KamiKaze Robins

This past Saturday I decided the time had come to do a dirty job...clean my windows. Not all my windows. Just one in particular.

When you look at this picture you must wonder what kind of a housekeeper am I and how long did it take for this window to look this bad! In answer to the first question, I'm an average housekeeper. On any given day there is a fair amount of dust and Maggie's fur coat lying around, but on any other given day, it has been routinely cleaned up. I don't "DO" windows (as the expression goes) very often, but they do get done. In answer to the second question--How long did it take this window to look this bad?--about a week.

Somewhere around mid-May we noticed a robin perched on the railing outside the window. Every minute or so he would fly up at the window. I know some birds have a hard time understanding windows, but I would think after repeatedly flying at it the robin would have come to realize that there was an invisible wall there and he wasn't gonna get through it. He persisted flying at it until after several days he had managed to put mud on every single window pane. We tried leaving the hall light on so he would know it wasn't a tunnel to somewhere, but he just kept flying at that window.  He never hurt himself, mind you. He just kept working at whatever task he had set for himself.

Now that he has left it alone, I decided to take a chance and clean it.

In the end, I had to admit it was a good idea. The railing was beginning to turn green and the robin had left lovely white polka dots all along the black rubber mat on top of the portico. Actually the white polka dots have appeared everywhere from under the grill on the back patio (how???) to marking every step on the front walk. Our blacktop driveway looks like a runway for birds. And since I'm on the subject, can I just add here that robins leave much bigger polka dots than sparrows!

It's a good thing I like the birds. In fact, tune in tomorrow for some more bird brained tales from the nest.

When Did I Get So Busy????

I can't believe it has been over 3 weeks since I last posted an entry on here! Where did the time go?

It's June. Mother's Day is long past. Memorial Day was a week ago and today I finally got around to buying flowers to plant outside. How did it get so late?

Before I retired I was pretty busy. OK. To be honest, I was very busy! I didn't consider myself to be a workaholic, but then I don't think most workaholics recognize the trait in themselves. One of the things I loved about my job was the variety of tasks associated with it. One of my biggest flaws was an inability to focus on one area. Instead I became a Jack of All Trades, but Master of None. Outside of work I was also busy, mostly through church activities. Two trains of thought characterized how I chose things to get involved in. The first one was that if I read of an opportunity or a need for help, I would often think to myself "I could do that". The second step was to check my calendar. If that particular time block was free I would say "Sure! I can do that." It wasn't a very stringent selection process.

When we moved I was ready to completely revamp my way of thinking! I guarded my time fanatically. For a year I was involved only in our church choir and handbell choir. But our neighborhood is a friendly one and after a year two groups had formed; a book club and a Bunco group. I was in! Anything to do with a Ladies Night Out and a glass of wine seemed to be a good fit! Over the next few years I added 2 church groups; the Mission Committee and the Flea Market Committee. In both areas, my tasks are fairly limited and a requirement for me to commit to anything was that it had to be something I can do from almost anywhere I have access to a computer. The Flea Market committee is a short term task and I handle publicity (ads emailed to the newspaper) while the Missions Committee has honed our tasks to a few meetings through the year to tweak plans. I handle most of the web site information. I felt I was controlling things pretty well.

However, I guess if I'm being forth coming I have to add in here that through the missions committee I have begun helping at a food pantry one day a month and my husband got me involved in his corvette club..... as Secretary. Hmmm.... how did that one sneak in? Uh-oh, I do believe an old thought pattern resurfaced. I distinctly remember thinking when I was asked if I would do it, "I could do that, and the meetings are already on our schedule, so ok."

I guess that's how it happened. Suddenly I find myself with a house layered in dog hair (yes, she is STILL shedding!), no summer flowers planted, and no time to sit down to blog. I can (and will) rationalize that this past 6 weeks have been a perfect storm of activity. Sandwiched between 2 trips was the need to finalize the plans for the Flea Market, maintain my commitment to the corvette club and the food pantry, keep the yard mowed during a very active growing season, and maintain some sort of house cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping. Suddenly I knew what people meant when they said now that they are retired they don't have any time!

But it's all past! There will be a few summer trips which is the best part of life, but not so much activity. I think life is going to return to a more normal pace. You'll know for sure if you start seeing more views from this empty, but no longer quiet, nest!

