Birds, Blogging, Family, Favorite Things, Friends, Humor, Life, Nonsense, Tater Tots

screw it, i’m eating tater tots – episode 60

Kari

if you’re new to my blog, welcome! here is an explanation of the tater tot post.

this tater tot post marks five years of tater tots. i can’t believe i’ve been writing these posts for so long. thank you for following along through the years. 😘

geese

canadian geese had invaded our front yard. i’m not sure why it took them so long to realize we had birdseed in our yard, but now they know and have invited ten of their closest friends.

we were all celebrating anna’s birthday a little early on this day. at the same time, we noticed this sweet girl looking at the house. it felt very special.❤️

i told mike that we had to move the feeder to the backyard or our neighbors would hate us. (they may already hate us) i just didn’t want geese chasing innocent children down the street.

so, he moved it.

good news: i can now share bird videos with you and we have a lot more birds on camera because they feel safer in our backyard.

possible bad news: the reason we moved our feeders to the front yard was because the dogs got skunked twice. so, any natural skunk deterrent ideas are welcome.

dad update

my dad is doing really well. he had a cat scan a week and a half ago, and the tumors are shrinking. so the chemo is working, which is very encouraging given how hard it has been on his body. he will have one more round of chemotherapy in a few weeks before switching to only immunotherapy, which has fewer side effects. 🖤

one thing i read

the five invitations: discovering what death can teach us about living fully by frank ostaseki

one thing i listened to

i created this peace, dude playlist a while ago and was listening to it the other day while watering the plants. ella came into the room while it was playing and said, “that song is really chill. i like it.” when ella (or anna) compliments my music taste, it makes me very happy inside. so I thought i’d share it with you in case you’re looking for a “chill” song as well. (not all of them are chill.) 🤣

one thing i watched

american conspiracy: the octopus murders

links i clicked on last month

Why Eating Healthy Remains a Privilege Many People Cannot Afford

Anderson Cooper on freeing yourself from the burden of grief

Maira Kalman: How to find humor in life’s absurdity

You Don’t Have to Know

Understanding Rūmī’s Quote: “What You Seek Is Seeking You”

Where does your mind go when it wanders?

I left my corporate job to become a crossing guard. It was a great decision, and I have health insurance.

Questions for the New Year

Mongolia is #1 in ‘social connectedness,’ says new survey. What’s their secret?

quotes that had me thinking last month

i can’t remember which book i read this in. i’ve been reading a lot of different books lately. nothing truly resonates, but i do find morsels here and there. this was one of them. 

when i first read that passage up there, i immediately sent it to my email, intending to share it with all of you, with the note “my blog family/community/YOU.”

you are my spiritual congregation. 

60 tater tot posts later, i am grateful for this blog and this beautiful community here. thank you so much for being part of it.

here’s to march…

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50 thoughts on “screw it, i’m eating tater tots – episode 60”

  3. You’ve found a brilliant way to share what interests you, one tater tot at a time. The bird feeder makes me smile as does the idea of being part of your spiritual congregation.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. That’s wonderful news about your dad! It must allow you to finally a deep breath. ❤️
    I have to say I’m a bit jealous you have Canada geese. With all the critters we feed out here in the country we’ve never had those backyard visitors.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Five years! So many tater tots eaten!

    I hope that the Canada geese never find out about our feeder. They’re so aggressive!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Ugh! We get SO MANY geese in our yard and they can be so messy and oh so vicious. They’ll even try to attack our cars! I am so happy to hear that your dads tumors are shrinking; that is fabulous news!

    Liked by 1 person

  7. I can’t get the comment to appear on your blog, so I’m trying this way (replying to email message).

    I’m writing this listening to your playlist, which is very peaceful, dude indeed. Thank you for sharing it.

    So glad to hear that your dad is responding well to the treatment, and I hope that what I’m taking from your links means that you are finding ways to some okayishness (at least some of the time) with what’s happening. Or if not okayishness, the right kinds of growth for you.

    I loved the piece about the crossing guard, and am now motivated to write a post/essay that’s been rattling around in my head about being a substitute teacher.

    Your link to the article about food deserts reminded me of another piece I read recently about why many now prefer the term “food apartheid.” Thought you might appreciate this: https://regeneration.org/nexus/food-apartheid

    Sending love your way. Hard to believe it’s been five years since the first tasty tots you’ve shared. Life flies by so quickly it takes your breath away.

    xoxo

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m so glad you like the playlist!

      I am doing my best with the situation at hand, if that makes sense. Some days I am good others not. Yoga, soul homework, and this blog all help me a lot.

      I can’t wait to read that blog post.

      I have a lot of post drafts in my folders, but I only share tater tots, things I remember, and things I kept. I’m not sure why I gravitate to comfort posts. I think that I am too vulnerable to share deeper stuff right now. What I Kept is probably my most deep post.

      It sometimes feels like I’ve shared more than 60 months’ worth of tater tot posts. Others it feels like a blink of the eye. ❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Kari, I LOVE the video captures you got of the birds! That’s AWESOME!!!

    “the dogs got skunked twice. so, any natural skunk deterrent ideas are welcome!”

    Before leaving my comment, I Googled that topic and discovered that orange peels are a great deterrent, and guess what else? Ready? MOTHBALLS! I kid you not!

    The photo of you and your dad made me SMILE from ear to ear. And what GREAT news! I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy for him, for you, and for you whole family! Will continue to send Reiki!

    ” i am grateful for this blog and this beautiful community here. thank you so much for being part of it.”

    And we are grateful for YOU as well! I am so glad we met!

