A Sense of the Season

***Alright, enough of what we shouldn't eat and do!  Its holiday time for goodness sake!  (My husband will be glad to hear that!)   Its time to celebrate the season.
***The ancient peoples of the Earth were pretty smart.  Right smack in the middle of the bleakness of Winter, in the coldest of short days and the darkness of long moonless nights is an oasis.  Lovingly and benevolently placed in the doldrums of the Solstice (at least in the northern hemisphere) is Christmas, birth of hope; Hannukkah, the festival of lights; Eid al Adha, festival of sharing;  Bohdi Day, Buddhist day of enlightenment; Diwali, India's festival of Lights and Mardi Gras (12th Night) celebrated in Rio and New Orleans, La.  They must have wisely known the value of distracting oneself from what's missing, what's grey and lifeless as cloudy skies over brown curled up corn husks.  If you focus on Wintry woes you go there.
***So light the candles!  Let's savor the season and take note of every juicy detail of joy we can squeeze out of the moment.  Let's devour chocolate (dark is best for you!), and revel in it's
decadent comfort.  Let peppermint awaken your sense of wonder as it chills your nose and plays upon your tongue.  Notice the sparkling diamonds in the snow and how beautiful bright red cardinals look against pine boughs.  Breathe in the sweet scent of cinnamon, bayberry,
evergreen wreaths and Mom's sumptuous holiday feast.  Break out the bubbly and delight as the bubbles tingle your nose.  Listen to the crackling of a fireplace log, the squeaky crunch of snow beneath your boot and the muffled sounds of a moonlit fresh-fallen snowy night.
***Its easy to lose our Greater Selves in the rubble of wrapping paper, rambunctuous kids and kitchen prep.  If you remember to breathe you'll restore your balance (and sanity). In the spirit of giving give this to yourself.  A moment of focus is like a big fat mistletoe kiss to your Spirit!
***This season, join me in childhood awe.  What makes your heart sing?  What turns you inside out?  What makes you feel as though you're about to burst?  Taste the deliciousness of that thought.  Keep it close.  Make it your default setting as you go... dashing thru the mall, with the one last gift, hurray!  On the bills we'll stall, laughing all the way! ( I couldn't resist!)
***Keep it Festive, reminisce with family, pet your dog or cat, daydream over hot chocolate and enjoy the harmony of carols.  Bake cookies with children and let them show you how unfettered silliness and giggling restores the Soul.  Taste, inhale,observe the fun.  From our backyard to yours, have a Blessed time!

