Something For The Birds

One of my great joys in life is watching birds in my yard. I'm not one of those "bird nerds" who dresses in Indiana Jones clothes, straps my field guide to my belt and goes to bird watching places around the world, my only weapons a camera and binoculars. (Sorry, nerds.) I'm content with the ones that come to my yard. I entice them with black oil sunflower seeds and Marvel Meal, all the while hoping that they don't fall prey to The Brothers Stealth-Cat, Pierre and Sylvester.

Let me share with you the recipe for this wonderful concoction that turns ordinary birds into peanut butter junkies. First though, the instructions for making the feeder.
SUPPLIES
*1 hardwood limb, at least 3" around (we used oak), length of your choosing
*1 screw-eye
*Power drill with paddle bit to make a hole 1" across
Make holes in the limb at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock, staggered around so the holes aren't opposite each other. Drill a starter hole for the screw-eye and put it into the top of the limb for hanging. (I hope this makes sense. Email me if it doesn't.)

RECIPE
*4 cups plain, not self-rising, corn meal
*1 cup all purpose flour, not self-rising
*1 cup peanut butter (I use chunky)
*1 cup vegetable shortening
Mix with electric mixer until the consistency of cookie dough, and store in the refrigerator. To use, fill each hole on the Limb Feeder with this PB mixture. By the way, the recipe is not original. It came from a Birds and Blooms magazine several years ago.

You will love the assortment of birds attracted by this stuff. One day last week as I drank my coffee on the porch, I saw Downy Woodpecker, Red Bellied Woodpecker, Chickadee, Titmouse, Cardinal, Carolina Wren and Blue Jay. Three other birds that usually don't visit feeders but also love Marvel Meal: Brown Thrasher, Towhee, and Eastern Bluebird. And in the winter, the Goldfinches and Sparrows that vacation here literally fight for space on the feeder. The birds will sit in the tree where the feeder hangs, right above me while I fill the holes - as though saying, "What took you so long? We've been waiting."

Happy birdie watching, everyone. I'd love to know what results you get from this little project.

Gateway to the West

St. Louis, the Gateway to the West. It was the stopping off place for many a pioneer as the West was being opened. During World War II, it was a transfer spot for GI's on their way to serve our country. But wait, you may be saying, the Statue of Liberty is in New York. Let me assure you - I am not confused.

Last week I had the great privilege of being in St. Louis for my travel company's annual convention. It was my first time in that city, and probably my first in Missouri. The weather was warm but beautiful, the people friendly, and the convention awesome. There were more than 18,000 people from my company, YTB, at the convention. Taking center stage was a near life-size replica of Lady Liberty that had been commissioned by the company, manufactured in Illinois, shipped in pieces to St. Louis, and assembled for the convention. This beautiful statue was just 21 feet shorter than the original, only because an exact replica would not fit into the Edward Jones Dome. At the end of the convention, she was disassembled and shipped back to Illinois, where she will have a permanent home. All I can say is, "Wow!"

The highlight of the trip, outside of the convention, was going to the St. Louis Zoo. I just wish I had had more time to spend there. My favorite part was the butterfly house, with an amazing assortment of butterflies from around the world. I could have spent an hour there just watching these beautiful creatures move. Seeing them from a Biblical perspective, that God is an all wise Designer and Creator, made me take notice of the diversity in just this one part of nature, God's creation.

Of course we visited the famous St. Louis Arch and learned how it was engineered and constructed. People said it could not be done, that it was impossible to build such a structure, that it would not stand the test of time. But it was built and it continues to stand. All of us have naysayers in our lives who tell us that things we want to do are impossible. They speak the loudest and most often. They seem to be full-time dream squashers. Negative people. Let's not listen to them. We will continue to love them, but tune out the things they say. That was my lesson from my trip.

I'm so glad I was able to go, but am delighted to be back in my little country home. Give me the simple life, with little splashes of adventure thrown in, and I'm a happy girl.

Consistency? What's that?

When I was in high school - yes, they had them back then - keeping a diary was all the rage. I heard friends talking about theirs, how they hid them from their mothers and little brothers, how they wrote their deepest secrets in them. So I started one. I wrote in it a few times, and kept it locked and in the back of my closet. I really didn't have any shameful secrets to write about, thankfully, and found it difficult to find ANYTHING to put in it most days. So I skipped a lot of entries, then just stopped altogether. I don't even know what happened to that diary.

After our daughter, Tracee, was born, I started a journal (sounds more grown up than "diary") that I planned to give to her one day so that she would know what her childhood was like. I think I lasted about two months. I'm seeing a pattern here.

Now I find myself pressed to make time for blogging. It's hard to find anything to write about that might be remotely interesting to anyone else. Is this hard for anyone else???

