Singing Chicken

Hello all. I won't be here for a bit. I mentioned bad news last week and I was going to say that feels like bereavement, then I did have very sad news of a death yesterday. The two together have knocked me right back and I am struggling with every little task. I hate to say this but when I heard of the real death I thought to myself ' Thank goodness for an excuse to be upset' (because people ask what's wrong all the time about the first thing and it's really too complicated to talk about. So now I can say it's the death.) Blogging is beyond me. I have published the comments that were here today but I don't feel up to answering them, except to say my friend's problem I mentioned on Friday is not at all his fault.

I hope you all have nice Christmasses. I might put up a post nearer the time, we'll see. You have all been very good pals to the Chicken and I really value that. I will be back but I just can't do this stuff right now.

It should be Fauna Friday but devastation befell me yesterday. I have chosen that word meaningfully. One of my worst nigtmares has happened for real, to do with my closest and longest-term friend. The extreme to which he has reacted is gargantuan. The blog has been quiet for a while because of this all building up. I will be back as normal when we have found what we can do.

Sorry it's long but you have Bernard to thank because of his post about illustrations last week.

If you weren't doing the job you are doing, what would you have done? Or, for retired people, if you hadn't done the job you used to do, what would you have done?
When I graduated in Classics I just didn't know what to do. I wanted to go to Newark and learn how to make violins but was discouraged from that by people who I thought knew better than me. I worked in a toy shop for a little while and wanted to learn woodwork and make toys - hard and soft - but the same people discouraged me form that.
I had already chosen Latin over music at school, although after I had made the choice one of the teachers said they might have been able to find a way for me to do both. Anyway the same people disouraged a career in music.
The people were parents, aunts, careers officers etc. I wish I hadn't listened.
Anyway, back to my recently-graduated days. After a couple of years of not knowing what I wanted and of doing admin and para legal work and feeling very oppressed by lawyer bosses who knew less than I did, I woke up one day and decided I was going to be a solicitor myself. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I was fed up of them referring to any non-lawyer as 'unqualified staff'.
I hate work. No job could ever be enjoyable for me. I wouldn't even want to work with horses and ponies professionally because when they are unco-operative they are too big, strong and dangerous and I wouldn't want to work at weekends or outside office hours (which I do in this job and hate it too).





I keep thinking I would have liked to have been a stock farmer, but that involves unco-operative big animals and it's 24/7 and I like holidays so realistically I probably wouldn't be a very willing farmer. The loss of animals would be hard too and I know I would get attached. Food farming? Too risky.
Plumber, electrician, carpenter? Too much exposure to insects in old buildings. Mechanic? Too dirty.




Cleaner? Too clean! (No, just yuck.) Hate cleaning. Health professional? Don't like people. Shopkeeper? Nope. People again.
Cook? Well it's nice when food turns out well, but it doesn't always. I'd be putting myself in the firing line for customer complaints. I'd be bound to slip up on some stupid health and safety hygiene rule.
Crafter? Yes, I think maybe a crafter, working just for me on my own premises and not having to see anyone I didn't want to. A bit like the appeal of farming without having to deal with sending animals to the abattoir or seeing them get TB.
However sometimes I think doing a hobby for a job takes all the fun out of it. So what else? Travel journalist? Being away from home - wouldn't I miss all these things I love about home, such as keeping ponies?
Ranting weekly columnist? Author? Now, yes, I think those would suit very well.



Opera star? Ha ha dream on! Stand-up comedian? Again the problems of being on the road a lot. Risk of comedian's block.
Might as well put up with what I've got. The decision wasn't from the heart it was from the head, but that doesn't mean it was right. Part-time writer and part-time crafter sounds ideal. When I've retired, watch those shelves!

Spring comes to autumn. Two eggshells fell out of the honeysuckle last Sunday. I think they are blackbirds' but all I have to go on is a picture in a Ladybird book. None of our bird books do eggs. The RSPB website doesn't seem to do searchable eggs. I have googled for them but couldn't find a good site with pictures. Even though I asked for UK only I got sites with American species. I will settle for blackbird.