Birdseed Pretzel Tradition

Good Wednesday morning!

I'm sharing just a few more Resolutions in The Gallery today. Tomorrow... basketball pics. No complaining, people. It's been awhile, and there's only one more month left of the season. You'll just have to grin and bear it!

RANDOMNESS #1 - Many of you know I've been participating in Body Pump classes semi-regularly over the last few months. What you may not know, is I thought I no longer had abs. We do "ab work" on Tuesdays, and the instructor always says, "Can you feel that? Are your abs sore? Can you feel the burn?" And I always shake my head up and down to indicate "Yes," but I haven't been truthful. I didn't feel it, my abs weren't sore and nothing in that area was burning.

There! I feel better! I've told the truth.

I just assumed at 49, maybe you didn't have abs any longer. I even Googled it, and called Cha Cha. I couldn't get a clear answer, but it may have been the way I posed the question. "Does your body absorb abs when you near 50 years of age?"

"What?" was Cha Cha's response. (Who are those people anyway?)

However, last night we did a new exercise, and I think I found my abs. It's very exciting because my abs (or where my abs once were) are sore today.

NOTE - Under no circumstances do I want to misrepresent myself. I am not going for a six-pack... REPEAT! NOT GOING FOR A SIX-PACK. I simply wanted to share I found a body part I had thought was missing. Happy day!

RANDOMNESS #2 - I will now answer another question posed by a new reader regarding A Simple Life.

Johane from the Congo asks, "What kind of animals do you raise on your farm, or do you grow crops?"

Another good question. Johane, when I refer to Faulkner Farms (circa 1842), it is more of a joke than a reality.

You see, last year I was very interested in obtaining a chicken and producing my own farm fresh eggs. Unfortunately, since we live in a suburban neighborhood with two beagles in the backyard, having a chicken and chicken coop was unrealistic. That, and my husband, Mikie, kind of put his big foot down.

We could have put the coop on the front porch, but that's a little more "simple" than I care to be at this time in my life.

However, we do have the two beagles, 98 squirrels and 14 chipmunks, and since I've ALWAYS wanted to name my house, I jokingly came up with Faulkner Farms (circa 1842), and declared it a working squirrel farm.

I apologize for any confusion the name of my home may have caused. Thanks for asking!

Wednesday Wisdom - Of course, today's Wisdom is all about the New Year. What else?

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man." Benjamin Franklin (I love Benjamin Franklin quotes!)

"A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other." Author Unknown

"Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account." Oscar Wilde
(Perhaps a little negative, but unfortunately a little true.)

"One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things." John Burroughs (This is an excellent resolution. I don't know how to take a picture of it, but I may use it anyway.)

"May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions." Joey Adams (And, as always, a little humor to end today's Wisdom!)

Birdseed Pretzel Tradition

This could be something you and your little ones could do each and every January to help our feathered friends.

Explain to your children how difficult it is for birds to find enough to eat at this time of year, and how much they can help by providing food for them.

1. Cut a 12" piece of wax paper and lay it flat on a protected surface. The corners may have to be taped down so the paper doesn't curl while the pretzels are being made.

2. Squirt fairly wide lines of Elmer's Glue on the waxed paper to form a pretzel-like design in which all lines meet.

3. Sprinkle bird seed or sunflower seeds to cover all the glue.

4. Allow to dry overnight.

5. Turn designs upside down on a flat surface and carefully peel away the waxed paper.

6. Hang on limbs or fences with thread.

This tradition was borrowed from Let's Make a Memory by Gloria Gaither and Shirley Dobson.

We made winter "birdfeeders" when my kids were young. We cut slices of bread into winter shapes with cookie cutters (snowmen, snowflakes, etc.). We then put them into the oven and toasted them. (We actually "over" toasted them. They weren't burnt, but they were very hard.)

Next, I tied a ribbon through a hole I made toward the top of the toast. The kids would then spread peanut butter all over the toast, generously sprinkle it with birdseed and we would find a tree to hang our bird-friendly creations. Within two days, all that was left was the ribbon.

This doesn't take a lot of time, but it is a wonderful "too cold to play outside" activity and tradition the kids can look forward to each and every winter.

NOTE - It is also something you can do more than once during the winter months!

Oh. And it's cheap AND fun!

Have a fantastic Wednesday. Remember... Today is Encouraging Wednesday. Pick up the phone, text, e-mail, Facebook, etc. someone who is on your mind, and give them a little "pick me up." It takes a minute, but it could make such a difference in that person's day.

Thursday I have some wonderful Blog Linkage, another question which needs to be answered from a new reader and a fun date. Don't forget to visit.

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda