Bird

This little box that says "Family" tickled my fancy. When I saw it, I just had to have it. It reminds me of my bird. I have been a bit sad because I have not seen my bird for a few days. The last time I saw Bird was on Sunday before I left to see my girlfriend. It is not like him to be gone this long. Recently a Mourning Dove was killed in our backyard. The boys found its feathers on scattered near our plum tree on Monday morning. Probably a hawk as I have seen them float by every so often. Since it happened the birds have not been coming around much. Then suddenly this evening Bird came by! I was filled with joy. He has more dark feathers coming in. It is so wonderful to watch him grow. He gulped down the worms I fed him and then flew off. He seemed very nervous, I guess the recent scare with the hawk has all the birds rattled. I am so glad he is safe and well.

My poll regarding the new background is tied. There are two votes for the plain pink background and two votes for the new background. Hmm, who is willing to break the tie? Leave a comment and let me know which one you like best.

Lady Bird?

Bird visited a long while with me today. Eric took this picture. We have noticed that Bird has some dark feathers coming in. It looks like Bird is a gentleman rather than a lady. We are learning so much about sparrows from this little bird. Bird comes by everyday, sometimes only once a day and other days 3 or 4 times. Today Bird wanted to take a nap after his lunch. He sat in the plum tree and I stood by the tree. He would open his eye and make sure I was still standing there every so often. After awhile I got a chair and sat down and Bird came down and sat in my hair. He also sat on my shoulder and chatted with me. ;-)

Today was just a lazy day, we did not do much. I do not know what is wrong with me, but I have not felt well. I have been very tired, more than normal. I stopped taking the Arimidex. I decided that I do not want to take anything. I feel crumby enough as it is and these drugs make me feel worse with all their side effects. So I am just going to limp along as best I can with what I have. At least my pain level is down, but I still get that queezy feeling quite often. I have an appointment with my bowel doctor next week.

Tonight all of us are going to bed early. Mark belongs to a group of parents who run a fireworks booth in an effort to earn money for charity. The parents all sign up for different shifts. Mark signed up for the 2 AM to 6 AM guard duty. He will be doing it for the next 3 nights. So things are going to be out of sorts for a bit. The boys want to do guard duty with him, so he is going to let one boy a night join him. The boys are so excited; its cute.

Thank you!

To those that responded to my last post, thank you very much!!! Your comments were so helpful, a gift from the Lord. The other night I was talking to Mark and telling him about the women I have met through blogging. As I told him, I began to realized what an incredible blessing you all have been. How the Lord has used each of you to help me. And I hope that I have been used to bless you as well. Isn't the Lord so good to us? Praise Him!

Well, your prayers have worked because my Brandon is getting better. Granted, he is still sick, but he is over the worst of it, I hope. Also, my father in-law is getting out of the hospital tonight. He got a blood infection from the procedure he had done in Arizona in May. They also found an abscess by his pancreas. His white blood cell count was sky high, but now it has gone down into normal range since administering IV antibiotics. Mark took off work today and drove out to see his parents who are presently in California to begin cancer treatment. Of course the treatment for cancer has been delayed, but at least my father in-law is getting good care now.

Lady Bird is still coming by. This morning I went out to turn the sprinkler on and she swooped down on me to say "Good morning!". I still feed her. Today she sat in the tree to be near me while I was on the phone on the back patio. I love her!

Eric is having a nice summer vacation so far. He has been chatting with friends on Facebook. He hooked up with one of his old teachers who had moved to Colorado Springs. She is out in California visiting and he got to have dinner with her and a group of his classmates. Today he went to an old friends' house and he is going to spend the night. This Saturday he is supposed to bike to the beach with the Boy Scouts and next weekend he is going hiking. I am so proud of him for all the good friendships he has made and kept over the years.

Summer is Coming

This week is finals week so our workload for school is light. The boys went to school today. After school Eric and I started cleaning up the sunroom. It has been a mess of books, papers, school supplies, etc. It certainly feels nice to have that room cleaned up. Next I have to go through all their books and tag them for the used book sale at the school next week. The last day of school will be June 12th. The boys and I have mixed emotions because they will be leaving private school behind. It will be a big change for all of us. Even so, we are looking forward to summer, especially since I am in less pain since staying off hormones. It looks like we will be able to have some fun this summer.