Mother's Day

I am visiting Jan, Mike, Warren and Samantha this week. Yesterday morning I woke up very early to hear a baby talking loudly in her crib and a toddler running down the hall singing JOHN DEERE!!! at the top of his lungs. I opened one eye. 6am. It was Mother's Day. No sleeping in this morning. Emeril would have to arrive before dawn to surprise this mom with his annual Mother's Day Breakfast in Bed.

I always loved the image of a sweet child bringing his mother a tray with a flower in a vase, orange juice and a plate of pancakes for breakfast. Who is that child and where does he live? I'm pretty sure he never lived in any of my friends' homes. And if he did, I'm also pretty sure the tray was just a cover-up for the disaster waiting in the kitchen after Mom gets up. It's a nice idea, but it's about as close to reality as McCauley Culkin taking out the burglers in Home Alone.
We have lots of ways to honor mom's from gifts to taking her out to dinner, but the truth is Mother's Day begins the same as every other day. Mom gets up and feeds a hungry baby, fixes breakfast for a toddler, wipes a runny nose and carries on much the same as any other day.

I had the pleasure of being treated to lunch yesterday by my daughter, in honor of Mother's Day. We celebrated with her mother-in-law, her sister-in-law and her S-I-L's mother. Along with the adults were the 3 little ones. It was a great way to spend the day and there were several other 3 generation tables like ours. A comment Kathy made hit the mark. "I've waited 35 years for this." While raising 2 boys and living on a farm where chores don't take a holiday, Mother's Day was a day like any other. Being treated to lunch by her 2 daughter's-in-law was what she dreamed of when the children were little.

What do moms want? It depends on where they are in life. The busy mother of a young family dreams of time to herself, while the mother of grown children longs for time spent with family. But most of us have fond memories of the little gifts our pre-schoolers and young children brought home from school.

Warren came home from pre-school on Friday with a soft soap bottle vase covered in colored tissue paper and 3 paper flowers cut from the outline of his hand, in the vase. "Happy Mother's Day!" he beamed. Jan beamed right back at him. "My first Mother's Day Present!" she said. Those are the memories I have of Mother's Day. The paper teapot with the teabag and poem attached, the paper flowers, or the picture made in school. They are the times that made me feel special as a mom when my kids were little. The lunch yesterday, made me feel special as a mom now that my kids have grown.

Happy Mother's Day!

The Little Apple Tree--A True Story with a Happy Ending

There once was an apple tree that wanted to grow. It stood tall and sturdy in the nursery waiting for someone to come buy it and plant it. Along came a certain man who thought he wanted an apple tree, so he paid for the little tree, took it home, and planted it in a hole dug just for the tree.

At first the little tree was happy, but it felt something wasn't right. The tree tried to reach deep into the ground, but its roots were bound up in something tight and they couldn't push through. The tree stood tall, and put out a few new leaves. It soaked up the sun. But try as it would, it didn't get any bigger.

Now the man who bought the tree noticed it wasn't getting any bigger. He thought perhaps it would be happier in another place in the yard, so he dug another hole, and moved the tree. As he placed the tree in the new hole he noticed the burlap tied around the root ball. "Hmm," he thought. "I forgot to cut the burlap. Maybe that's why the tree hasn't grown." And he cut the burlap, loosened the soil around the roots and replanted the tree in the new hole.

"AHH!" said the little tree. "That feels sooo much better and it wriggled its roots deep into the new soil. The tree put out lots of new leaves and was very happy, but it still stayed small, much to the man's dismay. He had been hoping the tree would get big and provide shade in the yard. He could just imagine its spreading branches heavy with fruit.

(He didn't realize fruit trees grow slowly and stay small so their fruit can be picked.)

 Even so, the tree stood strong in the winter months and was looking forward to spring.

When spring came the apple tree put out lots of new buds. Some of the buds turned into green leaves. The others opened themselves into lovely white apple blossoms. The little tree was very proud. The man and his wife came to inspect the tree and were very happy at all the leaves. They sniffed the blossoms and commented on what a pretty tree it would be someday.

A week later the man's wife discovered tiny apples where the blossoms had been. She brought the husband out to see. They talked happily about the apples they would have that fall. That night 3 deer came to visit the yard. They checked the bird feeder and nibbled at the seeds. Then they sniffed the apple tree. It smelled delicious. They nibbled the apple tree. It tasted delicious.

