Hope you feel better soon, Allison.
I'm jealous that you get towhees at your feeders this time of year. (Also that you get the sandhill cranes - not an Eastern bird!)
Marcy

: *so many birds at our feeders
: *so much Sandhill Crane activity
: around our house
: *getting to watch lots of TV shows
: that my husband doesn't like and I
: do
: *having time to sort through papers

: On Wednesday, midway through my work
: day, I started to get a sore
: throat. By the time I woke up on
: Thursday, I had chills and
: laryngitis. I called in sick and I
: spent the day watching DVDs and
: sorting through old photographs
: and organizing the shelves in my
: closet. I woke up at 1 AM on
: Friday with a horrible headache
: and couldn't sleep anymore. Friday
: morning all I could do was lie
: there, but by the afternoon I
: could watch TV. This weekend I've
: been able to do simple projects
: while I lounge in bed. By tomorrow
: I should be able to return to
: work.

: I've been getting hungry, but food is
: not very appealing. So food has
: been very functional. Shake for
: breakfast, omelet and toast for
: lunch, meat and sweet potato for
: dinner. Usually I love vegetables,
: but they don't appeal to me at all
: right now, at least not as a
: separate dish. I have been putting
: greens in my shake the way I
: normally do, and sautéing
: mushrooms and greens for my
: omelet. I'm not pushing myself at
: dinner. I know I'll start enjoying
: vegetables again soon.

: It's been nice to have the
: opportunity to relax and enjoy
: watching the birds in our yard. We
: have some very entertaining jays
: that normally live in the
: mountains. There are about 8 of
: them hanging out in our yard
: enjoying the peanuts and mealworms
: we put out for them. They have
: big, dark crests on their heads
: that they shake dramatically. The
: finch socks are covered with
: Lesser Goldfinches and Pine
: Siskins. There are lots of robins
: on our bird baths. The House
: Sparrows squabble over the hanging
: feeder, and the White Crowned
: Sparrows and towhees are hopping
: around foraging on the ground.
: There are huge flocks of Sandhill
: Cranes in the neighborhood, and
: periodically they fly and call. I
: just wish I didn't have to feel
: lousy to get this opportunity.

: We are making a big pot of chicken
: broth in our slow cooker and I
: look forward to enjoying that. I'm
: certainly enjoying the aroma. When
: I finish this, I will go wash
: dishes, the first housework I've
: done in 4 days. Still not up to
: vacuuming. I have a book to
: finish, and a few more DVDs I can
: watch.
: Allison