Easter Sunday is almost here, though it’s hard to imagine little kids crawling around on the soggy ground searching for eggs or candy treasures in their Sunday finest. It is still very chilly and rainy here in Southeast Michigan, but, at least the lawns are as green as cellophane Easter grass.
Linda and the Lenten Season.
Soon the Lenten season will end – did you follow through and abstain from what you promised to give up for forty days?
This year I have failed miserably and I must say it is the first and only time I did not follow through with my abstention intention like I have for decades and I am not pleased with myself at all.
Beginning when I was a little girl, my mom and I always gave up sweets for Lent. My father did not give up sweets, so Mom still baked, but we just abstained from eating any sweets. I think most people give up food for the Lenten period, making sure they load up on carbs, sweets or treats on Fat Tuesday. It was tough sometimes through the years, as either my mom’s birthday, or mine, would fall within that forty-day period, so birthday cake and ice cream just had to wait until Lent was over.
After my mom passed away in early 2010, I continued with the abstention from sweets during Lent, only I kicked it up a notch. In 2010, I decided to give up sweets forever. That seemed doable since I’m no baker, thus I wasn’t smelling baked goods that would lure me like a magnet to brownies, cookies or cake. I never got to eat much candy as a kid, so I never had a sweet tooth for chocolate bars or hard candy and I had to give up gum when I had braces on my teeth in my early 20s, thus I could live without gum as well. So, I was off and running on this no-sweets-or-treats regimen. I permitted myself very few indulgences, but I did decide that the cornbread I bought at the grocery store was not technically a sweet, nor was the honey I dribbled over it. That glass of chocolate milk I downed after a walk, was just brown milk – it was not like it was a chocolate milkshake! Thus, I permitted myself a wee bit of wiggle room. But that was it – I never had a single sweet treat for eight years until my friend Ann Marie brought me goodies in 2018.
Since I breezed through giving up sweets and treats, every year going forward I gave up something else that I liked to eat, both for the Lenten period, and then permanently. Some of those items included fried food, fast food, prepared food, salty snacks, white bread/rolls, flavored coffee creamer, cold cereal and red meat. Nope, not a single French fry or onion ring has touched these lips in many years, but admittedly, my meals sure were boring, since I denied myself almost everything tasty. I plodded along until last year when I decided I had to stop this madness, and just eat treats in moderation, though I still haven’t strayed back to the dark side with fried or fast food.
So, when Ash Wednesday rolled around on March 6th, I was perplexed what to give up this year. I racked my brain and finally decided to give up something I really like to do – grumbling. I rationalized that Spring was on the way soon (or so I thought), so my weather worries and groans would be minimal and how difficult could it really be to stop grumbling, complaining or whining for forty days?
Unfortunately, I blew it big time before the sun set on Ash Wednesday, and, just like on New Year’s Day when you set out with the very best of intentions for the soon-to-be–new-and-reformed-you, it is easy to set the bar too high and then fail miserably. That was the case for me. Every day during Lent, I’d wake up, bound and determined to follow through with nary a grumble or a grrr leaving my lips, but it just didn’t happen. Let’s face it, sometimes I’m a malcontent.
Next year, I’ll give up something tangible again – it shouldn’t be that difficult as I’m sure not perfect.
So what was I grumbling about today?
Well, when I opened the door to feed the porch pals, I saw a dark-and-gloomy-looking sky. Spring 2019 has been abysmal so far. The days are running together with this ever-present inclement weather, and this morning was no different … just another gray day smack dab in the middle of a string of rainy days. But, since there was nothing falling from those very dark clouds, I hurried to get ready to get out … even if I just hung out in the ‘hood, it was a chance to rack up some miles.
