Gifts for the Birds

Olivia and I spent some time this morning making Christmas gifts for the birds. She spread peanut butter all over some pine cones and then rolled them in bird seed and tied them in various trees on our property.







...praying that your Christmas is blessed as you and your loved ones celebrate the birth of our Savior!

Sunrise

I took a few photos this morning (before the battery died in my camera! I told Brillo Man I want a new battery for my camera because it always happens when I want to take photos - when the light is perfect - or the occasion is there - that I don't have enough charge in my battery!!) Anyway...back to the photos....You can click on any of them to enlarge, if you like.

Sunrise at (as Pat likes to say) our State Park!













I realize that the photo below would have been better without the tree in the foreground, however, it was taken from my kitchen window after I had already come back in the house. I was concerned that if I had taken the time to dress for the cold and go outside, I would lose the light. This photo doesn't do it justice, but those trees were literally glowing with golden light --very beautiful in real life!!





As I type this, several hours later, our blue skies are mostly gone. The clouds have rolled in...we're due for more snow!

Mystery Solved!

For the past few days I've been sitting on my couch enjoying the view and wondering about these little birds:












I have been watching these four little charcoal gray birds, enjoying their antics. Watching them flit, float, fleetly flee and fly (no reference to the song in The Sound of Music ...ahem) I have never seen them at our feeder previous to this year.

Until this morning, I have been unsuccessful in determining the species, but then finally found them after googling "gray finch Pennsylvania."

May I present - the Dark-Eyed Junco. A bird which summers in Canada and winters in the northern United States. I guess we'll be feeding these precious little birds all winter. They are typically ground foragers. Since our ground is presently covered with a foot or more of snow, I'm sure they're enjoying the seed in our feeder!

The following photos are not mine - I found them on the web - a closer view! Our birds are darker in color, especially the males.





I will have to research which type of seed they prefer and keep the feeder well-stocked for the winter! ....my new hobby...sitting on the couch, watching the Dark-Eyed Juncos!

New Year's Resolution

Okay. It's settled. I'm making a New Year's Resolution - starting today. The way I see it is if I make the resolution now then I won't feel as much pressure to follow through since it's technically not the New Year. However, something always clicks in my brain when Thanksgiving has passed - it feels like the end of the year is coming hurtling so quickly upon me and I can't possibly keep up with all that I want to accomplish. As a result, I find that I just choose to do nothing. I'm not planning to bake Christmas cookies, I'm not worried if I don't get the Christmas tree up until three days before Christmas. I won't be concerned if I don't get all the shopping done. In other words - whatever happens, happens. Whatever gets done, gets done. I'm taking the pressure off. ...which brings me back to why I'm making my New Year's Resolution now....no pressure. "What is my resolution," you ask? - Ha - now if I told you I'd have pressure to keep it! Not telling...

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Olivia has stuffed the bird! It's in the oven....can't wait to eat!

I'm praying you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving as you reflect on all the blessings from God in your life! There truly is so much for which to be thankful. Have a blessed day everyone!

A Loooonnnnnggggggg Day!

Olivia was home today - sick with a stomach bug. And I spent way too much time listening to episode after episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. (ugh.) And I listened to Bentley barking. ALL DAY! Brillo Man had errands to run - so he left, but before he did, he took Bentley outside and let him roam around in the old fenced in area which used to hold the chickens. We have a new and improved chicken cube now (not coop, cube - more on that in a future blog...)

Bentley would have to bark - because neither Olivia nor myself was well enough to make the walk over to the area where Bentley was unhappily housed!

While Olivia was busy working away on a page of math facts....Her new mug arrived via UPS. She was so involved in her math that she never noticed me going to the door, retrieving the package, opening the package and pouring her something to drink....AND...since Bentley was outside - several acres away...all of his barking at the arrival of the intruder (UPS guy) didn't register with her since he had been barking ALL DAY anyway....

Here she is enjoying her new mug!





Olivia began to feel a little better and volunteered to go bring said barking dog back down to the house... because we were tired of hearing him bark. Of course, Brillo Man returned home a minute later!

Bentley is now exhausted - asleep on the floor and Olivia is sound asleep on the couch...and I'm about to be sound asleep in my bed...if I can just get that SpongeBob theme song out of my head....

We've Got Chickens....

...so now we get eggs!! Yahoo!
Olivia is so proud of her birds!!
(Bentley doesn't look quite as impressed!)

Pittsburgh...or BUST!

Pittsburgh - one of my favorite places to be...

...although not so much when the reason I must be there is for an appointment with my neurologist...way too much time spent today in his office and far too little time spent in Pittsburgh!!

BUT...I did manage to sneak in an hour of trompsing (is that a word?) through one of my favorite neighborhoods, the South Side. (if you're from Pittsburgh, you must pronouce it "SowSide" - the "th" is optional!)

I grabbed lunch for $1.75 at The Pretzel Shop on East Carson Street.



This looked much better before I ate most of it! ...a pretzel with cream cheese disquised as a healthy lunch...with veggies on top! (not nearly as healthy as it looks!)



I also brought home a bag of pretzels! (more carbs...gotta love those carbs!)
It isn't often that I get to Pittsburgh and since I can't buy these anywhere near my home...I splurged!



I then ventured across the street to the S&S Candy and Cigar shop (what those two things have in common, I'll never know) hoping to score some Abba Zabba and Big Hunk candy bars! While they had every other vintage candy on the planet - they had no Abba Zabbas or Big Hunks! In fact, the proprietor didn't have a clue. Oh well...so much for my plan to surprise Pat with a package of Big Hunks!



