Saturday, August 10, 2013

Congratulations June!!!

June of Butterfly wings is the winner of my partially finished, woefully lacking in enough thread Shepherd's Bush kit.  Congratulations June!!!

A total of 9 followers were interested in the kit.  I wrote their names on pieces of paper, tossed them in an empty tea box, & June's was the name that was pulled from the box first.  Once again, congratulations June   : )   I already have your address, so the kit will soon be winging its way to you.
Not much going on here stitching-wise.  I'm still working on the Lizzie*Kate traveling pattern & still hoping to finish it before the end of the weekend.  

I had mentioned in my last post that the new heart medication which the specialist added to my regimen was not working well.  As it turns out, it was causing me some pretty bad side effects.  I would take it & within an hour or two I would be very dizzy, unsteady on my feet, have difficulty breathing, & have trouble seeing clearly.  These symptoms would wax & wane throughout the day.  I tried telling myself that I just needed to get used to the medication, so I kept taking it. Sometimes I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer.  After putting up with these side effects for 3 weeks, I called his nurse & she in turn talked with him & he agreed that I needed to stop taking the medication.  He did not prescribe any other medications for me.  If he had, I wouldn't have wanted to take them.  After having bad side effects from the last three, I'm really not keen on trying another.  We will talk about cardiac ablation vs. pacemaker placement at my appointment on the 20th.  All I know about pacemakers is you can't be near a microwave.  Oddly enough, I was talking with my aunt yesterday & found out that one of my cousins recently had a pacemaker placed.  I will maybe have to give her a call & talk with her about her experience with it. 

I hate to even say this but it looks like I may need to start eating a gluten-free diet.  All I know about eating a gluten-free diet is that you can't have wheat.  No wheat.  Sounds like a death sentence, doesn't it.  I can give up sugar without a second thought, but wheat? The outstanding indication of my need to go gluten-free is the fact that after my strict diet I started eating a bowl of shredded wheat in the mornings & a vege sandwich in the afternoons made with whole wheat bread.  I would feel very bloated afterward & just "not right."  I also started gaining back some of the weight I had lost.  Not a good thing.  Supposedly a gluten-free diet helps people who have autoimmune diseases, & since I have a few of them, along with the bloating/not right issues, I should feel better once I start this.  But again ... no wheat.  If any of you can recommend a good book about eating gluten free, please let me know.  
We had 2 hummingbirds visiting us this summer ... same as last year.  Since we enjoy watching them, & the flowers that drew them to the garden had finished blooming, we decided to buy 2 hummingbird feeders.  I hung one on the back porch & the other I placed on a bird feeder pole in a smaller garden.  I took photos of the 2 hummingbirds using the porch feeder.  Since it's in a shady area, you can't really see their coloring very well, but you can tell they are different hummingbirds.  The first 2 photos show a hummingbird with a lot of light feathers & some light coloring on/around his head.  The second 2 photos show a hummingbird with a very dark head, & if you look very, very closely, you will see a bit of red coloring around his neck in photo #3.



We were ecstatic that these 2 hummingbirds found the feeders so quickly.  Somehow, word got around & we now have about a dozen hummingbirds coming to use the feeders. However, these first two, especially the one with the lighter feathers, are very territorial & they will chase away the others when they see them.  The one with the lighter feathers actually will sit in a large bush we have near the back porch where he can see both feeders, & he guards them fiercely!

This territorial behavior rather upsets me. There are plenty of perching areas on the feeders as well as plenty of nectar to go around, yet these 2 hummingbirds don't want to share.  John & I watched a documentary about hummingbirds a week or so before buying the feeders & it did mention that they can be territorial.  Ah well, I just hope the other hummingbirds get to enjoy the feeders at least some of the time ... maybe when the 2 guards are taking a bathroom break   : )

I have no photos to share with you regarding this next bit of information so you'll just have to take my word on it   : )   John & I were sitting on the front porch the other day.  We have 2 large flowering baskets hanging out there.  We noticed something flying from flower to flower in the basket closest to us & at first thought it was a large bee, but no! It was a baby hummingbird!!!  It was the first time either of us had seen one.  On the one hand it was a combination of us being in the right place at the right time, but I also believe God sends us little gifts on occasion, & I consider seeing that baby hummingbird to be one of His gifts to us that day   : )

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

20 comments:

Vickie said...

Oh my goodness! How tiny was the baby?! It must have been an awesome moment right?
I am glad your stitching will find a happy home with June.
Well, good luck experimenting with the gluten free stuff. I love me my bread too!

marly said...

Aren't those birds amazing? We have to put the feeders on opposite ends of the house or one in front and one in back. Better chance for other diners, but each feeder still has a guard. Mom's pacemaker was implanted 12 years ago and it was amazing. There was no problem with the microwave, but cell phones had to be opposite. Doc said even if it would interfere, it would only be a concern if she was having a major heart event at that exact time. It goes right back to monitoring. Good luck with the diet. I can't live without pasta!

