When we were walking up to Mark's parent's house today we saw something very strange at the birdfeeder. Usually all of the birds quickly fly away, but this time there was only one. He didn't fly away. In fact, we weren't sure if he was alive. He had his head stuck in the bottom hole of the feeder and had long since given up fighting to get it out. There were a few seeds still left underneath the edge of the hole and he had apparently twisted his head trying to get them and then thought 'Uh Oh - now what?'
He was really wedged in, so much that at first we weren't sure what we were going to do at all. After some assessment and goldfinch mockery Mark was able to get him out. He flew away, without harming Mark at all - just embarrassed and wanting to get away FAST. Well, no matter how worried he is about his reputation, he is one lucky birdie at the same time ;)
If we hadn't seen him - there are two hungry hunting cats up at Mark's parent's house that might have found him and not worried about getting the rest out! Eep!
Have a great weekend everybody!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Pogo Swim and Proud Mama Alien
Babies stick to Mom with velcro ;)
Browsing today:
Little owl dpn case from Loveoneworldzero
Fishy Wishy in a Dishy Yarn from See Jane Knit Yarns
Grace Giraffe from Thistletown
Little Fawn from cornflakegirl
Useful Little Things shop with marbled notecards and journals
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Sleeping is getting to be an adventure
Sleeping is getting to be an adventure in creative pillow use lately. I've read online that there are all sorts of 'pregnancy pillows' they make to provide all-in-one solutions. They look like modified body pillows that curl up between your knees and back to support your spine. The only one I thought looked interesting was out of stock :( So I recommissioned one of the really beaten up regular pillows we have for extra support between my knees and under my hip bones. I think that will work for a while until my belly gets bigger :)
I've been sewing some more creatures - here is one that didn't quite make the cut. She is a prototype, and if you look closely her arms are sort of mismatched. I don't like opening the seams of my toys after they're done, so I'll save her for a while.
We also have some female alien monster dolls arriving. It appears the males were just scouts. I'll be working them up here and there. Last year I would push myself to stay up all night and sew a batch - now there is so much else to do, work and non-work.
I've been sewing some more creatures - here is one that didn't quite make the cut. She is a prototype, and if you look closely her arms are sort of mismatched. I don't like opening the seams of my toys after they're done, so I'll save her for a while.
We also have some female alien monster dolls arriving. It appears the males were just scouts. I'll be working them up here and there. Last year I would push myself to stay up all night and sew a batch - now there is so much else to do, work and non-work.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Alien Invasion and Pogo Tigers
Stay Tuned for more information...
Enlarge this picture and you can see her white toes on her back feet! She has two toes on different feet that are entirely white!
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Achy Knees
Thanks for all the nice birthday wishes everyone!
Not enough change on the belly chart this week to make a new line - but the baby has been kicking stronger and at more regular intervals.
While I escaped morning sickness, the 'pregnancy achy joints' has hit me. I wake up three or more times at night with my hips and knees aching and feeling creaky. Sometimes turning over is enough to go back to sleep, but this morning I got up at 4 am and didn't go back to bed. Being still for hours at a time really does a number on them. I looked at some other mothers on pregnancy bulletin boards and apparently there is no exact 'right amount of activity', too much makes them hurt, too little makes them hurt.
I've also been working on a few new toys for the softie shop. I haven't had a stuffed creature to put up there for so long - and I still have some that need good homes.
We got one tomato out of the garden today! There will be more in about a week.
More Baby News
And now some good news! My brother and his wife are also going to be having a baby, next spring. Before their son was born they lost a little girl - so they are hoping . Of course, their little boy (8 years old) is definitely wanting a little brother. So, we'll see ;)
The somewhat-good or I'm-not-sure news... My mom is buying a Winnebago to come down here with when I have the baby. She said on the phone 'I can come down when you have the baby and stay as long as you want because we'll have our own place to stay.' I'm not sure what to say to this - because yes I probably will appreciate some help the first week back from the hospital, but my Mom living out in our front yard?
Does it make me a bad daughter if that situation scares me? (She doesn't use computers) When I go to visit her in Minnesota it is an all-or-nothing affair, usually. In January Mark and I left for Fargo after one day of visiting, which was unheard of in my family. Usually at least two or three subsequent visits, (morning, night, the next morning etc...) are required at my Mom's house. Even when I get off the phone with her, it is usually 'Will you call me back tomorrow?, or 'Should I call you back tonight after dinner?' She really really misses me. And, because her memory is failing some, we usually go over the same 'new' things several times during a conversation or visit and she will say 'Oh, I didn't know we already talked about that. I forget sometimes.'
So yes, I like to help my mom, and to talk to her, but how do I say 'If you live in the front yard in a Winnebago for a month we might all go nuts' without really hurting her feelings? I'll also have to write her a letter about it... having it on paper makes her remember better and is a reminder when she forgets.
