Blue Bird of Happiness

One of the things I do in order to keep myself sane in this isolated (but beautiful) part of Maine, is hand crafts.  I knit, crochet and felt. The latest thing is making felt animals.  The picture of the blue bird in a nest was my first attempt—to go along with my theme of the week "happiness." I'm finishing up a little chickadee and the whole animal kingdom awaits.  Esther de Waal says in Every Earthly Blessing that "The integration of humankind with the birds and the animals as part of a common creation was something the Celtic world not only grasped intellectually and affectively but also lived out as well."

Melodious music the birds perform

to the King of the heaven of the clouds,

Praising the radiant King

Hark from afar the choir of the birds.

There are so many birds here.  A couple of green finches passed through the other day, taking some seeds from the feeder.  I wake every morning to a chorus of cheeps and peeps from the trees.  Most of the geese seem to have come and left for parts further North, but other geese will summer here. The loons are back and so are the mergansers.  The starlings spread across the front lawn to search for food every morning and the black birds are around too.  The first humming birds have been seen.  Peepers (little frogs) make such a racket at night that I need to listen to music to get to sleep, even when the windows are shut.   

I'm hoping to get to my icons soon. I have had no energy for that for over a year and I have a lovely one started that needs to be finished.  I have an idea for Lady Wisdom that I would like to try.  This one is definitely not a traditional Byzantine icon.