In my last post I shared the drama that was unfolding in my back yard birdhouse. It began with a chickadee who found himself dueling it out with a bluebird. Who would prevail? Honestly, I would be happy with either. Enter the plot twist. This guy:
This is a European Starling; we’ll call him…Mr. Big Stuff for now. He showed up at the birdhouse, sticking his beak where it doesn’t belong. For days there was no sign of activity at the birdhouse and I thought all hope of a sweet tenant was lost. Fast forward one week. As I sat on the deck, I noticed flurry of activity. Pulling out my binoculars, which every knitter keeps in their project bag, I watched as two house wrens worked to decorate their new home! Yes! It’s true!! Have you ever seen wrens as they build a nest? Wrens are tiny birds, about 4″ long. They carry twigs twice their size in their beaks and attempt to cram them through the small openings of the house. It is wonderful to watch. They are so skilled at turning the twig in such a way that it fits it through the hole and the building continues.
While I was thrilled at the prospect of hosting a chickadee or bluebird, knowing that wrens are nesting makes me so happy. These were my daddy’s favorite bird.
He hung houses all around the property with hand carved and painted signs boasting clever sayings like “House for Wrent, Real Cheep”. Nothing makes me happier than having wrens for tenants. So there you have it. It was the best of times and they all lived happily ever after.
While we are on the subject of birds…I had an Oriole at my feeder! An Oriole! I spent the first few seconds yelling to my husband “what do I do…what do I do!!!” His advice? Just enjoy him. I have never seen one in the wild, not to mention at my feeder! They are stunning. In other bird shenanigans, my most frequent customers (yes, plural) have been Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks (again, emphasis on the plural). I thought I had one family, but I have a confirmed three. The male is colorful while the female is muted and understated. When it comes to seed consumption, they are equals. Regardless, they are both striking visitors.
Well hello gorgeous! 
Show off
So it is May! May is a busy month. It is the month of the BVM (Blessed Virgin Mary), it is the month when my oldest son Benjamin is born, it is the month of Mother’s Day, and my anniversary (more on that in a bit). I hope everyone had a blessed Mother’s Day. I don’t really celebrate; every day is Mother’s Day for me. My oldest son was born on the 13th and being separated from him is a foreign and unwelcome experience. We zoomed. He looked handsome. He has COVID hair; I like it. I miss hugging him and holding his face in my hands like Italian mamas do just minus the cheek pinch.
My youngest son, Alex, gets me. He remembered seeing me borrowing books by this author from the library maybe 15 years ago. (and you think they aren’t paying attention)
This is the complete collection of “Too Much Coffee Man”. What? You have never heard of TMCM? Well, to quote Wikipedia, “Too Much Coffee Man (TMCM) is an American satirical superhero created by cartoonist Shannon Wheeler. Too Much Coffee Man wears what appears to be a spandex version of old-fashioned red “long johns” with a large mug attached atop his head. He is an anxious Everyman who broods about the state of the world, from politics to people, exchanging thoughts with friends and readers.” So, to sum it up, this is 600+ pages of cranky, neurotic and caffeinated bliss. Well, aren’t you an odd one, Regina.
As I mentioned earlier, we are celebrating our 5th anniversary. We had a small wedding and spent our honeymoon in Italy. The photo on my home page is from Frances’ Lodge in Siena. Please visit their website. The Inn is so beautiful and the hospitality truly special! Robert created the playlist for the wedding reception. Robert has the most eclectic taste in music and a very expansive collection. Music : Robert = Knitting : Regina. If it is good, he knows about it and most likely owns it in his HUGE music library. Except for that one song by Babyface, listening to the play list had me falling in love all over again. In case you were wondering, I did add some songs as well. I’ll share a few at the end of the blog. It was such a fabulous day!
On the knitting front, I am starting another pair of socks. I wanted to do a toe-up sock using Judy’s Magic Cast-On, but after 5 attempts at left and right leaning increases for the toe, I finally gave up. What do all you toe-up sock knitters use for toe increases? Of course, it did not help that I was using a deep purple yarn on black dpns. I am knitting these socks with the Perth I purchased on the Long Island Yarn Crawl. It will make a stunning pair of socks, assuming I get beyond the cast on.