Not enough change on the belly chart this week to make a new line - but the baby has been kicking stronger and at more regular intervals.
While I escaped morning sickness, the 'pregnancy achy joints' has hit me. I wake up three or more times at night with my hips and knees aching and feeling creaky. Sometimes turning over is enough to go back to sleep, but this morning I got up at 4 am and didn't go back to bed. Being still for hours at a time really does a number on them. I looked at some other mothers on pregnancy bulletin boards and apparently there is no exact 'right amount of activity', too much makes them hurt, too little makes them hurt.
I've also been working on a few new toys for the softie shop. I haven't had a stuffed creature to put up there for so long - and I still have some that need good homes.
We got one tomato out of the garden today! There will be more in about a week.
More Baby News
And now some good news! My brother and his wife are also going to be having a baby, next spring. Before their son was born they lost a little girl - so they are hoping . Of course, their little boy (8 years old) is definitely wanting a little brother. So, we'll see ;)
The somewhat-good or I'm-not-sure news... My mom is buying a Winnebago to come down here with when I have the baby. She said on the phone 'I can come down when you have the baby and stay as long as you want because we'll have our own place to stay.' I'm not sure what to say to this - because yes I probably will appreciate some help the first week back from the hospital, but my Mom living out in our front yard?
Does it make me a bad daughter if that situation scares me? (She doesn't use computers) When I go to visit her in Minnesota it is an all-or-nothing affair, usually. In January Mark and I left for Fargo after one day of visiting, which was unheard of in my family. Usually at least two or three subsequent visits, (morning, night, the next morning etc...) are required at my Mom's house. Even when I get off the phone with her, it is usually 'Will you call me back tomorrow?, or 'Should I call you back tonight after dinner?' She really really misses me. And, because her memory is failing some, we usually go over the same 'new' things several times during a conversation or visit and she will say 'Oh, I didn't know we already talked about that. I forget sometimes.'
So yes, I like to help my mom, and to talk to her, but how do I say 'If you live in the front yard in a Winnebago for a month we might all go nuts' without really hurting her feelings? I'll also have to write her a letter about it... having it on paper makes her remember better and is a reminder when she forgets.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Summer Solstice
I usually get up at dawn to watch the sunrise on the Solstice, because I was born around 7:30. However, this morning I didn't feel a need to go sit in the sun and ask for 'answers'... I woke up with the sun coming in our windows and across the trees in the yard - and Mark asleep across from me. I had a soft pillow drawn up under my stomach, and our baby nestled there (not kicking, although she had been moving actively just before I went to sleep). I didn't need to go look for answers - because this feels sweet and right. I smiled and went back to sleep for a while.
About nine I went for a walk down to the lake. I sat on the big sandstone rock there and looked out over the mirror surface of the water. The sun was warm, and the blue of the sky was reflected with all the greens of the trees. There are a myriad of grasses, mosses and other life at the lake. I watched fish jump and swim just under the surface, small spiders build their webs betweeen blades of grass, and dragonflies danced out over the lake, fishing for smaller bugs. A mockingbird flew in from a tree to snatch a dragonfly right out of the air. A blue heron took flight across the lake.
Instead of looking for answers I was just soaking in all of the experience. The structure of life, and its many forms, all of what I could see from one small spot on Earth. The colors, and sounds and warmth of that place was alive yet serene. Instead of looking within for a birthday mediatation, I was looking outward and letting it come in.
I'll still be looking for messages, if not expecting them to answer anything. The universe is full of messages and experiences to contemplate on and interpret. It's just part of what I've been exploring all of my life - the journey of being human and stopping to try to understand the moment as well as the destination.
About nine I went for a walk down to the lake. I sat on the big sandstone rock there and looked out over the mirror surface of the water. The sun was warm, and the blue of the sky was reflected with all the greens of the trees. There are a myriad of grasses, mosses and other life at the lake. I watched fish jump and swim just under the surface, small spiders build their webs betweeen blades of grass, and dragonflies danced out over the lake, fishing for smaller bugs. A mockingbird flew in from a tree to snatch a dragonfly right out of the air. A blue heron took flight across the lake.
Instead of looking for answers I was just soaking in all of the experience. The structure of life, and its many forms, all of what I could see from one small spot on Earth. The colors, and sounds and warmth of that place was alive yet serene. Instead of looking within for a birthday mediatation, I was looking outward and letting it come in.
I'll still be looking for messages, if not expecting them to answer anything. The universe is full of messages and experiences to contemplate on and interpret. It's just part of what I've been exploring all of my life - the journey of being human and stopping to try to understand the moment as well as the destination.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)