Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

I did not see the Carolina wren for about a week.  I had discovered a nest the bird was making then.  Today I spotted two right outside my large living room window.

That was the only time I saw two at once.  I checked my bird book:  both the male and female are identical.

One of them hopped on the chair right in front of me on the porch with several pieces of straw in its mouth and then disappeared into the large white pine branch still leaning against the house, torn off our tree during an ice storm.

The nest was on the ledge behind the branch.  I was hesitant to view it again for I did not want to disturb the bird especially if it was already sitting on its eggs.

Now I was keeping my eyes open for the bird thrilled they had not abandoned the nest.  It was a only a small moment in my day but it made me happy.

Tags: bird book, bird eggs, bird making a nest, bird nest, bird-watching, birds, Carolina wren, ice storm, made me happy, porch, straw, white pine, window
Posted in beauty, birds, knowledge&learning, local, nature, seasons, time | 1 Comment »

Spring has finally arrived although it does not seem that way:  it is thirty-eight degrees presently.  A few days ago it hit seventy-eight.  The day was a harbinger of spring.  Today it is here only in name.

I know it is getting warmer.  I really want the cold weather banished and that is not going to happen.  A few days this week it is not going to hit forty.  I know the warmer temperatures are coming.  I am impatient.

This winter was just too cold.  I know the consistent warmer temperatures will come and before I know it it will be summer and I will again wonder where spring went.

Tags: cold weather, harbinger of Spring, spring, summer, warmer temperatures, weather, winter
Posted in life, local, nature, seasons, time | No Comments »

Others can’t help revealing themselves:  all you have to do to understand this is to eavesdrop on peoples’ conversations.  What is occupying their minds, their present concerns comes out in their speech to other people.

Sometimes if you know the person, what is left out is revealing.  Other times you discover what is really on their minds when you listen.  Of course, some people are closed books and keep their thoughts and feelings to themselves.

Even then, you have some idea how they are doing:  ninety per cent of communication is non-verbal.  You have to look past the words they utter.

For others, you have to sense what they are saying jives with their body language.  In any case, most people can’t help revealing themselves one way or another.  You just have to pay attention.

Tags: body language, closed books, communication, conversations, eavesdrop, feelings, non-verbal, pay attention, reveal themselves, speech, thoughts, words
Posted in knowledge&learning, life, love, marriage, mental health, relationships, time | No Comments »

We have too many things in our house.  And that has me depressed.  I want greater order in our house.  I don’t know how to get there.

There are too many books, too much music particularly LP’s, too many knickknacks, electronic, computer and stereo equipment.  Some of it is broken down and other equipment is obsolete.

I just want to throw away some stuff, give it away, whatever.  Some of it is not mine.  It belongs to my wife.  I don’t know how to straighten up our house.  I am surrounded by things.

I just want to throw up my hands.  I don’t know where to start.  It is driving me crazy.  The disorder that is.  I want to say “abracadabra” and wake up and most of the stuff is gone.  I just don’t know what to do.

Tags: abracadabra, books, broken down, clutter, depressed, disorder, driving me crazy, electronics, give away stuff, knickknacks, LP's, music, my wife, obsolete, records, stereo equipment, straighten up the house, surrounded by things, throw away stuff, throw up my hands, too many things, too much stuff, want order in our house
Posted in balance, life, local, love, marriage, relationships, time, wisdom | 3 Comments »

Tomorrow is spring.  It has been a long cold winter.  The daily temperatures have been getting higher so I know it is only a matter of time before winter and the accompanying cold weather will just be a memory (till next year).  Right now I just want to feel warmer.  I am tired of the cold.

Tags: cold weather, feel warmer, long cold winter, spring, tired of the cold, winter
Posted in local, seasons, time | No Comments »

Spring was less than three days away.  It is a beautiful day.  The forecast said it would hit sixty degrees today.  The sky was blue with hardly a wisp of cloud.  I was tired of the cold temperatures.  I am ready for spring.  The daffodils are almost ten inches high.  I noted yesterday that one primrose was budding.  I was not sure we would have any.  Hope was on the horizon.  This long winter was almost over.

Tags: a beautiful day, blue sky, cold temperatures, daffodils, flowers, hope, long winter, primrose, ready for spring, spring, winter
Posted in balance, flowers, knowledge&learning, life, local, nature, seasons, time | No Comments »

The Carolina wren was all I cared about today.  I viewed it again hopping back and forth searching for material on the ground suitable for its nest.  I usually do not get that close to one.

Yesterday I spotted the nest it was building for the first time.  It hidden by a large branch of our pine tree which was leaning again our house.  The last snow/ice storm had torn it down.

