Daryn's Blog

August 9, 2010: Piggy!

Who was he or she? Who was that special toy, blanket or item you when you were a kid that made you feel more loved and secure than anything?

I got to thinking about that when I heard about Liz Everett. She's the British tea shop owner who discovered a lost threadbare stuffed cat left behind in her store. She's the mom of a grown son who had lost his favorite toy when he was a young boy. She knew only too well that there was a child out there devastated that this much-loved cat was missing.

That's why she took to the internet and Facebook determined to reunite Cat and child.

How did it go? Watch today's featured story to find out.

The story inspired me up to that special shelf where Piggy sits.

Yes, Piggy.

I was probably 6 or 7 when we met. My Aunt Sally, my grandmother's sister, gave him to me when I had to spend a night in the hospital. This was back in the day before they rolled in a cot so mom or dad could stay there with you.

He was a simple little toy. A stuffed pig covered in cheap white cloth. Not even fuzzy or soft. I think he came with a little pen and you were supposed to write your best friends' phone numbers on him or something.

So why was he The One? Shoot, can we any of explain why any of our "Ones" are the special one? The way he fit in the crook of my little girl arms when I slept? The way he smelled? The way he was the last you would expect to be my one? Couldn't really tell you. I just know that he's made one heck of a life journey with me--through childhood, college, various homes across the country. Threadbare? My goodness, Piggy is beyond that. He's be patched up so many times with pieces of old T shirts that you can't see an inch of his original fabric, let alone his painted on eyes or features.

My sister, Kallan, has long tried to train me that there are things that are "public" and things that are "private."

She would probably counsel me that the information that Piggy still has a place of honor on the shelf in my bedroom is information that should remain "private." However, this advice would come from the woman who still can tell you exactly where her childhood "Blankie" is in her house. (Oops, sorry MySister. That just slipped out.)

Why is Piggy still there? Perhaps as a reminder of a time when reassurance, comfort, and safety were only as far away as a hug with a stuffed animal. Perhaps as a sign of gratitude for many years of dedicated service. Bottom line is I can't really explain that one, either, except to say as sure as I knew Piggy was The One, I know he should remain out, not tucked away in a box somewhere in the basement.

Something tells me I'm not alone in this. Do you remember your favorite childhood toy? What was it? Where is he or she today? Please share over on my Facebook page.

Think of that special friend and I know you'll be eternally grateful to Liz Everett, a woman who would not rest until a boy and his toy found each other again.

July 29, 2010: What A Trip!

'Tis the season of summer travel.

I guess it's fitting then that I'm being featured in a celebrity travel column in the Tribune newspapers. If you want to know what kind of places I like to visit, what I have to take along with me, and what my favorite souvenir is to buy, then please, check it out.

By the way, I mention one of my most meaningful trips was the one I took to Kenya for Christmas 2008. You can see why by checking out the stories I shared from the amazing Hekima Place, a home for girl scholars.

July 20, 2010: Friends For Life!

The Kindergarten report card reads, "Daryn and Cyndi cannot sit next to each other because they make each other giggle too much."

And so you have it --the launch of a friendship that has spanned my entire life. Yes, from first day of Kindergarten.

Clearly, we didn't take teacher Mrs. Olesky's advice.

Here we are sitting on either side of birthday girl Teresa Finn's birthday party that same year.

I'm the one on far right in the brown plaid dress, finger in my mouth. Cyndi looks like she just walked off the Alpine cast of "Heidi."

The trend continues at Teresa's second grade birthday party. I think you can figure out who is who below.

Fast forward a century of decades to this past weekend.

Cyndi came to visit with her two teenaged daughters, Addie and Reed.

So much time has passed. We've led completely different lives but have never drifted. Even though we live on opposite sides of the country, we still speak at least once a week. There's something about Wednesdays. If we haven't spoken by midweek, one of us calls the other and leaves the message, "It's Wednesday!" That's shorthand for "We don't go this long without checking in."

How do you explain a lifelong friendship where I don't think we've ever had a single fight? I think our secret to success is that even those little girls in Kindergarten understood there would always be other friends at our respective parties. All through elementary and high school we each had other friends we were close to that the other was not. Somehow, it wasn't a problem.

We've seen each other through joys, heartbreaks, births, deaths, triumphs and challenges. We know things and have shared things that even our spouses and beaus could not. We are each other's markers on our life journeys. Something big happens to one of us and you can be sure a phone call to the other will be among our first acts. It's as if a job hasn't been secured, a love hasn't been sealed, a baby born, a parent passed on, until the other has heard of it. It makes it official.

