Depressed

[graushill]

Hi everyone,

I just thought I would write a short update since it's been a while since I posted on my flock. They're all doing fine. My babies, Piccolo and Elmo, are "all growed up" and really beautiful I think. Elmo specially turned out gorgeous, with a very distinct patch of light orangey feathers on his forehead that make him look "blond". Here's a recent picture of both babies:

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/9838/piccelm4bx.jpg

Piccolo is the one sitting higher up, and Elmo is the one holding the chain with his little foot. His fluffy bottom is still a reminder for me that he was my little Fuzzball, the baby I handfed and rocked to sleep at nights. Piccolo is also a delight, very tame and easy to handle and probably the most adventurous of all my lovies. She reminds me a lot of her mom, Pontus, equal parts sweet nature and mischief.

Piccolo and Pidget are bonding, which I'm very happy about because for a while there I was starting to think Pidget had just been by himself too long to get used to having another birdie sharing the same cage with him. However, they now share the same cozy hut at night and during the day they will sometimes sit side by side and preen each other. Here comes a picture of Pidget and Piccolo in Pidget's cozy:

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/3236/pidgetpiccolo8yv.jpg

Pidget is the one you see the most in that picture and that's Piccolo's eye (she was tired, and yep, I think Piccolo is a hen).

And because I promised some time ago, here come a couple of pictures of Bubblan, the Bubble, my blue male lovie:


http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/2379/bubblanround5qq.jpg

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/1168/bubblan0wt.jpg


He's cute and really funny and sweet. He's one of the most playful lovies I've ever met.

So everybirdie is doing fine, and I'm thankful about that. I'm not doing so well myself. My grandmother is in very poor health and I feel horrible living so far away from her. She was the one who raised my siblings and me. She taught us to love and respect all living creatures and she's always been there for us. I'll be travelling to my home country in a few days, and I'm not really sure when I'll be back. Chris will stay and take care of my flock while I'm away.

Best regards,
Gloria

[shylevon]

Ah, they sure are gorgeous indeed. I am going to add Pidget and Piccola's picture to the cozy album, so it will always be close at hand.

Give them all a big kissy for me.

[LauraO]

Gloria: I'm very sorry to hear about your grandmother. It's good that you are able to go see her and spend time with her and to know your beautiful flock is in good hands.

Thanks for the pics and flock update. I'm so happy little P&P are shacking up together:D .

[Buy A Paper Doll]

(((((Gloria)))))

Thanks for sharing the photos with us. :)

[Janie]

Gloria, before I even take a look at the photos I just want to say I'm thinking about you and sending you :grouphug:

I'll keep you and your grandmother in my prayers.

Now I am going to look at the photos.....I already knew they are precious. :)

And.....they are!

[BarbieH]

((((Gloria))))

I'm so sorry to hear about your grandmother. She taught you so many important things about life and love, and you carry her lessons on beautifully.

Please give Chris the link to our board, just in case.

Hugs,
Barb

[bellarains]

Gloria,

I am sorry to hear your Grandmother is not in good health. You are a testimony to what a wonderful woman she is, and I know she is very proud of you. I will keep her in my prayers, and you in my thoughts. Have a good trip, and drop in when you can.

OK, that little Piccolo is adorable. Such a mischevious little look on that face, and I just LOVE IT!~~~

The cozy pic is priceless. I love the little peeking out from under that Piccolo is giving, and Pidget seems very content all snug as a bug in that cozy:)

Bubblan and Bubble are precious. I do love the blue masks, and they are just too cute. You have some gorgeous fids there, and they all look very happy. Of course they are, they have you and Chris for Fidparenets:)

[butterfly1061]

(((((Gloria)))))

I'm so sorry to hear about your Grandmother. I'll be sure to keep you all in my thoughts & prayers.

As always, your flock is just precious. Makes me want to kiss 'em all over. That Bubblan is very striking - WOW! I love the "hut" shot - too cute :D

Take care and we hope to hear from you soon.

