birds — Page 29

Books, Back & Sugar

August 2, 2019 at 10:44 am by Claudia

The spirea always has a second bloom. It’s not nearly as full as the first, but seeing those little pink blossoms again makes me happy.

I finished Knife by Jo Nesbø this morning. I’ve read a few of Nesbø’s books before and, for some reason, I always feel a bit distanced from the protagonist, Harry Hole. That may be because I haven’t read the entire series, in order, and haven’t given myself a chance to really get to know him. I’m not sure. Nevertheless, it’s an excellent read. I stuck with it and found myself applauding Nesbø’s skill. He writes honestly. All of the recurring characters have flaws and secrets. He is a true storyteller and knows how to plot an intricate mystery. I found myself reading non-stop this morning as I realized we were headed to the denouement of the narrative. I was riveted.

So, I suspect that the ‘distance’ had less to do with the story and more to do with me. It’s a wonderful mystery and I recommend it highly. Now, it’s on to Kate Atkinson’s newest, Big Sky.

I’ll be doing a lot of reading today as I’ve tweaked my back again. I don’t know how, something relatively minor of course, but it caused a fair amount of pain yesterday and last night. So I’m forced to take it easy. I’m convinced that it’s the same initial injury from last spring, not fully healed. Frustrating.

That’s Lonesome Dove at the very top of a very tall (and dead) tree across the street.

I’ve been meaning to mention that I’ve lost 12 pounds in the past 3 months or so. And that is because of two things: being more physically active in the spring and summer, yes, but mostly because I stopped eating any sugar over 2 months ago. I quit cold turkey, just like I did when I stopped smoking in the mid-eighties. I’m not dieting. I’m still eating the same meals I usually do. But I have cut out all sweets, all sugar. If I have a craving, I eat raisins or grapes. Raisins, especially, seem to help with any cravings. This isn’t to say it’s always been easy. When I’m down, or tired, or – like now- I’m in pain, I want some comfort food and for me, that’s chocolate or a piece of pie or cookies or hot chocolate. But I haven’t succumbed to the temptation.

Don, of course, is as supportive as the day is long and for a long time he didn’t want to eat chocolate in front of me, but that truly doesn’t bother me. I usually have some grapes while he’s having a couple of pieces of chocolate.

I did this several years ago and the weight dropped off then, as well. I’m convinced that sugar is not good for me. That’s where I gain my weight. And for the past few years, Don and I were apart a great deal of the time. We were lonely. We both ate sweets as comfort food. It took its toll on me. I couldn’t believe how much weight I had gained! I knew some of it would come off when the weather was better and I was out and about and mowing and gardening, but I knew I had to do something else, as well.

So far, so good. I’m just letting it happen. I don’t have any fixed goal in mind, but I’m very pleased with the results so far. Despite Don telling me that he could tell I was losing weight, it wasn’t until this week when I caught a glimpse of my face and upper body in the mirror that I realized I was looking thinner. And healthier.

So I’m determined to stick with this and since it’s been a while now, I’m past the detox part of the process. It’s all good.

Happy Friday.

Rescues (And Birds at the Birdbath)

July 31, 2019 at 9:51 am by Claudia

Vicki asked if I would share a photo of the antique dollhouse. Here it is. This was taken the day I found it in a local antique shop – December 21st of last year. I dressed it up for the holidays. There you go, Vicki!

And a side view. The shutters open and close. What a labor of love this was. I wonder if it was made for a child or simply for the satisfaction of constructing a miniature? What’s the back story on the house itself? I knew it was a steal when I bought it for $75 on sale, but I also couldn’t bear the thought that this heavy, well-made, one-of-a-kind house was sitting in a booth with a big ‘mark down’ sign, abandoned and alone.

I tend to do that with certain things. I endow them with human qualities. That dollhouse was immediately ‘sad and lonely’ and needed to be adopted. By me.

I did the same thing with this little beauty.

I saw her in an antique shop several years ago. She was sitting on a child’s rocking chair in a booth. Each time I went back to the shop over the course of several months, she was still there. She was wearing a beautifully handmade dress with lovely shoes and a bonnet. She was a little worse for the wear, but that made her even more lovely.

Someone had loved this baby doll.

We had next to no money on hand at the time and I was getting ready to go to San Diego to coach for 10 weeks. I think she was about $50 or maybe less, but, nonetheless, even that was too much. I couldn’t buy her.

Off I went to SD, but I couldn’t get her out of my mind. Finally, when I had received a few paychecks, I emailed the antique center, told them my story, tried my best to indicate what booth she was in and asked the big question: was she still there? The person on the other end said he knew exactly what doll I was referring to and yes, she was. I paid him right then and there. Then I asked if he could hold onto her until I returned home. Yes, he said. And that is how this little darling came to live in our cottage.

My beautiful doll with two left legs is also a rescue. More on her another day.

Two Finches Taking A Bath:

They were at the birdbath again yesterday. It’s been very hot. I’ve seen bees drinking the water, birds, hornets – you name it.

Finally, Happy Birthday to my beloved mom. She would have been 92 today.

Happy Wednesday.

Where Were You 50 Years Ago?

July 20, 2019 at 11:16 am by Claudia

This is where we are today. Here, and in the den. The A/C has been on since 7 am. It’s so humid, you can cut the air with a knife. Don has already been out to water the plants and we’ll do it again later in the day. Today and tomorrow have been given an “Excessive Heat Warning.”

So, we’ll be staying indoors. No portraits for Don, which is frustrating for him as that’s two days lost. But heck, no one is going to want their picture taken in this weather! I sure wouldn’t.

I’m grateful for air conditioning, books to read, movies to watch, and shelter.

By the way, I went out on the porch in the dusk yesterday to water a few potted plants that had sagged from the heat. Earlier in the day, I had checked the nest in the clematis and the three eggs were there but no mama. I was starting to think they had been abandoned. As I walked around the porch, I saw a sparrow hop out of the top of the clematis and drop to the ground. So, the eggs are still viable and mama and papa are tending to them. Good news!

If you’re old enough to remember, where were you on this day 50 years ago, the day of the first walk on the Moon?

I was performing (what else is new?) out at a place called Camp Dearborn. It was a huge camp owned by the City of Dearborn, but at a distance from the city, where residents could spend a week or two camping with their families. Not unlike the Yogi Bear Campsites that are just down the road from us – lots of activities for families and kids, that kind of thing. My family never camped there – too many people, too much noise. My parents preferred to go ‘up north’ and camp in Northern Michigan, which was beautiful, but boring for me as a young kid. As you would expect, my head was buried in a book much of the time.

Back to why I was with a gang of teenagers at Camp Dearborn: We were doing a summer musical, something I did every summer when I was in junior and senior high school, so the city asked us to perform scenes from it that night. We knew the walk on the Moon was happening and, oddly enough, there were televisions in various parts of the facility – outdoor televisions with small screens that were on some sort of pole accompanied by a few benches. At the point when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were to set foot on the Moon, we all ran over to a television set to witness it. It was not unlike standing outside the window of a department store watching a small television set in the midst of a large crowd of people. It didn’t have the intimacy of watching in your living room, but it did have the energy and collective awe of a crowd of people who couldn’t believe what they were seeing, who cheered as Neil Armstrong said “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

I remember it pretty vividly.

50 years ago! Amazing.

Happy Saturday.

Books, Back & Sugar

Rescues (And Birds at the Birdbath)

Where Were You 50 Years Ago?

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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