Did you hear me the other day?

If you follow me on facebook or twitter you did! I facebooked and tweeted about the five (count 'em) bluebirds who visited our yard the other day.

We've lived here almost 20 years and have only had bluebirds nest one summer despite the special bluebird houses that we made and installed. From what I've read they like wider open spaces and we have many trees. So while they stop here, usually once in the early spring and usually during bad weather, they are on their way to a more suitable home. Yes, for several years now, we have seen one or two (usually) bluebirds visiting our suet feeder for just a few minutes.

And then we don't see them again. Till next year.

Jim happened to notice them late last week while he was at the kitchen sink. I ran to get the camera and he took pictures. They turned out better than the ones I'd have taken through the window screen. Jim is an inch or ten taller than me. He could take them through the upper part of the window.

I kept counting them. "Two at the feeder and three in the tree!" "One at the feeder, one on the ground, two on the wire!" You get the picture. It doesn't take much to thrill me. Jim's used to such outbursts by now. I'm a simple gal. I get excited by bluebirds in the yard, as opposed to a Coach purse (of which I own zero and not ashamed to admit it!).

So, compliments of Jim's picture-takin' skills - Our quick bluebird visit...

And then they flew away and we haven't seen them since. It happens this way every year...

Simple Sunday (a little late)



Jim and I. Dressed in our Sunday Best!
Times have been tough around here. I'm willin' to do yer washin' if ya need done!


We were at a Halloween Party last October. Yes, Jim wore that barrel all night. Yes, it was heavy. Yes, we did have fun. And even danced!

Pleeease! I hope I usually look better than this!

My feathered friends and one not so feathered

The bird feeder has always been outside the dining room window and in the front yard, because that's where I always used to spend a great deal of time. Not eating, even if that's the first thought that popped into your mind, but doing our business bookwork. I didn't have a large desk to spread my books out, so I spread everything out on the dining room table when I had work to do.
After we found ourselves with an empty bedroom, my husband and son went out one night, right before my birthday that year, and came back with a large u-shaped desk and computer. Wow! Great birthday! Finally my own space!

I do miss letting my mind wander and gazing out the window to watch my bird friends. I still enjoy watching them at mealtimes though and sometimes just sit to see what's happening when there's a flurry of activity, as is often the case after a big snowfall like we had a few days ago. My bird feeders are always more popular then. After the last one, I perched my own self right by my big dining room window to see if I could do some bird watching.

I love a new snow when the animal prints are still fresh. The birds were out looking for breakfast first thing!

Some birds love the bird feeder and some are ground feeders. This little Junco seems to do both.

The Downy Woodpeckers love the suet feeders. That's why we have two. Yes, they both needed refills.

Chickadee waiting its turn at the feeder...

...Because the beautiful Cardinals aren't very good about sharing the feeder. Although you see others with Mrs. Cardinal here, they didn't get to stay long.

And then Mr. Cardinal took his turn.

But they all flew away when the dreaded black bird dog visited the feeder! :-)

My happy place

I was just remembering that yesterday when the nurse anesthetist was just going to give me the sedation to send me on my little sleep during my colonoscopy she asked, "Where will you go? Where's your happy place?"

My happy place has always been a field of daisies. I don't think I'm weird. I love daisies. I love wildflowers. That's where I like to go when I need a happy place.

So I have no idea why, when she asked me that question, I answered, "To the beach. Someplace warm."

Don't get me wrong. It was darn cold yesterday morning! It's just that the beach was never my place to go when I needed to be safe.

But it would have been my mom's...

Don't be embarrassed

No pictures to share with this post. Although I could have gotten one. :-)

This morning I had a colonoscopy. It was mostly routine. I have some issues, plus my age (50), which made my doctor decide that I should have one, just to err on the side of caution.

I wasn't going to announce it to the world. Then I decided that I needed to share. This is something that everyone should have and many need to have. Obviously the whole thing is a little embarrassing. The prep (the night before) is not fun. The only thing that got me through drinking that whole jug of NuLytely was that I wouldn't need to do it again for ten years.