I have been feeling melancholy, but certainly perk up when Lady Bird comes for a visit. Before I left for my uncle's memorial she would come by at least 3 times a day. Since then, I only get to see her once a day if I am blessed. She comes with the other birds to eat the seed I put out. Sometimes she waits for me in the plum tree where I feed her worms and we visit. Monday morning when I came out she flew from the plum tree and sat on my head. She is always happy to see me, but then she flies away and I miss her.

Lady Bird, Etc.

Recently, a friend of mine asked about Lady Bird, so I thought I would give an update. Lady Bird still comes by everyday and I feed her while she sits in one of our trees. She flaps her wings at me letting me know I am her mommy and she wants food. Today I noticed she has grown some more, I tell her she is becoming a big birdie. Since I am going away for the weekend I have asked the boys to look after her.

My pain started up today which made the day a bit harder to deal with. Since it is the end of the school year things are extra busy. And to be honest, my sons drive me nuts, there is just no other way to put it. If you knew my sons you would know why I say that. Trying to keep my two boys in line is the same as working with wild horses. One of my sons rigged up something so that he can view his Facebook account while doing research on-line. Sigh. My younger son does not want me to leave home this weekend. He asked his Dad if he could come with me.

My sister in-law lost some weight so she gave me some of her clothes that do not fit her anymore. She buys very nice clothes so I was blessed that she thought of me. I think it is the Lord's way of taking care of me. They are size 4, which is what I wear now, but they were a bit too big when I tried them on. Rather than give them up, I did some sewing and took tucks. It will be wonderful to have some quality shorts & capris for summer.

Enjoying the Quiet

After dropping the boys off at school I came home to a quiet house. I set myself down on the green monster on the back patio. The weather is perfect, not too hot, not too cold. A soft ocean breeze blows. Here is a picture of the "Redneck" sofa with my rabbit companion.

Bun loves to snuggle. She jumps up on the sofa when anyone is nearby, letting us know she is ready for pets. I slipped her a few blueberries, her favorite treat. Lady Bird stopped by for a bite to eat. Here is a picture of her friends busy at the bird feeder I have made.

Tomorrow we are going to our local memorial park to place flags on the graves of persons who served in the military. It is something we do with scouting. We have been doing it since the boys were little. Also, Corrie ten Boom is buried in our memorial park. I have been bringing flowers for her that past few years since finding her grave. The Lord used Corrie in an amazing way, read about an awesome story of forgiveness here. There is also a ceremony that we attend on Memorial Day at the memorial park. Mark and I have been going since before we received the boys. We have a tradition of getting donuts in the morning, the boys love that. This year we are planning on riding our bikes to the ceremony which should be fun.

Update

Today we had our interview at the high school and it went very well. Our humble thanks to all who prayed for us. The principal was impressed with my sons. He said that he could not tell us that we are in and he explained why, but we should get a letter next week letting us know. The feeling was that if he could he would tell us we are in. We celebrated with ice cream afterward.

Lady Bird is still visiting us. Brandon has been the one feeding her most these past two days. I did get to be with her this evening. She sat on me for a bit and she pecked my jewelry, she likes sparkly things. Sometimes I cry when I think of her. I just want to scoop that little bird up and hold her forever. She is like a bit of Heaven.

My father in-law had his procedure done. They got a stint in and the kidney is draining, but they were not able to get the stone out. So he has more procedures to go through, but he has decided to continue with that after the cancer treatment is done.

I took some more hormone today, I did not want to be dragging for the interview. After taking it my spots of endo flared up. At least I know where the endo is. Only problem is the spot at the vaginal cuff. My endo doctor told me he will not do surgery there (too risky). God knows and His grace is always sufficient. I have decided that I am going to try Arimidex for the pain. Right now, we do not see an open door to scheduling surgery.

Confession

Okay, I have a confession to make, I cheated today. I could not stand the upper, in-between the shoulder blades, nagging back pain anymore. I know that pain, it comes on me when I do not take hormones. So today I treated myself to 10 mg. of DHEA. The good thing about taking DHEA is that it tends to go more down the androgen path on me. A few hours after taking it my upper back pain was better, I had clarity of mind, cheery mood and energy. Ahhhh! I was energetic enough to do some decorating for Memorial Day. Here are some pictures.

After I picked Brandon up from school we went over to Panera Bread and had a pumpkin muffin and a cold drink. We had a great time together. With me not taking hormones my mood has been a bit down. It was nice to feel perky enough to take my son out for a treat.