In the morning when the man and his wife looked out the window they were dismayed. What had happened to their little tree? Every leaf, blossom and bud was gone. "That's it!" stormed the man. "That tree has never done anything. I'm getting a different tree!" He dug the tree up and threw it on the bank behind the house. He went back to the nursery and replaced it with another tree, but this time he bought a bigger tree that the deer couldn't eat.

Several weeks later the wife was mowing the grass when she noticed something odd about the plants on the bank. There were new green shoots sticking up in the dead grass. She looked closer. The little apple tree still lay there, its roots exposed to the sun, but there were new leaves on the branches! She picked it up and took it to the shed. She rummaged around until she found a large pot and some planting mix. When her husband came home she showed him the new tree on the deck. "Where did you get it," he asked? "It's the apple tree! I found it on the bank and it looked like it really wanted us to try again."

The tree stood in its pot on the deck safe from the deer. The man and his wife watered it when it needed water and in the winter they protected it from the cold by keeping it in the garage where it could sleep. It is one year older and today it showed the man and his wife how happy it was in its pot, by once again putting on a display of lovely flowers.

The man and his wife are a little wiser now. They've learned some trees grow more quickly than others and some trees take more patience than others. They've promised this tree that they will take care of it until it is big enough for the deer to leave alone. Hopefully, they will live happily together for many years to come.

THE END

 (of the story! Not of the little tree)

A Hodge-Podge of Thoughts

April is almost over and I still find I can't quite get my thoughts together. Maybe it is because in 25 days we have had 18 days of rain. Today the weatherman's comment was right on target. The day had begun with heavy skies, but around noon the sky cleared somewhat and the sun peaked out. "Enjoy this moment," he said as he pointed to the camera shot of the city and the water shimmering in the sunlight. I was enjoying it. And an hour later the rain was pouring down again.

Enjoy the Moment. I know it is spring because the House Finch told me so. Every morning she warbles outside my window at 6:15. She is better than a Rooster because her alarm which is just as punctual as a rooster's is much prettier to listen to. I am not an early riser, but I don't mind her wake-up call. It is so cheerful and it IS a true pronouncement that spring is here.

Laugh at the wildlife. Our neighbor across the street has a deer feeder. Not everyone in the neighborhood is happy about that fact but I like it. I don't believe it brings the deer. They were here before we were. They are all over. His corn doesn't keep them from eating my tulips, but they would eat my tulips anyway, even if they weren't on the way to his feeder. Usually I can't see them. The deer usually stop there at night when it is dark. The other day I noticed the feeder was lying on it's side.

They were sending a message to Chuck. "Fill it up!" Chuck has a camera set up to tape them at night and he has video of them knocking the feeder over and rolling it down the hill to his house 'just in case he didn't know it was empty'! Our deer are not starving, (thanks to Chuck) but they are savvy.

Look on the bright side. I've been able to mow once a week but it really needs to be done every 4-5 days. That's what rain does! The problem is finding a way to get it done. When the sun came out this morning I hoped I'd have a chance, but I was out and needed to eat lunch before I started. By the time I got home and ate lunch it was raining again. I am once again waiting for it to dry out enough that I can mow. Hopefully, tomorrow? Meanwhile the sparrows disappear into the green blades when they search my lawn for seeds. At least I can still see the Mourning Doves. I know a lot of people aren't crazy about mowing twice a week, but to me, it is way more fun than shoveling snow every day.

Inspite of the rain I do think the weatherman was right, this time. Enjoy this moment is the best advice for anyone in any situation. So I am...
Enjoying the moment.

Transition

Long Time, No Hear.

There is something about traveling that always interrupts my flow of thought. It seems to take me a week or so to make the full transition and get back to my normal routine. As a result I haven't made any entries in my blog for a couple of weeks. The laundry is up to date, the groceries bought, and the weather has made a vast improvement so I'm getting back to normal. As a result here I am, with my latest observations on life around me.

While I was in Florida Larry would give me the weather updates; "'It's going to be 16 degrees tonight. We had snow this morning." A neighbor sent me a photo of our snow covered neighborhood, taken just a few days before I was due to come home. Talk about a Spoiler Alert!! There I was enjoying the sun and temperatures in the 80's and all I could think of was I might be going back to THAT! Oh the gloom!

