still thrives, that my library is well stocked, Wendell Berry lives and PG Wodehouse never died.
- That my barn jacket, spattered with blood, cuffs ripped from barbed wire, reeking of honest sweat and manure from countless encounters…still keeps me warm after a dozen years.
- That my family had the good sense to settle in Louisiana in the 1700’s. And, even if I left the motherland, the knowledge that everything begins with a roux is a good foundation in life.
- And, that my partner is obsessive enough to bake bread, make yogurt and build cabinets and furniture in her spare time.
