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

I don’t want to go far away.  Last I checked the temperature was seventy.  This could be the last time this year it hits seventy.  I want to enjoy the weather here.  If I can’t enjoy it in my own backyard, how can I possibly enjoy it any where else.  So I will stay put, walk around my property and see what I can, enjoy the sun here and every thing else around me.  I will watch my four dogs run around our fenced yard.  I don’t want to have to go any where but my backyard.  I don’t want to go far away.

Tags: 70 degrees, autumn, backyard, dogs, fence, pets, sun, weather
Posted in beauty, birds, local, nature, pets, relationships, seasons, time, wisdom | No Comments »

The Carolina wren hopped on the fence and sang so sweetly.  This was unusual behavior by this bird but there was a nest they planted ten feet away in a wandering Jew plant hanging from the middle of the garage.  Now I knew what they sounded like.  More than once we saw the birds fly from the nest.  Several times we saw one with a worm in his/her mouth.  I could not hear any babies.  It appeared as two birds were flying back and forth from the nest.  The nest was facing the door and my wife was careful not to disturb the birds when she watered the plant.  Now I know what they sound like.  It seems as if every year some bird nests nearby our front door.

Tags: baby bird, bird nest, bird nest in a flower pot, bird sang so sweetly, bird song, bird-watching, birds, Carolina wren, fence, garage, my wife, Wandering Jew plant, worm
Posted in beauty, birds, flowers, local, music, nature, seasons, time | No Comments »

Every thing is by grace.  God really does not owe us anything.  On Christmas eve, a gray partridge (a Chukar partridge) appeared and fed on the ground and stayed for at least an hour.  I spotted it from our living room window and excitedly called my wife so she could see it too.  I never had seen one before and it took me awhile to properly identify it.

Finally we let out our four dogs.  They had to go out and we delayed it so they would not flush the bird.  I was amazed the bird simply froze near our big white pine and the dogs never spotted it and ran right past it.  Finally the bird ran across the yard, through the fence and disappeared.  We were curious whether the quail-like bird will come back (very similar in size to a bobwhite).

I got up this morning and put on my L.L Bean moccasins my sister bought me.  I had forgotten how comfortable they were.  Now I have to keep them out of reach of my dogs.  They could destroy one in one bite:  they are leather, very temping for one to chomp on.

There are plenty of gifts still to be opened.  Lynelle is not up yet.  I was feeling very grateful and thankful for everything.  I know everything is by grace.  Over two thousand years ago a baby was born in a manger.  We do not deserve Him.  And He died for us.  And it is a free gift.  That is totally by grace.  I did nothing to deserve it.  It is only by grace.

Tags: baby born in a manger, bobwhite bird, chew on slippers, Christmas eve, chukar partridge, everything-is-by-grace, feeling grateful and thankful, fence, flush the bird, four dogs, gifts to be opened, God, grace, gray partridge, He died for us, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus is a free gift, L.L. Bean, living room window, Messiah, moccasins, my sister, my wife, pets, quail-like bird, totally by grace, two thousand years ago, we do not deserve Him, white pine tree
Posted in beauty, birds, death, God, life, local, love, marriage, nature, relationships, seasons, time, wisdom | No Comments »

(1)  My wife whose support makes it all worthwhile

(2)  The extension of our fence so now all four dogs can run wild within it and we don’t have to worry about them getting out

(3)  The seventh Christmas we are spending together

(4)  The purchase of a “new” used vehicle

(5)  another year

(6)  my illness if you can call it that has given me a keener sense of the time bestowed to me

(7)  my two sisters who are always there when I need them

(8)  The four books Marilyn sent to me

(9)  all my friends

(10)  The safety of my trip to Boston during a difficult time:  I know angels were watching me during my ride to Boston and back.

(11)  I finally made it to “Walden Pond”

(12)  All my animals particularly my four dogs who never ask for anything and just love you unconditionally

(13)  For providing for all our needs

(14)  All the people who take care of us:  from Bob our mechanic to our dentist and all our doctors.  They just serve us.

(15)  My wife, the editor, lover and friend

(16)  John, you know who you are

(17)  The heat in our house

(18)  My web site and “Siggy’s Blurbs”

(19)  Sara’s support, you know who you are, also

(20)  My two, Emma and Saul

(21)  for everything I have forgotten to be grateful for

(22)  Pastor Pete and his flock

(23)  only “You” who without I can not do any thing

Tags: 2009, angels watching me, Bob our mechanic, books, Christmas, dogs, dogs love you unconditionally, editor lover and friend, Emma, fence, four dogs, friends, God, grateful, gratitude, heat in our house, illness, John, Marilyn, my animals, my friends, my two sisters, my web site, my wife, new used vehicle, our dentist, our doctors, Pastor Pete and his flock, people take care of us, pets, providing for all our needs, Sara's support, Saul, Siggy's Blurbs, those who serve, time bestowed to me, trip to Boston, Walden Pond, You who I can not do anything without
Posted in animals, beauty, children, death, God, health, life, local, love, marriage, mental health, relationships, seasons, time, wisdom, writing, your job/mission/profession | 2 Comments »

The isolation that follows depression is the worst thing about it.  It is self perpetuating:  you feel all alone and then depressed.  You are depressed, thus you feel alone.  It is a vicious cycle.

Somehow you need to break it.  In the beginning it is very difficult.  I was there.  I started to think of everything I should be grateful for.

Some things were material like the fence we made taller this year so all our dogs could be contained in our yard.  One dog could jump the fence and we wanted him to run wild again.

Four dogs who love me all in their own way was a thing to be thankful for.  I had a special relationship with one–“Tilla.”  That was no small thing.

I had to look for a crack in my depression.  At first it would be small but if I continued it would get bigger and bigger.  Finding things to be grateful for was a start.

Tags: be grateful, break the cycle, crack in my depression, depression, difficult, dogs, dogs love me, feel all alone, fence, find things to be grateful for, four dogs, isolation, material things, pets, self-perpetuating, small crack, thankful, Tilla, vicious cycle, yard
Posted in animals, balance, God, health, knowledge&learning, life, local, mental health, pets, relationships, time, wisdom | No Comments »