~ Empty Nest Syndrome ~

Well, they have flown the nest and boy was it scary. Not just for the babies but for DH and I as their 'birdie grans'.

Yesterday, I just happened to see them both sitting on a branch at the top of the nest and couldn't believe my eyes as the day before they were still inside the nest albeit getting rather big to fit. DH and I just watched as they both preened their little feathers and kind of fluttered and flapped in the tree getting further away from the nest. One went but I didn't see him leave and then the other little one was left and started crying. It was heart wrenching as he cried and cried and so did I :(( He tried flapping and fluttering but just didn't have the courage or strength to take off. DH and I were getting quite distraught too and couldn't do anything although instinctively you just want to help. Mumma bird came back and was flying back and forth and I think trying to encourage her little one to take off. Finally after a very long time he kind of fluttered and hopped with Mumma encouraging and staying close by and fluttered part way around the garden all the while with DH and I watching in trepidation.

Amazingly, I found No1 birdie sitting in a tree nearby but he seemed to be the stronger of the two and appeared quite happy but no 2 was still causing us concern and I think by this stage was just exhausted and spent the afternoon in a bush with Mumma fluttering around close by. I was concerned as to whether she would continue to feed him now he was away from the nest but Sandra, you were right. She has continued to be close by and we are happy to report this morning have heard and seen baby with Mumma still nearby. We worry about the neigbouring cats and predators but now the littlies who we have become quite attached to are out in the big, scary, real world and there really is nothing we can do.

Hope you make it little ones and have a long, safe and happy life. Every time we see one of that particular honey eater now in our garden, we will be wondering if it is one of 'our birds' :)

PS We will leave the nest there for you just in case you feel inclined to come back to use it again and thanks for sharing this wonderful experience with us .

Not a lot I can show you this week in the stitching department but I am quietly working away in the background on a few bits and pieces. My SAL with Sandra this month is not making much progress but I must get onto it as Sandra already has her version stitched and probably assembled by now as well.

There is an oldie that I still love and is quite appropriate I think given my 'birdie' post today.

It is Prairie Schooler "Prairie Garden"'

My Shadow, thankfully continues to be in good health without any further seizures. Here is the handsome fellow today :)))))

I had seen this gorgeous picture a long time ago somewhere but came across it again today on the Legacy Embroiderers board. You may have already seen it but isn't it just so special !!

That little boy looks a lot lot my little boy......well, he is 34 now but when he was little:))) I just love that.

For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the
flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is
come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.
~ Solomon

Until next time.....

OH MY GOODNESS!!

I have to edit my last post to add some good news!!

We have just been out to take a look at the little one and lo and behold.....both babies are side by side in the tree!! How wonderful is that. About 20 metres away from their nest. All is quiet now and No2 is happy to be joined with his nestmate.

~ This and That ~

The babies continue to grow but are causing us some concern as the nest seems to have tipped on an angle and we are unsure what to do. We are concerned for the safety of the little ones but fear if we start to intervene by trying to adjust it, Mrs Bird may not like the fact that we have handled things. What to do ?? Such a dilemma. I know that in nature this is what happens but we are concerned about predators and also the fact that the babies might fall out!! We did manange to get a photo this week and although a bit hard to see, here they are...

Well....we decided rightly or wrongly we had to do something as the babies were on the verge of toppling right out. DH tied the nest up and poor Mrs B was quite frantic and let it be known but we couldn't let anything happen. The babies are quite vocal now ~ well tiny, tiny little chirping is coming from the nest and I can just see two little beaks wide open waiting for mumma to come back to feed them. It is really hot here today so hope they don't get too hot out there. Oh dear, this really is quite nerve wrecking.

I can now show you my finish that I spoke about in my last entry. It was a gift for my dear friend Mary's birthday which is today and I know she has now received it. I didn't want to show you in case Mary happened to drop by my blog and see it.
Anyway, "Happy Birthday Mary" and hope you are having a lovely day.

I stitched an Indigo Rose design ~ Mary's Pin Pillow for her which I thought was appropriate because of the name. I changed the colours from the original design and stitched it with Thread Gatherer and Gloriana Threads both called by the same name ~ Dried Roses. I love that name as it seems to just perfectly describe the colour.

This week the posty brought me something nice too. My new Gingher's arrived. I now have Roberta design added to my collection which brings the total of my Ginghers to eleven pairs.

My beautiful shadow is here at my feet as I write today and is more special and loved than ever (if that is at all possible) after giving us a very scary experience the other night. I won't go into detail as I find it really hard but he gave us a big scare and although the vet suggested a 'wait and watch' approach, it seems he may have had an epileptic seizure. We have found out it is quite a common thing in dogs and we hope this might have just been an isolated incident.

"Love you big boy"

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion."