Healthy Tips-part 2 Holiday Edition

***Just because its the crazy holiday season, that's no excuse to go crazy and resort to unhealthy habits. We feel festive, we feel entitled (especially when we're stressed), we may feel childlike and like this sugar laden, ooey-gooey something is a "gift for me"! Get a-hold of yourself people! It's a gift for your hips and although "hips don't lie", don't trust them! They'll get squishy real fast if you feed them too much of the wrong stuff and not enough of the right stuff. It's all about balance.
***Eating healthy doesn't mean doing without; or being sad and forlorn at the buffet. It means adding a little "girl math" to your meals. (You don't have to ba a girl!) Rachel Ray says that if you eat right you can eat more.
Its like shoes. If you save $$ on a pair of earrings, you can spend that on shoes! -You know, girl math! Eat well, don't be a pig and make sure you get your whole grains and veggies. Here are a few more ideas...
***No matter what the corn syrup lobbist says, there's a difference in how your body metabolizes sweeteners. Dr. Oz, world renowned cardiologist, author and TV host says that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) isn't seen by your body as food. And without going all technical on you, our bodies won't
turn on the 'stop eating' chemical. Yikes! No wonder we feel like we're
going to burst! Read labels. Adjust your diet.
***Agave syrup (right next to the honey on the grocery shelf) has a lower glycemic index than honey or sugar. Again simply, glycemic index means how fast your blood sugar shoots up. High blood sugar = not good. Agave has no
specific taste. Use for baking or instead of honey or sugar in anything.
And, while we're on syrup: Get the real thing! Real maple syrup costs more than brown colored HFCS so you'll use it sparingly!
***Soda is bad- the worst waste of your calorie investment. Try this:
Mix frozen orange juice concentrate with a small amount of seltzer. When smooth, add more selzer to taste. No guilt orange soda! Works with grape juice (make sure you get the good stuff with no sugar or fake chemical sweetener)or pineapple juice, or apple juice.
***Apple juice is a great sweetener too. Use instead of water to cook Old Fashioned Oatmeal. (Not the instant gunk! In fact, the best is steel cut oats, but they take the longest to cook.) I'm not expecting miracles! If you use apple juice and maybe some raisins, you'll use less sweetener. If you miss brown sugar (no better than white sugar), add a dab of molasses. Brown sugar is just white sugar with molasses added. I make my own.
***Get some whole wheat flour and use it for thickening gravy, coating chicken, baking, etc. Forget you ever heard of white flour! Use ONLY 100%
whole grain bread, tortillas, rolls, pitas, etc. (100% means they can't lie about how much white flour they sneak in there!)There is no excuse, they're all available. You have too much else to think about around the holidays to be worrying about if you're getting enough fiber. Make more things automatic and it won't be hard to incorporate good habits.
***Oh, and at the buffet, visit the veg platter first so you can use your girl math when it comes to dessert!
*** It may seem like we're all too busy to start changing things, but if not now then when? There's always something going on. Then again, there's always plenty of time while recovering from any number of diet-related conditions! Too snarky? Consider it a holiday wake-up-call, my little Naturegirl gift to you! Try some little things. Let me know how they work out.
***Rachel Ray has some good healthy ideas, and Drs. Oz and Roizen (Oz's brilliant co-author) have written a wonderful series of "YOU" books; ie
"You on a Diet" and "You, the Owners Manual". All of their books are found on Amazon. For your convenience, you can reach them through the carousel on the right.->
***Have a happy and healthy, guilt free holiday season right through New
Years Eve...less Resolutions on Jan. 2nd!

Renewal

***This morning as I began my day. I was feeling a little less than hopeful;
maybe somewhere in the range of blah or ho-hum. (Its Monday). So, I took my own advice and went outside to fill the bird feeder.
***I immediately felt the cool air. It was refreshing. My eye was taken by a shiny something in the grass. What is that? It looked like leftover tinsel from last year's tree. Right in the middle of the yard, in a shadow. ***Then a glistening diamond caught my eye across the yard. Dangling from a low tree was a beautiful large dewdrop. Wow. There was a thick fog last night so a heavy dew is responsible for the sparkle.
***Then I noticed the smell of morning. No, not eggs & bacon, but earth and leaves! My senses are awakening. What better place for them to do that but in Nature. You don't even have to go camping for this delight.
***The colors are drawing me now. A pretty, persistant Petunia is showing me her lavender lushiousness. A happy little Tropicana rose surprises me
by popping out even more beautiful bright orange blooms after resting a month or more. The trees are wearing their Autumnal best and the grass and evergreens show off many verdant shades.
***Nothing is moving. The stillness is most likely caused by a lurking Hawk. "Cooper" has been keeping the residents on their little birdie toes!
They'll be back. They always are. Like the seasons and the weather and the Spring flowers, Nature is continually renewing Herself. And so should we.
***The purpose of this space is so that I can share with you my appreciation
for the "Finer Things In Life". Put in perspective, that's what Nature is.
The renewal, rebirth works over & over. I guess that's the definition of renewal, isn't it? Its a sure thing in an unsure world. I want to convey
to you this deep secure Spiritual anchor to Life Itself that benefits me and connects us all to all that is.
***I was interrupted in my revielle and lost that "lovin'
feelin'". Went back outside and checked on that bright little gem in the grass. It was a tiny delicate web, bedazzled by the dewdrops. There's no "Finer Thing" than that on a late Autumn Monday morning.

Sacred Moment

I love on Autumn evenings how the leaves begin to glow,
The grey clouds seem to hover as the sun peeks out below.
A spotlight shines across my yard and beams upon the trees.
The moment is so beautiful it brings me to my knees.
The contrast of the golden light that plays upon dark tones
of evergreen and sepia and Nature no one owns.

A sunset is a gift from God for just a few to see.
It lingers not, but hurries on. It doesn't wait for me.
For those of us who catch it, a calm and thoughtful lot;
Are the ones who find such wonder, the ones who Time forgot.
It marches on not caring who witnesses the show
So take the time to notice as the sun slips down below.