How quirky exactly is this Kindergarten friendship? Did I mention--Cyndi grew up and married a guy named, you might've guessed it, "Darren." So, yes, At her wedding, the groom AND the Maid of Honor both answered to the name, "Darren/Daryn."

BoyDarren (as we call him) stayed behind in California this past weekend. All girls, all the time in Atlanta.

Did I mention? There was quite a bit of giggling.

July 14, 2010: Taking The Leap

Here you have possibility.

One special moment from this last weekend I wanted to share with you.

This is my "Little Sister," Rodneisha taking the leap that just a couple hours before she told me with complete confidence she would never take---stepping off a diving board into the 10-foot deep end of a swimming pool.

We've had many adventures over the last year through the Big Brother/Big Sister Program. This was our first time at a swimming pool.

I knew she has never had formal swim lessons, yet appears to love the water. No surprise, I watched like a hawk as she splashed and played in the 3-4 foot area of the pool. I saw a just turned 10-year-old girl confident enough to float, dog paddle, and dive for coins that I threw in for her to grab from the bottom. No points for style, stroke or technique, but I could see the kid wasn't going to drown.

Looming over the entire afternoon was that diving board hanging over the deep end like Atlanta's skyline. "I could never jump off that," Rodneisha informed me. "That's 10 feet deep!"

"That's fine," I answered. I really didn't have anything invested on her making the big jump that day, just enjoying the fun swim in the sweltering Atlanta heat.

Still, those seeking brown eyes of hers kept going back to that diving board. "Do you think I could it, Daryn? Do YOU think I could make that jump?"

And there I had another one of those amazing moments that I've had with this special girl over the last year. She places her questions of "What's Possible?" "How far can I go?" in my hands. What a responsibility. What an honor.

Of course, I believe my young friend has no limits. That it's all possible for her. On this day, her whole world was that diving board. Well, then, on this day the diving board was indeed possible, I assured her.

"But I'm scared!" she then protested.

"That's fine," I reassured her. "We'll break it down into steps that you know you can do."

So, we started with Rodneisha sitting on the edge of the pool and slipping in. When she saw that she was able to come bobbing right back up like an apple, we graduated to stepping off, then stepping out, then jumping. Finally, came the actual diving board.

As you can see from the picture above, Rodneisha was a superstar. My iPhone captured her just as she entered the water. Sure enough, she came up and was able to swim to the side. Greg Louganis, himself, never had such a magnificent leap.

I wanted to share the moment with you for many reasons. Obviously, I'm proud of my Little Sister. I also want to show you the kind of moments you get to experience when you participate in the Big Brother/BigSister program. Priceless, right?

And the big picture on this picture? I'm going to keep it handy for a long time. It's there for when I face my next big leap. Do I take the jump? Do I break it down into small doable parts? I hope this picture will remind me of the prize that's waiting on the other side of the leap.

I do have to share that of course, once Rodneisha mastered the diving board, there was no peeling her off! The news that it was time to go home was not received with a resounding, "Hurrah," rather a very disappointed, "Ohhhhh!" How do you get a kid excited to leave a swimming pool amid magnificence? That might be possible, but something I'll have to figure out another day.

July 8, 2010: 140 Characters Gets A Friend Fired

The work obit could read, "Octavia Nasr, CNN's Senior Editor for Mideast Affairs was the victim Wednesday of a social media drive-by shooting."

Perhaps you've seen the news splashed across numerous media outlets. (LATimes.com has probably the best write-up.) CNN fired Nasr after she posted a statement on Twitter that many found offensive and outrageous. She expressed sadness at the death of a Lebanese cleric who once was an influential spiritual leader of the Shiite militant group Hezbollah. She later clarified in a blog post that she was referring to the Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah's relatively progressive views on women in the Arab world. Unfortunately, Fadlallah also continued to call for the elimination of Israel and was designated a terrorist by the U.S. Oops.

It kind of reminds me of the Dutch girl in my mostly Jewish 8th grade class who made the argument in Public Speaking that Hitler wasn't all that bad because, after all, he did rebuild Germany's road system. So trust me, I'm not here to defend Nasr's tweet.

But I am scratching my head at what exactly my former employer thinks it's accomplishing by pulling such a quick professional execution.

