It’s one of those months, friends. We’re winding down the school year here in Nebraska, which means cranking up the end-of-year school activities like orchestra performances and choir concerts and extra rehearsals at the crack o’ dawn and field trips and field day and soccer games and “Mom I need a white wig that looks like Albert Einstein’s hair for my oral report tomorrow.”
I had a speaking engagement on Tuesday night and another one coming up on Saturday, which means I’m breathing into a paper bag all the hours of the livelong day.
My parents fly into town Friday to stay with us for a week, and yesterday Brad discovered ant hills — as in the actual sandy hill homes of ants — lined up all along our basement floor. Which really does explain the proliferation of ants we’ve been experiencing in the kitchen of late.
Josie Belle, our plush Corgi-Beagle who displays the occasional Elvis snaggle-tooth sneer, has decided now is the perfect time for the Epic Shed. Every time I turn on my vacuum cleaner (which is at least once a day), it emits an odor reminiscent of a big pile of old mangy dog hair.
On the up-side, one whiff of the big pile of old mangy dog hair and my kids hightail it up to their rooms, which means I get a little peace and, albeit smelly, quiet around here (aside from the roar of the vacuum, of course).
So in the midst of the end-of-school-year-speaking-engagement chaos and the endless errands to the grocery store and the dry cleaner (read: Epic Shed) and the endless vacuuming (read: Epic Shed), I decided last week was the ideal time to go bird-feeder shopping. Because priorities, right?
Turns out, best decision. Ever.
After much consternation in Wild Bird Habitat, Noah and I settled on a finch feeder. For the past couple of weeks now I’ve glimpsed spectacular flashes of bright yellow at my neighbor Karna’s feeder, and I decided I needed some of that spectacularness in my own backyard.
So yeah. We stole Karna’s finches. We bought a feeder and filled it to the brim with Nyjer seed (I think the fact that I now know what Nyjer seed is means I am officially a Bird Know-It-All), and have successfully lured Karna’s goldfinches into our backyard. And now I have the pleasure of sitting at my writing desk and watching the spectacular flashes of yellow land on my feeder and eat my Nyjer.
[Okay, truth be told, the goldfinches still like Karna’s yard too. We are sharing them.]
My sweet yellow visitors have been teaching me something important this week: sometimes, even in the midst of vacuuming up ant hills in the basement and praying that will “take care of the problem,” and even in the midst of speaking engagements and choir rehearsal and white Albert Einstein wigs, you simply need to stop, step your bare feet onto the cool concrete of the patio, peer stealthily around the umbrella, and gaze, still as a statue, at the most spectacular shade of yellow you have ever seen.
This week, my sweet yellow visitors are teaching me that sometimes, it really is all about the littlest things.
** And speaking of yellow and little things (best segue ever, if I may say so myself), did you know my friend Deidra Riggs has written a book, and it’s called Every Little Thing: Making a World of Difference Right Where You Are
Ant hills in basement floor! Your beloved mother & father’s room is in the basement. Ant hills begone by tomorrow.
Yep, never a dull moment in your house! I do hope you get rid of the ants before your parents arrive (no additional stress at all in that one!). Epic shed year round with our two pups and constant quarterly bug patrol by our bug guy since we live in Florida… All will go well and in the midst of that, find some peace and quiet to watch your birds!
Like I said on your FB page, Michelle, please read Robert Siegel’s book A Pentecost of Finches. It’s breathtaking. And poetry is a little thing . . . little words that pack a lot of power and beauty–breathtaking insights in small containers. I love that you are taking time to notice and share your findings. And I love your photography. And I love your new talent: writing poetry. Can’t wait to read Deidra’s book. I know it will be fabulous!
Love you lots,
Lynn
Ohhh I want to get that book Pentecost of Finches. I studied with Robert Siegel years and years ago. He had a great and good influence on my life. (He helped me get to graduate school and land my first job.) Thank you for mentioning him.
Michelle, whne I just now posted, I realized it was not in response to this particular finch post, but a shorter one. I don’t have time to read right this right now, but will a little later. Not sure, then, that my comment will jive w/ this post. Not sure how that happened. =]
L.
It is ever and always in the little things where I feel God’s love and presence the strongest. May your new yellow friends bring every seed of blessing, Michelle!
Thank you for this reminder to celebrate the small things. I sure hear you on the shedding animals. My students have remarked about the dog hair on my back pack. “Do you have dogs?” they say politely. (It’s got the kind of fabric that draws hair to it and makes it stick.) Horse hair sticks to your mouth too. You might just convince me to do the bird feeder thing and see what comes. Way cool. I’m looking forward to Deidra’s book too. She is such a gracious and generous person. The Peace of the Lord be with you in this season.
Years ago, my cupboards beside my kitchen door were repeatedly being invaded by small ants – a neighbour suggested spraying “Spray & Wash” – it helped stop another invasion after I cleaned them out.
And another poem on appreciating natural moments:
Spiritual Moments in Nature
Relaxing on my back deck under a tree
depressed by yet another major dental expense,
a bird chirping a song
moved at my presence
branch by branch,
not further away,
instead closer to me.
One bird after another
flew over and sat on a bare tree,
till a whole flock had joined
watching intently
overlooking in silent respect
at a young priest’s burial ceremony.
A fox came to
yet another burial ceremony
as a Chaplain was speaking
she noticed no one paying attention,
then looking around
discovered the fox circling, stretching, then settling
on the grave next to them,
then continued on with the ceremony.