Tonight's picture was taken in December of 2008. That day a friend of mine from the University came over to visit us with her wonderful dog, Jax. Though Jax was much larger than Mattie, he was very kind and gentle and Mattie took to him right away. In this particular photo they were having a chasing game. Carrie was running around with Jax, and Peter was pushing Mattie in his wheelchair. As you can see Mattie was getting a kick out of this and smiling!!! Being outside and in the fresh air was always a positive and wonderful experience for Mattie. This was something I learned early on, back in Mattie's infant days!
Quote of the day: In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence. ~ Robert Lynd
Last week, when I went downstairs in my building to do laundry, my neighbor from upstairs asked me when I was going to start feeding the birds. She could see that my sparrows were coming back (they disappear during the summer months) and were flitting around our deck outside in search of food. I always find it amazing how these sparrows return every winter to the same location to be fed! They come to the same hooks, typically where I hang the feeders in the winter time! However, during the summer, the hooks have wind chimes on them. So you can't say that they have seen the feeders out all summer. They haven't!!! They just know by instinct to return to the place they have been fed from the winter before!
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This year, I decided NOT to feed the birds on our deck! Mainly because they made such a mess last year. I couldn't keep up with it. So instead, after my 85 year old friend Mary died, I claimed her bird feeder hooks and put them in my commons area. As Mary was dying, I bought her this bird feeder garden hook. I figured this would be a nice thing for her and her caregivers to look at while bed bound in her final days. To me listening to birds is very peaceful. The garden area in our common space, I have turned into a memorial garden in a way to Mattie. These are all bushes he planted with Peter's help when he was a little guy. They were tiny at one time and now they are all five feet or taller. So Mary's garden hooks seem to fit in nicely in this tribute garden, as I think of her and Mattie every time I look out my window from my office space. I suspect that our garden in the spring and summer brings our neighbors happiness and our birds in the winter also brings them a sense of life and closer to nature. However, I am always amazed when people stop to tell me about it. In fact while I was filling up the feeders today, another neighbor came to talk to me about how much she appreciates how Peter and I beautify our commons area and that we are the reason for the bird traffic being around our complex. She meant this as a high compliment. We live in the heart of the city, therefore attracting greenery and nature isn't always easy, but we work hard at it and I do think it makes a difference to one's peace of mind, body, and spirit. Which maybe why I find winter so incredibly depressing and stifling.
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