March 19, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. The Madison Farm.

The plan was to round up a cow or two at the Madison farm, then butcher the meat. My friends Eleanor and Jim and their four children live on the family property, while Cheryl and Sebastian and their 7 children will soon move into the old large farm house. This evening everyone would gather for supper at the old farm house. Eleanor graciously invited me to come for the event and to have dinner with everyone. I loved every minute of my time there. Cheryl moved a comfortable chair from the living room into the kitchen where I sat all evening. Cheryl called it the Queen's chair. Chris my Lyft driver drove me, leaving my home at 4:30. From the time I arrived until I left I sat on my chair and talked with a constantly shifting cast of people. Of course all the children were coming and going, as were the adults. The cows they were butchering were wild cows and first they had to round them up. But the cows did not want to be caught. Finally, late this afternoon, the hunters shot one cow, which they skinned and now is hanging in the butcher shop. All the while I sat talking, first with Pam and Bill Sutherland and Cheryl, followed by Jim Sutherland and Sebastian. A friend from Oxford always comes to round up and hunt up the cows. I had not met him so enjoyed talking with him. At some point, Cheryl served dinner: a delicious soup of venison and spinach, served with biscuits by Eleanor. And brownies for dessert. Greta Barbor drove me home. I arrived home at almost 9:00, fat and happy. I was so pleased that Eleanor invited me to this unusual event. I enjoyed every minute.