Here's the inside scoop for you: Inside CNN, this woman isn't some firebrand extremist. She is simply, "Octavia," one of the most delightful, smart women you can have the pleasure to know. I am proud to call her my friend. As someone who was born in Lebanon, fluent not only in 3 languages, but fluent in both Western and Arab cultures, she is a brilliant asset in putting news from the Mideast in perspective. As CNN struggles to figure out what it is these days, it does hang onto the idea of original reporting. Few could do this better than Octavia. When I was a CNN anchor, I was so thankful that her desk was just over my right shoulder. New tape from Osama bin Laden? Terrorist suspect arrested? War? Factions? Threatening chatter on insurgent websites? No one could put this into perspective better than Octavia.

Do not be fooled. To let her go is a huge loss to CNN.

I left the network in late 2006 right before the social media explosion. I've watched my old employer step into these waters with interest knowing this was not going to be an easy journey. I love my old family, I honestly do. Still, anyone who has worked there knows it is an organization run much on fear. As anchors, we were prohibited from even directly answering email that might come in from viewers. This was considered dangerous and better left in the hands of certain selected employees. I couldn't help but wonder what was CNN going to do with tsunamis like Facebook and Twitter? They were too strong to deny. It seems like the company started with allowing, then encouraging and promoting employees to take part.

Unfortunately, that's a lot of unsupervised, unfiltered expression for a company that is not comfortable with such an idea. Let the inmates loose! Possibly, Octavia's transgression was just the accident waiting to happen.

Yet, fire her? Really? Just as we all do with our own families, I can think of things far more severe that others have done. Was not Anderson Cooper lauded for blasting officials during Hurricane Katrina coverage? How long did Lou Dobbs last proudly expressing his opinions on the air? How long have top executives remained in place despite rapidly declining ratings? These are the same execs who have hired disgraced "Client #9" former New York governer Elliott Spitzer as their new golden boy. And yet, one tweet is enough to erase two decades of dedicated service to a company I know Octavia loves. Her misguided 140 characters "don't fit CNN's standards."

I believe the problem isn't the tweet, which Octavia better explained in a blog post. It's CNN's bigger problem that CNN wants to deny reality. I, too, used to drink the Kool-Aid that it was a top journalism operation that reports without bias. Now that I'm outside the walls of traditional media, I know there is no such thing. Every single person who walks through those doors comes with their own life experience, values, point of view, and yes, unavoidable bias. That's not a bad thing, unless, of course, you pretend it's not true. CNN thinks by quickly pulling the trigger on one woman's 140 character thought it shows the world, "We don't think like that."

I'm here to tell you, "Uh, yes, you do." Not to say everyone shares Octavia's views on the Ayatollah's death. But I promise you everyone in your organization has views. The sooner you own that, celebrate it even, CNN just might be back on its way to success.

Axing Octavia to run from the fear of criticism? You just lost one of your best assets, the proverbial cutting off your nose to spite your face.

As to you, dear Octavia--I promise you, there is a great chapter waiting for you after CNN. It will celebrate your skills, your life experience and your great love for both Lebanon and America, as I know both live fully in your heart.

July 6, 2010: 425th Of July!

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July holiday. Mine is one I won't soon forget. I have 425 memories to be exact.

It all started with my sister Kallan deciding to come down from New York for the weekend and my "Go Somewhere Else For BBQ & Swim; Come To My House For Dessert & Fireworks" Party. That is its official name. Thank goodness Evite gives enough spaces to get that all in.

See, it turns out my house has a great view of one of Atlanta's fine fireworks displays. I long ago came up with the inspired idea to throw an easy 4th of July party. Just come at the end of the long, hot day, relax, watch fireworks, go home without the hassles of crowds and traffic.

It also turns out when my sister and I get together, we usually come up with some overly-ambitious plan to take a party up a notch.

I found the inspiration for this year's project in the pages of People Magazine. A fabulous New York party planner was suggesting you could recreate the American flag using cupcakes.

"This sounds fun!" I said to the only other person I know who would think so. And instead of telling me I was nuts and we should just spend out time sitting by the pool, Kallan agreed. "Yeah, we can totally do that!"

It began with simple math. 25 cupcakes across by 17 cupcakes down=425 mini cupcakes! Kallan figured we needed this much mix and frosting.

That meant 30 eggs. Of course, we had to include at least one of the eggs from my new chickens!

We went through 8 batches of cupcakes.