Can you believe it, summer is nearly here? I feel like this school year went by incredibly fast. Only 3 more weeks of school left for us. They are going to be busy too.

I saw Lady Bird today and fed her about 4 times. She would land on me, but she would not come inside today. It makes me sad that she has become so frightened. When she lived with us she was more relaxed and happy, now she is jumpy and constantly watchful. She lives in fear of predators. I know she feels safe with me and I wish I could shield her from all harm, but she has to be a free bird. She shows up with another female bird, they seem to be pals. I am glad she has a friend.

Empty Cage

Lady Bird's cage sits empty at night, I have not had the heart to put the cage away just yet. I miss her quiet little night time cheeps. She visited me quite a bit on Monday. Since I put the bird seed out the sparrows are always at my house. Lady Bird blends in with all the other birds so well it surprises me when she flies out from them. Other times she calls me, but won't come to me. Monday I brought the containers of meal & wax worms out to her and that suited her just fine. She sat in the tree or she would come down on the grass to eat. She has breakfast, lunch and a mid-afternoon feeding. At the mid-afternoon feeding she will fly right to me as soon as she hears my voice. Sunday we had a good afternoon visit, she was content to rest on my shoulder while I went about my business in the kitchen. She nibbled at my hair. Monday she came in the sunroom for a visit, but the boys were being a bit rowdy so she did not stay long. I am blessed that she is doing well, it comforts my heart so much.

Monday evening the boys found a baby raven (a big baby too, big enough to fly, but seemed a bit weak). Eric was thrilled to have it perched on his arm. In the morning I noticed the ravens were quite active and I saw them chase a hawk out of the area. Hmm. Anyway, my boys brought this baby raven home, but I had to draw the line. I decided Eric should put it in a quiet spot. As he was carrying it two adult ravens were following him. One of them swooped down on him. We placed the baby in the quiet spot. Eric went to check on the baby after a trip to the library, but the baby was gone, so hopefully it was reunited with its parents.

Mark got a call from his mother letting him know the latest news about his father. The doctor that he was working with quit the practice and so his case got taken over by another doctor. My father in-law is having a procedure done on Wednesday to break up a stone that is blocking his kidney. Right now the kidney is not functioning properly because of it. I know this weighs on Mark's heart, but even so he has a happy countenance for us all.

I have been doing alright, but having trouble with being tired during the day. At night I can fall asleep on the sofa, but for some reason when I get in bed I lie awake. I think the pain and menopausal symptoms have me messed up. I feel I am lagging behind in too many areas or just barely keeping up. Sigh.

First Night Without Lady Bird

I am getting a little teary writing this post. Today was a busy day for us. My men went to Scout-O-Rama early this morning. After they left I fed Lady Bird and then let her outdoors. She came back for lunch and was very hungry. After a bite to eat she left. My men came home for lunch and shortly after that we went to my niece's 13th birthday party at the roller rink. We had a grand time and I enjoyed skating. (I still have a bit of spunk left in me. LOL) After the skate party we stopped by home, I called for Lady Bird, but she did not come. We gave the kitties a bite to eat, put the rabbit in her hutch and then left to join family for dinner. We came back about 7 pm. Lady Bird is usually in bed at dusk. I called for her, but she did not come. Now it is dark. I am hopeful that I will see her in the morning. I hope she is safe where ever she is.

Lady Bird Update, Etc.

I have been putting bird seed out in our backyard to attract birds. This morning Lady Bird heard the sparrows and was ready to join them. She barely ate any breakfast before she was off with her friends. She is starting to spend more time outdoors. I keep telling myself it is a good thing because that means she is finding food and fitting in. She still comes home when she wants something. She flies into our backyard and calls to me. At times I feel I do not want to let her go, but I've decided true love will let her be free. I am thankful that God has let me take care of this little sparrow, it has been a wonderful blessing.

I do not know why, but exceptionally good days with my bowel are always followed by bad days. Tonight I am having that nausea feeling and pain. I keep hoping that this will go away, but it doesn't. I am afraid to have another surgery. When I had the surgery to reconnect my bowel I was very nervous. I remember when I signed the paperwork at the doctor's office my hands were trembling. I moved forward because I believed it was God's will. This time I am unsure.

Our calendar is full. The next few weekends are booked up, and the end of school is fast approaching. Before I know it summer vacation will be here.