    Have a terrific week, my friend! XXX

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’ll make sure to share any squirrel footage with you, my friend.

      Ooh, orange peel! That’s something I can do. OMG, MOTHBALLS!! That is really funny. I mean, I’ll do whatever it takes as long as the mothballs aren’t in my the house! 🤣

      We are all very happy! Keep the reiki flowing, my dear friend! 😘

      I am extremely grateful for YOU! So grateful to Bijoux for introducing us.

      Have a terrific week as well, my friend! 😘❤️

      Like

  10. I’m so happy to hear good news regarding your dad. Chemo IS so hard on a body, but man, it does work. Praying he can continue on in progress, but also enjoy his days to the fullest.

    So, were the skunks coming for the bird food? Is that why they’re in the back yard?

    The worst things about The Geese (aside from they can be assholes) is the amount of poop they leave! Watch where you walk!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I agree! We’re hoping so, too. So far, he is feeling great and enjoying the good days.

      I think they are looking for bird seed because I smelled skunk in the front bushes near the window feeder as well.

      Yes to the poop. Gah.

      Like

  11. Awww, this blog community really is special.

    I have skunk advice! Sort of. Not sure if it will work for you or not but one of my neighbours kept bees in her backyard, and did you know skunks eat bees? I did not. Anyway, what she had to do is put little spikes at the bottom of the stand that held the beehives to deter the skunks from climbing up to eat them. So…I’m not sure how you’d keep the dogs away from the spikes, but that’s what she did. Hmm. Maybe this advice is completely unhelpful.

    Geese are kind of scary! In Calgary they would all fly south but in Kelowna, they seem to stay all winter, and there are hordes of them in the fields by our walking path. I always give them wide berth because they can be so vicious! And they are huge. A friend (again, this is in Calgary) got tired of the big birds (not Big Bird, but like crows and magpies) eating all of the birdseed that he got this special feeder that didn’t work unless a bird was under a certain weight. How it worked I have no idea. But he ended up with a variety of very cute little birds in his yard, and no magpies, which can be kind of a pest to smaller birds like robins. Well, more than a pest, since they eat baby robins. Circle of life, I guess.

    Such encouraging news about your dad! And goodness, what a beautiful photo of the two of you.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. This advice is very helpful because we have daylilies at the base of the trees near the feeders, so we could easily place spikes where the lilies are. I doubt the dogs would go to the base of the tree, where they are. Thank you!

      They ARE vicious! Anna was telling me a story about how a goose chased Ella down a path near our house when she was younger. I had no idea this had happened, but given how territorial they are, I can see how it happened.

      We were just talking yesterday about how important mental health is in healing. Receiving that good news changed him. Changed us.

      Like

  12. Canada geese are a pain! I’m sure they’ll leave the front of your house in search of food elsewhere since you moved your bird feeder.

    Love the photo of you and your dad. And love hearing the good news.

    The quote from the book using the words, anam cara…of course, my mind immediately went to the coffee shop. <3

    Did you know Anderson Cooper has a podcast called Facing Our Grief? I haven’t listened to any episodes yet (I’m just now getting into podcasts and have been listening to others), but I have it bookmarked in my Spotify.

    I saved your Peace Dude playlist, as well! Want to listen to it when I’m home alone and doing housework or watering plants.

    xoxo

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Today is the first day they have not been here. 🖤.

      I love that picture too. 

      My mind went there, too, my friend. 😘

      I didn’t know about that podcast! I’ll definitely give it a listen.

      I’ve been listening to it as I write this week. ❤️

      Like

  15. I’m sending more good wishes to you and your dad! What a nice picture of you two. I love your tater tots posts! Congratulations on 5 years of them!

    I wish I had a good remedy for skunks. I hate them! Many years ago, I was out for a walk our hayfield and I saw a skunk walking toward me. I turned around and started running away – and it started to chase me! I kept looking behind me, and I could see it hopping along like Pepe Le Pew! I don’t think it had bad intentions, but was just curious. I kept running and after a bit, it got bored and wandered off in another direction.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Gorgeous pic of you with your Dad. So glad that the chemo is working, long may all the treatments continue to prove positive.

    Brilliant videos from your bird feeder. We got one for my mother, but she rarely shares the results with us – but as it was a gift *for* her, I guess we can’t complain! ;)

    Thank you for calling us, your readers, your community. It’s such a joy being here.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. You’re right, she doesn’t have a techie bone in her body, and my poor sister (who she lives with) is already run ragged looking after her husband and our mother, so I wouldn’t add to her workload.

        If all of us who chat in blogland lived close by, it would be a great neighbourhood.

        Liked by 1 person

  17. Haha..”screw it, I’m eating tater tots”…that completely cracks me up! I get it now that I know what it means. You made me laugh. Thank you!

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Every time I shared your bird feeder videos with Tara, she says, “We need to get one of those!”

    I’m jealous of your crows. Befriending mine has proven to be a challenge, mainly because they don’t really congregate in our backyard. When I do see them and open the door to feed them peanuts, they fly away. This is going to take some time.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

      I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but I’ve only fed them sunflower seeds. My friend told me to look for trinkets they had left for me. I haven’t seen anything yet. I was wondering what the absence of trinkets meant…I won’t read into it yet. 🤣.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. They bring trinkets when they actually recognize you as the person feeding them. If you’re filling the feeder when they’re not around, they probably just assume the sunflower seeds magically show up or something!

        Liked by 1 person

  21. I love that you are still doing Tator Tots. When I read the Anderson Cooper thing a month or so ago, I cried. So damn relatable.

    Liked by 1 person

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