After much frosting and counting the dot matrix-like photo we had tah dah!!!

Quite the centerpiece for the Sunday night gathering.

Oh, did I mention we also got up at the crack of dawn on Sunday to run Atlanta's famous Peachtree Road Race?

That's Kallan and me with my friend Tricia at the start. At first, they balked at the festive headgear I provided but quickly stepped into their 4th of July magnificence as were were quite the hit along the race route.

All in all a very fine and fun festive day celebrating America's birthday.

Shockingly, Kallan's one request is that we plan do NOTHING for her last day in town.

What about you? What did you do with your holiday? Please share over on my Facebook page.

June 30, 2010: Who's Knocking At The Door?

At the risk of sounding like the wacko chicken lady, I just have to share who came knocking at my back door yesterday afternoon.

That would be Sissy, one of the 3 chickens that moved in last weekend. Apparently, we're bonding well, as Sissy is already running up to greet me when I come in the back yard. And apparently, Miss Smarty Pants has figured out where I go when I leave. That knocking I thought I heard? That was Sissy pecking at the door. "Can Daryn come out and play?"

If you haven't heard the story of how I became a Chicken Mama, keep reading the post below. I share the whole feathered tale/tail.

June 29, 2010: I'm Now An Official Chicken Mama!

I'm happy to introduce you to the newest members of our family, "The Girls," aka, the chickens!

I've been looking forward to joining the urban chicken movement for months now. Saturday was the day.

I made the trek up to Waleska, Georgia yesterday afternoon with my 11-year-old godson, Cooper, along for the ride. A small farm up there had a couple of the breeds that I've had my eye on.

We picked out a silver-laced Wyandotte, her name is Leigh-Leigh. Love her feather pattern!

We picked out an Ameracauna, not the prettiest of chickens, but guaranteed to lay colored eggs. Her name is KItty. Cracks me up to say, "Here Kitty, Kitty!" and a chicken comes running. :)

And while the teenaged son of the woman who owns the place was chasing those chickens out of massive flock, I felt a little peck at my ankle. I looked down to see a sweet little brown girl. Not the kind I had gone up there to get. You know the old saying, "Make chicken plans, God laughs." The little reddish-brown chicken looked up at and seemed to say, "Uh, yeah, just so you know, I'll be going home with you. Let's blow this popsicle stand." So we came home w/3. The self-inviter is Sissy, and is already proving to be the smartest, bravest, and friendliest of the bunch. 24 hours into her new home, she will eat out of my hand and is first to venture out of the coop when I open the door.

A funny thing happened on the way home. Cooper was riding in back seat taking his job as assistant chicken wrangler very seriously holding onto the plastic bin with chickens. I assured him that if he let go, the chickens were not going to slide out the back of the car. We were all fine. Perhaps that reassurance allowed him to focus on something else.

"Aunt Daryn, I'm hungry," Cooper announced.

"What do you want to eat?" I asked knowing we were about to go down a slippery slope with my picky eater assistant.

"Well, you know Chick-Filet is my favorite!" he needlessly informed me.

"Cooper, are you really going to be able to eat chicken nuggets while sitting next to your new best friends there in the back seat?" I asked.

"Well, we could give the restaurant and the food different names," he suggested.

And so it was...We got off at the next exit for "World of Cows Restaurant" and Cooper instructed me I was to order him "Anti-burger nuggets" when we went through the drive thru.

The chickens appeared totally unaware that the boy in the next seat was dining on one of their distant cousins.

We made it home, the chickens already seem like they've lived here a lifetime.

And Sunday we even got out first egg!

Honors going to Miss Kitty....appears we have a PINK egg layer. How wonderful.

DarlaDog and LIlyPisa, the 3-legged cat have both been out in the back w/the chickens running around and everyone gets along just fine.

A lot too learn, but already having a grand ol'time w/The Girls!

I'll be sharing the adventures as they develop. Any chicken tips for me? Please share on my Facebook page.

June 21, 2010: Big First Trip!

What a great adventure I've had the last 4 days.

I promised you pics and updates from my trip to San Francisco with Rodneisha, my 9-year-old Little Sister in the Big Brother Big Sister program. We sure packed it in as my young friend took the first plane ride of her life and saw the ocean for the first time.

