neighbor appreciation day

Recently I was gifted with an Oriole feeder and several jars of grape jelly compliments of my newest neighbor.  She said she'd decided feeding them was not her thing.  I applaud the fact she recognized she didn't have the time, inclination, energy, whatever, to feed them.  It sometimes feels like a part-time job even to me ~ and I enjoy it.   During peak oriole season you'd never believe how many jars of grape jelly they go thru ~ I should keep track next year!  They eat so much the feeder has to be refilled three or four times a day ~ that takes dedication.  If you aren't ready for that kind of commitment, it's probably best to do nothing then to feed sporadically/randomly.  At least that's how I feel ~ what about you??

Anyway, back to the gift, because I benefited from her realization, I wanted to do something nice in return.  I thought a card with one of my oriole photos was appropriate:

It's very simple and so was the message inside:

Accompanying the card were a couple of Rhubarb Walnut muffins, made from homegrown rhubarb:

The very same recipe was whipped up & served last Friday (the 13th ~ which was not unlucky at all) to Gail of Clay and Limestone.   That's the day I had the privilege of hosting her in my garden.  She truly is the warm, kind, gracious person you perceive her to be when you read her blog postings.  As you can imagine, it was a very pleasant way to spend a couple hours and something I never expected when I started blogging (meeting people thru the Internet).

I'd say it's been my lucky week. 

My thanks to both of you ~ Gail for taking the time to stop by and Dora for the Oriole gifts and being such a nice neighbor.

Comments

[Helen]

I have met Gail to and she is lovely, she did make me laugh. We dont have anything as exotic as Oriels here in the Uk but I do put out bird food everyday (grain, sunflower seeds etc) and they have emptied the feeder by mid afternoon. Unfortunately for them I refuse to refill it more than once a day but they still come back the next morning when it is refilled!

[Kathleen]

Hi Helen!
Your name came up ~ regarding the Malvern trip. All good things. I wish I could have gone.
Your birdfeeding schedule sounds very reliable to me even if it's once a day. They know they can come in the AM's and find food!

[Shady Gardener]

What a special gift, Kathleen. And I know YOU will use it! :-)

What a special treat - that Gail stopped in to visit on a trip to Colorado. That girl gets around!

We've been in Michigan - on a tight schedule. I'd hoped to meet Joey and Monica, but didn't even try... knowing it wasn't going to work.

Ever come to Iowa??? :-)

[tina]

Your neighbor is very nice to give you her extra stuff and realize she could not keep up with the feeding. My goodness-THAT is a lot of feeding! Those muffins sure look great!

[Kala]

Love the depth of field in the image of the rhubarb muffins. They look delicious too!

[Grace]

I'm envious. I wish I could have been there with you and Gail. What a pleasant time it must have been.

The muffins look deeelish! Your photo/card is perfectly apropos.

We don't really have orioles in my neck of the woods so I was unaware of their feeding methods. Interesting.

About an interest you no longer want to pursue, I suppose it's better to just admit defeat and offer your ammo to someone whose interest is major and will do the job with aplomb rather than burden yourself with guilt and remorse over not performing up to task.

Life is too short for ruminating over our shortcomings and there are enough non-negotiable tasks to keep us miserable, ha, ha.

[Catherine]

What a nice gift from your neighbor and I bet the Oriole are happy to have someone as faithful as you filling their feeder.
I'm sure she loved the card and muffins.
How fun that Gail stopped by too!

[Racquel]

What a generous neighbor and your homemade card & muffins were a great way to show your appreciation. :)

[kerri]

What a nice gift. Your neighbor knew just who would appreciate it the most and use it! :)
How lucky you are to have Gail come for a visit! You truly have had a lucky week.
That's a very lovely card.
We have the Baltimore Orioles here, but as hard as I try, I can't seem to get them to frequent our garden very often. They're around, but they can apparently find abundant food elsewhere because neither orange halves or grape jelly seem to tempt them a great deal. We see a few glimpses of them early in the spring and hear their joyful song, but later sightings are few and far between.