"The Little Red Hen" Syndrome

There once was a little red hen that lived on a farm with all of the other farm animals. One day, she found some grain and decided to plant the seeds. She knew she could make bread if she grew the grain. "Who will help me plant the grain?" she asked..all she heard was.."Not I" from each of the other animals.... To shorten this grand old tale a bit, nary a one of the other farm animals offered to help her one iota! She planted, watered, harvested and ground the grain by herself. Later she baked the bread and when she got the warm loaf from the oven she asked who would help her eat the bread. "I WILL!" each of the other lazy bums chimed. They all wanted to be handed a piece of nice bread. This ruffled her feathers a bit! She gave them an earful! "No! My little chicks and I shall eat the bread!" Smart little hen! The other animals all wanted to sit back and let her do the work..but she outwitted them all! It is quite sad how true this little tale is.

The "Little Red Hen" syndrome is hitting pretty close to home lately. I have had more than a few people come in, eye the well-stocked shelves of preserves, vegetables, jams and jellies and then expect handouts. Well, that ruffles MY feathers a bit! This "Little Red Hen" is going on strike! I refuse to hand out jars of preserves as if I was a food bank! It all boils down to one thing..if you want something from my kitchen, try helping a bit. Lend a hand planting, weeding, picking and preserving..then perhaps you can take some peach jam and fresh made bread home with you!

There is an old proverb that states.."Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.".....For the past few years, I have been telling folks that they need to keep a few supplies on hand for emergencies. Here on the Coast it is more probable than just possible that a hurricane will hit our shores. A well-stocked pantry is a must..not a luxury. To me it is a "no-brainer" concept..at least keep a few basics on hand. Do not wait until a crisis occurs to gather supplies. I will teach anyone who asks..the technique to home-can or preserve fruit and vegetables. I will show those who ask..the methods of drying their own herbs and other garden goodies. I will even go so far as to share plants, cuttings and seeds from my stash. Just don't expect and demand! Yes, I do have hundreds of jars of food on the shelves and three freezers full of meals-in-the-making. It is all there because I have worked long and hard. Don't ruffle my feathers..don't make me go "Little Red Hen" on you!

Speaking of little, red hens, the incredible pictures of these were taken by my cousin Rebecca. I so envy her! She has the prettiest red hens! Some day..some day, I will get a chicken house built and be able to have some fat hens running around in the yard..but until then, I will just have to admire Rebecca's! Thank you, Rebecca, for allowing me to use the pictures of your little, red hens!