It finally happened..........our male canary has laid 2 eggs! When the girls bought the canary for me they were told if it was a female we could take it back and trade. Male canaries cost a lot more than females. We kept waiting and waiting for "him" to sing. My mother even sent away for a CD with canary songs to teach him how. He chirped, but he never sang a song.
When he started tearing up the paper in the bottom of his cage, I thought "Uh-oh." I put in a little basket nest my mom had in her stash of bird things. Mother had some bird nesting cotton too, so I put that in the basket-nest.   No....... she prefers the food dish. So she is nesting in her food dish.  I found another dish to put her food in.
Next week we hope to take her back and trade her for a male. I feel a little disloyal doing that, but we have had 2 birds die from being egg-bound, and I don't want that to happen again. When I phoned the lady who raises them she asked if we wanted another bird so we could raise them. I declined. I guess when it's early Spring it's too early to tell what sex they are. The girls bought it in March, I think, or maybe even in January. I don't remember. It was just a baby. By this time of year the males are already singing.
These eggs are not fertile. I'm sure of that. She has never been out of her cage, and no other birds have been in it. Poor little girl....all that sitting for nothing. Hope she makes it until next week.

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I loved the old Xanga.  The new Xanga, not so much.  If I leave, I will miss the friends I've made here.   FaceBook is good for some things, like seeing pictures of my grandkids, but it seems shallow compared to Xanga.  I have no idea when my subscription will run out.  The only way I know to find out would be to look through last year's credit card bills, and I'm not going to take the time to do that.  If I do leave and you miss me,  you can find me on FaceBook.  Some of you may not know my name.........it is Gracia McDairmant.  I didn't use my middle name or my maiden name.  Our youngest daughter is also on FB.  She's using Gracia Elaine McDairmant.  She started using her maiden name because of the divorce, but said she may go back to her married name because some of her friends can't find her.  That is still her legal name.  I'm already friends with some of you on FB.  I'll try to send a message to the rest of you through them if I suddenly can't post here.

Meanwhile, here is a blurry picture of my strawberry patch, taken a couple of weeks ago.  Since then we have had it weeded.  It was badly in need of it!   The berries are not quite ready to pick.

"Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze.  Listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees.  Send me off forever but I ask you please, Don't fence me in."

My husband and daughter and I had a discussion one evening about whether the cottonwoods sound different in the wind than other trees.  I think they do.  Hubby and daughter disagreed.  I still think I'm right.

I looked up cottonwood trees on Wikipedia.  Apparently only the female trees produce cotton.  Well, we must have the grandmama of cottonwoods in our backyard.  I took a few pictures to show you.

Before mama cottonwood started producing.

After.  It almost looks like it's snowing.   When I walked Judy yesterday the cottonwood kept getting in my nose.

The war continues in the Central African Republic, or CAR.  First the Seleka rebels throw a grenade into a church killing many, then the anti-balaka burn a Mosque, and the cycle 9f hate and revenge continues.  Ordinary people who  want to be left alone to work in their gardens, send their children to school, and just live, are killed because they happened to be in the way of the groups that are fighting.   Keep praying for peace there.

There is a family in our church who are from there.  They've been here several months.  They're scheduled to return the end of this month.  Pray for safety for them as they return, and for peace for the parents as they take their 2 youngest children back to a war zone.  We had them come for supper last night, and I took this picture of the 2 girls.

Aren't they pretty?

Yesterday was the last day of school for kids in our school system.  I didn't go to any of the award programs.  You have to be a really dedicated grand-parent to go to that many award ceremonies.   They're usually held in gyms with bleachers with no backs.  I heard that my grand-daughter and great grand-daughter, who are both in 8th grade got awards for various things.  My grand-daughter in 6th grade got an award for being on the honor roll all 4 quarters, and also for having perfect attendance all year.  Grand-son in 4th grade got lots of awards.  I did go to the kindergarten graduation for my grand-daughter.  It was held in the cafeteria.  We sat on the cafeteria benches which do have backs.  It was at the school where 6 of my children went, and so far, 6 of my grand-children.  It's a good school, with a Christian principal and lots of Christian teachers.  I took a few pictures but they didn't turn out very good.  I will show them to you anyway.  They have all day kindergarten here now.

This was 3 classes.

Here dad came and gave her flowers.

Here she is with her teacher.

When I was born my mother started a diary for me.  Here are a few excerpts from it.

Jan. 7, 1938.  Here I am!  They say there was a beautiful sunrise just at the time I was born----6:30 am.                                                    I weigh 7 lb. 11 oz. and am 20 1/2 in. long.  I went to see my mother this morning.  I cried at first just to show her my strong lungs.  Grammie and Daddy were there too.  I have so much black hair.