If you're hurried, worried, harried, you may miss your chance tonight.
But in Autumn, in the evening sometimes there's a sacred light!

A Case for Birding

***These are interesting times. Stressful, intense, fast-moving times. Everyone's in such a hurry. We know stress isn't good for us, but most of us don't have a clue how to take a moment and just breathe. Well Naturegirl has a suggestion for you...
***GO OUTSIDE! No surprise there! But what to do when you get there? Its
great to just breathe in the fresh air, to notice the difference between the scent of Nature as opposed to the stuff we don't even notice wafting through our lungs. Try it, and be aware of yourself in the moment when you do.
***That's enough for some people, but for birders its just the begining.
Pretty much anywhere you are, they are there too -sometimes watching you right back. In fact, you can bet those little flying acrobats were aware of you long before you spotted them. Catbirds in particular love to sneak up on you and check out what you're doing. They get really close and its obvious they are people-watching. One day I swear I'll look up to see one spying on me with a pair of tiny binoculars! Catbirds are great singers from the "Mockingbird school" of tunes. And if you are lucky, when he or she turns to go, you may see the beautiful burgundy patch they keep in hiding on the underside of their tail.
***Bird watching, or birding as we bird-brains call it, is a fun, rewarding
inexpensive hobby. You can do it all by yourself or involve the whole family. Birding is great for kids as it helps to develop skills of observation and alertness. Not to mention it gets them off the couch! Those same skills are also helpful to seniors. Heck, we could all use a trip off the couch from time to time!
***It is very helpful to have a pair of binoculars and a bird book. There are loads of books on the subject and even the most basic can get you started. The same holds true for binoculars or field glasses. See my suggestions on the carousel to the right. My rule of thumb is "never take a bird for granted". Many times I discovered a new species in my yard that I thought was a sparrow I had seen before. Ho-hum turned to oh wow! You never know til you look closely! Lots of beautiful little warblers look quite dull to the naked eye. Especially when they're whipping through the treetops. Even the "usual suspects" are beautiful up close.
***For instance, the Mourning Dove is really beautiful, especially the males in Spring. They appear to be grey and tones of dull beige-y, taupe.
In truth they have extraordinary coloring. Mourning Doves' feet are hot pink! They get patches of metallic gold and metallic fuschia on their necks (to match their feet)! And, they have beautiful wedgewood blue caps on their heads and matching blue eye-rings.
***Don't count out those sparrows either! The Brownish looking White Throated comes in two color schemes. Stripes on the head are brown & beige or black & white and both have brilliant yellow spots between the eye and bill. All have the reputed white throat.
***Have I made my case yet? Are you heading for Amazon to order an Audubon book and some binos? Do it. You won't regret it and your family and/or birding buddy will be forever grateful for inspiring a new lifelong passion. Relax, breathe, go birding!

