Bird's Eye View

I enjoy feeding the birds.  They sometimes fight for the food, and just as often take their turns. Yesterday, I saw a finch trying against the wind to fly to the bird feeder.  So when she left, I scattered some seed on the porch underneath the feeder. A few of the smaller birds fed on this gift. But what was more amusing was watching the resident squirrel carefully picking up one seed at a time and eating.

Last year I fed suet to the birds in the Vine Maple tree outside my apartment, and seeds in a small feeder hanging in the window.  One day I was stunned when I looked out my window to the tree.  There was a very large bird sitting in the tree looking right at me. It was side-wise to me, and then turned face on. It had a long slightly curved beak, and a very long tail.  I could hear it say "Where is food for me?"  Of course this bird couldn't get its large body into a position to eat from either feeder. And it really needed fish.  I admired the bird, and told it I didn't have a way to feed it. 

Later I discovered it was a juvenile cormorant.  That in itself is unusual - cormorants usually live on the coastal water islands, and I lived miles from the coast.  I identified it as a Double-crested Cormorant, both by its looks and by the fact that it was inland.  This is the only cormorant that nests inland in the West.  Still, it was unusual.  There were no lakes or even ponds nearby, though there were some within flying distance.

This year I have seen some birds I had not seen before: Red Wing Blackbirds and a Varied Thrush.  And a number of old friends come to my feeder: a mating pair of Flickers, a number of Stellar Jays, and lots of finches, sparrows, juncos and chickadees. 

There are some birds I see less often since I moved.  I used to see Turkey Buzzards fairly often.  But they don't come into town, and are less present along the roads I now use.  I suspect they don't find the food the like as easily in a more suburban setting.  I still see hawks and eagles, but not as often.  Where I lived previously I could look out my window and see eagles flying.  There were nests in several places not far from my home.

My next project?  A hummingbird feeder!

Dragonflies

This morning I had a deep insight.  I remembered an dear friend who was also my astrologer.  She was highly intuitive, and made some predictions that came true long afterward.  One of the things she told me was that a particular time I would experience what my life work would be. 

At the time she had indicated, I had some unusual experiences.  First, I wanted to connect with friend who lived in a trailer in the midst of dense woods.  I could have driven my car around the woods and taken a path to his home.  But I didn't.  Instead I set off in a straight line through the woods.  Of course, it was difficult and full of brambles.  Finally, I gave up and went back to the road.  Just as I got there, my friend drove up to where I was standing. 

I got into the car and we set off to a small, nearby lake.  At the lake, we sat down on a wooden pier and talked.  There were lots of dragonflies, not an unusual for a hot summer day at the lake.  What was unusual was that a pair of dragonflies landed on my knee.  They stayed there for about 15 minutes as we talked.

Eventually we got up and my friend took me to my car.  Our friendship continued through the years.  As long distance friendships go, we sometimes saw each other more frequently, and sometimes less.  I always
remembered that magical day.

Many years later I began a business.  As I was making decisions, I thought about what I should call my business.  I tried on a number of names, but none really fit.  Finally I happened on Dragonfly.  Since my business was largely about healing, magic, and flower essences, I settled on Dragonfly Essence.

Only today, after nine years in business, did I remember that day at the lake with my friend.  He died some years ago, and so did my astrologer friend.  I honor them both.  Both had profound and wonderful impacts on my life and work. 

Second Chance

I recently finished reading a wonderful book, Second Chance, about a boy and a dog who were both adopted.  Sandra J. Gerencher is the author, and the book has just been published.  The book is delightful, and it would be a wonderful book for a family to read together.  I won't give it all away, but the boy is autistic, and both boy and dog are adopted.  I enjoyed it immensely.

One of the best things about this book is anyone of any age will take pleasure in the story.  Because of the subject, it is a valuable resource for adoptive parents and for parents of autistic parents. The story and the writing are upbeat while still including some of the inevitable challenges. Sandra has a winner as far as I am concerned! 

 She is a special education teacher in the Bangor Area public school
system. Prior to becoming a teacher, she worked at Lehigh University in a school-based program, as a Program Specialist for adults with disabilities. Over the past 20 years she has worked with children and adults with special needs in such areas as counseling, Behavior Specialist Consultation, behavioral research, crisis intervention and abuse therapy. Sandra graduated from Lehigh University with a M.Ed. in Special Education (2004) and from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia with an M.S. in Counseling Psychology (1999).



