Stepping Away from the Edge

For the Birds

This week, Ten on Tuesday has us talking about our Ten Favorite Birds.  Now, I love birds. 

(Portion of an original painting, hanging in my front entryway.)

I decorate with them.

I make them.

(Ravelry link here.)

I attract them to my garden.

I feed them.

(Chickadee on one of my feeders.)

I provide water for them.

(Robin splish-splashing in my birdbath.)

I watch them soar.

(An eagle circling above our lake up north.)

I watch them swim.

(A loon on our lake up north.)

For crying out loud, I even have one in my house.

(Brian's parrot, Puck, for whom I have become caregiver.)

So, it's easy for me to come up with a list of my Ten Favorite Birds!

1 -- Chickadee

2 -- Cardinal

3 -- Tufted Titmouse

4 -- Cedar Waxwing

5 -- Woodpeckers of all types (although I have a hard time loving the damage they inflict to my cedar-sided house and my cedar-sided cottage; c'mon guys -- there are lots of trees!)

6 -- Goldfinch

7 -- Scarlet Tanager (so elusive. . . and so thrilling when you spot one!)

8 -- Eagle

9 -- Loon

10 -- (And, this one is for you, Puck!) Quaker Parrot

In my house; at my cottage; in my garden. . . it's all for the birds!

A Requirement for the Woolen Garments

Tom's work extends well beyond the US borders. . . and he spends a significant amount of his time interacting with co-workers in Mumbai.  From time to time, travel is involved.  Either he makes his way to Mumbai. . . or  his co-workers make their way to the US.

Earlier this fall, Tom was making arrangements for a Mumbai visitor to spend several weeks in Kalamazoo.  Although I can't quite remember the timing of this particular trip, I do recall that it was beginning to get cool; not cold by northern standards . . . but cool.  One day, Tom received an email from the soon-to-be traveling Mumbai co-worker asking if there would be a "Requirement for the Woolen Garments" while he was visiting.

Well.  No.  There wasn't a Requirement for the Woolen Garments THEN. . . but there sure is NOW!

Working on my computer near a slider door?  Requirement for the Woolen Garments!

Going outside for any length of time?  Requirement for the Woolen Garments!

Even dogs have a Requirement for the Woolen Garments* (although this photo was taken early last month -- before there was much snow on the ground).

And. . . even Puck. . . yes, birds, too. . . have a Requirement for the Woolen Garments.

Puck is a tropical bird, and he gets cold very easily.  He likes to sleep up in this corner of his cage . . . so I built a wall-of-wool by tucking in an old, wool scarf (it's the scarf I learned to make cables with so long ago).  It keeps him toasty warm and provides a bit of a barricade against drafts and chill.  He snuggles right up against the Woolen Garment.  (I know.  It sounds like we've bonded.  And, well, maybe we have.)

Anyway . . . if it's as cold where you are . . . as it is where I am. . . get out those Woolen Garments.  It's a Requirement!

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*  I did not knit Jenny's sweater.  I looked around for a pattern for a BIG dog sweater, and didn't really find much to choose from, and none that suited Jenny.  When I found this one in a catalog, I ordered it. . . with the intention of copying it to knit my own BIG dog sweater for Jenny.  So far, that hasn't happened.  But it might.  Someday.

 

Friday Round Up: Random Edition

It's time for a Friday Round Up!  It's been a busy week here.  I was away for two weekends in a row, so I had quite a backlog of chores to catch up on.  Of course, it didn't help that my dryer broke down . . . just as I was starting my assault on Mt. Laundry!  I was stuck with a load of wet towels from "up north" (meaning . . . really old, kind of threadbare, and prone to mildew).  I started my week waiting for a new timer for the dryer. . . and displaying my "up north" towel collection on my back fence.

 

Luckily, the repair was completed by Wednesday, and I was back in business.  (Of course, the laundry had multiplied right before my eyes in the meantime!)

To distract me from the ever-growing laundry pile, I decided to make some ice cream.  Chocolate!  Gosh, there are a lot of calories. . . and fat. . . in ice cream!

 

Making it yourself, it seems like there are even MORE calories . . . because you SEE the ingredients go into the bowl. . .

 

and you know what's in there. 

