Feathered Friends

There is something special about taking time to walk through a park, a wildlife sanctuary, or even my neighborhood, listening to and looking for birds.

I am a birder – yes a true lover of those feathered beings – small and huge, songbirds, water birds, flocks and loners.  A pastime that began many years ago on a day out with a friend – that ended up capturing my heart and interest in these amazing creatures.  But that’s another story (see here).

I have my binoculars – to enable me to see the details of many birds sitting high and far; many guidebooks - to research what I have seen; my journal – which I note each species I was lucky to see; and of course my camera – which brings in another pastime, photography – allowing me to capture these moments forever.

I’ve been collecting some of my favorite pictures, hoping to create a pictorial collection of the many birds I have seen.  As I continue to go out birding and gathering these pictures, I am amazed at the number of different birds I have seen.  While away on vacation I’ve been able to see some species that I most likely would never have seen locally.  But I must admit, the majority, and there are many, have been found during nearby outings, during a few hours or a day right here in NYC and Long Island.

I’ve gone on guided tours, in which I’ve learned much about the true pastime of birding.  Sometimes, I’ve had fellow birders join me on my day out, and together we search, spot, and shout for joy over finding a species we haven’t seen before, or one that we have, but is a favorite to see again.  Sharing this time is such joy.  Other times, I’ve gone on my own – for a short retreat from the busyness of life.

As I walk and listen – I hear the chirping, warbling, calls, and songs of birds hidden in the trees and bushes I am near.  Seeing them hop around, dart from tree to tree, gather material to build their meticulous nests, or sitting high atop the highest branch in a tree, singing so loudly, so beautifully, it amazes me.

I can’t help but pause each time I am birding and think about how perfectly created each bird is.  Each has a calling and a song of its own.  Each has specific markings that identify the exact species they are.  Each has a place where they nest, a place where they rest while migrating, and a place they call home.

I am so thankful to the Lord for sharing these amazing creatures and thankful they are willing to share their songs and beauty with me.

I once read a quote by A. W. Tozer – which I believe says it all:

"God made the birds to warble and harmonize as though they were tuned to a harp. God who made the birds is the Chief Musician of the universe. He made the harps in those little throats and said, 'Go and Sing!' Thankfully, the birds obeyed, and they have been singing and praising God ever since they were created."

Enjoy just a glimpse of my feathered friends!

Black-capped Chickadee

Male Northern Cardinal

Male Northern Flicker

White-throated Sparrow

Osprey Nest

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk

Wood Ducks

Blue Heron

Female Northern Cardinal

Killdeer

Female Boat-tailed Grackles

Common Grackle

Tree Swallow

Flamingo

Common Moorhen

Green Heron

Yellow Warbler

Mallard

Male Red-winged Blackbird

Greater Yellowlegs

30/60 Spa Getaway

Celebrations are a good thing!  Especially when you can celebrate with someone special!

This summer, both my daughter and I are reaching birthday milestones!  I’m thinking by looking at the title of this blog – you can guess which is hers and which is mine.

We usually plan a summer getaway each year and head out to Montauk; tons of relaxing at the beach & pool, walks through town, night walks on the beach, chatting, reading, chatting, reading, and more chatting - and of course our days are scheduled around delicious meals!

As a special birthday gift to me this year – a vacation has been planned at Holden Beach, NC.  House on the beach – my children & grandchildren all together for a week of playing together – being together – and of course eating together (can’t seem to get away from that).  This is all to take place early September.  What a fantastic birthday gift!

With this beach vacation planned, my daughter & I decided to look into something different to have our little getaway – and voila – we made our plans!

30/60 Spa Getaway! 

Daughter & Mother both reaching milestones this summer! 

3 days – 2 nights at Grand Pequot Tower – Pampering at the Norwich Spa at Foxwoods – Swedish Spa Massages – Facials – Manicures – Pedicures – Good Eating – Relaxing – Drinks & Entertainment - More Good Eating . . .

Oh yea – this is going to be good!

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - by Jamie Ford

Moving from the 1940’s to the 1980’s and back, I was taken into both the life & heart of a young Chinese boy caught in a world of anger, discrimination, and hate, to that of an older Chinese man, still mourning the loss of deep friendship and love - in spite of the many years that had passed.  

Jamie Ford brought to life the steps taken by our own country, not only to the Japanese living in our country and the Americans of Japanese descent, but also how this effected those that shared this time alongside them.  Knowing this was just a glimpse of the heartache and destruction caused by war, even though this all took place far from the battlefield, it showed how deeply hearts and humanity can be damaged by a time such as this.

Sweet, innocent, young love - common to many - takes Henry & Keiko on an extreme emotional ride, while as young as they were, their feelings are intensified as they are forced to grow up much faster than most their age.

A shameful time that seems so relevant today as well.  Hopefully we have learned from this time to not only be sure we don’t repeat this, but to also understand the power of the human heart; commitment, enduring hope and forgiveness, give power to healing.

A Daughter’s A Daughter for the Rest of Your Life

My daughter turned 30 today – I cannot believe I just wrote those words.  Somehow, someway, 30 years have gone by since the day I found out that I now had a daughter.

You may have heard the phrase, “As son’s a son ‘til he finds a wife, a daughter’s a daughter for the rest of your life.”  This is true, to a point.  I don’t feel I lost my son once he married, but there is a difference in a relationship with a grown daughter, at least for a mother.

My ‘little girl’ has grown into an amazing young woman and she has also grown to be a precious friend to me.  What a blessing to be able to get to a point in life where I can share so many moments with my daughter.  We love being together; shopping, going out to eat, taking in a good (or not so good) movie, sharing weekend getaways and other vacations.  We talk endlessly about our journey in life, our trials and our blessings.  We encourage one another in our faith and so many other areas of our lives.  We cry together and many, many times find ourselves laughing so hard it hurts (many times at my expense).

But the gift I cherish most is seeing how she has grown into an amazing woman of God.  She puts her trust in the Lord and clings to His Word as she moves forward in her life.  When she struggles with situations in her life, although it may seem difficult and sometimes impossible, she still holds on to the hope that can only come from above.  When she celebrates joy and blessings, she is well aware of where the goodness comes from.

Although she works as the Director of Financial Reporting for a corporation in New York City, giving 110%, that is truly not her passion.  She finds time to give so much to our family, our church community, and other ministries she serves in.

Her true passion is for young children, which she serves as the Director of Children’s Ministry.  Not only organizing programs and working with the teachers of our Children’s Church, she also teaches and has won the hearts of even the most hard-to-reach children. 

My daughter has directed our Vacation Bible School for many years – reaching out to the children of our community – loving and praying for all the children who attend.  Last year, she was asked to organize mini-VBS programs for our mission trip to Haiti – and did so – touching many in the Haitian villages we visited – bringing laughter and joy to each of the children who attended.

She’s a daughter, a sister, a granddaughter, a niece, a cousin, a sister-in-law, an aunt and a friend to many.  In each relationship, all know she can be trusted at all times, she loves with her entire being, and she is a blessing to each.

My daughter – a gift to me – a gift to so many others.  My heart overflows with joy as we celebrate her birthday and as I continue to celebrate the years of having her in my life.

A daughter’s a daughter for the rest of your life.