Over the years I have made many trips taking me from where I wanted to be, to a place I was willing to put off getting to. I've learned that a trip that takes a couple of days to make has always helped me in that transition. As I left Florida the sun was shining and the day was beautiful. Oh how I hated to leave. However, the drive was a beautiful one. All through that day as I headed north, I saw various levels of full blown spring. The sky was clear, and trees were green. The further north I went I witnessed earlier stages of spring. By the end of the day I was seeing less green on the trees, but more early spring flowers. It had been a beautiful day, ending with an equally beautiful sunset.

The next morning as I crossed into Virginia I noticed the grass was green but the leaves were gone. I had to chuckle when each time I crossed a state border I noticed a definite difference in the signs of spring, from leaves to no leaves, flowering trees to forsythia, the earliest of the blooming plants. It was as if the weather also recognized state borders.

By the time I arrived back in Pittsburgh I had mentally reconciled to the local climate. I unpacked my shorts and put my sweatshirt back on.

I've been home for 2 weeks now. God has been good to me. Spring is here. The weatherman still offers the threat of snow, but if we get any it turns out to be 15 minutes of flurries followed by rain. Oh yes. Lots of rain. But we have enjoyed some wonderful spring days as well. Last weekend the sun came out and warmed us up. By Monday the forsythia and daffodils had popped.

Spring is fickle. Two weeks ago we had snow. One week later I was mowing the yard. But it is spring. A time of transition. And I'm glad it is here.

SUGAR!!!!!!!

I taught school for 18 years. I was a pre-school teacher for 3 years before that. I've raised 2 children. I have two 3 (almost 4) year old grandsons--and 1 infant grand-daughter. Yet there is always a chance to forget things I once knew, or to re-learn old lessons. Today was one of those days.

It started out very well. I got up early and was ready when Nicholas woke up. He ate a good breakfast and my normally dawdling little boy was ready to go in time for storytime at the library. On the way home I stopped at Publix to fulfill a craving I've had since I got here. I bought a Publix Pressed Cuban for lunch. Nicholas asked if he could have a cookie so we headed to the Bakery department for a free cookie.

"Which one do you want?" I asked. "Chocolate chip, Sugar, or the one with Sprinkles?"

"I want the M&M cookie because that's my favorite race car!" Nicholas answered pointing to the BIG cookie in the display case...the one for $1.49, not the smaller free cookies. (Nicholas loves NASCAR and his bed looks like Kyle Busch's 18 M&M car.) Of course being the grandmother I indulged him and bought the big cookie.

After we ate our lunch we split the big cookie and then Nicholas went to his room for his afternoon 'Quiet time'. He rarely naps, but he always has a 2 hour quiet time in his room. Or maybe I should say his parents and grandmas always get a 2 hour quiet time when he's in his room! I knew there would be no nap after that cookie but he was good and played quietly with his books and cars.

Then it turned 5:00. I think Publix should add a warning label to their cookies. WARNING: This cookie contains 8-Hour Time Release Sugar Granules. As soon as Jen and Dave walked through the door The Energizer Bunny took off. The Dawdler moved into Warp Speed.

"Mommy! Did you See THIS? GRANBERRY! WATCH!"
"Nicholas...shh, we're right here."
"ok." (pause) MOMMY! DID YOU SEE THIS??? GRANBERRY !!!! WATCH!!!"
"Nicholas.... SHHHHH: we see you."
"Time to wash up for dinner. Go Potty first.'
Boing, boing, boing....'Granberry...I go weally fast!"
"Yes, you did. Go potty.'
"Take my shorts off?"
"Yes"
"Take my underwear off?"
"Yes"
"Don't throw them?"
"No"
WHOOSH.....he kicks them across the bathroom
"OHH! They went high!"
Finally we make it to the dinner table. His little hands wave everywhere. He plows through his nachos and taco. And now it is BED-Time. Sure!
Jen manages to get him into PJ's and settles him for stories. After she tucks him in she brings him a sippy cup of water to keep by his bed.
"OOH! Cold Water! I love cold water Mommy!!"
Yep, he's ready to go to sleep.

You've heard the grandparent jokes about buying the kids the sugary treats and then sending them home? Oops, I forgot to go home.