Bye Bye Birdie!

Gib had a football tournament this past weekend and Collin and Ryan were thrilled to spectate. After a stop at Walmart for the forgotten mouthpiece and a drive thru Whataburger for some taquitos, we were ready. Gib was scheduled to play about 3 hours of games so everyone got comfortable and the events began. It wasn't long, though, until Collin decided that some exploring might be fun. He was gone for a while and then finally returned with something extra, something feathery, something chirpy.



A tiny fluffy thornbird! Many of the parents watching the game were so surprised to see all this unfold, but if you have read my blog before, you know this was not the first time my kids found a baby bird. Now, in Collin's defense, it was a chilly morning and the bird was wandering around without a mother in sight so his effort was sincere, but it was Saturday so I was unsure of the Bird Rescue hours which seemed to leave us with only one option. After the games ended ( and we won't talk about the scores at this time), we decided to let the little towel wrapped thing ride home with us. Everyone was so excited and made every effort to take good care of the chick. Luckily, she made it through the first night and by Monday morning she had really settled in.



So, today I called the Rescue to make sure we were taking care of her properly (ie: heat lamp, food etc.) when I learned they need to eat every 30 minutes from sun-up to sun-down. Uh-oh. I suspected this already because she has been very chirpy and I might not be a mama bird but I am a mom. So... to keep or not to keep? The answer was clear when the rescue said they would be happy to take her today at 5:00 which demonstrates once again how everything works out for the best. I know the kids will be a little sad but I'm yawning at the mere thought of trying to give her the care she needs, and do laundry and drive carpool and make dinner for the non-feathered...

Bye Bye sweet Birdie!

A good friend sent these words my way today. Some phrases are familiar and some are new but all are worth remembering. Thanks, Joann!

A sharp tongue can cut my own throat.
If I want my dreams to come true, I mustn't oversleep.
Of all the things I wear, my expression is the most important.
The best vitamin for making friends.....B1.
The happiness of my life depends on the quality of my thoughts.
The heaviest thing I can carry is a grudge.
One thing I can give and still keep...is my word.
I lie the loudest when I lie to myself.
If I lack the courage to start, I have already finished.
One thing I can't recycle is wasted time.
My mind is like a parachute...it functions only when open.
The 10 commandments are not a multiple choice.
The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime! It is never too late to become what I might have been.

The Land

Peaceful, serene... our most loved place to pause and breathe.

Sam Brown... you are so very loved!

That face, those eyes

...enough said.

Washington, D.C.

Here are a few photos from our recent trip to our nation's Capitol. To say this city is lively is certainly an understatement. Before we left, I let my cousin, Herb (who lives in the DC area), know we would be in town for a few days... his immediate response was, " Oh, such a short time, how are you going to see it all?", and he was so right! It would be impossible to take in even one third of this city in several days. So, with 72 hours to fill, we ate our Wheaties, made our must see list and set out.

This first photo is of the Washington Monument of course. I love the way it looks like its growing right out of the garden.


Sam was such a good sport about letting me take his picture a hundred or so times.


Here, at the National Museum of Art, is a pencil by one of my favorite American artists, Mary Cassatt.


Raoul Dufy, The Beach at Sainte-Adresse, 1906


Man in Waiting, 2008


The Lincoln Memorial was top on Sam's list, and you can see why. Amazing.


The Jefferson Memorial from across the Tidal Basin.


This is from the Battle of Iwo Jima. See how small the tourists are in relation to the sculpture? So very powerful.


For three days we hotel hopped and walked and rode the metro and walked some more. It was so memorable. We really didn't want to come home... as usual. Don't get me wrong, we love our great big family but we just think getting away from life's routine is the best gift a couple can give each other. Well, that and an appointment with the massage therapist on the last day of vacation!

Thanks, Babe, you are the best!

The Cherry Blossom Festival

Sam and I had the opportunity to see this beautiful festival last weekend while we were in DC. I took these first couple of photos on the grounds of the Arlington National Cemetery. Most of the trees flowered about a week ago, but these blooms were very fresh.





And here, after they fell off the tree, the lawn was covered in pale pink snowy blossoms.