MOM, THE BIRD LOVER

I think it was last Friday morning, just as I woke up... could have been Thursday, as I've lost track of time with all the family stuff pouring forth on me. Well, what happened was that I thought that since I wasn't going out to Tacoma to the service, I needed to make sure some nice flower arrangement or special plant was there.

Suddenly I thought... FLOWERS? PLANTS? The flowers would just die or the family member who kept the plant would get involved in regular life in time and the plant would gradually disappear. Didn't want to contribute something that couldn't last "forever."

Then I microsecondly remembered that Mom really liked birds. She liked to watch them on Discovery Channel or PBS Nature, she liked to read books about them, and she liked to put feeders out whenever it was allowed wherever she was living.

Saturday, I went to the Omaha Zoo [one of the best in the country!!] gift shop. I had first thought about buying one large colorful parrot... but never saw anything like that. But I DID see several small-ish birds, and bought 6, one for each of my 5 sisters, and the extra one for another special family connection that might make it to the service.

Saturday evening I took the birds and put them in various locations in my living room and took the photos to make them look as if they "lived" here, weren't just putting up with this place, staying in a shopping bag before they could go somewhere nice.

The service is late Thursday afternoon and I'm truly hoping and praying that the package will arrive Wednesday afternoon as projected -- with the wintery weather that's a challenge, I know. But HOPING!!


Oh, and the plan? I want Niki to put the birds in the flowers and plants that are at the service. I'm known in the family, especially among the nieces and nephew, as a "serious" person... and I want some of them to see these and cock their heads and think, "Hmm... maybe not so much as we thought...".