Traveling with her fresh set of eyes let me see things in a whole new way. So much for simply hurrying through a frustrating airport, Rodneisha put things in a whole different context. "They have trains here!" she exclaimed as we rode the underground tram out to our gate. "This isn't just an airport, it's a train station, too!" And forget about it when we came up the escalator. "Shops! They have shops! This is an airport, a train station, a shopping mall and an art museum all in one!" She was fascinated with murals on the wall and sculptures on display in the hallway. "It's amazing!"

That would've been a great day unto itself. Add her first flight which shared came along with a total of 5 butterflies in her stomach. Really, she did just fine. She followed our westward progress along on the inflight screen, pointing out each time we crossed another state line. My young companion pointed out interesting geographic curiosities with questions like, "Shouldn't the Sierra Nevada mountains be called the Sierra California mountains once we're not in Nevada anymore?" Definitely something to consider.

Talk about a post-9-11 thrill---once the plane landed and the other passengers got off, we were invited to go up to the cockpit, meet the Captain who happened to be a woman and they invited Rodneisha to sit in the co-pilot's seat and put on his cap.

We were barely wheels down when we hit the road, litereally as in riding down Lombard Street, the famous crooked street.

From there, off to Pier 39 to see the Sea Lions. We bundled up to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, we saw the play "Wicked."

Rodneisha wanted to see where I went to school so we spent Saturday afternoon walking the Stanford campus. A special stop--Stanford Law School since she says she wants to be a lawyer when she grows up. Wouldn't that be something if 13 years from now she's walking into that building as student? And why not?

I have to say the best part of the trip is how we were welcomed into the homes and families of my amazing friends. It helped make it a true kid's trip as Rodneisha made her first California friends. Both Rodneisha and I send a big "Thank you! out to Mr. Malcolm, Ms. Gina, Maya, Mr. Steve, Ms. Heidi, Baby Daryn, Ms. Cyndi, Addie and Reed. (See, I told you we were surrounded by love!)

Along the way we weaved in some life lessons like how do you pack for a trip, get through security, always bring a hostess gift when someone welcomes you in their home. And don't you know it, each one of our "thank you" notes were written before our plane took off from San Francisco.

For me, the best sight to see was my young friend blossoming. That hand grip was pretty tight as we held hands on that first take off from Atlanta. The return? Rodneisha was directing me through the airport, leading the way to our gate, and the take off? Sorry, no hand-holding this time. "No, I'm good," she told me confidently. Yes, I got a little taste of what you parents see each day---pride in watching our young ones blossom, but a little tug of the heart, "Really? You don't want to hold hands?" Already nostalgic for the moment we shared just a few days previous.

Thank you to all of you who followed our adventure as I posted updates on Twitter. Anyone who is even thinking about becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister, I highly recommend it. It's really not all about huge trips. It's really about the 1-hour you spend with a special young person every other week. Go for it--you are in for quite the adventure!

June 17, 2010: Big Sister Adventure

You are invited to come along on an amazing journey that begins today.

As many of you who follow this blog know, I've been having a blast this past year as a Big Sister in the Big Brother/Big Sister program. I swear the folks at BBBS who match "Bigs" and "Littles" should open a dating service because they hit a home run when they matched me with 9-year-old Rodneisha. We couldn't have had more different childhoods, yet from the moment we met last June, I've felt like I'm looking at a kid I would've been great friends with when I was in 4th grade. She loves school, loves to read, loves to have adventures. She's far ahead of where I was fashion-wise in 4th grade, but that's a topic for a different day.

Today, we are all about our big adventure. We've had a deal for months now--Rodneisha gets straight A's and two semesters of Honor Roll for 4th grade and we would take a trip. Admittedly, it was kind of a sucker deal, as wondering if this kid will get straight A's is like wondering if the sun will come up tomorrow. In any case, she has more than held up her end of the bargain, so today we take off for San Francisco.

It will be her first time on a plane. First time seeing the ocean. We have big plans to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, ride cable cars, pig out at Ghirardelli Square.

Can you imagine how fun this will be? We're inviting you to come along. Just follow me on Twitter and get updates on our adventures as they happen.

If Twitter isn't part of your regular social media menu, not to worry. I'll share pictures and stories here in this blog space, as well, when I get a moment.

So check back often and follow me on Twitter!

June 15, 2010: Life Sucks? Perfect Time To Give

Lost your job? Health challenges? Unlucky in love? Perfect--I've got just the thing for you--start giving!

Huh?

Giving? Have I not heard how badly things are going for you? I get it. Been there. Done that.