I went downstairs to get my coat, turned the basement light on and saw movement on the floor – OMG, a centipede that was big enough to go to work skittered across the brown runner, then disappeared under a piece of furniture. Yikes! Did he/she have friends? Now, it was “at large” in the basement. This is already the third centipede this year and more will be arriving with all this wet weather. I sprayed peppermint oil around upstairs, but why did I not do it downstairs as well? I took my coat from the hall tree, shook it wildly, turned it upside down, then inside out, hoping my multi-legged visitor had no relatives that had strayed to a coat sleeve, or a pocket. I wasted a good ten minutes before I put the coat on, then laced up my shoes and hurried out. I opened the storm door so quickly that it scared Grady who was hustling to the front porch for peanuts. That poor fur baby freaked out and ran the other way. “C’mon back here Grady!” I called. “I’m not going to hurt you!” But, he had already bolted for the backyard, up a tree and was looking down at me rather accusingly, i.e. the big, bad human who had spoiled his breakfast. (The fact that I had put those peanuts there to begin with did not seem to matter.)
The door slammed shut as I rounded the bend and surprised another guest, a plump robin that was so startled it dropped a long piece of plastic and some dried grass from its beak. My head immediately swiveled upward to the coach light where some serious nest-building had begun. Incensed, I shouted: “this will not happen this year – do you understand me?” I ranted and raved for a good five minutes, while that red-breasted bird sat on the split rail fence and watched me as if I’d lost my mind.
Perhaps I had.
I got a second wind from my tirade and lashed out again, telling that robin that if it wanted to make itself useful, I’d take it downstairs where it could seek out and destroy that centipede and have a meal on me. We stared at one another until finally the robin dropped its nest materials and went to look for worms, bored with my lecture.
I went into the garage to run the car, and ten minutes later I was ready for my walk. I stepped outside and while locking the door, it started to drizzle. Through droplets that landed on my eye glasses, I saw, then heard, the whir of wings as TWO robins blitzed by me. I looked up at the light – yup, the robin had brought a friend and more nest-fixin’s had been placed in the bend of the light. I have gone through this ordeal for years, even climbing up and filling that open cavity with a bag of styrofoam peanuts or crunched-up newspapers. But in the past, those robins were just as savvy as me. They used their bright-yellow beaks and pecked the bag until it fell out and landed in the garden, then proceeded to build the nest again.
So, do I just suck it up and live with this nest in the light? Or tear it down? Yes, I am a nature lover, but this is out front and it looks terrible! Through gritted teeth and with patience wearing thin, I threatened the pair, saying “go ahead, build that nest – I love mud and poop splats landing on my mailbox lid, or grass and twigs falling down on my head when I open the front door until your chicks leave the nest … well this chick will evict you like I did a few years ago!”
The solution? I’ll just print out and re-date my original 2013 eviction notice to the robins and have it ready to hang on the coach light because their nest no doubt will be finished when I go out tomorrow morning.
YOU ARE HEREBY EVICTED! This is an open letter to the Robin family who became the avian equivalent of DPs, or displaced persons, this morning. Please understand that I really like birds, and believe me when I say I am neither happy, nor proud, that I evicted you. I am sorry that my slate “Welcome” sign seemed to invite you to become permanent residents here, and that you mistakenly thought my coach light was something special, made for your needs and move-in ready. You built your nest in record time, but sadly, now that home is gone. I suppose you and your kin shall hold me in the same esteem that you did the last time I tore down a nest at the side door. Yup, Dad sat on the cyclone fence and chattered angrily and loudly while I dismantled the nest. And, yes, for two or three years after that, every morning when I watered my flowers, and picked a few weeds, or re-arranged the mulch, you went right out, while I was still there, and pecked pieces of mulch out of the garden and threw it over the rubber edging and onto the lawn. I appreciated that. Thank you. Yes, I know it was under the guise of “looking for worms” that you just grabbed the mulch and picked it out of my garden. Every time I went outside, you stalked me and gave me an evil look. But that nest dismantling was not an isolated incident. How many nests did I need to tear down on the front and side coach lights, eh? A dozen perhaps? And, I had to put bags stuffed with styrofoam peanuts and a pinwheel on the bend of each coach light to deter any more settling in. Finally, we both moved on and I threw the contraptions away and figured you and your kinfolk relocated to