[shylevon]

Oh gosh, Gloria, I completely missed the last paragraph of your post. I am so sorry to hear about your grandmother. Have a safe trip and we will miss you.

Take care of yourself, Sweety.

[sdgilley]

Gloria,
I'm so sorry about your grandmother. I hope your travel is safe.
Your birds are beautiful, thanks for sharing the pictures!
My prayers are with you and your family.

[mjm8321]

((((((Gloria)))))))) sorry to hear about your Grandmother. She will be very pleased to see you I'm sure, even under the circumstances.

The "babies" have gotten so big and beautiful.

[Kathryn]

Gloria,
Grandmothers are comforters and confronters...the best at raising grandchildren. Hope your visit is full of precious memories.

Your lovies are beautiful!!

[graushill]

Thanks for your prayers and for your kind words. I'm travelling on Friday and I'll be getting there on Saturday. I feel numb and to tell you the truth all I've done since getting the news about my grandmother is sleep, which is a very childish way to deal with pain I know. I have to get my act together and be strong for my younger siblings and for my mom.

Thanks also for your compliments to my birdies. I love them all. Piccolo is really cute, but she's a winged menace. We have to be very careful with her because she gets under everything and chews, rips and makes holes on whatever is near her little beak. Elmo is much more calm. He basically likes to sit beside his Nemo. He would be the ideal baby if not for one thing: he's really loud. I had an inkling that he would be a chatterbox because when he was just this tiny fuzzy baby whenever I lifted him from the nest box to hold him he would cheep in protest as I picked him up, and then when he was sleeping he would sort of mutter to himself. Now of course, he chirps all day long. I've always loved lovie chirping, but he's just so loud. Chris has actually taken to using ear plugs around the house.

Finally, it ocurred to me that I had posted pictures of all my birds except for Pontus and Nemo. Pontus has not been nesty thank God and I hope she remains like that at least throughout the summer. My Nemo is currently in a letting his feathers grow out phase, so he's looking good, but with him unfortunately plucking has become a bad habit. Here they are:

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/8146/houdini4id.jpg

The first one is Pontus, probably meditating the destruction of and old macrame toy that hangs in the balcony and belonged to my Houdini. Being a mom has certainly not slowed her down any :).

The next one is my sweet Nemo, posing for the camera:
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/5083/nemo5hl.jpg

Sorry for the long post. I just wanted to thank all of you for your words. I have given Chris the adress for the board, so I know I leave him with the best possible support.

Gloria

[bellarains]

Gloria,

Yep, Pontus looks like she's about to do some modification:lol

That little Nemo is adorable. That sweet little face makes you just want to reach through the computer screen and give him a big kissy. You give him one for me, but tell him it from Auntie Lori:)

Have a safe trip. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances, but enjoy your family while you are there. Tell Chris we are here if he needs us.

((((((HUGS)))))

Lori

[BarbieH]

Don't worry about the sleep, Gloria. When you're depressed, your body can't help it. It's completely natural, not at all childish. It's nature's anesthesia.

Hugs,
Barb

[sdgilley]

Gloria,
I hope your trip goes well. I'm sorry you're going through this, but I'm glad you have family with you.

I smiled when I saw Nemo. Peter hasn't allowed his bib to grow back much since Peepo's first clutch. He doesn't get contact with her these days (she'd hurt him) but he still yanks out his bib feathers for her. :)

[graushill]

Hello everyone,

I'm back from my home country. It was a bittersweet visit. My grandma is no longer with us, but we know she's in a much better place now, with my grandpa and my uncle who I never met. I got to say goodbye to her and to thank her for all the care and love she gave me and my siblings and she passed surrounded by her daughters and grandkids. I feel bereft now that she's not here but at the same time I didn't want her to suffer anymore. It's a very strange feeling.

Anyway I'm back home with Chris and my birdies and I know life will go on, because that's the way it is.

