Chicken collection starter.

I started a chicken collection with this simple statement a few years ago, “I like chickens.” I don’t remember saying it. The words were uttered when I wanted to keep the ceramic chickens from my parent’s house, circa 1956. My older sister never forgot. In fact, she filed the statement away in her memory banks until 2012, when she realized she had my name in 2014 for Christmas. Every chicken she saw had my name on it. She warned it would happen to me too; she told me to keep my eyes open. CHICKENS ARE EVERYWHERE. She helped me a lot in this capacity.

I am now the proud owner of 10 million chickens, maybe not quite. I don’t think I can look anywhere in my house without a cute little reminder of her fun scouring the antique stores all over the northwest to find chickens for my collection I didn’t know I started. Ironically, I love retro too so most of my chickens are not of the spring variety. She REALLY thought about this gift.

Chicken cooking-helpers.

If I cook, I have a pepper grinder next to my stove to remind me of the love my sister has for me. The same thing happens when I bake, a sweet little timer won’t let my chicken shaped sugar cookies burn; I have a copper chicken cookie cutter that doubles as kitchen décor and cookie-cutting. I will think about chickens even when I’m slicing up steak because I have a super cute rooster-printed cutting mat.

In the mornings, I will add sugar and cream to my coffee from none other than a rooster shaped sugar bowl and creamer pitcher. And say after all that coffee, I’m not feeling too awake, I can put out my metallic rooster signage stating: “I don’t do perky before noon.” She’s looking after mama all right. Even if I get thirsty while writing, I can keep an Italian ceramic chicken pitcher of water next to my laptop so I won’t miss a thought or find an excuse to get up from my chair. Writers have a hard time sitting. How did she know?

She knows I love to read. So the first thing I’ll see before and after entering my literary world, a chicken charm bookmark reminding me yet again, how much my sister thought of me for two years. Sweet. She loves me so much.

Repurposing.

Now, if I am drying dishes, I will still see chickens. I have three new tea towels with chickens; one says, “I rule the rooster.” I like that one a lot. And lest my hands feel dry after all the dishwashing, I have pomegranate and citrus hand lotion, with a little black and red chicken on the label, French influenced. I like anything French, so subliminally, she nailed that one too. And just to take the French chicken thing further, she gave me a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau with a modern art chicken label. I love wine and I love FRENCH wine…Beaujolais a favorite. So sure was she I’d love that label, she gave me a light bulb attachment so I can turn that cutesy bottle into a LAMP! And since the wine was made in 2014, I will never forget the year of the chicken created by my sister.

She was so excited about her success she had to know, which chicken do I like the best? Wow, that’s like Sophie’s choice. I can’t name a favorite, except maybe that wine label chicken because it’s a two-fold gift and really cool. But I know every chicken, enough to realize one of my retro chickens flew the coop, missed the bus.

The one that got away.

We celebrated Christmas in Colorado. I had to get those chickens home, somehow. I managed to pack all the lovely clucky ceramics into my carry-on. Oh no! One was left behind! That rascal hid behind the couch, close to the fireplace. My brother sent a picture showing how cozy the chick was by the warm flames. I told him she looked pretty comfy there but he said, “Oh no, she’s got to go.” He did not mind one bit shipping the runaway chick back to me. What a guy!

And just in case I might OD on chicks, my sister threw in some wine towels and a couple of bottles of Chardonnay from Idaho. I love my wine too. What a happy Christmas! She even tossed in some hand-crocheted washcloths. I think I might feel guilty wiping up my dirty counters with her works of art, especially the one with a heart.

My sister is right. I do see chickens everywhere in everything I do. She’s really smart that way. I bet every chicken I see outside my house will remind me of her too. Wow, chickens will forever connect us. That’s sisterhood.  All kidding aside, I do love my chickens, all of them.  They are the best present ever.

Now my younger brother had one thing to say to all of this, “I LOVE Ferraris.”