A Bird in My Hair

So here's a funny story... maybe not all that funny, but it's a story.

We were at Walmart purchasing 20 bags of mulch for our yard. Mike was in the store getting some other items while the Walmart employee was inside loading up the bags to bring them out to our vehicle. I had opened a back side door of Mike's SUV to lay the back seats down. I was bent forward and my hair was kind of blowing around my face when I felt fluttering around my face, shoulder and hair. I shrieked (don't judge...you would have, too!) and swiped at it before I realized it was a little bird! I got still, not wanting to hurt it and it hopped across to the door on the other side. It looked like it needed a rest so I took my phone out to get a photo. I should not have done that, I suppose, but I was thinking like a blogger. Sorry, little bird.

I moved to go around to open up that door but he tried flying out a closed window and crashed. He was embarrassed about that so as I opened up ALL the doors, he hopped down and hid under the driver's seat for awhile. By then, the Walmart lady was loading up the back end. I explained what was going on but she just kept loading. Well, she had a job to do.

Finally, I kind of pounded on the seat (again, sorry, little bird) until he decided it was time to escape.

That's it. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Our Mouthy Blue Dinner Guest

 For days I've been taking photos like this...

 ...and this.

Once I was near the door when our visitor dropped by.  I even had my camera close.  However, when I reached for my camera I dropped my crochet hook on the floor... my metal crochet hook.  It was noisy.    Needless to say, I missed the moment.

 Day after day I'd take photos of Bode's dog dish.

 I'd wait and wait, listen for my cue, then miss the shot I waited for.

Sometimes I'd almost get it, only to have Bode disrupt the scene.

But last night our little dinner guest squawked overhead for a bit.  I've come to learn that he announces his arrival to the neighborhood.  This time, Bode was sleeping.  I quickly got my camera and then sat as still as I could on a chair in my living room.  I waited and THIS time it paid off!  Can you see our dinner guest in this photo?  Sorry, but I had to zoom in and of course lost a lot of photo quality that way.

He hopped down by the dog dish and looked around a bit.

Then he helped himself to dinner.

He flew off but I heard more squawking and sure enough, he returned for dessert!    

 He took one more piece and was gone for the evening.  I was satisfied.

Who knew that blue jays enjoyed Purina?

An Angel at the Window!

One sunny morning last week in Arizona I glanced at my mother-in-law's window as I was passing by and stopped short.  I marveled at what I saw and I went to tell her that an angel had been  trying to get in during the night.  Mike, great theologian that he is, pointed out that we really shouldn't be trying to keep angels out.  Good point.  Here's what I saw...

I did hear some who thought it was just a dusty bird that hit the window.  Whatever.

Thank-you for stopping by. Feel free to use my photos (especially these as they are really cool, huh?)  but please link them back to my blog. I am honored if you wish to share content of any of my posts on Facebook, Twitter, etc. as long as it is linked back to my blog.

Awake Too Early

I confess.  I have been awake since 4:00 a.m. today.  I went to sleep easily and slept well until then.  However, at that time I let worry creep in.  I know better.  Does that happen to any of you?  I laid there and kept telling myself that all the worries flitting through my mind could be handled during the day, yet, I kept worrying.

So, this post is really for me.  If you are a worrier as well, though, this might be for you also.  It is from Matthew 6:25-27.

25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^b?

Lord's Prayer Knick-Knacks

I believe this is my oldest possession.

It was a gift for me as a new baby.  Although it doesn't all show in this photo, my name and date of birth were written in gold script at the bottom.

When my husband, Mike, went back to college and then seminary in the 80's we either gave away or stored most of our possessions.  We knew that we'd be making several moves and would sometimes be living in very small apartments so that just seemed the right thing to do.  This Bible figurine with the Lord's Prayer, however, was one of the very few items I kept with me through move after move. 

It and a couple of other knick-knacks were on one little 3-tiered shelf hanging on the wall above our table.  At that time, one of our children was about a year old so I'd put this up there to be safe.  That may have been a mistake.

Ben, I mean one of our children who will remain nameless, was quite a climber, even at age one.  One day he got on the table and pulled down the entire shelf.  Don't worry, he wasn't injured.  I think everything else was broken but I didn't care so much about the other items, I guess, because I no longer even remember what they were.  But this treasure, I glued back together.  I think it just gives it character, don't you?  It tells more of a story now than it did before.

One day when Maria and I were hunting for vintage treasures for our Wyoming Rose Boutique, we found this lovely piece. 

I am sure you see the resemblance.  Can you imagine how excited I was?

I expect it is from the 50's as well, making it an antique rather than just a vintage item.  I hesitate to call it an antique, though, since that would mean I was an antique as well!

It shows that lovely crackled appearance that comes with age.

So do I.

...but it is in great shape!  It has a pretty little bird on it...

...and just the sweetest little flowers.

I don't know the history about this piece.  I can only speculate as to who's shelf it has been on over the years, or who's shelf it will be on in the coming years.

What treasures have you retained from childhood?