The book is a PBS Kids Recommended title:
http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/family/adoption/print_books.html 

Go here for an excerpt:
http://www.freado.com/read/8704/second-chance-how-adoption-saved-a-boy-with-autism-his-shelter-dog

 You can buy the book at http://www.tribute-books.com/shop.html#children6

Losing Your Only

I have just finished reading a book called Losing Your Only, written by Dr. Debi Yohn, Levi’s Mom.  Levi was her only child, and he died in a horrible car accident when he was twenty.  This is a very personal story, which helped Dr. Yohn discover her purpose - to motivate and support parents and others to live life to their highest potential. She puts all of her skill and experience into this wonderful book.  It is personal, and it is therapeutic.  It is lovingly and beautifully written.  For example:    
Before Levi passed, I had a textbook understanding of sadness, depression, and grief that I'd acquired from my doctorate in counseling psychology.  But my life experience has brought a new dimension to my knowledge.  That is why I am writing this book.  I hope my journey can help others with their grief, or at least help understand the intensity of the grief process that follows the loss of an only child.   

This book is particularly helpful for parents of only children who  have died, yet it is useful for anyone who has experienced the death of a beloved.  In fact it is for all of us, because no one escapes without facing the loss of a beloved at some time. I highly recommend Losing Your Only.                      

The digital version of the book is currently available at  http://losingyouronly.com/get-the-book/.  If you would like to be notified about the upcoming print and audio release, please visit http://losingyouronly.com/get-the-book/ and send Dr. Debi your email address.

 

Dr. Debi Yohn is an international psychologist, author and speaker with 32 years experience living and working on 3 continents.  She currently live in Huatulco, Mexico and travels the world working with her clients, writing and diversified business and charitable interests. To read Dr. Debi's full bio, visit http://bookpromotionservices.com/2010/12/02/dr-debi-yohn-biography/

Call me Kate

Call Me Kate is a great read set in the Civil War era.  Fourteen year old Kate's family lives in Pennsylvania in a mining town.  Of course, the mines were very dangerous at that time, with no compensation for injuries or death.  Kate's life is tied to the perils of the time and place where she lives. 

As the Civil War goes on, Kate takes a job at the home of a rich family.  She risks it all to help a friend in the Molly Maguires.  They play a role in protesting the draft.  Yes, you heard right - there were draft dodgers in the Civil War era. 

Buy it at Amazon, or go to Tribute Books - http://www.tribute-books.com/

*Mom's Choice Award Winner in young adult historical fiction category

*4 1/2-star rating at Amazon.com

Water

I love where I live, in a small town a few blocks from the Nooksack River. Recently, my Dad and I went up to Mt. Baker National Forest. One of the special places there is the Nooksack Falls. The native people in this area hold this place sacred.

Beyond the beauty of this area, which is amazing, is the clear, clean water. In the last place I lived, not far from where we now live, the water comes from an underground aquifer. During the five years I lived there, there was one day that chlorine was added to the water! Otherwise the water was tested regularly and pumped straight into our taps. This is no small thing, since so many people in the world do not have access to clean water. And we humans cannot live without water.

It is hard to believe nearly 1 billion people lack access to clean water, which causes a litany of struggles, diseases and even death. African women walk over 40 billion hours each year carrying cisterns weighing up to 18 kilograms to gather water, which is usually still not safe to drink. In fact, many scholars attribute the conflict in Darfur at least in part to lack of access to water.

At the same time: it takes 24 liters of water to produce one hamburger; it takes 40 million liters to charge the 80 million active iPhones in the world; a cotton t-shirt took 1,514 liters of water to produce, and jeans require an extra 6,813 liters. And waste and pollution diminish the available clean water even further.

The good news is that we can take action: contribute to organizations like water.org and charitywater.org; correctly dispose of household wastes so they don't end up in our streamsrivers and eventually the oceans; or measure how much water it took to make your favorite foods with this app: http://virtualwater.eu

Be aware, be careful with this precious resource, and be grateful for the water that comes out of your tap.

Cat Got Your Tongue

This is the title of a book I started writing in 1990! In the move last month, I found the first chapter. So today I scanned it into the computer, and I love it. I know this one will be great fun, and something I would like to have read when I was a teen, or even in my twenties. Heck, I would love to read it now!

The heroine is a teenager, and she meets two aliens on her first trip to New York. They take her home with them and they go with her to her interview for entrance into the Space Academy.

And that is all I am going to tell for now.

I will say that it's a blast, and great fun to write.