Signs...

I have posted often about the wildlife I enjoy watching here. My house is smack dab in the middle of our little city, but it feels very much like I'm in a much more rural area. The house is at the end of a dead end street which is next to a bike path that goes through a woodsy part of town. A lot of very old trees are in the neighborhood and thanks to neighbors who put out food every day, we get a lot of wild animals. The good: birds of ALL kinds, whitetail deer, grey squirrels. The middle-of-the-road good: red fox, raccoons. The not-so good: chipmunks, black bear, coyotes, skunks. I've learned to live with all of them, from the 'we will eat ALL of what you plant' to the 'watch out when you go out at night' critters, and delight in having them around.

Quite a number of years ago, I first saw a pair of cardinals at the feeders. The offspring (I don't think the original pair has lived THIS long 😉) continue to come to the feeders and brighten up the backyard, especially during the winter months. After building this house, it took some time for the birds to trust enough to come back to the feeders and the last of the birds to come were the cardinals. Every time they showed up was a welcome sight.

The dead of winter is not necessarily the most joyful time. Last year, weather wise, was extremely difficult. Snow, snow, snow, and more snow left me wondering WHAT to do about the house: Do I have someone come and shovel the snow off of the roof? Is it okay to leave that much on the roof? These were decisions I NEVER had to make on my own...The Husband ALWAYS took care of the house/outdoor work, so I just wallowed in my ignorance. Now, it was all up to me...

The Husband's birthday was on 4 January...just two weeks after his death. I sat at the table and watched the feeders that were placed near the deck. It wasn't a happy day for me...I was feeling very much alone and very sad. I missed my husband, terribly. I didn't know if I could make it on my own and didn't know if I WANTED to. And then, for the first time that winter, a cardinal came to the feeder. He sat and ate for some time and I KNEW it was a sign, telling me everything will be okay. So many feels from such a simple thing!

Last week I had to do some more on-my-own-adulting...didn't want to, HAD to. With last winter being as bad as it was, the (NOT GREAT) solution to where the sump pump drained, proved beyond a doubt that something needed to be done. I finally had to get someone over to give me an estimate on how to fix the problem...and (not surprisingly) the fix was what I wanted done in the first place. (I won't place the blame at ANYONE'S feet for the oopsy. 😁) While home repairs are a pain, having to pay big bucks on a brand new house is even a bigger annoyance. Something DOES need to be done and I had to make a decision before we start getting snow...which could be any day now. Just after the tech left the house after giving his proposal, I looked out of the window...there, sitting in the pouring rain, was a cardinal. I knew this was a sign that the decision I was about to make was the correct one. (I did also make another decision last week. I have decided to have gutters installed on the house...and I DIDN'T get the 'cardinal sign' that I made the right choice. Gutters on the house was one thing that The Husband and I disagreed on very, very much. Hopefully, I am right on this one. 😊)

So, to conclude this rambling and somewhat disjointed post: Comfort comes in many forms. We are not really alone if we are open to seeing what God will reveal to us. And things will get better...