Beautiful Day

It was a beautiful spring day here in sunny Southern California. There was a cool ocean breeze to go with our day. Lady Bird wanted to go flying early in the morning. She came home for a bit of lunch and then went back out. In the afternoon I did a little bit of gardening while the boys sat on the porch and read books. I took some random pictures around the cottage that you might enjoy.





After our nice time on the porch we started moving furniture. The boys got the green monster sofa out of the house. We put it on the back patio for now. After sweeping floors, washing baseboards and whatnot, Eric and I sat on the sofa outdoors. It was actually very wonderful to sit out there with the cool breeze blowing on us. The rabbit jumped up on the sofa and we had fun petting her. We just enjoyed each others company while Brandon was having fun on his Facebook account.

Lady Bird came home around the same time that Mark did. She was one tired little birdie. She fell asleep perched on my arm. It was so cute! Mark took me out for dinner so I did not have to cook tonight. We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant which was an extra wonderful treat for me because my tummy has been having an exceptional good day. Yipee! Afterward, we went over to my brother's to pick up the sofa. We had fun visiting for awhile and then we went on home and got the new sofa inside the house. We really like it. The color is perfect, it really brightens up the room and actually makes our tiny living room feel bigger (I wish it really was, but oh well).

What a Day!

It was a homeschooling day today and it started out with the boys' computer being on the fritz. Eric kept trying to get it going, but it just would not boot up. Later in the day after school was done Eric helped me with some shopping. When we got home, Mark was already home. We wondered why he was home early. He explained that he bent over to pick something up and heard something rip. It was the seat of his pants. LOL I noticed that pair was looking a bit worn, but did not think it was that bad.

We went on a family bike ride, afterward, Eric spent time in the garage tinkering. Both Mark and I are always telling Eric not to get into things that he shouldn't without asking. Well, that always seems to fall on deaf ears. I was sitting at my computer when I heard a sound from the garage that was out of the ordinary. I called to Mark and told him he better get out to the garage and see what the boys were up to. I am so glad I was not the one to go out there. Eric had started a fire. Thankfully, with his Boy Scout knowledge he was able to put the fire out, but not without scorching a rug. The sound I heard was a big flame igniting. I am not going to say how the fire started, but we are blessed that our son was smart enough to put the fire out correctly.

After that, I got a call from my sister that my Uncle passed away. He had taken care of my grandmother for many years and the last time I saw my Uncle after my grandmother had passed away, he let me know that all my letters had meant a lot to her and that I had made her happy. Now he too is gone.

Lady Bird went flying today. She knows her way home and comes to the backyard and calls. I come out and call to her and she flies to me. She is always happy & hungry when she comes home. She usually rests for a bit and then wants to go back out. Today she took another bath and Eric and I snapped off some pictures.

Eric took this picture of her shaking herself off.

I took this picture of a wet bird.

Here she is sitting on the towel fluffing her feathers.

Chit Chat

Okay, Monday, I had my phone consult with my endometriosis doctor (up north). He said he was sorry that the Danazol did not work out for me. He told me to continue without hormones since my pain level has decreased. He also said that he can do surgery. It would be a targeted surgery in the area that I am complaining of. That is just what I was thinking I wanted. With all that laid out before me, I have opted to wait things out another month. I really do not want another surgery, but it does not look like this problem is going to go away without it. Both Mark and I feel the Lord wants us to wait, we need more time in prayer. We want to be sure we do His will, not ours.

Mark is more confident than I am right now. I tend to fill with anxiety, a bad habit from my childhood and the way I grew up. The Lord has brought me through so much, you think I would stop fretting so. I have learned about trials. God uses each and every one of them to work good in our lives. That often times the trial not only benefits us, it benefits others also. That God's glory is seen by others through your trial. When people pray for you and see God work it strengthens their relationship with Him. There are all sorts of trials that we encounter during our life and each one has its value. Trials are opportunities to view God's power, grace and love. To come into a deeper relationship with Him, to be vessels of His glory and power, etc. May I be as Job and be able to say "the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord."

In other news, we got a call from a public high school, the one the boys want to attend. We have an appointment for an interview on May 21st. Mark and I are thrilled. We see it as God's providence. We have both had confirmation from the Lord that this is the way to go. It is hard to take the boys out of a good Christian environment and put them into a worldly situation, but God has directed things this way for us. As I told the boys, God has a plan for them and will use them to make a difference.

