Magic Bird Seed

My hubby filled the bird feeders yesterday -- usual stuff, he thought. But is it? Today while we were in the kitchen fixing lunch, we observed a wondrous sight! All kinds of birds at our feeders, all at once! There had to have been 30 or more birds flying around, on the feeders, and in the bushes. There were several beautiful bluebirds, cardinals, yellow finches, the usual little sparrows (8 of them filled up a feeder), and a bird with a red head that I didn't recognize and have to look up. A red-headed woodpecker landed on one feeder to check it out before retiring to a nearby tree to try his luck there. This went on for quite a few minutes, and was a sight to behold! Must be something Magical in those birdseed.....

Nature's Magic

Sounds like a boring subject, yes? Please don't yawn. I've been on this earth for 67 1/2 years (I'm always amazed at THAT -- how time flies!) and the magical rebirth that occurs every year in the spring just delights me. Plants and trees that appear dead, magically sprout! Every year! Without fail! This is especially magical here in the south, if you can stand the pollen that goes with it. Right now it's just starting -- daffodils up, crabapples trees in bloom, lenten roses popping out. Soon we'll have the irises, the Bradford Pears and Dogwoods, then the azaleas, daylilies.... Well I could go on and on. If you live here, and have lived in the south, then you've seen it and know what I'm talking about. If you don't know, then you should plan a visit to the south in April just to see it.
I am so looking forward to sitting on my porch (soon! soon!) and enjoying nature's bounty. Happy (almost) Spring!

Makeover Magic

While I was sweating away on the elliptical at the gym today, there was a program on that was showing makeovers. There was no sound, and I was too far away to read the closed captioning, but here's the gist of it. They went into the street and picked a woman out of the crowd for a makeover. It appeared that when they did the makeover -- hairdo, makeup, clothes - that they didn't let the woman look in the mirror to see the final look until she went before the camera. Now I know the the "picks" could be pre-planned, and it could all be a fake, but if it is, these women are good actors! At first I was prepared to just blow it off, and take my eyes to another TV, but here's what got to me. There were two women. The "before" picture for each was pretty sad. When they each came out on stage, their family and friends were there and they all applauded and cheered. THEN, the woman was allowed to turn and look at herself in the mirror. One of them literally burst into tears! And she looked GREAT! Both of them did! And I could just tell from their faces how happy and good they felt.

I had just talked to my daughter a short time before about the Fairy Godmother project in Nashville (http://fairygodmotherprojectofmusiccity.com/) that collects dresses and accesssories for underpriviledged high-schoolers so they can go to their proms. It made me think of the fact that any age, we all like to be the best we can be, and look our best. It gives us confidence to face the world, knowing that we look "beautiful"! Right?

Magic Momma (or the Bionic Woman)

I am continually amazed at the "magic" of modern medicine! On my last visit to the eye doctor, I mentioned that the vision in my right eye had become fuzzy. He checked and declared that a film had grown on the lens behind the lens that the cataract surgery replaced (there is a techincal name for this, which I have forgotten). This had happened with my left eye also ( it occurs in about 45% of people after cataract surgery). At a subsequent appointment he pointed a laser into my eye, zapped a few times, and Voila! Magic! 20/20 vision (with glasses) at my follow up on Friday.
That's just the most recent amazing thing. The cataract surgery was special too, in that I am way, way less nearsighted -- I can see the clock from the bed without glasses! Without all this and the meds that keep my glaucoma under control, I would probably be blind by now. Scary to think that there are many people in the world who don't have access to this kind of care.
Then of course there's the metal in my shoulder and my ankles that allows me to use my joints normally and the surgery on my finger that lets me use my hand normally. I truly feel like a Bionic Woman!

The Magic of Love

It's still technically the Valentine month, so why not talk about the magic of love? Just a little...
As a junior in college I was having a run of bad luck with dates, and my roommate kept pushing to set me up with her friend "Tuss". His picture in the yearbook left me umimpressed, so I declined. Then, the following September he came to Florence as her date for an off-to-college dance. He walked into my house tall, tan, slender (ok, SKINNY!), in a white dinner jacket. I was a little impressed, but I didn't see stars or hear bells or anything. That night my date was yet another dud, and I asked my roommate to ask Tuss to ask me to dance. I was so brazen back then! The dance was a short one, as the music ended. Later, back on the USC (that's South Carolina folks!) campus, I had a dud date (yep, I was on a roll) at a fraternity party. Everyone at my table got up to dance, leaving me alone. Not liking THAT situation, I spied Tuss at another table, with his date. I brazenly walked up to him and said, "You owe me a dance". He graciously agreed. As we danced he said "I'd like to ask you out, but I have very little money". And brazen me responded, "I'm easy to please!". Our first date was to a $.25 drive-in movie. Yes, that's 25 cents! A car! From then on it was magic.....It will be 45 years of marriage in June! Happy belated Valentine's Day!

Magic Food

As my family and many of my friends know, I have had problems with my weight all my life. I was a chubby kid, and they say that once those fat cells are in there, they scream to be fed for the rest of your life. I believe it!
So in my quest for weight loss I have tried many things (NutriSystem, Weight Watchers (twice), Akins, Dr. Ornish's whatever, and on and on and on. As my family and friends also know, when I find a diet that seems to work, I can be a bit overbearing trying to convince everyone else that they should be doing whatever it is/was that I am/was doing, because it is/was so wonderful! I admit I did that about 3 years ago when I finally went to a nutritionist. The eating plan she gave me worked (for a while) so I pushed it on anyone who would take it. Then my plan stopped working, so I went to yet another nutritionist. THIS one seems to be a real nutritionist. The first one was young (VERY) and didn't explain that this plan was not for life, but temporary until I reached a certain point. Sooo, now I am having success again, but guess what? I'm not going to push anything on anyone. I have Finally (and why did it take so long?) figured out that everybody's body is different and responds differently. I have also figured out that what I've heard for many years -- eat right and exercise - works! It's just figuring out the "eating right" part that can be difficult -- and MAGIC once you do.
It seems almost magical doesn't it that I have lost over 40 pounds, and am now working on that last pesky 10, and brought my cholesterol down 56 points!? With NO meds! No anything special, except that I exercised regularly and ate (and continue to eat) "right". There's the magic formula! Why did it take me so long? Just proves that there IS magic in the world if you look for it, and that a person can learn at any age. As my sister said recently on her blog, quoting some of our older family members, "Praise Be"! Happy Magical dieting my friends.....

Margaret's Magic

Back when I was a working lady, I worked "behind the scenes" in the IT departments of various companies, and wore a number of hats: database administrator, helpdesk manager, and computer instructor to name a few. In most of these jobs, I was constantly bombarded with user questions and problems. Some were easy to solve, some were difficult, but to the person I was helping it always seemed like magic to them that I knew the answers and could fix stuff. Sometimes I'd go to their desk to help and say "Show me what's broken". They would attempt that, and lo and behold! it would work! They would give me a questioning look, and my reply was always "Margaret's Magic!" Those were the really easy ones....