Michael and Irene were visiting a friend in Alabama from April Fools to April 14th. This left me to care for the chickens and ducks, and allowed me to be here when Auntie Harriette fell ill on April 2nd, and to hold her hand until she died on April 7th. Although an honor to stay by her side during her journey from life into death, it was pretty exhausting. Fortunately, I had taken out a package of chicken feet from the freezer when Michael and Irene drive off, and had them boiled up the Sunday I got the call that Harriette was in the ER.

On request, this is as close as I will post to a chicken feet photo. The photo records the snow we received on April 11th, 2017.

After boiling them with garlic and bay leaves and a carrot and salt, I fished them out of the soup, coated them in olive oil, and put them in a 350° oven to roast. Oh, oh, oh! Roasted until crispy, they were like my favorite part of a roasted chicken: the wingtips that get all brown and crunchy. They were even good cold. Those boiled then roasted chicken feet sustained me for several days.

And when I ran out of crispy feet, I had this amazing broth. I added vegetables and garlic and ginger or just ate it cold. It melted on the tongue and made my tired body happy.

Auntie Harriette passed peacefully, knowing she was loved and not alone. At 98, she was ready to go. My chickens were not so old, but I tried to make their passing also as peaceful as possible. It helps to pet them, which relaxes them. Death and dying is part of living. We can only hope to do both well.