REDBIRD RESCUE!!!

Wyatt and I were setting up our Monopoly game, when suddenly we heard a bird hit the window. It must have hit pretty hard, because it sounded like it cracked the glass. We rushed out to rescue the poor bird, and it was a beautiful male cardinal. (Notice the little bit of purple in the upper left of the picture? That's our little red bud tree.)
He was a little dazed, but lively. We were able to catch him and hold him until he regained his senses. He seemed to understand that we meant him no harm, and after petting him and looking him over very closely, we let him go. He flew to the cedar tree near our deck, where he sat in the sun while we photographed him. He watched us and stayed around for a few more minutes and then he flew away. Wyatt was a little hesitant to hold our redbird at first, but I told him it would feel like he was holding one of the baby chicks at Farm and Home store. He held the bird very gently and carefully. We both were so thankful that the bird was not fatally injured from his crash into the window.
Now we'll go back to our Monopoly game. We just wanted to share our very interesting and unusual experience this morning!

Spectacular Spectacled Susan

Since you asked! Here I am wearing my new "specs". All I can say is that when I'm wearing them ... well, I can see clearly now!

And YES, I do know that the same road going to Cedar Rapids will also take me to your house, Connie....but WHEN are you ever there?

I'm so thankful for you two who read my blog. And keep the comments coming! It makes me feel not quite so one sided. It's still hard for me to believe that I've come from "I'll never be connected to the Internet" to "how did I ever live without the Internet", but I find myself doing more and more online. Proof positive that old dogs can and do learn new tricks!

Today feels like winter! It was 26 degrees this morning with a wind chill (feels like) temperature of -4 degrees! Blustery. The poor little daffodils are being wind whipped. It is sunny and beautiful out the window, but I'm thankful to be inside! Friday and Monday are school holidays. We call it Easter, but of course, the school calendar says "spring" break.

TTFN.... that's ta ta for now, for those who are not familiar with Winnie-the-Pooh vocabulary.

Well, It's About TIME!

It's raining and a little on the stormy side this morning. While I was syncing my "pod", I got to thinking about how long it had been since I made my "weekly" list of five things for which I am thankful. HA! Weekly? It was early in December when I last posted my list! Well, anyway, I got to thinking about that, and FINALLY!!! here is my newest list:


1. SPRING! I am truly thankful that we live in Iowa, where we can enjoy the changing seasons. Often on those fun little “Get to Know You” e-mail questionnaires I am asked which season is my favorite. I have to say, I don’t have a favorite! I love them all! Still, I am thankful for spring. I’m so enjoying the lush green color of our hay fields and lawn, the blooming daffodils and red bud trees, the songs of the songbirds, and watching them build nests. Also, I’m enjoying the warmer temperatures and the longer days. Yes, I am thankful for spring.

2. HIGHWAYS! Do you remember when a trip to Fort Madison or Quincy seemed like a very long trip? Do you remember when Iowa City seemed to be so far away? I can, and do remember! Today, we travel to Iowa City between the morning and afternoon bus route to do a little shopping and have lunch! It’s a four lane, divided highway from here to Cedar Rapids, or Fort Madison and Burlington. We just got home Sunday from a weekend trip to the Ozarks. I can remember back when the trip to the Ozarks was on a narrow, winding road that took forever, and now we can get there in under 4 hours! I am thankful for the roads that make travel so much easier and enjoyable.

3. VISION! I am so thankful for good vision! I recently had an eye exam and got new glasses. I’ll confess, I don’t really like wearing glasses, but I am getting used to them and am very happy to be able to see!

4. BOOKS. I really enjoy a good book! Of course, that’s one reason I’m so thankful for vision! I can read so much better with my new glasses. I’m thankful that there are so many really good books available to read. Reading a book is almost like a vacation. I am thankful for books!

5. WANDA! I’m thankful for Wanda. She’s a wonderful person, and Wanda also loves books. She is very generous to share them, so I can read from her extensive library. When I get a book from Wanda, I can be sure that it will be a good book, without explicit language or trashy themes. I’m thankful for Wanda.

As always, there are so many things for which to be thankful, but these are just the five that popped into my head this morning.

Enjoy this beautiful day!

Belated Birthday Wishes HEIDI!

So, how OLD are you now? We sure hope you had a great birthday. It couldn't have been a more beautiful day, that's for sure! Anyway.....just want EVERYONE who reads this to know that Heidi "FoolBaby" Hays is another year older!


I had the great pleasure of being at the Lake of the Ozarks Annual Gospel Sing for the weekend. Bobbie and I left right after our bus routes Friday afternoon, and were able to attend three concerts and enjoy absolutely great Southern Gospel music! We saw the Ball Brothers Quartet, Higher Power, Sweet Harmony Boys Quartet, Dove Brothers, The Lesters, and Triumphant Quartet. Every performance was excellent and we really had a good time. We also did just a tiny bit of shopping while we were there. Sunday morning, we had breakfast at Stewarts. If you've never eaten at Stewarts, it's a really great value. They serve biscuits and rolls that are the size of a round birthday cake! The food is good, and the prices are very reasonable! I was able to get a few pictures of some of the groups performing. If you are not familiar with Southern Gospel music I would describe it as "inspirational, uplifting music with a country style". It's played on 91.7 FM radio a lot, and if you don't love it, there is something wrong with you!
As I type, I'm watching a pair of bluebirds trying to start a nest in one of our bluebird boxes. Each year we enjoy watching several families of bluebirds raised just outside our window. With any luck, maybe I'll be able to get a picture of them for my next post. Things are so green and beautiful, but the grass is needing clipped, so I best finish this post and get out there!