Walking back to my van, I noticed this on the sidewalk...




...of course, I had to take a picture! As I did so, a gentleman called to me from the nearby Mediterranean Market...he proceeded to tell me that he and a friend put those pieces of ceramic on the sidewalk, hoping to brighten up peoples' days! He also said that over the years, HUNDREDS of people have stopped to take a photo!! It certainly put a smile on my face!



Crossing over the 10th Street Bridge on my way home, I leave my beloved Pittsburgh behind...until next time!




If we were ever to have a Scarf Sister Reunion near my home...this is where I would take you! Trust me...it would be tons of FUN!

Happy Birthday!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to my dear husband, Brillo Man!!


Wherever would I be without you?
I love you with all my heart!

Idaho....part three...

Admittedly, I've been a little sad these past few days. I've been missing my scarf sister friends from the trip. I got to thinking this morning that I better get busy and post some more photos before so much time has passed that no one will be interested to see them anymore!

Here they are...taking pictures. I have more pictures of us taking pictures...I could start an album just of those (sorta like my coffee table water tower book - trust me - I have plenty of water tower pictures...ask me about them and some day I'll tell ya.)



This was outside the resort where we had a grand breakfast! Mrs. Mac's treat! She was so kind to treat us to several meals and an awesome boat ride while we were there! I had some super duper HUGE scrambler egg thing which was loaded with all kinds of stuff...including, but not limited to, Idaho Potatoes!



I made Mrs. Mac drive all over creation looking for this fence so that I could take a photo of it (I missed the photo op on the first drive-by!) I'm thinking that I'll ask Brillo Man to construct a similar fence somewhere along our property - perhaps surrounding the chicken coop - or as he calls it...the Chicken CUBE (more on that in a future post!)



Here's Mrs. Mac, Cheryl and Pat at The Greenbriar Inn - Sunday Brunch! Yum-O! Another treat by Mrs. Mac! She sure kept us well-fed! Brunch that morning was delicious!





At one point on our journey as I was tagging along behind (typical of me as I don't always move as quickly as I would like...) I spotted this dragonfly. Pat turned around and wondered what in the world I was doing...why, taking a picture of a bug, of course! (Pat did a great job at maintaining her patience the entire weekend! I'm sure it was difficult for her whenever it came to me and my lollygagging!)



We visited the Caltaldo Mission - a very interesting place indeed! I so enjoyed the architecture and the history of the place! Interesting fact - the ornate ceiling was stained blue with huckleberries!





Mrs. Mac humored us and drove us to Montana just so we could say we had been there. Along the way, I saw this Mountain --Look! It's marked with an "M" for Mountain! No, Deb...that's "M" for Montana!! Oh.




More Photos to follow...

Idaho!!! part two

I, like Mrs. Mac, did NOT take enough photos!!
Here are a few!

Welcome to Idaho!!



Sunset the first evening - turning Lake Coeur D'Alene into a pool of silver...



I believe this is the oldest building in Coeur D'Alene....Mrs. Mac, correct me if I'm wrong! A beautiful church - now used for weddings, I believe - but not for regular church services.



On Day Two, Mrs. Mac treated us to a lake cruise! What a wonderful time - and the scenery - stunning at every turn!



Cheryl, Cathy and Pat on the pier - heading to the boat...



The photo doesn't do it justice...the view was spectacular! God's beautiful creation - created just for us to enjoy at that moment in time!!



There were a couple of guys on jet skis showing off their skills! I'm thinking that the water was way too cold to be riding a jet ski!!



Stay tuned for more!!

Idaho!!!

I haven't looked through my photos yet from our fabulous, wonderful, fun Scarf Sister reunion in beautiful Coeur D'Alene, Idaho....but I DO have this one of a water tower...taken using my phone from the front seat of Mrs. Mac's van...as she chauffered us all over God's lovely creation!



I will be sharing other photos soon (even ones with REAL PEOPLE in them!!)

For now, suffice to say that I had the most wonderful time! Oh! The blessings of friendship - hearts knit together in God's love! As Pat mentioned in her blog - there are no adequate words to describe the weekend. It was stupendous!! ...a HUGE thank you to Mrs. Mac for all she did to make the trip the best ever! Love you Mrs. Mac!!

Playing Catch Up

Looking back over the Summer, there are many things I could have posted had I been in "blogging mode." Many weeks ago - in the beginning of June, we spent a week in the mountains of Virginia at a Massanutten Resort. One of the things we did was take a trip through the Luray Caverns. Brillo Man and I had been there nine years ago during our Honeymoon trip. The caverns are even more dramatic than I remembered them! Perhaps because the first time we toured, I was too busy looking at my new husband and paid less attention to the stalagtites!

Here we are - some of my family. We had a great week together!



back row L-R: Brillo Man, Me, Sister-in-law Colleen, Mother-in-law Bonalee aka Bonnie, Father-in-law Chester, front row L-R: Daughter Olivia, Stepdaughter Kelly, Cousin Jessica

Notice how bright we were in our tie-dye shirts! Couldn't have lost us in that cavern had you tried! Although I think they tried....My father-in-law and I spent way more time than the rest of my family - in fact, they finished their tour an hour before we did! It was worth the extra time - got to enjoy Dad's company. I thoroughly enjoyed his great appreciation of God's creation deep in the depths of the mountains! In fact, as we were packing to go home from our week's trip, Dad commented that the whole trip was worth it because he got to see those caverns!

As for the brightness...I'm thinking that I will bring my entire wardrobe of brightly colored, tie-dye T-shirts to the Scarf Sister's Reunion! That way no one will be able to lose me along the way...just in case they try!