another neighborhood. Well, evidently you have a short memory because once again this morning what did I find? A large nest in my front coach light. And yes, I am guilty of evicting you on the spot, no eviction notice even tendered – out on your fractious feathered butt! I hope we have now reached an understanding. You will see that I had to put a large puffed-up bag in the coach light’s elbow in the front yard to deter a return visit. Lookin’ good in the neighborhood now! I do, however, have to admire your tenacity in building this remarkably made nest in record time. I went out to check the mail at 3:00 p.m. yesterday and there was no mail. The rains and storms began around 4:00 p.m. This morning I went outside to walk. I thought I’d check the mailbox to see if mail arrived after the last check. There were huge spots of dried mud on the lid. In the dried mud spots were large pieces of grass, weeds and tangled-up dried vines. The front door had similar mud spots and splats up and down the glass and dripping from the door. Of course I looked upward. I saw a fully-formed nest, about one foot in diameter, resting solidly on the elbow of the coach light. Yes, I knew it was a Robin, since I’ve obviously seen your calling card before. Yes, it was duly noted that two of you were watching me as I left on my walk, and again 3 ½ miles later, when I returned and rounded the corner, you were taking more nest fixin’s … perhaps you were adding on another room? I can’t deal with any of this and I am sorry. You were messy and it will not be tolerated. While I am angry with you, and you with me, I still marvel at how you modeled this durable home for your mate to lay eggs and sit up there. The mud that “glued” the nest together had not even dried yet. The nest lifted out with a small rake, was intact, and it was large and fully formed, anticipating the big event. Mercifully, there were no eggs in the nest. If I could have, I would have taken it somewhere else for you. I apologize for leaving the whole nest sitting in the dustpan momentarily in the driveway while I collected my thoughts on what to do next – I did not mean to taunt you. You looked at me with anger and hurt in your eyes. I felt somewhat humiliated and still do; I am not a mean-spirited person and the last thing I would ever do is harm a living creature. That is why I put your handiwork into a white plastic bag and took it to the end of the street to the alley.
Please don’t hate me – I feel badly enough.
~Signed, Homeowner.
And this is why I’ll never give up grumbling for Lent again.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Great post, Linda! You really do not strike me as much of a grumbler. I actually love the idea of giving up grumbling for Lent. It is so much more meaningful than giving up a food item, I think. Sorry events conspired to make you grumble during these 40 days.
I didn’t give up anything, but I did fast each Friday during Lent. I may not fast this Friday, though, since it is Good Friday and we will be out of town. We are going to Colorado to babysit our grandson for a week so we will be celebrating Easter with my son and his family out there. It’s not really conducive to fasting!
Love your eviction notice for the robins!
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Thanks Laurie – I was gung ho on giving up something every year and sticking with it – I really haven’t strayed that far … the chips the other day are rare for me and I bought some marble bread at the store for a treat and I miss the whole-grain bread. This bread was good but it doesn’t stick with you like whole grain bread and I’m hungry a few hours later. That’s why the oatmeal that you mentioned being so good for you, sticks with you so well.
I’m mostly a grumbler about the weather (or things I have to do) and that’s not too adult of me, but I do it. Wait until I have to do weeds! I have added more things to my diet after being so strict for so long. I saw the idea of putting an item from your house or an article of clothing into a bag every day for 40 days, then at the end of the 40 days donating the bag(s) to a charitable institution. I saw it after Lent had started.
Hopefully the weather has improved in Colorado since the big blizzard last week.
I did that post in 2013 – no pictures, all one paragraph, and I was going to just put in the link and decided to try out the colored background and font for something different. I’m not happy about the nest and I went through this for years – I would tear it down every morning before walking and return after walking and they’d start it up again, by the next morning, a full nest, was on the “elbow” … it never progressed to having chicks in there – I’m afraid it will break the light as well as looking bad.
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I am hungry all the time, no matter what! 🙂 We just looked at the forecast for Steamboat Springs – mostly sunny with high temperatures mostly in the 50s and 60s while we are there – not too bad. I saw a photo of their yard and there was no snow visible. I’m sure there is still snow up on the mountain, though. They are in the valley.