So, as old-time story tellers used to say, the moral of the story is this. I'm reminded that I am a waverer, not completely reliable, inconsistent, in many areas of my life. I want to be more disciplined, but not to the point of becoming so predictable that I'm boring. (Ever know anyone like that?) I desire consistency. I find such consistency not in me, but in the Savior I serve. "Remember your leaders, who spoke the Word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:7,8 What a fantastic truth. Me? Not consistent. Jesus? ALWAYS CONSISTENT. NEVER CHANGING. ALWAYS HERE WITH ME.

Now that's worth writing about!

A visit from a friend...

Today a long time friend came to my house for lunch. We've been friends for more than 25 years and live less than 20 miles apart. But we usually never get together more than two or three times a year. This year has been different, though. We saw each other about eight weeks ago, also for lunch.

I thought after she left what a refreshment to my spirit her visit was. We ate chicken, pasta salad, watermelon, and blueberry cobbler. We drank iced tea and laughed. Talked about her trip to the mountains planned for this Fall.

You know how it is, ladies, when you get to spend time with a friend who encourages you, loves you with all your flaws, genuinely likes being with you. (And I think it is a girl thing that men just don't understand completely.)

Paul, the Apostle, mentions the mutual encouragement of believers in several of his New Testament letters. Romans 1:11-12 "I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong - that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith." That is what happened today. Each was encouraged by the other. Built up. Edified.

I'm so grateful for the friends I have been blessed to have. But wait, there's more. The God of the universe counts me His friend! That is almost too much to grasp. But He does. Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants...instead I have called you friends." John 15:14-17. And better yet, He will never leave me. Never. Ever.

Awesome truth from an Awesome God.

FOR TODAY (June 19, 2008)...

Outside My Window . . . Clouds are building. I hope it rains.

I am thinking... Today seems to be passing so quickly. I don't think I've accomplished as much as I'd hoped to.

I am thankful for... the air conditioner. It's very hot and muggy outside.

From the kitchen...Soon there will be the aroma of chicken and veggies baking with a few fresh herbs from the garden. YUM.

I am wearing...shorts, tee top, no shoes.

I am creating...listings for eBay. Too much stuff in our house.

I am going...NOWHERE.

I am reading...a guide for small group leaders for church.

I am hoping...for a quiet evening with my husband.

I am hearing...the dryer buzzing, telling me my laundry is dry.

Around the house...an unfinished scrapbook page seems to be saying, "Hey, how 'bout me?"

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Finish filling out the Love Drawer packet from Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...Aren't tea parties fun? The girls in our family got together for this one last Fall. I think it's time for another one. Yep, definitely!

I'm so glad to be able to participate with the others in this Notebook entry. You can visit The Simple Woman's blog

HERE!

FOR TODAY (June 9, 2008)...

Outside My Window . . .A female cardinal is having a breakfast of black oil sunflower seeds, wet from last night's rain.

I am thinking... about my friend, Cora, and the scary week she is facing.

I am thankful for... the fellowship of believers, and for our church family.

From the kitchen... nothing yet except the aroma of the now empty coffee pot.

I am wearing... shorts, tee top and flip flops.

I am creating... scrapbook pages - from 2001! I don't know how, but these pictures were overlooked for, well, seven years.

I am going... to run errands this morning, as many as possible on one trip to conserve the liquid gold that now goes into the gas tank.

I am reading... Developing the Leader Within You, by John Maxwell

I am hoping... to be back home before noon today.

I am hearing... my little 10 pound, 8 year-old poodle snoring beside my desk. He loves being near me.

Around the house... there are sandy little boy footprints that need to be vacuumed up. Jacob was here this morning helping me with a chore so that he could earn spending money for Kids' Grace Camp next week. I love that!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... make calls for my travel business and have Jessie, my almost-thirteen-year-old gradddaughter come for sleepover.

Here is picture thought I am sharing... "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." I Peter 1:24

I'm so glad to be able to participate with the others in this Notebook entry. You can visit The Simple Woman's blog HERE!

HERE!

Our Garden

Things are very different for growing a spring garden here in Florida. We have already harvested all the cucumbers and green beans that we will get from this garden, and it is only the first part of June. For the rest of the very hot, hot summer we can plant okra and Southern peas, like black eyes, crowders, purple hulls and creamers. We already are planning our fall garden and are converting to a square foot method, like the one Tracee has planted.
It was so rewarding two nights ago when the only thing on the table from the grocery store was the chicken, rice and salad dressing. The garden provided us with green beans, new potatoes and a salad of cukes and tomatoes with fresh herbs. I sooo love being a country girl.