The nest was on a ledge.  Now I am going to keep an (???) it and the bird.  I was feeling really frustrated with the disorder of our house.  Watching for the wren was all I cared about today.

And this bird was out of my control.  The wren did not even know I existed.  And certainly was not interested in straightening up my house.  I just liked keeping an eye open for it.

Tags: bird nest, bird-watching, birds, Carolina wren, pine tree, wren
Posted in birds, local, nature, time | No Comments »

One bar of soap.  Does not seem much.  There is such a schism between the rich countries and Haiti, who is having a cholera epidemic because most people can’t afford one bar of soap to wash themselves after they go to the bathroom.

Our church is collecting wrapped bars of soap to be sent as part of a kit to Haiti.  Haiti is one of the poorest countries of the world and there are still hundreds of thousands of people living in camps after an earthquake devastated their country maybe a year ago.

They have been out of the news but their poverty has not left them and they have not recovered from the earthquake.  And now cholera is sweeping through their midst.

And something as little as one bar of soap can slow down the spread of that disease.  It gives you some food for thought.  No American gives any thought to buying a bar of soap.  Yet it is a luxury there.

Tags: American, bar of soap, cholera, earthquake, go to the bathroom, Haiti, living in camps, luxury, our church, poor countries, poverty, rich countries, washing
Posted in balance, death, health, knowledge&learning, life, money, politics, time, wisdom | No Comments »

Even in NYC others want a connection with nature.  I was visiting my friend there and I noted facing one window were all kinds of houseplants.  Yes, you are surrounded by concrete pavements and buildings but others still desire that connection.  Sure there are parks in the City.  And they are well attended.  I remember going to one nearby my friend.  And huddled in one bush was a robin.  I never had seen one in February before.  It is so easy to feel divorced from the world God has created living in such a big city.  It is just a little bit harder there but the popularity of houseplants indicate but (???) every person wants that connection.  A world really never too far away.  There is the wind, the sun, rain and even snow and even the ubiquitous pigeon that remind you there (???) nature is not too far away.  It just seems that way sometimes.

Tags: big city, birds, connection with nature, February, God, houseplants, nature, NYC, parks, pigeon, rain, robin, snow, sun, wind
Posted in balance, beauty, birds, God, life, nature, seasons, time | No Comments »

Spring is now one week and one day away give or take an hour or two.  It was a beautiful day.  The sun was shining and it was, at least fifty, degrees outside.  Pretty soon this cold weather will just be a memory.  Of course, nothing is forever.  I will just experience today.  That is all I have.  And sometimes that is all you can focus on—today.  So I will enjoy today exactly how it is.  And worry about tomorrows.  Another day.

Tags: beautiful day, cold weather, enjoy today, experience today, nothing is forever, seasons, spring, sun shining, tomorrows, winter
Posted in beauty, life, local, nature, seasons, time, wisdom | No Comments »

It must almost be spring.  Today I saw a robin near our feeders.  I ran out into the yard to make sure I was not mistaken and saw a pair of them hip hopping in the snow across the street.  A little later both of them lit on our front white pine tree:  I guess they could not find any food in the snow.  I was thrilled. And brought them to my (???) attention of my wife.  It was my first sighting of a robin this year.  Both of them were pretty fat so they had no shortage of food.  It was March 8 less than two weeks from spring.

Tags: almost spring, bird-feeders, bird-watching, birds, first robin, March, robin, snow, spring, white pine tree
Posted in beauty, birds, knowledge&learning, local, marriage, nature, seasons, time | 1 Comment »

It is easy to criticize the other.  I am as guilty as the other.  Sometimes all one sees is the flaws of another, the ways the other has failed you.  And when you can’t see beyond that point, that is all you see–the imperfections of that person.

This is a really easy thing to do, just to see where someone has failed you.  And both partners do it.  Our vision becomes myopic.  Faults are all you see.

The good points of your partner (or whoever) become buried in fault finding and criticism.  It is a wicked cycle.  And one can’t stop pointing out the others mistakes.

I just don’t know how to reverse that process and see, again, the best in someone else.  Sometimes all you can see is blackness and you want to come out of that tunnel and start rediscovering why you were attracted to that person in the first place.  You can only change by small degrees–small steps.  This is a very difficult thing to do, especially in the face of negativity.  All I can do is pray and ask for His help above.

Tags: change, criticism, easy to criticize, fault finding, faults, flaws, God, good points, His help, imperfections, myopic vision, negativity, partner, pointing out mistakes, pray, see the best in someone, small steps
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, love, marriage, mental health, relationships, time, wisdom | No Comments »