Robin in Virginia said...

Lucky you on seeing a baby hummingbird! We have 6 feeders hanging from our back porch with 2-3 dozen hummers at any given time. They still fight over the feeders; we enjoy having them and watching their antics.

Robin in Virginia

Catherine said...

So glad June will be the new home for your kit!
Amazing, those hummingbirds! Wonder if they were more territorial because they had a nest near~by? How fun to have actually seen the baby!!!
Check out Simply Sugar and Gluten Free by Amy Green ~ you should find it on Amazon. She also has a website. Good luck!!!

Linda said...

I have a feeder also. And yes, the two hummers that come around will fight and chase each other off. But somehow, they each get some chances to drink throughout the day. I love watching them, but am afraid to be out there when they come buzzing around! Not sure why - but it freaks me out - LOL!

Linda in VA

Linda said...

What great bird pictures Shirlee. Sending hugs and happy thoughts your way.

Linda

butterfly said...

Thank you sweet Shirlee, I love SB and the design is just lovely.
I wish we had all these beautiful birds in our garden maybe one day if it stays warm here we may get one, Good luck with your food and getting it just right, hugs.

Peggy Lee said...

We have 7 feeders all along the back of our house. There are a couple who are very territorial but with so many feeders they just go on to the next one. We have seen a Momma feed her baby right on the feeder. Aren't they fun to watch?

Being a carboholic, I crave all that stuff that those with gluten intolerance can't have. I'd really be in a pickle if I had to follow a diet like that. I hope you are able to find just what you need to help you make it an easy transition.

I thought it was just those pacemakers from years ago that had the "no microwave" clause? They've come a long way with these things.
~hugs

Shirley Hill said...

The GF diet isn't so bad. I've been on GF/CF lifestyle for years since my autistic daughter had to go on it about 15 years ago. Plenty of sites with recipes, plenty of grocery stores that carry the products, etc.

Simply Victoria said...

Hurray for June - hope she gets it finished up just right.

I know that the gf diet seems like a death sentence. That is how I felt too 6 yrs. ago. Trust me, it really does get easier and once you can tell the difference, feeling better will out weigh the wheat you crave.

Start by borrowing books from the library. Then you can see what you like and not waste money on what you don't like.

Praying you feel better soon without the negative side effects!

Awesome hummers for you to enjoy!

Michelle said...

Oh Shirlee the bird pictures are lovely. I adore them my friend x

Annette-California said...

Thank goodness there are lots of products that have labels "Gluten Free". Rice is a big substitute and potatoes. You will be surprised how many good products their are now. Did you know there is a Gluten Free magazine? http://www.delightglutenfree.com/
Have a look and note a .99 cent downloadable issue.
I could go on and on but hope this helps. love Annette

Julie said...

The hummingbirds look super, how exciting to see a baby too.

cucki said...

aww i love humming bird so much..
hugs x

Myra said...

Great hummingbird pics Shirlee. I know nothing about gluten free diets but I see some of our blogging friends do. :o) I hope you have a great week - keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

Pam in IL said...

Oh how I love watching the hummingbirds. I've not seen a baby one though, at least I don't think I have.

Hope you get the medical things worked out.

Chris said...

Oh Shirlee, I am so sorry about the diet. I don't know if I could go gluten free. I just hope that you find the right balance and that you are feeling great soon.
Aren't hummingbirds amazing?

Angela said...

I love the Hummingbird pics, they are so pretty.

Gluten free is tough, I've tried and it's really tough! It's not just in the obvious (bread) but the totally unexpected (sauces, spices, salad dressings, packaged foods, prepared foods, fast foods,and gravies. Research it because it's more than just Wheat you have to avoid.

gracie said...

We love having the Hummers visit our two feeders... and yes, they are all very territorial!

ricketyjo said...

Hello there :)

Cute photos of the hummingbirds!

Sorry to hear about your health probs with the heart medication and the gluten free. I went on a very difficult diet a few years back when I was having terrible eczema and saw a homeopath - basically cutting out wheat, yeast, sugar and most dairy... it was tough, and to begin with you'll do a lot of checking packets of things. The best thing to do is to try and find an alternative for the things you crave...for example, can you have nachos/tacos (corn instead of wheat)? Quinoa? Potatoes? Eggs were a good saviour for me and veggies/meat, strawberries or fruit when I craved sugar. It made a huge difference to me in more ways than just clearing up my eczema so I reckon it's worth doing a bit of research on t'internet! Once you find alternatives for the things you eat regularly, it'll be much easier going forward and I hope it helps :) Drop me a line if you need any ideas!