Jan. 8  Just laid around today.  Saw my mother a couple of times.

Jan. 9  A lot of people stared at me through a glass door.  There was a mix-up at first.  They thought another baby was me.  Daddy didn't remember me, I guess.  He looked awfully proud though when the right me was held up.

Jan. 10  I love to get pushed down the hall at meal time with all the other babies.  We just go so fast.  I get to go out a lot oftener now.

Jan. 14  One of those ladies with a white hat said I was a good contented baby.

Jan. 15  I kept people hopping this afternoon.  Had pains.  They tried to give me a bottle with water in it, but I wouldn't take any.

Jan. 17  Got all dressed up in new clothes and was bundled, so I couldn't even see.  Mama held me and we went riding a ways.  Then Grammie took me and we got into a thing on wheels and went a long way to a place called "home."  I was put into a little bed of my own and cried until I got something to eat.  Daddy isn't such a bad looking fellow.  I got a good look at him today.  I weigh 7 lb. 13 oz.

Jan. 18  I had some colic today.

Jan. 19  Didn't feel so good.

Jan. 21  I've been a sick baby.  The doctor came this evening and I am to eat from a bottle all of the time.

Jan. 22  I didn't cry today when Grammie gave me my oil bath.  I feel pretty good these days.  Some music made me sleepy.  It came from a box.  My crib was lined pretty.

Jan. 23  I had pains early this morning.  Been pretty good all day though.  Saw a lot of company.  Company is all right, but in my opinion there are times when I should have privacy.  I don't like an audience when I'm having clean panties put on.

Jan. 24  Got weighed today----8 lbs.  I was an extra good baby but in the evening my meal didn't sit so well.  I had the hiccoughs and Grammie said I sounded like a little clock ticking.  I drank peppermint tea while they stuck a rubber tube in me with a soda and water enema.  Mama said all I needed was some ice cream between and I could be sold at a soda fountain for a dime.  Seems like they make a lot of fun of me, but I guess they mean well.

Well that's enough for today.  Baby care has sure changed a lot since those days!

My grand-daughters love to play dress-up when they come over.  Here are two of them pretending to be asleep.

And here is bored little brother who isn't pretending. He really is bored.

Yesterday we went to visit a girl who was part of our family for several years. She has since married and has her first baby, a little girl. It was fun to hold the baby. She sleeps a lot, as long as someone is holding her. Needless to say, mom and dad are not getting much rest yet. Baby is only 3 weeks old.

That's hubby sitting down. I thought I cropped him out. He did great driving us there and back. It's the first time we've been out of town since his surgery.

Look at all that hair! Her eyes are still blue, but both her her parents have green eyes, so maybe?

Where is everyone tonight?  Are you all out watching movies?  We had a nice visit with the baby girl and her mommy today.  She is a cutie.  On the way home we stopped at a famous candy store in a little town called Wakarusa.  Hubby bought some sugar free candy for himself, and I bought some salt water taffy.  Got 2 pieces of bacon flavor taffy to give to middle son.  He loves bacon.  Now we're listening to a DVD of the latest performance of the community choir.  Our oldest son gave us the DVD since we weren't able to go.  He sings bass in the choir.  Hubby usually watches all his favorite TV shows tonight, but public TV is doing another fund raiser, so he's out of luck.  That's all right.  We'd been forgetting to watch the DVD.  Gotta run.......the kids choir is done and adult choir is singing again.  Our computer is in a little room near the living room.  I can hear the TV but not see it from here.  Bye.

Aha!  It has something to do with the memory card or disk or whatever you call that thing.  I put it in my older camera and got this picture.

And now I have to go get dressed.  It's amost 9 am.  If I'm still in my robe when hubby comes home he'll call me Grammie.  She often wears her robe all day.  She also eats ice cream out of the carton.  When I'm 96 I'll get to do what I want too.  Smile.

I wanted to post pictures of my peonies last night, but for some reason I can't get the pictures off the camera onto the computer.  Maybe tomorrow someone younger will come over after church and do it for me?  Anyway they are beautiful and smell so good.  I have 3 in the house now.

We're going to take a short trip today and visit a new baby.

Tomorrow will be church and then family coming over for lunch.  What should I cook?  I like to cook, but I'm tired of planning menus.  Actually, I just remembered.  We are going to buy some Nelson's Golden Glow barbecued chicken, so I'll just cook some potatoes, asparagus, and have ice cream for dessert.  I also have to take a mini-breakfast for Sunday School.  Haven't decided about that yet.  Tonight we're having fish for supper.  Hubby has Type 2 diabetes, and my Mother has no teeth, so that kind of restricts menu planning.

Sorry this is a boring post.  Welcome to my exciting life!