I cast on for a cardigan but you’ll have to take my word, it is not photo ready.
A follow up to the ‘soup isn’t a meal’ revelation of an earlier post. Apparently in order to make soup “meal-worthy” you need to add meat, or pasta. Better yet, add both. Thanks Alex.
My favorite garment these days is my kitchen apron. If you see me on any given day at any given time, I am wearing an apron. Yes, I am wearing it over my clothes, I save the other look for zoom meetings. Hey, I got such a fresh F2T box this week, there was a snail in my lettuce. I gave it to the birds.
I hope you all are well. I really appreciate having a chance to catch up with you. I feel like this post is a bit scattered, and I must confess it took me waaaay too long to write. That’s ok, right?
So I’ll end with the usual.
Saint of the Day: I’m going dedicate this post to The Blessed Mother. Why not? It’s my blog and it is May. “Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you”
As promised, here are a few of the goofy love songs I added to our wedding playlist. I hope you enjoy.
Thunderstruck – AC/DC
Back In the New York Groove – Ace Frehley
Dancing Queen – ABBA, in memory of my Daddy.
It was such a great day. Happy Anniversary, sweetheart!
This one goes out to the Starling: Mr. Big Stuff
Love you all!
ReginaMary
Cosmicknitter 
I love your yarn:) I knit my socks cuff down. I’ve done toe up but Judy’s Magic Cast On wasn’t magic for me:(
Happy Anniversary!
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I’m glad it not just me. I have already made great progress on the socks since I cast on for top down.
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Happy anniversary and yay to the wrens who won the bird box.
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Thank you and YES!! I was thrilled and they sing the whole damn day!!
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❤ xxxx
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Love your bird pictures. Our wrens are much smaller but still utterly charming. We see lots of them on our walks – but never for very long.
We have a ‘meeting anniversary’ this month – 12 years now and my goodness we’ve never looked back. Honeymoon in Italy sounds just bliss.
Splendid title too – it certainly fits the current situation perfectly. 🙂
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Thank you, Lisa. I thought I would have to leave the last ‘best of times’ off because of that dang starling, but then the wrens saved the day!
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At first I was afraid the starlings had taken over…good job little wrens! Our neighborhood bullies are the grackles…I almost hate them…I want to see the finches, wrens and even the blue jays instead. I’ve never done a toe up sock, but I can tell you that I always have to flip my decreases. Evidently I learned to knit opposite of everyone else, so my decreases (and probably increases) face the wrong way. I learned in Norway, but the videos I’ve seen of Norwegian or continental purling look nothing like what I do! It is a mystery. Happy Anniversary! I have a May baby, and she is actually here for two weeks or so, so we will have a birthday with her, the first time since she was 18!
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I think I saw your daughter’s baby photos in an earlier post, right? May is a beautiful month. I used to call the Blue Jays the bird feeder bullies, but these starlings are real jerks. It doesn’t help that we watched “The Birds” last weekend. sheesh.
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Yes, I put the two of them on my SAL update Mother’s Day. Girl #2’s birthday is Thursday. 🙂 The Birds? That ranks right up there with that Fly movie!😖
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I saw it as a child when they showed it on the “4:30 Movie” program. (remember that?) I have not watched it since and it still scared me!
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I do remember those afternoon movies!
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Edgar Allen Poe week, Monster week! Oh, yeah. I was traumatized, but I continued to watch! haha!
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Happy anniversary to you! Loved the description of the birds 🙂
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Thank you, Jenny!!
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Happy May to you Regina! And congratulations for your anniversary! Loved your bird photos too.
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Thank you so much!!
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I honor the Blessed Mother as well, all of May. I better bring some flowers in for her. My mother and grandmother instilled a deep tradition of faith in the Blessed Mother . My mom used to pray, that she would “wrap her arms around us” when we needed it most.