Healthy Naturegirl Tips-part 1

+++In this age of quick-fix, fast food, instant gratification,microwavable,
life in the fast lane; we have hot-footed our way to obesity, laziness and all kinds of unnecessary illnesses. The only berry most people have seen lately is the black one you talk into not the "blue" or "straw" or "rasp" you savor!
+++Its time to get re-acquainted with the kitchen! I've even heard of some women using their oven as extra storage for boots and handbags! C'mon ladies! Grandma would flip.
+++There are some really easy and quick ways to "cheat" back the calorie overload and add some healthy stuff into the family diet. Maybe even with
no-one ever knowing.
+++For instance, more fiber is essential. Switch to whole wheat or whole grain pasta. If you don't think you like the texture of it just cook it longer so its softer or try different brands til you find one you like. Add (or hide) lots of chunky veggies in the sauce. Onions & garlic are a natural choice, but try zucchini, grated carrots, chopped tomatoes. The more stuff in there, the less likely anyone will notice the extra rich flavor of the whole grain.
+++You can even get real sneaky and pre-cook some extra powerful nutrient-rich super foods such as butternut squash or sweet potatoes. Boil or bake, toss them in the food processor or blender and puree. Add them in to tomato sauce, soup or gravy. Sweet potato, by the way is the single most power-packed thing in the produce aisle!
+++Speaking of gravy. ALWAYS make your own. Boil some chicken in a couple of inches of salted water til done. You can add onion flakes, garlic powder or crushed red pepper flakes if you like. Remove chicken, take off skin and any other undesirable bits. Put the stock in the fridge in a bowl til the grease solidifies and discard, leaving only the delicious gel.
+++Place about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet with about a tablespoon of whole wheat flour. (No need to clog up your digestive tract with any more white flour!) Make gravy by cooking out the "paste-iness" of the flour, adding some chicken tastiness and melt in to desired thickness. You may have to add some water. This chicken broth/gel can be used to flavor just about anything from soup to rice. In fact, use it INSTEAD of water for cous-cous, rice, polenta; anywhere you want more flavor! Repeat after me... More flavor/ less fat.
+++One more thing while I'm bloviating on fat. There's good fat & bad fat.
They make good cholesterol & bad cholesterol, respectively. Extra virgin
olive oil, walnuts, salmon--good; hamburgers, doughnuts, butter--bad!
+++Here's a tip to help. (After all you can't do everything at once.) Take your butter- real butter, not the fake oil stuff, and leave it on the counter til it's really soft. Using a whisk, work in some ex. virgin olive oil. You can add as much as "equal parts" or just 1/2 as much oil as butter. Put in fridge in a small container lined with plastic wrap. You can take it out when it hardens and cut it into "bars" if you need to fool someone! Or, when its semi-soft roll into a "tube" shape. Not yellow enough for you?- add a sprinkle of turmeric, need more salt? add a pinch. Some people get really creative and add herbs or bleu cheese- yum! Keep refrigerated and don't use twice as much!
+++Ok, in review...
*Turn on the oven once in a while!(Don't forget to check for boots!)
*Trick yourself into eating more veggies.
*Treat your loved ones (that means you!) to some laid-back, slowed
down, healthy homemade gravy and real butter. You just gotta learn how to cheat! Stick with me, I'll show ya how. (More healthy cheats to come!)

Birding for Sport

Did you ever feel that satisfaction when you finally lay eyes on that illusive creature in the yard? You know, the one making that unusual new sound that you've never heard before. That squeak, that chirp, that trill. Sometimes it drives you nuts for days. (Its usually a bird, but this applies to little froggies or shy insects too.) You may see a flash of feathers... maybe a glint of bright yellow. "Is that a... no, it looks more like a... You turn your head and only see a twig with quaking leaves. You run all the way into the house to get your binoculars to better stalk your prey, and its... gone! Ugch! Its like hunting, but without the murder part at the end.
Then, there are those days. The days when all the elements in the Universe are in alignment. "Wow! I think I just saw a male Redstart! I did! I did see a male Redstart! I've been waiting my whole life to see one! It was worth the wait." Check one more off the "Life-List".
I don't know about you, but once I've "captured" them either by camera or at least in my minds eye, they go on my cupboard door "trophy" list. I only write them down if I have positively identified them. Do you keep a list of the beautiful fliers that grace your backyard? You'll be surprised how quickly they add up if you do.
We are particularly blessed here in Virginia Beach. There are 90 species
on my list! 90! That represents five years of stalking. Let's see
how many little trophys your yard holds.
Here are the rules...
~If you can see them from your yard, they're yours!
~If you know who they are.(ie, male, female or immature [species])
you bagged 'em!
~Lay binocular enhanced eyes on all of them. What looks like a sparrow could be something much more exciting! Believe me, it happens to me all the time. They ARE little masters of camouflage after all.
Of course, you will need a bird book and a pair of binoculars. Check out
Amazon for that. My first good pair was Bushnell 8x21, a good start. I use Bushnell 12x50's now. (Whatever you do, don't drop them!)
More about books & binos in a future blog.
Happy hunting!