Since I run this website, each day I meet folks who show me how to look at challenges differently.

Reed Sandridge is one of those guys. He lost his job at a big time non-profit last Fall. His answer? Sure, he's looking for work, but meanwhile his main focus has been giving away $10 a day. Every day. Rain or shine. Good mood or bad. The money goes to a stranger no strings attached. He shares the amazing encounters and adventures this has brought him at his blog YearOfGiving.org.

I featured Reed on my website last month and got a glimpse into one of the best years of his life. Yes, best. He realizes that losing his job has given him a chance to slow down, get to know many of the strangers in his Washington, DC community, and witness the magic of what giving can bring. He's given it to the homeless, to executives, to students, and people of all ages. The payoff comes from seeing what folks do with the gift. Some turn around and spend it on someone else.

He's now inviting you to get a taste of that magic and you don't even have to lose your job! Sandridge has designated tomorrow Tuesday, June 15 as Worldwide Day of Giving. He's suggesting you give $10 to a total stranger (or whatever you can afford) and just watch what happens. If Reed's 168-day streak of giving is any indication, you're in for quite a treat of kindness, creativity, and abundance. You can share your experience on his blog and see how the $10 adventure unfolds for people all around the world.

Times might be tough, your head and thoughts might be spinning, but I find it's physically impossible to do that spiral thing when your mind is focused on giving and creating opportunity. It's like taking an Advil for the blahs. Your mind simply can't focus forward and downward all at the same time.

So I dare you--try it. The more overwhelmed you think you are by your challenges and the world's the better. You're in for one powerful experience.

June 4, 2010: No Accidents

Folks send me "have you seen this?" stuff all the time.

I love it. Like having an a giant posse of hunters out there keeping your eyes and hearts open for the most inspiring items out there.

I've probably been sent the video about Nick Vujicic more than any other. It arrived again yesterday morning, forwarded by a great friend from her father-in-law.

"Have you seen this?" the note said.

The quick answer is, "Yes."

The bigger answer is I really needed this today. I can't be the only one. If it moves your heart and attitude 1/2 as much as it did mine, then you're in for a very good feeling.

June 1, 2010: A Memorial Day To Cheer!

I had the honor being surrounded by military as I flew up and back to Philadelphia this Memorial Day weekend. Behind me on the way up was a group of young men doing ROTC while they complete college. And my seat mate on the way back to Atlanta was an Army veteran who now supervises crews for Delta Airlines. Thank you to the Delta flight attendants who led the passengers in big cheers for all the military members with us on board. Thank you one and all for your service to our country.

It was a cheer of a different sort that took me to Philly. My 12-year-old nephew, Jack, has been selected as a Pop Warner scholar. That means not only is he doing well on the football field, he also has top grades and community service. Only 2% of the kids participating in Pop Warner get the honor. Big deal we all figured, so Jack flew in from San Diego with his mom, Jeanette for the big Pop Warner convention. A multitude of other Kagan women took the opportunity to gather and celebrate our boy (for the 5 more minutes that we can still call him that.)

It was a fine time of bonding, sight-seeing, and a ton of eating!

Here we are eating sticky buns...

And touring Betsy Ross' house.

It was worth every ounce of effort and expense to see Jack in his first real suit and tie.

He told me, "I feel like a dress monkey, but I look really good!" That pretty much sums it up! Here we are at the big banquet.

Jack--thanks for being such a great kid and nephew!

May 25, 2010: An Eggs-cellent Adventure

If I promise to go (over)easy on the egg puns, will you come with me on my new animal adventure?

Chickens.

Yes, chickens. I've discovered the Urban Chicken world and am about to plunge into becoming Mother Hen to 4 backyard chickens.

It starts with picking out the coop, which is like saying you're buying a house. The options are endless.

I think I found the perfect starter coop from a site called MyPetChicken.com.

Since we're going to do this adventure together, figured I might as well start with coop assembly.

It arrived in two large boxes. Clearly, my sidekick DarlaDog was not impressed.

Once I got all the pieces out of the boxes, DarlaDog progressed to full-on worry. Is it just me, or does she appear to be saying, "Oh my. This cannot end well."

Despite the lack of a vote of confidence, check out what I was able to assemble a couple hours later!

Once all the work was done, 3-legged kitty, LilyPisa, showed up to inspect and perhaps make some big plans? Bubble floating above her head, "When does dinner, er, the chickens show up?"