As for your question about social fabric right now, it is making me think. Often someone is texting me, and they leave it open ended…
Are you free to talk?
Too often I Fall into the trap and say yes without knowing what their need from me , is going to be. Yesterday, a long time friend, texted this. I said yes you can call me. And that led to a monologue about her sister’s husband having an inoperable brain tumor. And it was gloomy and rainy here and It bummed me out. I take on others emotions and I need to check this. I thought, afterwards, why did she call me?
Often I am initiating some contact , too. .Mostly, I keep a short hello to a few friends who I know live alone. I’ve been sending some cards in the mail.
I text a friend , Karen, nearly daily.
My kids and my pal Kath I will always pick up the phone for.
My husband, of note, has about 4 friends, that he calls once every few weeks. We are quite different in that regard.
It is something i need to think about some more. If I was at the barn, for 6 hours twice a week, I would be socializing with people . I don’t know when the barn will reopen. I’m stuck between finding a new way to contribute to society and just staying the course and using that time to cycle. For my health.
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I am much better interacting in person. Texting easily frustrates me. My husband has a policy. If it takes more than three texts, pick up the phone. I really don’t enjoy conversations via text. I would rather email. I think the notification sounds make texting seem like an intrusion. READ ME NOW! Were as every other means is taken in time.
What would we do without the Blessed Mother? Now that I think of it, it is almost noon. Time for the Regina Coeli! I’ll pray for your health.
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Thank you all for the anniversary good wishes. I don’t even need them with my wife. Regina is such an amazing woman she defies description….. but I can try… sentimental, motherly, kind, compassionate, caring, loving, funny as can heckin* can be, unselfish, wicked smart, humble, loving, loving, loving…..
Would anyone except me like her to do a webcast???? I love her so much but I need to share the wonder that IS Regina.
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You are a sweetheart!
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I’ve been wanting to do toe up socks too as I have some partial sock yarn skeins and want to use all the yarn. Maybe I should start a pair:)
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I liked the cast on, but wasn’t pleased with the increases at the toe. I really like the neat look of the decreases when knitting cuff down and I am not getting the same results with the m1l and m1r.
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Hmmm I’ll have to try it out and see what I think. This might just be the impetus I needed to get the third baby booties done so I can start some socks!
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Happy Anniversary!
Those bird are pretty!
You are knitting a cardigan? That requires talent!
Have a great weekend =)
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Reblogged this on Reflection of My Journey and commented:
(reblog)
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Sorry I’m a bit late, but HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
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No worries! Everyday is a celebration of the day; I have a wonderful husband. Thank you for thinking of us. xoxo Regina
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“Pulling out my binoculars, which every knitter keeps in their project bag, ” Awesome! I’ve watched a mini series worthy “battle of the birds” in my yard as well as on my nature walks. Birds are bad *ss! Happy anniversary! (Oh and the memes are hysterical, I love The Far Side?Gary Lawson!)
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I can’t get enough Far Side and The Office. I have small binoculars at home and larger, more powerful ones in each car.
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Loved your post Regina.. and socks I have never yet attempted.. Though my cardigan is slowly taking shape.. the back and one front done the other front nearly finished.. I pick up rarely as the weather here in the UK has been gorgeous… 24C today and yesterday … Rare this time of year.. Dry too..
Which has meant watering in earnest on the plot..
So loved your garden birds.. European Starlings I know all about.. They can be quite aggressive and VERY greedy.. I don’t get as many as I used to in our garden.. But we have had a pair only this week bring their couple of fledglings to feed on the feeders and they tip every other bird off..
Wrens.. I adore… again they visit rarely these days, but one did land on the redcurrent bush in the allotment the other day and sang as sweet as can be… Pure magic..
Your other garden birds are very colourful… We get bluetits and coaltits.. My daughter who lives more near some woods gets a Jay.. and foxes and squirrels 🙂 Love your photos, and the colour of your yarn.. 🙂
Sending LOVE your way Regina.. ❤
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Thank you Sue. There is nothing like nature.
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Absolutely.. 🙂
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