April 12, 2014

Slow Saturday

April 12, 2014

Wilson's Warbler

I woke up about 5:00 and decided to get up.  There were many things I wanted to get done today.  First thing was to write the blog from yesterday.  I got that done before Ron got up.  He left for the morning and I cleaned a little and washed my hair before the housekeeper arrived.  After she got started I went to the grocery store.  I didn't got too much stuff so the trip didn't take as long as usual. 

Once I got home and put the groceries away, I started working on laundry and spent about 30 minutes working in the yard, feeding the birds and filling the ponds and birdbaths.  The Red-winged Blackbirds sang in the trees all the time I was working in the yard.

This crazy chicken (that does not belong to us) loves this fountain because it is just the right

 height for it to use for getting a drink.  This is that same chicken with one black feather, 

which you can just barely see.  I do wish it would go home!

Next I worked on the quilt in progress.  Today I finished all the cutting and I hope all of the layout.  I keep rearranging the fabrics.  I had hoped to start sewing, but just didn't get up the energy to do it.

This is just a portion of the quilt laid out on the design wall.  This is four of the 25 blocks.

For lunch I made a big pot of Calabicitas con Leche Soup.  This is squash soup and has both yellow and zucchini squash in it.  This is the only way Ron will eat squash and he really loves this soup. 

Calabicitas con Leche

After lunch I read a little while and then did more work on the quilt.  The birds stayed active in the yard all afternoon, eating everything I had put out this morning.

Of course, the ever present Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were here.

The Mourning Doves were enjoying the waterfall more than I recall seeing them use it before.

The White-winged Doves were on the waterfall some, but mostly on the feeders.

The cute little yellow Wilson's Warbler was back for his Saturday evening shower.  

He is one of my favorites. 

The Mallards were there and a host of sparrows along with at least 40-50 Red-winged Blackbirds.  All joined together in a chorus of chatter all afternoon.  For a while I had the window open so I could take photos and their sounds were wonderful.

In the evening I made cupcakes to take to the church tomorrow for a church luncheon to honor our pastor Tracy Sexton who has resigned to return to his home area.  We will greatly miss Tracy and his wife Bev (Beverly).  They have been a great asset to our church.  Of course I had to "taste test" the cupcakes to be sure they were good enough to take.

Early in the evening, our son Stephen called.  It was good to talk to him, but so very frustrating as I had trouble understanding him.  He had to repeat things over and over.  I am just not doing well on the phone with the Cochlear Implant.  That is the most "down and frustrated" I have been with the implant in a while.  I guess we will look into getting one of the "closed caption" phones (Captel).  I have postponed doing it hoping I could adjust, but it just isn't working. 

I remind myself that the alternative to the frustrations with the implant, is deafness.  There is not another choice.  I can spend my life deaf, or I can use the Cochlear Implant to the best of my ability.  In many situations it works very well.  In a few, it causes frustrations.  I am 100% thankful to have it.  I am just a perfectionist.  I am a mom who wants to be able to easily talk to her kids and their spouses.  I am a daughter who can't have a phone conversation with my mom.  I can't call my doctor to make an appointment.  I can't call customers to tell them their order is ready or that they need to pay their bill.  I can't call to order a pizza!  It is hard.  Sometimes I feel very isolated, but it is not as isolated as I was feeling a year ago when I was totally deaf without the Cochlear Implant.  Things are good.  I don't mean to complain, but I was really down after trying to talk to Stephen.  I am thankful he called and that he kept repeating things for me.  I hate to keep asking.