51 Comments
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Jeanie Croope's avatar

Thanks for a very fun bunch of links. You can't beat a bird or two for good fun!

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Hey Jeanie, thanks for spending time with me here today!

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Eloris's avatar

The funniest bird romance in my neighborhood was a male woodpecker who tried to impress the ladies by drumming away on the neighbor's rooftop antenna. This made quite a racket.

After a while he found love and she drummed back at him from a different house for a bit.

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Eloris, that is TOO funny! Thanx for starting my day with laughter. Welcome!

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Paula's avatar

Oh my I just loved hearing about the bird houses and the lovely couple birds. I just wrote about a cute bird story over on my blog. They sure are something. I've been streaming old TV shows like Mary Tyler More, The Love Boat and my very favorite The Golden Girls. I've been being porch people with my friend and enjoy having coffee several times a week with another. My latest Trigeminal Neuralgia flair is over and I feel rather good. I'm almost done reading Matthew and I decided to read through the Psalms this summer.

Thanks so much for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month my friend. ❤️

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Paula, your May sounds like it's been delightful and encouraging!

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Cheryl's avatar

Aw, I loved hearing about the little birds who are visiting your yard! They are so precious and so loved by God, and He tells us we are worth more than many of them! How He loves us! Thank you for introducing me to a new song. As I clicked on it to listen, it hit me with force that God doesn't put new wine into old wineskins. Change has to happen in order for Him to pour the new wine into us, and change is painful. The letting go of what was, in order for Him to give us what will be can be heart rending. I needed this today. Thank you for your faithfulness to His nudges, friend.

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Linda Stoll's avatar

You're so right, friend. Change and all the transitions that come with it is often hard work, nuanced, complicated. A bit of a roller coaster. I think of you often, and believe you will have meaningful stories to tell when things simmer down. Stories of God's faithfulness and goodness and ever-present help.

Keep me posted, girl.

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Cheryl's avatar

Your words are so true. You will never know how much I appreciate you thinking of my family and me. I look forward to sharing those stories, Lord willing. I will keep you posted and can't thank you enough for caring.

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Brooke Zoller's avatar

Hope you’ve had a delightful weekend! How are you doing with choosing a new weekly ice cream flavored treat you wrote about a while back? Any surprise flavors you liked more than you thought?

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Linda Stoll's avatar

What a cute question, Brooke! No big surprises yet, but I did love last week's small chocolate Blizzard with big chunks of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!

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Brooke Zoller's avatar

Gracious, what’s not to like about all that! Enjoy!

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Christine Vaughan Davies's avatar

Thanks for sharing my post and encouraging others to become advocates of chaplaincy!

And I yesterday for the first time this season, I was excited to spot the blue heron who lives on our pond!

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Your post was so informative, moving, and enlightening. All those good things, Christine. We're so blessed to have you speak into our lives ...

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Christine Vaughan Davies's avatar

Oh thank you for those kind words! ♥️

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Carol D's avatar

So this was interesting—-

I have a wreath on my front door that a bird decided to build a nest in. Cute huh?

But things got ugly when I heard a loud thud two nights ago and found a cat trying to get under the ramp. I thought someone was trying to get in. I think it leaped at the nest and it did destroy one egg and maybe mamma bird. Two eggs are left but have not seen the mom since. 😢. Stupid cat!!!!!!

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Aw no. That's so wrong. Bad kitty.

But the whole idea of a bird building a nest in your front door wreath is kinda cool. Keep me posted on those remaining 2 eggs.

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nancyaruegg.com's avatar

Do you have the Merlin app on your phone, Linda? It's provided free by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It will tell you what birds are in your vicinity by their calls. Now even the smallest birds hiding in the densest foliage can be identified. I think you'd love it!

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Oh I love Merlin, Nancy! It's my faithful companion whenever I go for a walk. I just have to be careful I don't fall into a hole and sprain my ankle because I'm so absorbed (which I actually did a few years back!)

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nancyaruegg.com's avatar

Oops--the like button might not appear the appropriate response for your comments, since you mentioned falling!! Of course I was "liking" the fact that you use Merlin!

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Cindy's Book Corner's avatar

We have been doing some serious decluttering, not just of our bookcases ;) Have a great weekend, Linda!

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Cindy, oh doesn't it feel so good to do that?! And I love the results. I'm always amazed at what I really never needed.

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Barbara Harper's avatar

I enjoyed "More Than Skin Deep." I'm in my mid-60s. I don't want to look like I am chasing my 30s and 40s, but I don't want to look 80 yet, either. But as this author said, there's only so much time, energy, and money. And aging is inevitable anyway. It's a good (and increasingly frequent) reminder that this body is my temporary home and I need to be prepared for what comes after this life. I liked "The Keeper," too.

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Yeah, it's how we can be the best we can be, not coming from a place of fear or desperation, but from power, love, and a sound mind, which can only come from Him! You're right, Barbara, more and more we realize that this is not our home ...

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Martha Jane Orlando's avatar

Simply enjoying each day and every moment of the beautiful spring. Blessings, Linda!

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Linda Stoll's avatar

You captured it perfectly, Martha. Simply enjoying each day and each moment. Amen.

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Allison Woods's avatar

Yep. Major birdwatchers at our house. It's hilarious watching the young "teenagers" screaming at mom or dad to feed them from our bird feeders and they are maybe 3 inches from the feeders themselves! Apparently teenagers are the same across all species! 🤣😂

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Ain't that the truth! I'm amazed at how helpless they can be even as they can't wait to get all the adult privileges!

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Michele Morin's avatar

The goldfinches just found us again, and I am trying to get around to filling the hummingbird feeders.

Tim Keller on the Christian Life is currently blowing my mind with rich theology!

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Linda Stoll's avatar

I haven't had a hummingbird feeder for years. Thanks for the nudge to check them out ...

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Michele Morin's avatar

They can turn into a part-time job!

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Linda Stoll's avatar

And yes, please to Tim Keller. His book on prayer was a rich feast. I'm learning that you can't read every book like you do a spellbinding novel. Sometimes you can only read just a bit and need to sit and meditate on what you're taking in. This seems to go against my typical reading practices ...

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Lisa's avatar

Good stuff. All of it. Good. Chaplains ARE essential. People are grieving in deep ways and not just death. The marinade… yummy. Thank you for the bird highlight too. I love watching our hummingbirds.

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Lisa, thanks for spending a bit of your Friday morning with me. Love that.

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Lynn J Simpson's avatar

Just this morning, I quickly gathered my binoculars off the kitchen shelf to satisfy my curiosity of a bird perched sky-high on an evergreen tree shoot. But by the time I raised the binoculars to my eyes, the bird had disappeared. Oh well. I'm sure it will return! Unfortunately my cat is not keeping the squirrels away from the bird feeder, so I'm not seeing many chickadees and sparrows feeding on seeds meant for them. That's what I am seeing these days! :)

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Linda Stoll's avatar

I know, right? It's like they're watching us watching them and they want no part of it. Interestingly enough, our very obnoxious squirrels seem to have wandered off into the woods somewhere and are seldom by the feeder anymore. Maybe they're having their babies?

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Pam Richardson's avatar

Good morning, Linda. Birds are building nests everywhere at our home, places that we would rather they didn’t choose. Mockingbirds are very persistent and will swoop down at me if I walk under one of their nests. I meant to share with you that I read “The Story She Left Behind” and totally enjoyed!

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Linda Stoll's avatar

Oh, I know ... isn't it fantastic. I'm already looking forward to Callahan Henry's next book - a storyline I've never seen fictionalized (see link in post.) Wow.

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