Flat Broke with Two Goats

by Jennifer McGaha

certified mail meant only one thing: bad news.

I got trust fund money announcement once!

“If I had taken care of our children like you took care of our finances, they would all be dead by now.”

But how could I tell my parents this?

I can only imagine the shame she felt. And now I think I can understand why they don't tell.

later I would realize another, simultaneous truth: my husband did not trust me either.

Enlightening

In Macomb, I was not a total fuckup.

A new start.

“You know,” Chris said before I could speak, “I wish we had met a long time ago.”

Silly because of the age difference

and all of my kids would be home,

Noticed that she has said: my kids a few times.

an entire way of living and speaking and being had passed with it.

Everything Changes eventually .

Plus, it seemed odd to begin our foray into local food by buying chickens from halfway across the country.

Irony

“This is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me!” Alex said.

So far this is the worst. Hopefully, it will not get worst.

Then David put a lavender, hand-held human breast pump up to one teat.

Why? I thought they were milking the goats the old fashioned way.

After making sure that your hands are clean, position your thumb and forefinger at the top of the teat to close it off.

But weren't they using a pump?

Was she happy? Was she glad to have a husband and so many babies to love?

Depends on what she can see from here. Outside influences .

When you have gone through a sort of travesty of your own making, failure begins to feel like part of you. You get used to it.

“It’s not dead! Have you not ever heard of ‘playing possum’?”