Gloria

[butterfly1061]

(((((Gloria))))),

I'm glad you were able to visit with your grandma before she passed. It sounds like she waited for you and your family so she could say goodbye. My many thoughts & prayers are with you. :grouphug1

I'm sure your babies were excited to see you. Keep us posted on them.

[mjm8321]

(((((((((Gloria)))))))))))) I am sorry to hear about your grandmother, but I understand what you are saying about feeling odd that you didn't want her to go, but didn't want her to suffer any longer. I went through the same thing with my mother 20 years ago. My heartfelt condolences to you and your family.

I'm sure Chris and your little fids are all very pleased to have you back home.

[BarbieH]

(((((Gloria))))) Your Grandmother was truly a blessed person. How wonderful that her family could be there to say goodbye and one side, and be there to welcome here on the other side.

Hugs,

[bellarains]

:grouphug1 Gloria:grouphug1

My Grandmother passed in much the same way. I hope I am as lucky to be surrounded by my loved ones when I leave this world to go home.

I'm glad you were able to be there, as I know how much she enjoyed your being there with her. It is a strange feeling to loose someone, but yet know they are gone to heaven, and feeling no pain, are with their loved ones, and even though we miss them, we will see them again one day.

I don't know if it will give you any comfort, but in my family we view death as a celebration of life. We are given our time here as a gift, but the greater gift is when we go home to our Father, and that is the reason for the celebration. It's kind of a sad/happy mix, but it helps.

Love Ya sweetie, and you know we are always here((((HUGS))))

[sdgilley]

Hi Gloria,
I'm glad you're back home with Chris and your birds. I'm sorry for your loss of your grandmother. It's great you had time with her before she passed. You'll always have those memories of her in your life to cherish.

[Janie]

Gloria, big hugs to you! I am so happy to hear that you were with her. I know it was a comfort to both of you. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

[graushill]

Thanks for your words everyone. The day I came back Pidget flew directly to my head and snuggled in my hair and silly as it may sound, it was a great comfort . It felt like he had hugged me and that moment it was just what my heartsick self needed :).

I've gotten a week off from work and I'm trying really hard not to sleep because Chris gets worried. I think it would be better if I could just get back to work, but my boss wouldn't hear of it and I didn't want to make a big fuzz. In the meantime it's a good thing Elmo chirps loudly and constantly and that the birdies' cages were not as clean as could be expected since it's given me something to do.


Gloria

[Cathy]

Gloria, I bet that your grandmother is very proud of you and that she had given you the strenth to spread your own wings and venture to another place. I've have seen some studies about the use of birds in resthomes for the elderly. A friend's mother has a p'let to keep her company and she is great therapy and adds a real lift to her spirits. Could you take one of your babies to your grandmother?
Safe journey

[graushill]

Hi Cathy,

My grandma has already passed but thanks for your words. She was very proud of me, but she was my grandma, so she was genetically predisposed to it I guess :). She loved birds, growing up we had chickens and ducks galore and always, as far back as I can remember a parrot :). I'm not sure what she did but most of her parrots lived long lives and many of them learned to talk, and now that I look back I know that their diets were not really perfect and that better and bigger cages and more toys would definitely had been better, but she did love them and I think that was a big part of the reason they thrived with her. She liked even the horrible buzzards that would sit in our rooftop, even though I was scared to death of them and was sure that with their malignant looks they could be up to no good and probably thinking about stealing our baby chicks. I remember actually one day my brother and I had been throwing stones at some buzzards that had been trying to rest on our roof and my grandma caught us at it. I'll never forget how she told us that we should be kind to them because they had difficult lives, they didn't have anyone to give them food, they had to look for it themselves and they had chicks too to provide for and they didn't need little kids throwing stones at them on top of everything else :) . She said that they were the best garbagemen and very useful and that we should be thankful they kept our river clean :) .

Anyway, sorry for rambling on. Thanks everyone for your words.

Hugs,
Gloria