I never had birds nest in a light, but some finches nested in one of my hanging plants one year. I felt bad – each time I watered the plant, they had to fly out of their nest. I finally just let the plant die and the birds were able to fledge several babies!
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I am too, especially if I’ve gone on a really long walk, I never seem to be filled up the rest of the day. That bread was good but empty calories. Good the snow will be gone and you can enjoy a few long runs without worrying about the white stuff.
I am going to finish up my post – I need some pictures from last year and have to look for them to put in the post. I tore down what they started before it got too far – I don’t want to tear down a fully-formed nest as it is a lot of work to do and I feel like a heel doing it. This was about four inches of nest fixin’s they had collected. I could deal with them in a hanging plant. They just pick bad places to nest. The coach light at the side door was under an awning – nice and dry and secure. It was too messy and I had the handyman put a dome light there – no more mischief. At the point where the side/back yard meet, I have a double security light. It is not a sensor light, I would just put it on for safety to scare away someone in the yard. They like to build on top of it too. I leave that as I have not used the light in years – were it a sensor light, I’d feel differently as it might catch on fire. I never use my front porch light either. I had the baby sparrows in the bathroom metal rolling shutter. They went up and under the shutter. I kept hearing the shutter move and figured it was the wind. No one can raise the shutter from the outside – it locks in place. One morning I was in the bathroom and heard the baby birds cheeping. Imagine how small they were, maybe the size of your finches … the cheeps got louder ever day as they got bigger. The miracle of nature, if only they’d choose another location.
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I once gave up grumbling calling it critical comments,. I began as a friend and I drove to a conference. I was in the habit of saying critical things, such as, “What an awful color for a car!”
I reasoned that I wasn’t hurting anyone, but I was poisoning the air around me. Well, that drive was one of the most silent ones of my life. What a revelation! I had been constantly harping on negative things. I slipped up many times, but I did cut down on the number of nasty things I said.
I could have said some really hateful things about unwanted birds. Your eviction notice was much more fun.
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I was so good with giving up other things and I thought giving up grumbling would be wise to do. I have to stop it too Anne. I just heard this morning how bad it is for your health to think negatively. The robins are very annoying and messy. I wrote that post the first year I did the blog, in 2013. There was no picture and all one long paragraph. They did not build a nest last year, and are starting early this year – usually they start the beginning of May and the robins fledge by mid-June but I don’t want the chicks there too – it will break the light. I was furious when I saw them this morning.
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Hope you can get rid of the robins quickly.
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I haven’t looked outside yet this morning and I am sure they have a new home half built, if not ready to move in. They work quickly. It is piggish and I don’t want it there but they can go somewhere else, I won’t object. Right now it is just gray but no rain (or so they say … look what happened yesterday) … now we will have rain on Easter Sunday afternoon. I do not like this new norm for weather.
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We may have rain this weekend, too.
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The weather is fractious everywhere – storms across “the Carolinas” … hope this does not include you or John’s sister. I heard Virginia too and asked Evelyn and she said they have rain every day anymore and a woman in a nearby town was sitting in her car and a tree fell over and killed her. Yikes!
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I think John mentioned rain, but I don’t pay much attention. Forecasts are hardly ever accurate here.
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Here too anymore – it is gray and gloomy once again and we have rain and storms today…last night I had to shut down as it was storming … it was also getting very late!
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We have a blustery day today.
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We did too today – it has now started raining, the storm is delayed a bit so I can make some progress here. The wind seemed to be rocking the house at about 20 mph at the time. The grass has greened up – more tomorrow after an inch of rain in 24 hours.
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You need to write a book! That was hilarious yet I totally understand those darn birds! I went through this every year and finally found what worked. I tied balloons it the opening where they made their nest. Bright balloons and yes it looked silly to anyone driving by but….I won!
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Thanks, I included the eviction notice I wrote way back in 2013 … I was so mad the day I wrote that post. Oh, I never thought of balloons Diane – what a great idea! I don’t care what it looks like. I am like you, frustrated by them being there and the nest, once it is formed, and full of babies, might break the light. Thanks for the suggestion. They are early this year, it doesn’t usually happen until first week in May.
