Bird of Paradise

The first time I remember hearing about a bird of paradise was when I was little girl and heard a song on the radio called, May the Bird of Paradise Fly up Your Nose.*  It was the silliest song that I had ever heard, and it made me giggle. Even today when I hear about or see a bird of paradise (bird or flower), I am amused. 

Little did I know that it had other powers too. Recently, my friend gave me a bird of paradise flower that she brought back from California.  I carried it with me one day (protecting it from the cats) while I was doing my chores. As the silly flower watched over me while I was working, I actually didn't mind doing my work so much.

Some say" Many hands make light work," but I say, "Carrying a bird of paradise flower around with you makes light work."  (Falls right off the tongue, doesn't it?)

Chores and My Helper

The song that started it all.

*May the Bird of Paradise Fly up Your Nose

by Little Jimmy Dickens

One fine day as I was a-walkin' down the street

Spied a beggar man with rags upon his feet

Took a penny from my pocket

In his tin cup I did drop it

I heard him say as I made my retreat

CHORUS

"May the bird of paradise fly up your nose"

"May an elephant caress you with his toes"

"May your wife be plagued with runners in her hose"

"May the bird of paradise fly up your nose"

The laundry man is really on his toes

Found a hundred-dollar bill among my clothes

When he called me I came a-runnin'

Gave him back his dime for phonin'

I heard him sayin' as I turned to go

CHORUS

I was way behind one day to catch the train

Taxi driver said "We'll make it just the same"

The speed cop made it with us

And as he wrote out the ticket

I stood by politely a-waitin' for my change

CHORUS

Food Waste Friday--December 2, 2011

It's time for Food Waste Friday, when the Frugalgirl encourages us to post pictures from the previous week of wasted food from our household. This accountability hopefully will help us to be more careful with our food and maybe save some money.

Here it goes for this week.

We raced the clock and won on some turkey and a smoothie this week that were getting old, but we didn't make it to these carrots. They got shoved to the back of the refrigerator and froze. If I had acted immediately, I might have salvaged them in a soup. However, I just left them there and watched them dry out. 

It's kind of boring this week and I don't really have much else to say other than next week we hope to do better with not eating out so much. Read my post about squirrels. That's more interesting.

Squirrel update

As you may know, we have been waging a war trying to keep the squirrels off of our bird feeder. Here is a reminder and update of our trials.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First, there was the "squirrel proof" bird feeder with its weight sensitive lever.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next, there were more squirrels using the bird feeder than there were actual birds as the squirrels figured out how to balance on the pole to eat and not trip the lever.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Then there was the bowl that was supposed to stop the squirrels from reaching the feeder. It made a nice seat for them.

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a few days, they just pushed it out of the way and it became an umbrella to protect them from the rain and sun.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next, there was the Slinky that was supposed to stop them from climbing the pole. They unlatched one end of it and used it as a dining chair after they climbed up the pole with no problem.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Then there was the new metal baffle that actually baffled them. They fixed the problem of not being able to climb around it by chewing the cable tie that was holding the feeder pole and stabilizing pole together.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This produced desired results. They didn't have to worry about climbing or going around the baffle at all.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Presently, the pole has been fixed and the squirrel has not made it past the new baffle cone. However, it's just a matter of time, I'm afraid, until they figure this one out. That's what happens when you put brains, agility, and cravings into one animal.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'll never understand why they just can't be satisfied with the peanuts we put out?

Second Look--November 30, 2011

The ground is still wet from all of the rain we had last week, but that rain coupled with some warm weather has tricked a few things into thinking that it's Spring. Otherwise, the landscape is getting browner and grayer with weeds providing most of the color. Here is what I found on my Second Look around the yard this week.

The leaves are off of the sweet gum tree but the balls (seed pods) remain.

One lone bloom on the forsythia bush. These usually bloom in early spring.

A deer track that shows the deer skidded on the still wet ground from last week's rain.

Red berries on an unknown bush.

Even though they turn brown, oak leaves are often the last to fall. Some don't fall until the following spring when the new growth pushes them off.

Seed pods on Asiatic bittersweet vine

A daffodil bulb that somehow made it to the surface and sprouted during the warm weather.

Food Waste Friday--November 25, 2011

It's time for Food Waste Friday, when the Frugalgirl encourages us to post pictures from the previous week of wasted food from our household. This accountability hopefully will help us to be more careful with our food and maybe save some money.

Here it goes for this week.

 

 

What a shame that these strawberries we got for smoothies didn't make it. However, I did manage to rescue the rest of the container by cutting them up to have with cereal yesterday morning. 

Also, yesterday was Thanksgiving and we had a great time at my sister-in-law's house. There were more than 20 people and plenty of delicious food. Here is a sampling of some of it. The leftovers were easy to divide up, so none of us should have to worry about them going to waste this week.

A Thanksgiving Feast