Bluebirds

Saw my first Eastern Bluebird today - a pair, on my upper deck! The female was sitting in a planter, mouth open like she was hot and tired. The male hopped around the deck, onto the glass-top table. And they chatted....I heard them.

I know anthropomorphizing animal behavior is just silly, but it look just like they had been flying long and hard, and were hot and tired. So they stopped on a shady, protected deck to rest and scout out the housing in the area. (We have a bluebird house cleaned and ready in the yard.) They discussed things back and forth, and the female complained she was SO TIRED she just couldn't look more today.

I quietly went downstairs and put fresh water into the birdbath and set out some dried mealworms - just in case. Later, I tried to set out a dish of water onto the deck for them, but they flew off when I stepped out. But she was back a couple hours later....sitting on the finch feeder hook, surveying the yard. Welcome, welcome, blue birds. We hope you choose to nest in our yard again this year.

Passementerie

Reading one of the (too) many craft newsletters coming into my email paid off today with a new word. Passementerie. Not a new word, but new to me, so all thoughts of my morning tasks vanished as I dropped everything to find out what this wonderful-sounding word meant. Wikipedia gave my the definition. The art of making elaborate trimmings or edgings (in French, passements) of applied braid, gold or silver cord, embroidery, colored silk, or beads for clothing or furnishings. Or tassels - think sultan's palace or exotic drapery fringe, or just fabulous pull for your ceiling fan.

This fabric angel from Eclectics Gallery is a great example.

Found this revelation on the Quilting Daily Blog, then simply googled the word....gotta love the internet, no matter how distracting.

Now I have yet another way to justify keeping bits of old trims, lace, braid and gimp - someday I'll used them in a passementerie project.