January 2011 Archives

The past few years the robins have apparently decided that Indianapolis is far enough south for them to hang around all winter.  I have seen huge flocks of the poor things - digging around in whatever bare ground they find, looking for worms.  Yesterday they paid a visit to our yard, up close to the front of the house where the snow has melted and they could have a hope of a meal.  It was interesting to see them scoot the leaves and mulch out of the way, then wait to see if a worm would be uncovered.  I am really not even sure that the earthworms are anywhere near to the top of the ground this time of year!

If they want to spend the winters here, they may have to take up "birdseed" eating.  There are plenty of us who keep the birdfeeders full all winter long, and as the sign in our backyard says "Every Birdy's Welcome"!!

Happy 62nd Wedding Anniversary to Liz and Marshall ~ what an accomplishment :) 

Your wedding picture is on the wall in in our front entry, so it is fun to see you and your attendents on that happy day!

Had he lived, he would be 115 years old today...not many days go by that I don't remember each one of my grandparents with much love and a big smile!

Happy 31st to Taylor, as hard as it is to believe!  He was born just a few months after we moved down here from Minnesota, so he is part Minnesotan and part Hoosier I guess. 

We had a nice brunch for him this morning and when we sat down to eat Ella said "It doesn't seem like everybody is here!"  After thinking a moment we all said that it was because Matthew and Davie were missing - during the 2 1/2 years that they lived here, we enjoyed many a Sunday brunch together, and it sure does seem empty without them!

Yes! It is that time - I have gathered my Hawaiian music CD's and starting tomorrow I will be listening to the lovely music of the islands each day until we leave for Honolulu. 

Only 24 more days...

Cardinals look just beautiful against our freshly fallen snow - today I saw 5 pairs of them in the back yard.  They aren't territorial in the wintertime so peace reigns at the bird feeders!  In the summer one normally sees just a pair at a time, occasionally two but no more.  Several winters ago we had 9 pairs at once - what a glorious sight!  I also saw a white throated sparrow, the likes of which I have only seen stopping by in summer before today.  What a treat to see these feathered friends, perhaps a reward for my shoveling the driveway today!

Here is one by William Carlos Williams, called "Winter Trees"

 

All the complicated details
of the attiring and
the disattiring are completed!
A liquid moon
moves gently among
the long branches.
Thus having prepared their buds
against a sure winter
the wise trees
stand sleeping in the cold.

One of those lovely things about home ownership is getting something repaired that you didn't even know was broken!  The brick masons finished tearing down our front fireplace chimney yesterday, and today they completely rebuilt it with new bricks.  It looks great, but then it looked great to us before too - haha!  Apparently it was deteriorating and at some point it would have developed lots of very large cracks in the cement.  A house that is 50 years old will do that I guess!  We are thankful to have it finished and the craftsmen did a fine job.  I have to say, there are alot of other things that I would have rather done with that investment, but oh well!

 "All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost" 

                                                         J.R.R. Tolkien  1892 - 2003