So Many Birds

A Good Theme for Spring
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I can't resist focusing on birds at least once a year. So once again, I collected mostly wooden birds (and one made of soap)  from around my house and carried them to my Quilt Groups. 

​So Many Kinds

I had endless bird photos as well. We did lots of categorizing games... guessing birds by description and finally by sound.

For a while one of my groups sounded just like the St. Louis Zoo bird house. All began creating bird sounds from ducks to roosters to crows... It got to be pretty crazy, ending with lots of laughter.

Where's the Music?

​Mary likes to dance and she gave me a pretty hard time for forgetting my music speaker.

How were we going to dance to "Rockin' Robin" and "Do the Funky Chicken" without my music? We sang a few, but the only ones we knew the words to were kiddy songs like Ugly Duckling and Little White Duck.  So our singing was limited.

Humor
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Betty has a great sense of humor and she teased that we were a bunch of old hens. That lead to quite a list of bird related insults.  Bird Brain... Crazy as a Loon... You Old Crow... You're Just A Dodo Bird... She's Totally Cuckoo...Silly as a Goose...Lame as a Duck... He Has Chicken Legs...

Bird Facts
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We had quite a few books for some of our quieter folks. Every once in a while an interesting fact was shared.

​Our Stories
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​We heard a story about a bird that got into the house one night.  A sickly relative was staying at the house, in a hospital bed in the dining room.

She was barely able to speak with a tube in her throat, when the flying visitor woke her. She was so startled, she was able to rasp out the word "BIRD!" enough to wake the family. Evidently the ailing relative lived many years longer, because the nickname, Bird had become hers from them on.

Chickens
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​We heard more stories about farms and the dreaded job of chicken killing. A few said it had been their job to take care of the live chicken, before cooking dinner.  

One gentleman described in great detail, how grandma wrung the chicken's neck, with a special little snap. Ugh. I was surprised at how many had chicken killing stories.

Forgot
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​When I got home from 3 groups, my head was spinning with all the bird talk we'd shared.

 

I looked down on the counter and saw my bird earrings I'd forgotten to wear. I guess I'll have to do at least one more bird theme to make use.
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Surprise Gift

​In the evening after my Quilt Groups I met with friends and one had a surprise birthday gift. It was a blank book with a beautiful peacock.  I laughed that I could have used that as a prop during the day

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It's been a number of days now and I'm beginning to realize I have enough bird stories of my own and from others, to fill a book.  I think I now have an idea how to use my gift!