Don't Be Baaah-shfull

You do not have to be perfect to be worthy of love. We all deserve warmth, care, and kindness, no matter what.

— In memory of sweet Sebastian, who would have turned one this week.

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Here’s What’s Happening At Good Spirits Farm

• If you’re new to the newsletter, last year we had a lamb born with Spina bifida. We named him Sebastian after the character in “The Tempest” who makes his entrance via a shipwreck—as Sebby seemed to get a rough start in life. We took him to the University of Tennessee to see if anything could be done, but vets there didn’t have much to offer. So we got him a little wheelchair in hopes that he could roll around.

  

  In the end, though, poor Sebby died from a seizure, which is something vets warned us about. In sheep, Spina bifida can cause malformations of the skull. As Sebby grew, that likely caused pressure on his brain. I’ve always felt bad about the crap hand Sebastian was dealt, but I am thankful I was able to show him love in the weeks he was with us.

• We are still waiting for Julia’s baby to arrive. This seems to be in keeping with tradition on this farm, as last year both Benni and Julia delivered very, very late. Here’s hoping baby comes soon and I can stop getting up to check Julia every night at 2 a.m. (and living with low-grade anxiety about something going terribly wrong during delivery).

• It’s swarm season! As hives grow during the spring, they’ll decide it’s time for half the colony to split and find a new home. These swarms are how we grow our bee operation each year, so we try and catch them if we possibly can. However, convincing a bunch of bees to march into your lovingly prepared bee box—and not fly off to take up in a hollowed-out tree or old abandoned barn—is a bit of a trick. Here’s hoping we’re successful this year!

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Here’s What I Loved This Week

Once again, I am thankful for the generosity of my friends. Today, one of my favorite local friends is dropping off a mandoline (the instrument, not the lethal kitchen tool) for me to noodle around on for a little bit. My success at learning crochet from YouTube videos has made me wonder what other things I can learn online! Why not the mandolin? Here’s hoping there’s some jamming with friends in my future.