 

Remember Puck?  Brian's parrot?  Well. . .

 

he's sort of. . . worming his way into my heart.  We still aren't the best of friends, but we like each other a whole lot more now.  He's very, very happy living in my office.  He loves music -- and I always have music playing.  He sings and whistles to the music, and even does a little "dancing" now and then.  He has a lot more social interaction now that he's closer to the center of our home, and he's responding well.  Maybe this will work out better than I thought. . .

 

My herb garden is really flourishing!  Although I snip fresh herbs to use in cooking all the time, it's now Herb Harvest Time.  I picked these first thing this morning . . .

 

and will spend some time this evening freezing some. . . and drying others. . . for use during the winter.  Last week, Kim put together a fabulous post about preserving herbs.  Check it out! 

I also have begun my pepper harvest.  Besides the bell peppers, I'm growing jalapeno and cayenne peppers this year.

 

Actually, it looks like I'm going to have a bumper crop of the jalapenos and cayenne -- so I'm going to string them and dry them for use later.  I'm also planning to try to pickle some of the jalapenos!

With all these herbs around, I've been getting a lot of use out of this nifty little herb chopper.

 

Works like a charm!

 

As for what's blooming this week in my garden. . . we have PeeGee Hydrangea. . .

 

. . . grass "plumes". . .

 

. . . and brown-eyed Susan.

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

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Just a little follow-up note.  Remember this project?

 

The lovely little cardigan with the totally messed up pattern?  Well, I just wanted to let you all know that the designer was very receptive to my notes and suggestions.  For the time being, she has pulled the pattern from distribution/sale and is working out the bugs.  The Ravelry page for this design now carries this note from the designer:

July 18, 2010: Guinevere is temporarily unavailable. I am working on making it a little clearer and to address some errata that has come to my attention. I hope it will be back up for sale in 2 weeks.

I'm so pleased that she is handling things this way.  I just wanted to pass it along. . .

Living with the Consequences

Soundtrack. . .

As a veteran parent, I've made my share of mistakes.  Saying "no" when I should have said "yes."  Not thinking questions all the way through.  Giving partial answers.  Leaving the door open.  Looking the other way because I was busy.  Giving in to whining.  That kind of thing. 

Luckily, the consequences of my parenting mistakes have been . . . fairly mild.  Sure, I should've checked into the level of supervision at that one sleepover. . . but nothing ended up being reported to the police.  And, yeah, I should have been much more explicit about what could or could not be done to "modify" one's muffler . . . but he paid for the repairs.  And, I-know-I-know, I should've been much more cautious about that "nice, handsome young man" . . . but she got over it.  And I can't deny that my daughter's bedroom is painted in three-colors-of-hideous . . . but I can always re-do it.

For a long time, my biggest parenting mistake was . . . not getting Erin out of her sadistic 4th grade teacher's classroom (sorry about that, Erin).  She survived, of course, but I do have regrets.  But now. . . I am living with the consequences of what can only be described as My Biggest Parenting Mistake of All Time.

Meet. . . Puck.

 

Puck is a Quaker Parrot.  He's about 3 years old, and he belongs to my son.  He came to live with us as a baby bird.  He is loud.  He is messy.  He is territorial.  He adores Brian.  In fact, he thinks Brian is his "mate."  He hates the rest of us.  Hates.

And how did Puck come to live with us?  BECAUSE I SAID YES.  And there you have it.  Biggest Parenting Mistake of All Time.  

And now. . . now. . . I must live with the consequences!  Literally.  Because. . . Quaker parrots live a long, long, long time (like. . . 30 - 50 years).  And. . . because Quaker parrots need a lot of space (big cage; really big; piece-of-furniture big).  And . . . they need human interaction and social stimulation; along with daily care and cleaning.

Clearly, I did not think this one all the way through.  Because. . . Brian is leaving for college at the end of August.  And he can't take Puck.  So.  Guess what?

I HAVE A BIRD!!!!

 

A bird I'm not overly fond of.  A bird who hates me.  A bird who talks and poops all the time.  A bird who has just moved into my office space with me.  (Brian is hoping we can "bond" before he leaves for college.)

I am definitely living with the consequences.  It's going to be interesting. . .