Today is so beautifully blue and springy green. Father Sky sketched his sky canvas a light blue with hints of aqua and turquoise, cloudless and clear. The sun warms the day till it’s hot on the porch swing and I seek a chair in the shade. There are so many glorious greens in the landscape with the trees leafing out. The pansy blooms are standing straight up soaking up all this glorious sunshine. The songbird symphonies are pleasant to my ears as the birds flock to the feeders. A raccoon or maybe Bootsy, the neighborhood watch dog, has snitched a bird feeder and randomly poured the seeds out in three different piles. Been looking for the bird feeder for two days.

The cedar waxwings returned this afternoon to the holly trees across the street. And what a beautiful pageantry of birding to observe. A huge flock descended on the tree like a tornado swirling all around the branches plucking off the red holly berries. This was the largest flock I’ve ever seen. Beautiful birds, the waxwings, dressed in pale brown coats, their chests fading to a soft gray plumage on their wings. They have a pert crest, resembling a soldier’s cap, and wear little black burglar masks outlined in white. The waxwings have a beautiful undulating flight pattern, gathering together, dividing, then gathering together again. Their pale yellow bellies and bright yellow tips of their tail feather flash in their flights. Some of their wing tips are red but it’s hard to see them. So beautiful to watch the flocks fly around the neighborhood today. I felt the cedar waxwings were a birthday gift from Chief.

Today is my 69th birthday and two exciting things happened. I got a wonderful birthday package in the mail this morning from a friend in Alexander City and my son’s first science fiction novel became available for purchase on Amazon.

The mailman zoomed by our mailbox this morning, speeding by our house, didn’t even give Penelope time to bark. The mailman rides up the street, turns around, comes back and puts a big brown envelope in my mailbox. The envelope is addressed to me and the contents make me cry — a copy of a Montgomery Advertiser feature story on me and Chief from 2003, a copy of Chief’s obituary my friend’s father had saved, a campaign pencil from Chief’s run for the State Board of Education her mother had saved along with a paper T-shirt game from a baby shower held 43 years ago for my son Thomas. The cute birthday card read, “Happy Bird-day,” holding a ten dollar bill inside specified for Doublemint chewing gum. Such a sweet caring note in the card, too! I loved it! Friendships are such a wondrous gift from God. Thank you so much, friend, for your sweet gesture. You are so much like your beautiful mother! You know Chief and I loved her.

So proud of my youngest son, Stewart. His first science fiction novel, The Wolf Sage “Ravagers,” written for ages 15-18, is available for purchase on Amazon. He’s worked hard for this. I wish my Chief could see how proud this young man is tonight. His mama is proud, too.

I read Chief’s obituary this afternoon in my birthday package. I’ve read it a thousand times but this reading I wasn’t sad and teary eyed and I marveled at what an accurate description my son Thomas wrote about his father. He captured Chief perfectly when writing his obituary. Two sentences personified him — “Tom was a window into the Old South, one of the last great southern gentlemen, with courtly manners and a shy smile. Those who knew him best recall his ability to tell stories of days gone by with an eidetic memory and attention to detail that alludes most, the love and pride he held for his family and their accomplishments, and the heartbreaking loss he and Lane felt when their only daughter was take from them in a car accident in 2002.”

Psalm 118:24 reads, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” I’m thankful for another birthday and I appreciate each day the Lord blesses me with.

I close tonight’s words with an Irish Blessing — May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.”

Wishing you the courage to chase your dreams and the strength to achieve them.” — Unknown