Fringe on the Cranberry bag

I finally put fringe on the bottom of the cranberry bag I've been working on.
The photo fails to capture the essence of the piece...in life it dazzles. I am working on options for the necklace portion.

I was supposed to go to my old improv class last night and show my teacher my cranberry bag and also some of my beads so we could compare it to a red jacket and purple hat she likes. All day I was looking forward to this event. Though when it was time to go...I pooped out. Went to bed for 4 hours instead. Very disappointing indeed.

When I miss events and deadlines and just plain don't have the ability to drive when I need to drive is maddening. The years have not helped me get any more accustomed to this fact of sickness. It is a test of my friendships also. The only way one can be certain I will make it to a meeting is to come and pick me up. If I don't need to drive then I can go "as is" and not worry about being unsafe on the road.
Fortunate for me I have a few friends who will go far out of their way to include me in their plans and life.

Early Sunday morning a neighbor called to say they found a little yellow bird on their doorstep. I went over to find a very small parakeet...hungry and tired. He was nearly falling over with exhaustion. We nearly named him "Sleepy" but turned it to "Lucky" instead. He is so very lucky a cat didn't eat him, or that he was found before he croaked.
I have lucky here at my place and he is looking a little better each day. He is surprisingly tame. Has not bitten me even once.

I have no wish to keep Lucky since I am full-up on birds. It won't be a problem to find him a good home through my bird connections. He will be a great first bird for a child or adult. Say a prayer for Lucky to get all well and find that loving home.

Say a prayer for me also so that I can finish the cranberry bag. I want it to be spectacular! A prayer for my body and mind wouldn't hurt any either.
I am grateful for today and the hopes of things to come.

GratefulJoy

This photo is of my Meyers Parrot named Scooby Dooby...well, actually I named him Dooby and tell most folks his name is Scooby. I had no idea at that time that in Southern California a Doobie/Dooby/however it is spelled....is a pot joint. I had in mind my preschool days when I used to watch "Romper Room" on TV where they had a bee puppet that always did what was right. The song went: "I always do what's right. I never do anything wrong. I'm a Romper Room Do-Bee...a Do-Bee all day long." The perfect little name for my perfect little baby bird.
Then the laughs started to happen when I introduced him to people.
Live and learn.

Not to toot my own horn, but I cannot think of many people who have lived a cleaner or more wholesome life than I have lived. At my age that is almost embarrassing! There are times I wish I didn't have these stupid ethics or faith based values...Oh, the things I would do.....

The one motto that has stayed my course is the bible verse that says: "Unless the Lord builds the house they labor in vain who try to build it."

In the end, I want the good things of God. Even if it costs me. The good things of God are better (even on earth) than I would have dreamed up. Think I will stay on course a bit longer.

Well Dooby is now about 14 years old. He was 10 weeks old when I got him and he was also my first ever bird. I am thankful for Dooby. I am thankful for what I have learned through birds and the many amazing people I have connected with in the bird world.

I am thankful that I know God loves me and wants good things for me.
GratefulJoy

This photo if of my two Plumhead parakeets named Cupcake and Jelly. Cupcake is the male in the front with spectacular head colors and dark neck ring. Jelly is his sister and has typical female colors (which are not too shabby either).

Last week Jelly came with me to a girl scout troop meeting along with my birds Zoey and Daffy. Jelly is very gentle and I never worry about her biting a stranger. Most of the little girls (first and fourth graders) held either Jelly or Daffy. It was a chaotic good time. I didn't let anyone except me hold Zoey because she is new to me and I don't know her response yet to strangers (particularly children).
I am grateful nobody was bitten and I am glad the girls got to see something a little bit special.

Yesterday I had a really nice meal with a friend at SoupPlantation. I think they call it "Sweet Tomatoes" in the Midwest. I really love to eat salads but dislike preparing them myself. It was a guiltless banquet since the main ingredient on my plate was fresh spinach. Of course I did try the Lemon Lava cake...but didn't much like it (which turns out to be better for me in the long run).

