Oh the stillness of Monday morning.
The house is quiet.
No popping of the toaster, or the kettle boiling for tea and coffee.
The high chair is empty till the next grandchild comes to visit.
No airport pickups today.
Visitors from far away places in England, Canada and India have left.
The light, warmth and stillness invites us outside.
The calm after the storm.
Our friend the robin welcomes us.
He flutters and swirls around me, excited.
Others birds in the forest are singing their hearts out.
Two blue tits come down inquisitively looking for food.
A blackbird calls.
A solitary Raven chases away any competitors for the food scattered on the lawn.
The sunshine glistens on the water, thousands of lights dancing.
Tinkle, tinkle sounds come up from the last yacht below in the bay.
Where is the sun bed?
It hasn’t been packed way yet.
I stretch out and look up.
A few dry leaves drift past.
There is the blue sky beyond the bare branches.
Somewhere up there in an aeroplane is my son and his family.
I will savour the sunshine and beauty.
It’s a new day, I will not be sad.
Tag Archives: visitors
Tableaux Thursday . A Black Bird Blocks the Fire
The scripture says “Look to the birds of the air.”
I love bird watching. I have found them in different habitats near and far. I viewed them in my garden, at the beach, in the forest or in far flung places of British Columbia where I saw many bald eagles. I have learnt about blackbirds, magpies, wrens, finches, thrushes, tits, robins, jackdaws, pigeons, doves, swallows, starlings, sparrows just bird watching in my garden. On the Loughshore I see Canadian Brent geese, blacked backed gulls, fulmars, swans, and many sand digging birds. I have seen buzzards, crows, hawks and pheasants in the open country.
This is the season when birds are building their nests to have their young. Blackbirds and pigeons are nesting in the ivy growing over the empty cow shed.
But one bird caught my attention this morning. I looked out my back window to see a crow with a heavy twig in its mouth. I admired it for its skill in collecting twigs to build its nest. There are tall trees nearby suitable for a crow’s nest. I watched to see where it was building its nest, expecting it to fly off in the direction of the trees. Surprisingly it flew over in the direction of my chimney. Oh no. Not the chimney of the fire I want to light in the big room when people visit! I had lit it last week but noticed it wasn’t on fire as it should have been.
I went outside to investigate. I looked up to see the chimney was covered with wire to stop any birds entering. Out comes a black bird through the mesh with the twig left behind. How was it able to navigate through a hole in the mesh with a twig in its mouth?
It was determined to occupy my chimney.
I went inside to my living room and lit some paper in the fire place to smoke the bird out. Too late, its nest has already blocked the top of the chimney. The birds can built their nests anywhere but not in my house. They have places to live and this is my place to live.
I cleared another chimney of a crow’s nest before Christmas. I wanted to make a log fire, so often prortrayed on happy family scenes on Christmas cards. How often do you see an open fire? Family and friends have enjoyed many happy evenings around our fireplace since.
The Holy Spirit is referred to fire. When the disciples were in the upper room tongues of fire settled on their heads.
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4 NIV)
Do not put out the fire of the Holy Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt (1 Thessalonians 5:19-20 NIV)
The black bird, crow, can symbolise some power trying to block the fire of the Holy Spirit in my life. I do not want any obstacle stopping the Holy Spirit in my life. I will get this chimney cleared from twigs and put a wire at the top to prevent the bird returning. I will be able to light the fire again in my fireplace and give warmth to visitors. I will make sure nothing with stop the fire of the Holy Spirit in my life.
If You’re Irish Come Into The Parlour
Here is a song I sang growing up.
If you’re Irish come into the parlour,
There’s a welcome there for you;
If your name is Timothy or Pat (or David)
So long as you come from Ireland,
There’s a welcome on the mat,
If You come from the Mountains of Mourne,
Or Killarney’s lakes so blue,
We’ll sing you a song and we’ll make a fuss,
Whoever you are you are one of us,
If you’re Irish, this is the place for you!
I am in Toronto to see Ava, my son David and Jacquelyn’s baby. I am staying at Jacquelyn’s parents home. I am enjoying the change of season here. I took a walk and took this picture.
David our son, was welcomed into the heart of Jacquelyn’s immediate and extended family. David has been fishing with Jacquelyn’s dad, brothers, uncles and and grand dad. They caught many fish and had a great time. He has been to hockey matches, plays tennis and soccer, been on a visit to Washington to see extended family, and sightseeing at the Niagara Falls.
Maureen, Jacquelyn’s mum spent all Sunday cooking dinner for friends who wanted to come over to meet me. It was Thanksgiving and Christmas all in the one day.
Maureen likes the windows open. I like a cool room too! She loves roast potatoes and Irish wheaten bread, which she bakes on the weekend. She had someone from Ireland she could share with. It was her mum’s recipe. Her mum grew up in Belfast. We celebrated her mum. Her memory lives on.
Jacquelyn was particularly fond of her and misses her. Her baby is wearing a cardigan her granny knitted for her.
Maureen’s aunt called by the other day. She brought a beautiful Christening robe, an heirloom. Her sister had hand knitted it and gave her for her children. Now it was being given to Jacquelyn for Ava’s christening. She told us how she loves to make soda bread just like we get back in Ireland. She has here fridge full of it ready to give as a gift to anyone who calls or comes into her parlour.
I am being made to feel welcome and part of the family. I don’t have to cook, clean or shop. I am available for babysitting when Jacquelyn needs me. It’s not hard work nursing a warm, cuddly, baby girl. Oh the joy of being a grand mother. I don’t have to do the hard work of feeding, dressing and changing.
It is lovely to see my son caring, protecting and treasuring Jacquelyn and Ava. A whole new world for him.
When Brendan travelled to North America twenty years ago he was welcomed with open arms, celebrated, loved and accepted. A big shock to the system when back home in Northern Ireland there was war. The Irish were rejecting each other.
I went to England 35 years ago to have my own daughter. I was welcomed by the Irish community as a long lost relative. They were from Kerry and I was from Derry. But we were all Irish in another country.
The words of the song above are true. Brendan, David and myself have been welcomed into people’s parlours.
Healed of Cancer. Angela McCauley 