Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Snowbirds






Before my parents moved back to Texas a couple of years ago, they spent a decade on the west coast of Florida. We never considered visiting at this time of year. Living in Houston, we didn't need a break from the winter and their town swelled and choked with what my father, somewhat less than affectionately, called "snowbirds"--northerners (anyone north of the Florida state line) who, for weeks or months, found respite from the cold on Florida's sunny beaches. The same folks he grumbled about as he rode their bumpers on the one road on and off of their island were liable to be the same ones he had a good ol time with on the golf course. But no matter. My parents have now flown back to Texas and we now live in a place where we are thankful when the temps reach double digits or the sun appears at all. Where is Florida when you need it? The glacier that is the hill to our house is slowly losing its ice (slowly as a man balding). I attempted it yesterday without four wheel drive. So that is a small triumph. My survival skills are exponentially multiplying. People here keep insisting, "We never have winters like this," to which I say, "Get used to it". With the same cosmic logic that ensures if you wash your car it's going to rain, because we moved to a place we believed had mild winters, mild winters here are history, global warming notwithstanding. As soon as possible, I'm going to turn into a snowbird myself. In the meantime, my paper birds are keeping me company.

8 comments:

jenni said...

I love your paper birds. In fact, I purchased a set of bird and nest stickers exactly like the 3rd picture down. Did you, too?

:)

Anonymous said...

yer a heack ofa bird

Anonymous said...

Yes, that was my question. Did they come in a little tin from B&N? Did you buy the map stickers too? Did I see you carrying that little robin's egg blue journal with red stenciled birds? Suddenly the hills are alive with all your nifty collectibles. I'm jonesing.

allison said...

I got my birdie stickers and notecards from a little shop in Columbia. But go to http://www.cavallini.com/new.html and weep. Or go broke. The top photo is from some postcards I bought from April Cornell and the 2nd photo is of an antique postcard Wayne found for me in St. Gennevieve on our anniversary. I have tons more. I just bought some lovely notecards from a shop Laurie B. recommended on her blog from goodonpaperdesign.com
I get a physical reaction from this stuff...I almost can't stand how much I love it.

Anonymous said...

Just went to the cavalini website. (That little blue and red journal is theirs). Then discovered they have a whole catalog of things not online. You can order the catalog if you're a "business." Hint hint. Renews my wish to open a books and ephemera shop. sigh.

jenni said...

I purchased that journal yesterday! I may go back for the file folders. I wish I could find the birds and nests wall calendar! My friend framed a piece of the blue and red bird wrapping paper for her new baby's nursery.

Goodonpaperdesign.com is lovely! I will be shopping there, too.

Karen, when you open your store please sell this stuff:

http://www.eloquentink.com

They won't send catalogs to individuals, either.

Anonymous said...

I can't stop admiring that first set of cards -- love the colors.

Oh, I recently found some wooden bird push pins from Germany on ebay. It looks like they've listed some more if you're interested: http://cgi.ebay.com/East-German-Erzgebirge-Small-Bird-Push-Pins-Rare_W0QQitemZ260085124573QQihZ016QQcategoryZ10034QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item260085124573#ebayphotohosting

Anonymous said...

laurie,

I get so frustrated with ebay. Whatever I bid on is sucked up before I can get it. Just yesterday I thought I'd try it again and lost out on a Lot of old German dollhouse dolls, clown and parts and googly eyes.

J, K and L: Have you found this site: http://www.paper-source.com? More goodies.