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That was even better the second time around! I like Diane’s idea of the balloons, but I wonder if they would burst them with their beaks? You should try it out. No nests here so far. PS. I didn’t give up anything for Lent, haven’t for decades, and hate to admit but I really enjoyed my brownie last night!
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I am glad you liked it Joni … the original eviction notice was from 2013 as you know since I JUST passed it along to you a few weeks ago. They never bothered me last year and they can build somewhere else, but not in the front, and the mailbox gets covered and I open the door every day to feed the porch pals and to get the mail. I am annoyed … I am dreading seeing their progress once I go out. It is a nice place to build, protected by a little overhang – ideal for raising kids. You deserved your brownie after that mess.
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Joni they didn’t burst mine. I wedged and tied them in the spot they put the nests and they couldn’t get in there. Once the nest building was done I removed them. Worked like a charm!
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I had to take down the nest fixings only because I knew in the space of 24 hours they’d have the nest in place and decided not to do the balloons, only because I had to work fast. I used to stick pinwheels on either side and that worked, but I did not have any at the house as they did not build a nest last year – I figured it was over and they got the message not to build. Last year I had to contend with sparrows that wreaked havoc in the blinds and I had to put mesh over it … hanging strips of aluminum foil as recommended, did not work. I won’t use bird spikes or sticky strips … I don’t want the nests, but I can’t be cruel and do that.
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Linda,
Loved the eviction notice and was wishing I had some birds building nests anywhere in my neighbourhood( my grumble 1). What are coach lights ? And what is the elbow of the coach lights ?
The place must seem like a ready made structure for them, safe from the storms and the cold and heat and they must know an animal lover lives in that house.
Don’t robins build nests on trees ?
Hope Grady didn’t get too much of a heart attack.
The robin actually cheeked you by dirtying your lawn ?
Linda, what do you eat ? OMG seems like you eat almost nothing. You are my new inspiration now. You have given up carbs, fried stuff, junk and everything else that is nice. Don’t you crave anything ?
I am trying to wean myself off sugar though coincidentally it is Lent. I have never given up anything for Lent. I should try it sometime as I am soon going to be 50. You are a very disciplined person, Linda. Hope the weather is finally turning over there.
Susie
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They did this every year except 2018 and I thought they were done building and it is a big mess. I am going out shortly – I had to do something for my boss this morning, so am running a little later. I dread looking outside as they can build a full nest, pack it in in mud and be move-in ready in 24 hours. I am not amused and mud and droppings go on the mailbox lid and my head as well every time I open the door for the mail, or to feed the porch pets. I am disciplined, but was better in the past – I had to start eating some treats again as I was craving them. I eat whole-grain bread and I found the bread I got for a treat made me hungry … if you eat whole-grain bread and oatmeal, or cereal with whole-grain, it has carbs, but will keep you full longer. The weather continues to be ugly – I will squeak in a walk this morning and hopefully at the Park, but it depends on whether rain is imminent or not. We have rain now on Easter Sunday but in the afternoon – that would be 8 days of rain – time to build an ark.
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Susie – I will try and take a picture before I rip it down.
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Hilarious. I wonder about that “looking for worms” guise, too. Robins distract you with that orange breast thing, then cause house-ily harm while you’re under their spell. I didn’t know that a robin would eat a centipede, considering how they seem dead set on eating any herb starts I put outside in pots on the deck. Oh well, whatcha gonna do?
Happy Easter, Linda. Enjoy, enjoy!
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Glad you enjoyed this post and I gave you a laugh Ally. I went through this ordeal for years and last year there were no nests (but the sparrows built a nest in my metal blind and I could hear the hatchlings cheeping until they fledged … I had to put metal mesh over the blind before they built another nest though I left the nest intact while the babies were there). I guess mesh might be the answer for the coach light … they like the bend in the elbow of the light and the overhang protects the nest/them. I am going out in a few minutes to walk and dread to see what havoc they have wreaked since yesterday. Robins are belligerent and they will glare at me and chatter as well. I wrote the eviction notice as a post in 2013. Last year I wrote many posts about robins and their babies. I followed three different families and had a lot of photos as I monitored their growth and fledging, so I realize this sounds a little cruel on my part. Maybe I should start some herbs up there and that will deter them. Happy Easter to you too Ally.