This morning we arrived at the hospital just before 6:45am and were quickly checked in and sent to outpatient surgery. While I know that they have to do everything that they do, it just seems like such a big to-do for a routine test. I haven't gone through menopause or had a hysterectomy or my tubes tied so I had to have a pregnancy test. Isn't that a hoot? Then they had to draw a blood sample. They had to hook me to monitors, because they were sedating me. And because they were sedating me I needed an IV. All for a routine medical test which I knew (because I had one several years ago) would tell them that I have hemorrhoids.

So, they sedated me and I drifted right off. At times I could hear them talking and I felt minimal cramping. The next thing I knew I was awake and only slightly groggy. They wheeled my gurney from the procedure area to the recovery area, gave me some juice, made sure my vitals were stable, unhooked me from everything I was hooked to, let me get dressed and sent me on my way! Simple as that.

Oh, and the doctor came to tell me that they removed a large polyp. He wasn't too concerned, but they were sending it for biopsy and would have the results in a few days. Even though it was routine, he was very glad that I had had it done.

Oh yeah...That thing about getting through the prep only because I wouldn't have to have a colonoscopy for ten years?

Because of that polyp I have to go back in in a year. Drat!

Seriously, I'm sharing this because I know there are so many people who don't have their routine colonoscopies because of the prep, the discomfort, the embarrassment. It really isn't that bad. The peace of mind is worth it all. And it's really great to have a doctor that you like. The first time that I went through this the doctor was...well he just wasn't that nice. That's important! The doctor and staff at this hospital were all super nice. That does help to make the experience that much easier to go through.

I'm not really worried about the polyp but, gosh, I wouldn't refuse a prayer or two thrown my way! :-)

Jim has to have one of these soon. I worry more about him. This cancer (and others) run in his family...

*I started writing this when I got home this morning then decided I was groggy and took a nap. I am soo glad that I didn't publish it right away. :-D There were more than the usual errors and some things were not quite phrased correctly. --Believe them when they tell you not to drive or operate heavy equipment for the rest of the day!

A snowy day

Well...last week was just a tease. A cruel joke on us. Father Winter played a little trick on us. He pretended to be spring for a few days just to lull us into a false sense of spring-ness. Until yesterday afternoon. Father Winter came back for a visit. Let's hope it's a short stay!

I actually enjoyed this snowstorm a bit. There was no school today in the area, so I knew Jamie wouldn't be working anyhow. Jon is up north, enjoying a long anticipated, long weekend. I didn't have to worry about either one having to drive those roads early in the morning. So, here's what our today looked like...

This is the tree that I see whenever I look out my office window. I love when she's sporting her winter gown. Even more...I love when the little wrens come, in the spring, to build their nests in her branches. I love to leave my bedroom window open all night just to be able wake up to their lovely singing.

These trees line the east edge of our property, pretty much all the way up the driveway and out back to where our business resides.

There's our little duck house, turned doghouse. Someday to be chicken coop. Nope. I have not given up that chicken dream yet.

Lining our driveway. Lovely.

This is out where our little woods begins.

Some people love to show off pictures of their kids or grandkids. Not me. My kids are all grown up. No grandchildren. Yet. So...enjoy my dogs.



One of Duke's favorite things. Snow! He's in the minority here.



Except for Sosha. She loves it too.  Now it wasn't always that way. She's a southern belle.  Never experienced snow till her mama started bringing her up for visits. She's grown to love it!

Our house. My husband grew up here. Someday I'll tell it's little story.

Jim wanted to grill burgers yesterday. There was no snow on the ground and it had just begun to snow while he was grilling.

Speaking of Jim...coming back after plowing our driveway, the neighbors, his mom's, and a few others who may have needed it. He wasn't able to enjoy a snow day. It was actually a busy day for him.

Simple Sunday

It's been a quiet week here. I've been working on other projects. I don't like to let this happen, but I guess it does, once in a while. Sometimes I don't like what I write. I second guess myself. I have to get over it...

I wanted to make sure I made an appearance!

My parents and Jim's parents right before our wedding was ready to begin.

Oh, it's that day?

Yes, I can remember the first Valentine's Day that Jim and I were together.