As for Lady Bird, she came back to us again after her Monday play day. I started to think that she was not going to come back because it was getting late, but she did. Today she spent the day at home. She was content to lounge on my shoulder. In the early evening we let her out to fly around for a bit. She mostly enjoyed hanging out in the plum tree.

Lady Bird Update

Lady Bird our English Sparrow came back to us on Saturday evening. I was relieved. Mark took this picture of her on my shoulder. You can see how much her feathers have grown in. She still has some baby feathers yet under her adult feathers. Mother's Day she was not a happy bird because she had to stay in her cage. We were in and out all day and did not have time to spoil her. When we got home at night we fed her and put her to bed. This morning she was very hungry. She was content to fly around the sunroom and play "catch me if you can" with our cat Dusty. She ate some seed and drank some water and then she was off to play outside. The boys and I have called her, but she has not come back yet. Play days always make me a bit nervous, wondering if I will see her again. I have fallen in love with this little bird. Her flying off makes me realize my own sons will be flying off someday. It brings tears to my eyes.

Okay, on to something else. I wanted to share some plates I recently bought for $1.99 a piece. They have scripture on them and I thought they would be perfect for our dining room.

Here is a close up shot. It is nice to have the word of God around us. This coming Thursday we will be picking up a sofa from my brother. His wife bought a new sofa and asked us if we would want their old sofa. It is only 5 years old and still in good condition. Since we need a new sofa, but cannot afford one right now, this works out perfectly for us. Especially since it is a color that will work for us. Our current hunter green monster will be replaced by a sleek off white sofa. I will take pictures when we get it. The only thing I am not looking forward to is moving the old sofa out and the new in. It is going to be a job with our tiny cottage, but I am sure we will manage.

The Great Outdoors

My men left early this morning. They went over to the church to clean up the shed full of scout equipment. After they left I fed the animals and went back to bed. A few hours later Lady Bird woke me with her chirping. I threw on some clothes and started my day with her on my shoulder. I decided to do some gardening among other things. Lady Bird would fly up in the trees and then come back down to me as I worked. There was a big black raven lurking about. I was washing up Lady Bird's cage when she left my shoulder and went into our birch tree.

The next thing I knew she was gone. I saw the raven up on top of the telephone pole pecking at something. I called for Lady Bird, but she did not come. I worried. I kept about my business of cleaning and gardening. I called for Lady Bird every so often. Then to my amazement she came! She landed on me and was chirping like crazy. I was so relieved that she was alive. I gave her a couple worms and a drink. Then she got into her bowl of water and gave herself a bath, dried herself a bit, perched on my shoulder and as I walked out the front door of our house, away she flew. A little later she came back and called. She would come down to me, then fly off, then come back. She seemed torn as to what to do, but then heeded the call of the wild. Maybe I will see her tonight.

Here are a couple pictures of what is blooming in my garden. I must admit that I am not a great gardener, but I do try. Below is a picture of my Amaryllis. I got them from my mother in-law who dug them up out of her garden before she moved to Arizona. She used to take wonderful care of them. She dug the bulbs up every season and carefully replanted them. Not me, I am a sloppy gardener, I think I am lucky that they are still alive.

This next picture is of my mini roses that I have managed to keep alive.

I had a bad spell last night, there is something going on inside my tummy. I did not fall asleep right away, too much discomfort. When I finally did, I tossed and turned and had weird dreams. I have skipped breakfast as I have no appetite. The unusual pain continues on today. I wish I could figure what is going on in there. I wonder where the Lord is leading me.

Struggling Along

Thank you readers for your sweet comments, they are very much appreciated. I hope to get some visits in with you when I am able. Just wanted to let you know I am thinking of you.

Thursday, was a day of resting. Lady Bird stayed in and she was quite content to do so. It seemed her play day really wore her out. She quietly stayed in her cage in the sunroom getting regular meals as we attended to our homeschool studies.

Today, the boys went to classes at the church school. I did my shopping that I needed to do and came home for lunch to attend to Lady Bird. I tried to take a picture of her on my shoulder. The quality is not very good and I did not want to use the flash so as not to scare her. She has grown quite a lot since we first received her into our home. Today she was very content to stay close to me. I even sat outside with her and she would fly up into the plum tree and then come back down to me. She did at one point fly up and visit a male sparrow and when he left she came back down to me. She also flew to my husband and loved sitting in his big strong hand.