~Anonymous

~ Congratulations Mrs Bird ~

We have babies. I suspected yesterday we might have but today I can actually see them and hear tiny chirping. I wish I could show you photos but I haven't been able to get a good photo and don't want to disturb her. I know she is a honeyeater but there are many types of honeyeaters and I am not certain what type she is but I do love how has shared this wonderful act of nature with me and I have spent a lot of time watching her sit on her eggs and now tending her babies. I love how the gentle breeze rocks the nest and it reminds me of a baby in a cradle. Very cute. Thank you Mrs Bird :)

Recently, I was very lucky to have received this gorgeous scissor keeper and fob from a very talented lady who creates the most beautiful works of art. You can see her beautiful work here.
Just Lilla ~ Lilla lives in Hawaii and makes all kinds of beautiful vintage works using gorgeous velvets, silks and lace. I really just love that Olde Worlde look. What a gift to be able to create like that. Thank you so much Lilla.

I have been stitching but am not able to show you my recent finish yet. Next time though.

To me, the garden is a doorway to other worlds; one of them, of course, is the world of birds. The garden is their dinner table, bursting with bugs and worms and succulent berries.
~ Anne Raver

~ The Joys of Nature ~

Early this week whilst DH and I were walking around our garden, we inadvertently disturbed a little bird which flew out of one of the trees. On closer inspection, we discovered a nest. I was really concerned that we may have frightened the resident away and she might not return but later I discovered I could actually see her nest from right inside my house and sure enough she returned.

Now back in August, I remember writing in my blog about a little bird that on two occasions had visited me right outside my sewing room in that same tree. Now, I don't know if this is the very same little bird but I like to think it might be and that she had been checking me out to see if I would be a suitable neighbour. Well, I am sticking to my theory, she must have been happy about me being a neighbour and has returned to build her nest there and now I can watch her sitting on her eggs. I am totally addicted to watching her and find myself checking on her several times a day. She looks so cute with her little black head poking up one side of the nest and her tail stitcking out the other side. Her nest is like a deep basket. She takes lots of 'tea/toilet' breaks from sitting on the eggs but always returns to keep them warm. I can't wait to see/hear when her eggs are hatched and will be delighted to have babies right outside my window.
Okay, now I know you are going to think I have totally lost it but I have a confession to make. I play music for her at nights so she has something nice to listen to and I also talk to my plants :)) I was really concerned about her the other night when we had a storm with thunder, lightening and heavy rain but she was fine the next morning. I am unsure what type of bird she is but I am really enjoying watching her dedication to the task she is performing.

This beautiful picture is one which Dawn, from appropriately, "The Feathered Nest" has shared on her blog. Thank you Dawn.

"Poor indeed is the garden in which birds find no homes".
~Abram L. Urban

~ Playing Hugo and Felix's Game ~

One of the blogs on my favourite list is Lynette Anderson Designs where I love to visit to see what her beautiful fur babies Hugo and Felix have been up to as well as seeing Lynette's beautiful creations.

Hugo and Felix have come up with this little idea and what they are asking us to do is to show on our blogs any of Lynette's designs that we have stitched, and then leave a comment on her blog with a link so her readers can see them. So here are some of my Lynette Anderson Designs finishes....

Ooop!! 'My Shadow', Ben, just snuck in there too so he could send a woof to Hugo:))

Off to leave a comment on Lynette's blog.

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

No partridges to be seen here though.

Here are our ornaments from our stitch~along this month. Little House Needleworks ~ Pear Tree from Just Cross Stitch Christmas book 2006.

I love the original way in which Sandra has chosen to finish her version.

and here is mine....

I copied how it had been finished in the book


I am working on a couple of little gifts at present but can't show you for a while yet.

"Love is the thread that binds us. "

~Author Unknown

~ A Nice Find ~

Don't you love it when you are not really looking for anything in particular and out of nowhere you spot something that really takes your eye. That sometimes happens to me when I am shoppping in my local Spotlight store. It often isn't much ~ can be just a nice tin or something like that but I did spot this recently and just had to have it.

I love this little sewing case. It isn't serving any purpose other than just looking pretty sitting on display :)

Nothing much to report about on the stitching front. I have been having a few 'false starts' on a little project I am working on for a gift. I have already made three attempts and am still not happy so Plan D is about to happen after I have finished posting this blog entry.
Sandra and I have our October stitch-along ornament to do as well so I am going to have to put my head down and get on with things as I haven't made a start on mine as yet although I know Sandra has started hers. I am usually lagging behind :)

Ben asked me to post this picture to show you his special Guide Dog blankie. No, he is not a guide dog ~ but we like to support Guide Dogs and when I saw this blankie I thought it would suit him perfectly. Only problem is, when it is on his bed, I sometimes have to look twice to see if it is actually him sleeping in it or just the pictures of the lovely puppies on the blankie :)