Betty's Birds

Happy New Year!

(No resolutions about keeping this blog going ... I will try to do better. For Willie.)

I know I've commented on earlier blogs about my growing fascination with birds. Lots of beautiful birds are enjoying Grandma Betty's bird feeders that grace our backyard now that she and Grandpa Fred have moved into Greenspring Village. Although this activity makes me feel old, it is quite entertaining watching the birds vie for position on the feeders and scatter frantically when the fat acrobatic squirrels jump from the porch onto the feeders to steal their seed.

I (pathetically, maybe) have been keeping my camera and telephoto lens handy lately to get some fun shots of the birds and the squirrels.

I was told that little cone would keep the squirrels out of the feeder ... this guy was undaunted by the cone and the ice on it. He's so fat he can barely make it to and through the fence when we send Kilmer out to chase him, but luckily for him, Kilmer is too stupid to find him in time.

Thank you, Betty, for sharing your love of birds and giving us your bird feeders. I am enjoying them immensely.

I'll never be an Independent Mary Kay Consultant

Aside from the fact that I have no discernible skin care regime and wear the least bit of make-up possible, I could never be an Independent Mary Kay Consultant. Last night at a Holiday Bazaar at which both of us were vendors, my Independent Mary Kay Consultant friend, who meets all the requirements you would expect of an Independent Mary Kay Consultant, told me she was also showing her wares at another craft show in Ashburn that wants her to start setting up at 8:00 this morning. It was about 9:30 at night when she told me this and she was rather dramatic about the late hour and the need to get up so early the next morning.

She then pulled me close and in a low whisper, she confided in me that she was planning on going straight to bed, not even taking off her make-up, then getting up in the morning and not even showering and heading off to the show. Heck, I do that every other day!

But that's not the show-stopper here ... she was selling single gloves at her table with cute little signs on them calling them "Getting Gas Gloves." Apparently, Independent Mary Kay Consultants take off the nice gloves they have on in the cold winter months, pull a single pink glove out of the glove compartment and put it on their pumping gas hand so as to not soil their nice gloves.

Give me a break.

(Note to my Blog Readers, all 6 of you ... sorry it's been so long. Thanks for the nudges to get back to this from Willie & Sissy!)

'Ello to Ya!

Life is good in London!

After a long flight and a first sleepy day of Bus touring, we spent our second day visiting the Tower and exploring Old London. Pete The Tour Guide on the bus taught us a lot about the City of London ... his grandmother survived the WWII bombings and he is very proud of his City, Christopher Wren and St. Paul's.

When Kayti and I were here 3 years ago, Big Ben was being restored, so this was the first time we actually heard him chime the hour.

This fine gentleman Beefeater talked to us for a long time ... learned a lot about what it takes to be a Yeoman Warden (apparently "Beefeater" is actually an insult) ... at least 22 years exemplary service in the military. Thirty-six Yeoman Wardens actually live in the Tower while working there. We later walked to St. Paul's, but we got there just as a Choral Concert was about to start, so we were unable to tour the building. We will return, no doubt, at a later date.

Here's the view from the South Bank of the Thames ... not all bad, huh?

Gotta go ... heading off to Portobello Road to search out fun 50th birthday gifties for Lori and old buttons for Jean.