The morning was a total bust for me but the afternoon and evening were not so bad considering I took another load of laundry to my car (just stuck it in the car). That is one step closer to doing actual wash at the laundramat.
Also I made some progress on the fringe portion of a cranberry color amulet bag which I am making. I didn't break any of the beads so far on this project. That is great considering they are very tiny glass beads and easy to break.

Zoey the Caique is settling in to her home here with me. She flies to me when she wants me to pet her head. She is also very endearing when she lays her head on my shoulder while I cuddle her and scratch her ears and chin. Daffy and Zoey are to the point where they can share a neutral perch without ruffled feathers. And I do mean that in the literal sense.

It would be easy to gripe about my achy bod and the wasted hours...but it is far easier to be glad for my Joyful friend, progress on a project, the comfort of my own apartment (however dirty), and an easy microwave dinner. I was glad for the snuggles of my birds and the hope I feel that this will be a much better year than last year. I do, afterall, have a great big God who is capable of more than even I can imagine or dream. My life is not totally dependent on me because God has got my back.

GratefulJoy

The Cranberry Bead Bag Project

This photo shows two of many attempts to get the exact color request of a friend I am making a beaded neckace for....for two years now. When I finally get it right I will consider it my little Sistine Chapel and breath a great sigh.

This week I need to get back to work on the cranberry bag project. This particular beginning may or may not be the part of my finished bag. My friend Jacquie has the patience of a saint. She is ever so kind about my delay. Perhaps that is because Jacquie is very creative. Creativity sometimes works out and sometimes does not. She does Improv Comedy (teaches) and the final product is over in a flash and will never be repeated again. However, my bead projects might just out-last the pyramids and will forever show my sucess or failure.
That idea is perhaps the very thing that is causing me to stumble all over a lot of my projects...I cannot let go of the outcome.

I am thankful that I still have the pep and desire to make a great cranberry bag for Jacquie. I am grateful I have a smidge of talent with which to do such a thing. I am also grateful the patience and kindness of friends.

I do, however, need to address this thing in me that says I must do everything to perfection.

GratefulJoy

Blessings in a 3 pack

This is my friend Amy holding Bonnie (aka Bonita) the bird.

Last Monday I got Zoey bird (White Bellied Caique) which I blogged about already.
She is lovely. Today I took Zoey out with me on her harness. We went to the pharmacy and drove quite a bit in my car together and we went to the bank. Zoey was so good! I'd never used a bird harness before and I am quite glad Zoey was already accustomed to wearing it.

So, the 3 pack of blessings?
Well...
Zoey came by plane on Monday from Tennessee and I also got 2 other birds from Pennsylvania on Monday via a different airline. That's a lot of new birds at once. The two from Pennsylvania are from a new friend there who also breeds Painted Conures and wanted to trade for an unrelated male. Since I just happened to have a spare male Painted conure we agreed on that trade. Sunday early a.m. I will be shipping Noah bird to Pennsylvania from San Diego to Connie. My gain was a beautiful female Painted Conure which I named Bonita (which means "beautiful" in Spanish).

Zoey and Bonita...that's two.
The third bird is a baby Pacific Parrotlet female I bought from Connie (in Pennsylvania) which she shipped with Bonita bird. Two small birds ship for the price of one, so that was a huge blessing. The parrotlet baby I named Winifred.
Winifred, or Winnie, is adorable and she is sort of "engaged" to my lonely bachelor Parrotlet named Wesley.

I didn't explain this all very clearly, sorry. It makes sense to me and that's what matters, eh? The point is that I got 3 new birds on Monday night. They all came by airplane from other states. I didn't go looking for these birds...they just sort of landed in my lap. That's what you call a "God thing".

The adjustment for a bird in a new home takes some finesse. Those first days are vital to the happiness of the bird and the household they will live with. If the bird doesn't feel safe and happy, then it will be a very bumpy ride for a long while.
On the other hand, if the bird thinks she is queen of her new domain then that can also cause conflict. Fortunately I have the gift of empathy. I mean I really am empathic! I feel what people around me are feeling and also most animals. That can be good and it can also be bad (a topic for a different time and place).
My empathic super-power helps birds to trust me and helps them to overcome fears and phobias.

I am loving my new birdies. Each is so different than the other. With each day I see the birds become more trusting of me and feeling just a bit more at home here.