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LOL – Oh, my, your passion for doing the right thing for all kinds of critters is commendable. That’s why maybe next year for Lent, try something that I’ve heard (and it worked occasionally for me) – it is that you should take on something instead of giving up something. As humans, in this day and age, we’re more motivated by getting something (like extra doses of kindness or likes for doing good deeds) than by giving up something or taking away. Each approach requires a focused effort on our part (40 days worth). Happy Easter – you’ve done plenty of wonderful things this lent, don’t be hard on yourself, I’m sure you’re forgiven for grumbling along the way :-)!
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I do try to do the right thing, although I did tear the beginnings of the nest down this morning – I didn’t want it to progress and in the space of 24 hours, they will do that and once they plaster it on there with mud, it’s rough to get it down. I may try the 40 items for charity next year- each day you set aside something to donate to charity – for sure I could declutter and do a good deed too! I’ll never give up grumbling again – it was too easy to go off the wagon!
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Yes, birds can build their nests surprisingly fast! That’s a good lent discipline to do, helps you and someone else at the same time. Yes, grumbling can be hard to give up. 😉
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I do not practice any religion so I don’t do the Lent thing. Good for you for making it through though!
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I don’t go to church anymore – I did years ago, but I do give up something for Lent every year. I was baptized Catholic but never made my communion or confirmation. My mom didn’t drive and my mom wanted me to go to Sunday school so I just went with my friends.
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Linda, don’t be too hard on yourself!! Eight years without sweets- I think you can give yourself some grace now 😉 Also, I think the lent season is a great reminder that we are NOT able to be “perfect” on our own. It’s a great reminder of God’s grace and why we need Him!
Also, I love your sense of humor. That robin eviction letter has me cracking up. You are so creative!
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Thanks Mackenzie – I may participate next year in the 40 bags in 40 days project instead. This is what happens and the time frame for this year as they do it in conjunction with Lent … I am glad I gave you a laugh with the robins – I took it down this morning because I don’t want to take it down if it has robin’s eggs in it – so I nipped it in the bud. Here is the 40 in 40 explanation:
It is a forty day period (coinciding with the 40 days of Lent) where you go through your home and declutter one area a day. The 2019 40 Bags in 40 Days™ Challenge starts March 6th and goes to April 20th.
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Oh that’s so interesting & also productive!!! LOVE that idea. Thanks for sharing!
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I thought so today – you should try to get your new church to do this next year.
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Linda, You remind me of my husband – that’s probably why I love you so much. When the weather gets so cold during the winter he vows not to complain about the extreme heat in the summer but when the summer gets really hot he can’t help himself. I usually say “you are just mentioning it – not complaining, right?” reminding him of his vow and letting him off the hook. When it gets so hot in the summer he says he won’t complain about the cold in the coming winter but again can’t help himself. I just remind him “you can’t change the weather” – I just figure complaining does no good.
Last year he also threatened to cut down our maple tree because the robin who nests there begins singing long before the sun comes up and wakes him up. I love your eviction letter – maybe it needs to be notarized but the proper authority. LOL!
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Ha ha – thank you Ruth … your husband and I are cut from the same cloth. I used to hear that about my complaining about the weather from my mom – she would tell me I was a malcontent as I always had to have something to complain about with the weather. I have even said that in my blog in the dead of Winter. I will promise that someone should call me out or please remind me if I whine in the Dog Days of Summer in August when the heat and humidity are unbearable. 🙂 The robins are very opinionated and headstrong. Their song is beautiful, but I hear them long before it is light – who are they singing to? I have the birdies that line up on the outside windowsill in the Winter or when it rains … long before it is light, they are huddled together and cheeeping softly. They think they are cheeping softly, but I can hear them. Glad you liked the eviction notice – I got really fed up with them that day and it prompted the eviction notice.