I can remember that I made him chocolate chunk cookies from a big Hershey Kiss that he had given me for Christmas. Money was tight. I was a single mom with a little girl, living with my parents, working full-time at a minimum wage job and doing my best to get my bills paid and trying to get us out on our own. I was looking for something special that didn't cost much. By that point in our relationship, I knew that he would love cookies more than anything I could have bought for him. And I broke up that big kiss by hand with a butter knife. It took forever! :) That was a labor of love!

Since then, I've discovered that Jim really doesn't go all out for these kinds of days...meaning Valentine's or Sweetest Day (even though we set our wedding date for Sweetest Day without realizing it). I mean, I'm sure that we celebrated them while we were dating. And don't, for a minute, think that he's lazy or not romantic and don't think that it didn't bother me...at first. I have since come to accept that he just feels that he doesn't need a special day to show me that he loves me. He's always gotten me flowers when I least expect them. And that is something that I love!

So, we recognize the day in a simple way and whisper sweet nothings to each other. And that, my dear, is that!

Except for this year.

Last week, we stopped at Dunkin' Donuts and I noticed that they would have something special to celebrate today. I said to Jim, "Next Monday I want a heart shaped donut."

So, you see, he is romantic and he does love me!

Simple Sunday

Fell in love with the gracefulness and tranquility of the Beluga Whale
on a trip to the Georgia Aquarium in Nov. of  '08

Heroine Love!

So, what have I been up to?

I've been heading to The Heroine's Bookshelf every day since the first of February where author (and 2010 LauraPalooza spelling bee winner) Erin Blakemore has been all about Heroine Love.

Erin's book, The Heroine's Bookshelf: Life Lessons, from Jane Austen to Laura Ingalls Wilder, is a great read.  I have actually been savoring it, reading about each literary heroine, one at a time, when the mood strikes me.

If you stop by Erin's place between Feb. 1 and 18, a guest blogger is being featured each day with their take on a famous literary heroine. I have really enjoyed it, as it has ignited a little spark in me to read some books that I have not yet read and really wanting to do a reread of others that I haven't thought of in years (which is actually what her book has done too). It's also given me some food for thought, as there are some that I hadn't really considered to be heroines, but indeed they are.

And the fun part? Prizes every day. All literary heroine related!

And the funner part? I won yesterday's prize package! How cool is that? And on the birthday of my most favorite literary heroine of all, Laura Ingalls Wilder!

I especially enjoyed yesterday's post which was written by Sandra Hume of Beyond Little House and the Homesteader fame (other things too :) but I know her through our mutual friend, Laura Ingalls Wilder). It's about Margaret of Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret. I had read this book as a child, then again a year or so ago, with different takes each time.

There's still plenty of time, so click here to visit Erin and her friends!

Laura's birthday, but not this Laura

Ingalls Homestead, De Smet, SD

Today is Laura Ingalls Wilder's birthday. Most everyone who knows her, knows that.
I had things on my mind, Laura-related, that I wanted to write about, but my brain is addled with a sinus infection. I've decided to share this, an old post about my Laura.

Simple Sunday

Snowy dogs on a snowy day

View from my front window

I haven't ventured out of the house today. Hey! It's cold and snowy and blowy! I'm not goin' out there.

We didn't get as much snow as was predicted, but we got a fair amount. We're not snowed in and we do live on a main road so life goes on.
It is snowing again so we may just get a couple more inches.

I did take pictures from our dining room window.

Enjoy! That is, unless you're absolutely sick of looking at everyone's snow pictures. Which you probably are. In that case, enjoy my snow pictures.. :)

The dogs go on the front porch and then Duke comes onto the
ledge behind the bushes and bangs on the window to come in.
"For the love of all that's holy! Pleeease let us in!"

Looking at our road. Snow covered, but not snowed in.

Jim plows our yard and then makes the rounds.

"Please! I just want to come in. I need a nap!"
Duke is becoming like a cat. He sleeps about 23 hours a day.

Love my birds. Love my birdfeeder.
Jim made it for me for Christmas a couple of years ago.

HaHa! Sosha has a snow beard!

Okay! I'm coming.
Poor little guy!