Birdseed, and the Birth of Christ
So I thought I had planned my pre-Christmas 48 hours thoroughly and methodically. The goal was to have ALL shopping and errands done so I wouldn’t have to leave the house today. I wanted to avoid the stores, the streets, the crowds and just stay home so I could wrap presents, prepare food to bring to my Mom’s house tomorrow, call friends, and generally chill out listening to Christmas music on the radio. But like all best laid plans, something unexpected came up.
In mid-afternoon I noticed that my backyard birdfeeder was empty. NOOOOO!!!!! I hate that. My normally crowded, chaotic birdfeeder, frequented by cardinals, blue jays, finches and a host of feathered friends, was now empty and abandoned. And of course, I was all out of birdseed. This was unacceptable. The birds won’t have anything to eat on Christmas morning!! <—– yes, I’m a wacko. So I got in my my car and drove to one of the two garden centers in my neighborhood, hoping that it would still be open at 4:30 on the day before Christmas. When I got there, they started making hand gestures shooing me out the door the minuted I walked in. “We’re closed, ma’am! Sorry.” Yeah I bet you are, you evil bird-hater. So I jumped back in my car and drove like a lunatic to the next garden center. I walked in there and all signs indicated “closing”- gates coming down, lights turning off. But I asked anyway, “Are you officially closed?”. A really cute guy who works there responded, “Why? What do you need?”. So I asked, in my best coquettish flirt-voice, “How about a ten pound bag of birdseed??”. And then, like music to my ears, he smiled and said, “Sure. Ok. Make it quick.” YAAAAYYYY!!!!
You all think I’m weird, don’t you? Well, maybe I am, but I’m a weirdo who will wake up Christmas morning to the sounds of happy feasting birds chirping outside my bedroom window. It is one of life’s wonderful, simple joys. It comforts me.
Have a warm and blessed Christmas, dear friends. Rejoice in the spirit of the season. Peace unto you and all God’s creatures . . . especially the birds 
From the fresco of Scrovengi Chapel in Padua, this is the nativity scene by Giotto:
Andrew said,
December 24, 2011 at 6:38 pm
Allow me to connect the text and visual elements of this post:
Birds have wings.
Angels have wings.
Birds eat bird seed.
Therefore, angels eat bird seed.
Merry Christmas.
artmodel said,
December 24, 2011 at 6:57 pm
Andrew,
I LOVE that!!!!! You are so sweet and awesome
Merry Christmas to you too, my art model friend.
Claudia
Ray said,
December 24, 2011 at 6:48 pm
Glad you thought about the birds. Good for you and them.They will eat anything, My mom always put out the leftover food and they find it in minutes!
Around my corner is a family of wild cats that people always leave food for.
Ray said,
December 24, 2011 at 6:50 pm
Oh ya , “Merry Christmas” to you and your family!
artmodel said,
December 24, 2011 at 6:57 pm
Thanks Ray!
And a very Merry Christmas to you too.
Claudia
Mark said,
December 25, 2011 at 12:03 am
Normalcy is overrated. If you’re going to be weird at least it’s in a good way. Have a merry weird Christmas!
artmodel said,
December 25, 2011 at 12:53 am
Thanks Mark! Yes, inconveniencing oneself to feed birds is the “good way” to deviate from normalcy I think.
Great to hear from you and happy holidays!
Claudia
Jim in Alaska said,
December 25, 2011 at 1:26 pm
Yep, you’re a weirdo… as are all the best people!
Merry Christmas, my distant friend!!
artmodel said,
December 26, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Jim,
Aww, thank you. I may be a weirdo but my birds are well-fed
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
Claudia
Jennifer said,
December 26, 2011 at 5:09 am
Hope you had a very tweety Christmas
artmodel said,
December 26, 2011 at 12:38 pm
Jennifer, it was! Thanks.
Hope yours was full of joy.
Claudia