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Wow. What a day you had! I do believe I would have grumbled just a bit as well. I love birds, but if they choose to build a nest within the parameters of our home, we will do the same. I learned this the hard way just a year or two ago. We realized, too late, that tiny birds (swallows maybe?) we’re building a nest in our porch light just above the door! They must have been in a hurry to build the nest and lay the eggs, because when we went to remove the nest once we realized it was there, eggs were already in the nest! Being a sucker for sweet little creatures, I reasoned with my husband that we should just let them stay instead of chancing to kill the tiny eggs or cause the parents to not come back because our human scent would be on the nest. Big mistake. Remember, this was in the porch lift that hangs in the small porch inlet in front of our front door! What a mess they made that we had to constantly spray off several times a day, as well as, duck and move to assure the parent birds weren’t giving us a morning greeting (of bird 💩) or an afternoon attack! 😬 Needless to say, I learned my lesson well, and no bird will ever be building its nest anywhere near our porch again! 🙄🤦♀️ … Giving up grumbling is a great idea, I think. Maybe to strengthen your cause and help the transition, you could couple it with a “consequence” for missing the mark…like 2-3 positive statements or actions must be done if you grumble when you’ve committed to giving it up. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit; so, if you’re giving up grumbling AND having to speak or act positively with 2-3 points when you do faulted, just think of the change in behavior and mindset you’d have coming out of Lent next year! 😉💕
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*porch light … *falter … geez. Sorry for the typos. 🙄🤦♀️
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No problem, I knew what you meant – we type fast and don’t see the boo boos sometimes and you’re typing on a phone, I admire that. I have a flip phone and don’t even text. 🙂
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It drives me crazy when I’ve typed something and hit send only to realize too late there are typos. It’s a reflection it’s trait I’ve tried to let go of over the years, and now, getting older, I’ve just decided to embrace it and smile when I have friends who ask me to proofread papers or documents or blogs for them! 😂
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I find I can proof my post several times and then I will publish the post and immediately I will see a glaring error. It is like spending hours typing up a term paper then as you’re ready to turn it in, you see a bad boo boo! 🙂
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So true!! 😂💕
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I ended up taking the nest fixings down Wednesday morning … they were progressing right along and within a day they would have had a full nest. The robin’s nests are very large and they secure them with mud – you’re right, they are messy and you have to walk underneath it. I removed it and stuffed bags in the elbow of the light – it looks terrible. I am with you – we’re not being mean. After Lent started this year, I saw an idea called “40 Days, 40 Items Challenge”. This is a very worthwhile venture – I will share the paragraph below from one of the many sites promoting this idea:
The 40 Days, 40 Items Challenge is really taking off this year. We’ve heard about it in the past, but this year it is exploding. Folks are really getting into it.
If you’re not sure what it is.. here’s how it works.
Instead of giving up something for Lent – the 40 days and 40 items challenge is a way of giving back. Each day of Lent, remove one item from your home, which you don’t use or wear anymore and place it in a bag. At the end of Lent, donate these items to a shelter or charity. They’ll be shared with those who really need them!
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Yes! I read that, too! I read it a bit too late to start on time, but I thought it was a great idea! 😊
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Me too – Lent has already started, and admittedly … either of us could have started at any time, but more fun to do it from the get-go. I thought it was a great idea too!
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Linda, the robins would probably be done raising their brood within a month or so after hatching. Might be fun to watch the entire process and keep track of it. The mess is messy, but if it were me, I’d let them do their thing. We humans have encroached so much on nature, that the animals no longer have as many safe places to nest. Your home must feel safe to them! 😊
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The robins have been doing this for years, and last year they did not show up (in the front). I thought they found somewhere else to build a nest – perhaps they saw all the enjoyment the cardinals and jays were having with the peanuts and decided to why not them as well?
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The more the merrier! 😉
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You have so much will power giving things up for Lent fair play. I have never giving anything up for Lent before.
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Well, next year I will try a different tact … giving up complaining didn’t work so well and I have no other ideas of food to give up anymore. 🙂
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