If only I could have given you more claps for this, Rebecca. How wonderful. Now you have made MY day.

I am one of seven, three girls and four boys. I think big families have something special. I was talking to my daughter just yesterday about my not being a great mother during her teen years, and her answer was, she wouldn't have noticed things so much if she'd had siblings (being an only child was not in the grand plan...many miscarriages in between!), so any reaction either of us had, was felt more deeply.

So many parallels in our upbringing, the foraging being one...oh and the manure!

I'm absolutely delighted to have this response this morning. It will undoubtedly be my best by far.

I actually wrote two of these, one with a summer perspective, the other, winter.

Thanks again Rebecca. I will treasure this for a long time. :)