In the late afternoon, Dusty kitty brought a big lizard into the sunroom. It was a zoo in that sunroom with two cats, two fish, a bird and a lizard. Then the rabbit came in too! The boys were thrilled with the lizard, but too scared to pick it up. I managed to grab it behind the head and we put it outside. Lately, my life has been centered around animals. I suppose I am fortunate, because it has helped keep my mind occupied.

For a few days I felt fairly normal, but just when I think everything is going to be alright, things take a turn. The past couple of days I have been uncomfortable. I get weary of having a feeling that I am sick to my stomach. It is not the normal feeling of nausea, but somehow it feels like nausea. Sometimes the feeling is strong, but I keep pushing myself along.

Lady Bird's Play Day

Lady Bird spent the day outside today. She was content to follow me around the yard as I worked. I had one of the boys bring out a bowl of water for the rabbit to drink and as soon as we set it down, Lady Bird jumped off my shoulder and into the bowl. We all witnessed her first bath. It was really amazing! She just loved that water. Then we all watched her dry herself. After her bath she flew off to be with her friends. She was gone for quite awhile and the boys were so worried about her they went walking and calling for her. Mark comes home for lunch and after eating our lunch I walked him out to his car and said goodbye. After he left Lady Bird saw me and flew over to me. It is the neatest experience having a wild bird fly and land on you. I fed her some bugs as she was hungry. She rested for awhile, spent some time on my shoulder playing in my hair and then she was off again. She did not come back for a long while and we thought maybe it was goodbye time. In the evening the boys were sad that she had not come home. As I stirred a batch of pudding at the stove, I had little tears rolling down my face. Finally at dusk we heard a bird calling that sounded like her. We followed the sound to our neighbor's big tree and there she was high in the tree. She finally came down and was she ever excited and feisty. We fed her and then put her in her cage where she settled down to quietly sleep with her head tucked under her wing.

Lady Bird

Hello readers, thanks to all of you for your sweet comments. It is always nice to hear from you.

I have been busy with homekeeping & homeschooling, but wanted to share about my time with Lady Bird today. For those that our new to the story of our bird, Lady Bird is an English Sparrow that fell out of her nest and my son brought her home. (Yes, we have a thriving ministry of taking in animals of unfortunate circumstances.) Anyway, I have been putting Lady Bird's cage outside in the afternoon & evening hours. Sometimes I leave the cage door open so she can fly off if she wants. Today, she was content to sit in her cage even though the door was open, so I went out and closed it. A little bit later the sparrows came to our yard. There were baby birds with the parents and two of them landed on Lady Bird's cage. They were talking to her and looking at her. After that I opened her cage door and she flew to me and wanted something to eat. So I carried her inside and gave her some bugs then took her back outside. She saw the birds out there again so she flew over to them. She sat with them for a bit and then she came flying back to me without me even calling her. She was all excited and chirping as if she was telling me all about it. It was SO cute! One day she will want to fly away with them, I think that will be the best for her. When she does I will miss her, but for now she is happy to live with us.

My Weekend

A new pillow sham that I picked up on Saturday for $2.99.
It is reversible and ties up at the end.
Brand name too, Liz Claiborne.

Here I am beginning to make my potato soup.
I am cooking up chopped pancetta & onion.

Here I have added creamer potatoes (about 4 cups chopped)
2 cups of water, 2 cups of milk, salt, garlic and 2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon.

Here is the finished product half eaten.
When the potatoes are tender it is ready to be pureed
with a hand blender. Then 1 cup of half & half is added.
It is then ready to serve.

Here are my mashed potato biscuits again.
This time made with a little whole wheat flour.
Brandon requested that I make them again.

Lady Bird spent time outside this weekend. I brought her cage outside and opened the door. She flew out and sat in our plum tree. She flies around the tree visiting various branches and then returns to me or her cage. Today she had to show me how she likes to eat now. She scolded me for not doing it right. She wants to eat on her own, so I set the food down and she tilts her head to look at it. Then she picks it up herself and sort of mashes it up with her beak. Her beak has grown and has a nice point on it so she can peck at seeds. She is trying to get the hang of eating seeds, but isn't quite there yet.

Since I am not taking any hormones I am having menopausal symptoms, which is not the greatest. I feel irritable most days and I enjoy time alone. I think I may be feeling a little depressed due to lack of hormones. Today hubby took me out shopping and told me to pick out what I wanted at the store. What a blessing that was, God is so good to me!