Zoey the Caique is perhaps the biggest challenge of the 3 since I have no personal Caique experience. Caiques are a handful! Sort of like having a tiny chimpanzee in the house. The fact that Zoey is probably smarter than I am is tricky too. I am just a bit more in love with her each day.

I talk a lot about birds in this blog. If anyone is reading they may get the idea my life is nothing but bird poop. Well, there is a lot of that...but, right now birds just happen to be something God is "doing" in my life. I am grateful that God gives me surprises that I would not have thought of on my own. There are adventures to be had that God and I will take together. For that I am grateful.
GratefulJoy

Day One with Zoey

My first day with Zoey bird was really nice. She is curious and smart and energetic. This picture does not do her justice.

The best part of the day was that my dear friend Amy came over and we had girl time. She even brought a delicious lunch! Thank you Amy. You blessed my heart, particularly the prayer and kindness.

Amy and I watched a video that came with a bird harness that Zoey wears. The video was super dull....but educational. Zoey is accustomed to the harness/leash since she is fully flighted (that means that she doesn't get her wings trimmed).
The harness is a tiny leash to safely take the bird out without danger.
When I got the harness out Zoey came over to it and tried to put it on herself (NO JOKE!). That was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. She's more like a little dog than a bird.

I am grateful to God for giving me blessings of all sorts. Even though I don't need another bird, God saw fit to spoil me with Zoey. I am also grateful to Eve for trusting me with her beloved baby. I am grateful to Amy for sharing my joy with me. It's easy for people to see others getting a blessing and instead of being happy with them...envy and resentment set in and spoil the joy. Amy, thank you for letting me have this blessing and making it even better with your love the past couple of days.

I am grateful also for Bonnie bird and Winnie bird, but that if for tomorrow's blog since I am totally exhausted.
GratefulJoy

The Photo that goes with today's blog

Here is the Pacific Parrotlet photo that was supposed to by in the post from today...I really have no idea what I am doing. It's sort of a miracle that this blog happens at all, golly!

Doing the floor

This is a 3 week old Pacific Parrotlet baby I raised in 2006. I thing he's cute even with that pink featherless larvae look. He did get much cuter in just a couple of weeks.

Today I started my bird room floor project.
I am installing vinyl and removing the old old old carpet in that room. This will make maintenance ever so much easier. The vinyl comes in strips like hard wood flooring and installs much the same way...though instead of tongue-in-groove there is special adhesive already applied to the strips so they stick to one another after placed. This is good because I can do the room a little at a time. Ordinary vinyl comes in rolls which needs to be glued down and is very heavy and impractical since I am doing a self-install.

I am thankful for the energy I had today to begin my new floor thing. Only a tiny little corner of the room is done, but, it's better than none. The hard part isn't putting in the new floor, it's removing the carpet and rotting pad and the tack strip around the edges. Underneath is a dirty dusty mess...but I'm getting it done and I am grateful.

GratefulJoy

Christmas on Monday

This photo was taken by a friend in Tennessee. In it is Itsy and Bitsy (painted conure sisters born from my pair named Treasure and Berry) who are scratching Zoey's head (Zoey is a White Bellied Caique).

On Monday Zoey will fly from Tennessee to San Diego to become part of my little feathered family. I am SO EXCITED!!!!!! I've dreamed of having a Caique but didn't plan to ever have one of my own. Thank you to Eve S. for the honor of adopting Zoey. Thank you for the toys and things that will be coming on Monday that will help Zoey feel at home with me.

Zoey comes from a Greek work that means "LIFE".
This little bird is symbolic to me that God is giving me life again. I may even have a Zoey party to celebrate. I needed something good to happen. My discouragement and sadness was getting the better of me...but, then God (via Eve)decided to restore my hope that there is still more good coming to my life.

So, Monday is Christmas for me.
Thanks be to God who still loves me. I am quite grateful for the hugs and kisses from heaven in the form of beautiful birds. Though I still don't know exactly why my life is full of birds, I know that they are a good thing and I adore them.

I am also grateful for my lovely friends who lift my spirit with their endless love and kindness. Everyone needs to be appreciated. My friends are shining jewels in my life.

GratefulJoy