To My Childhood Friend Chirp

It was the early '60s. Life was very different than it is today. One of my earliest and best memories is of a little bird I named "Chirp".  I named him that because that is what he said. Loudly! Repeatedly! Emphatically! Begining very early in the pre-dawn hours!
   It all started when a vicious storm swept him out of his nest. He was a little bit of a thing. He looked like his beak was too big for his head. Big feet, a plump ball of chirping wet feathers. Being the Naturegirl that I was (even at five), I insisted that we go out & rescue him. Mom & Dad knew I wouldn't shut up until they helped me save him. I'm sure they thought he would go right back home after the storm. Well' that's not what happened.
     He was up dark & early the next morning as my Dad was getting ready for work. They were only a little surprised when I wanted to go outside & turn over the slates in the path to find worms for you know who. From observation, I knew what Mama Robins fed their young and I knew where to find them!  Sure enough, that quieted him down... for a few minutes! Since his parents were nowhere in sight, I took it upon myself to be a bird Mom making many trips out to the slate path. 
    As long as I was willing my parents let me do my thing -like I said it was a different time then. I think they might have been distracted by a new baby or something like that, but I was much too busy "teaching" Chirp to fly to notice. I would sit in the dry bathtub with him on my finger. As I raised and dropped my hand, he began to flap to steady himself. Somehow in my tiny brain I just knew he was practicing for flight and strengthening his little wing muscles. After a couple of days of this he took off on a short flappy cruise and I knew he was ready to go outside. I guess I thought that Chirp and I would grow old together, or maybe I wasn't really able to think past my nose at such a young age, but Mother Nature had another plan.
    I carefully and lovingly carried my little friend outside into the sunlight. As expected he took off and flew his first outside free voyage. I guess all that flight training payed off! However, he was suddenly out of sight! Uh-oh!  And then... suddenly I witnessed something incredible -and frightening!  Out of the blue, and out of every shrub and tree came a flock of every kind of bird I had ever seen! And they were all headed for little me! I had no idea  that Chirp had made so many friends in the week or so he spent in his nest! There arose such a clatter... there was chirping and peeping and whistling and lots of dive-bombing! And then there was screaming and running for cover and tears. (I think Alfred Hitchcock was hiding in the bushes somewhere.)
    That was the last time I saw Chirp that summer.
     As the Summer temperatures cooled and the flowers began to slow, I often thought fondly of my little feathered friend. That experience changed my short life, but it was about to get even more amazing...
     One early fall day I was playing in the yard, lost in my imagination, standing by the clothesline.   In an instant there was a flapping commotion on my head and shoulder! I of course shrieked and ran. Biggest regret of my life, even to this day. As I shot across the lawn to the back door, I looked over my shoulder to see what had shocked me so.  There above me as if in slow motion was my friend Chirp flying away with a mate
who had been waiting nervously on the wire. I could almost hear her say, "I told you those humans were skitzo!"
     I learned three very important life lessons that Summer. First; that birds that flock together don't necessarily have to be of the same feather. That was teamwork. That was unspoken communication between species against a common enemy (unfortunately me).  And they won!
     Second; the next time a bird, or anything for that matter, tries to land on me I'm keeping my big mouth shut! Seriously, this has taught me to be much more gentle and graceful around all creatures great and small.
It has made me pause momentarily before I step on my pets or frighten the birds in my backyard  by bolting outside with seed.
      Last; and most importantly, I am hooked. Hooked on all things feathery & furry. I'm hooked on clouds & weather. Hooked on bugs, butterflies & botany, even on snakes & sealife. I may have had it in my DNA all along, but I credit Chirp with turning me into "Naturegirl".

Well, I finally did it...

I've been toying with the idea of blogging for awhile now. I have lots to say. Who cares?  Do my experiences matter to anyone besides me? What about opinions? You know what they say about opinions!
    I've seen lots of wildlife in my own backyard and it thrills me to pieces! There must be other nature-lovers out there; maybe some who live in cities and could live vicariously thru my eyes. 
    Here in Coastal Virginia, we are in the Atlantic Flyway. That means we have an extra helping of wonderful migrant birds stopping by Spring and Fall.  We have been blessed with the presence of over 90 species of feathered flyers flitting and fluttering through since we started counting in '05. In Birds & Blooms Magazine, I once read an article about a Northern/ Midwestern woman who had an astounding 40-something species in her yard and it got me thinking. "We must have that many too!" Boy was I surprised! And, continue to be delighted and amazed at the wonders of wildlife watching!
    Well, now that I've finally begun, my purpose here is to chronical happenings, photos and the general Joy
of just Living here in my little piece of Heaven.