Birdwatching

We are fortunate to live near Ruffner Mountain Nature Center, and an abundance of wildlife and birds. If you enjoy watching and identifing our feathered friends, you'll love this neighborhood.

Today, Woody, our red-headed woodpecker, lit on the dogwood in the yard. I wonder if Woody has a family somewhere he's not telling us about.

We have a ton of squirrels in the trees in our yard who bark at us as we get into our car.

Hot Real Estate in Birmingham!

What a wonderful article! Right when the rest of the country's real estate market is pretty soft, a report is published that our community is smokin'!

"Ten years ago I would not have thought that buying real estate in the city of Birmingham would be a good investment," said Otis Brown, chairman of the Board of Equalization.

According to the printed report, which is longer than the online report and mentions our area specifically, he's quite surprised. We knew it all along.

Come to My Garden..

This is my week for getting my hands dirty! The previous homeowner had a lovely rose garden, was a member of the rose society, and I am fortunate enough to inherit his hardy antique roses. Over the years, though, the shrubs and trees have shaded the garden to the point that it the roses simply aren't thriving there.

So, we dug up some of Mr. Wade's (the prior homeowner) roses from our rose garden and transplanted them to large clay pots. We're putting our spring and summer flowering annuals and shrubs in our English garden.

Nifty Needlework

The best thing about doing needlepoint for very small children is that they are so uncritical. The don't say things like, "I see you've missed some stitches over here on the leg, was that intentional?" or "Was this creature blinded in a fight?" They will clasp it in their little arms and love it besottedly, inseparably as the thing becomes more and more rancid. ~Carole Berman and Jennifer Lazarus

When my first child was born in 1991, I developed a deep love for smocking and sewing and making dainty little creations for her. Most of those creations have also been worn by my younger three daughters.

Sew Beautiful has some lovely how-to's and smocking plates available on their website. Sand Pails and Antics are particularly sweet for summertime.

When school is recessed and yours truly has more time, I'll happily show off my creations!

A Neighbor Honored

Roy Anderson, a friend and neighbor, was recently honored as 2006 Layperson of the Year by the Alabama Baptists. Mr. Anderson and his wife, Ann, are dear precious neighbors and are consistently sweet and kind to my family and children. They are members of South Roebuck Baptist Church.

Caroline's Brunch

We celebrated baby Caroline's inclusion into our family on April 15 by dedicating her in a service at our church. Afterward, we had a wonderful brunch at our house, and among our guests were our honorary neighbors the Stewarts and the Daniels. Mr. Daniels is a pastor at a neighborhood church, Cathedral of the Cross, down the road a bit in Center Point.

Her menu included:



Low Country Shrimp Grits casserole
Hash Brown Casserole
Creme Brulee French Toast
Quiche Florentine
yogurt, granola and fruit
Mimosas with freshly squeezed OJ and sparkling grape juice
O'Henry's regular and decaf

The weather was delightful, the company charming, the food simply delish! What a wonderful day!