Pantry Mouse Gift

Sweet gift from a friend to remind me of my blessings. (charlotte ekker wiggins0

Pantry Mouse Gift

A friend gave me this delightful homemade “pantry mouse” as a gift this year. It’s a lovely way to be reminded of our many blessings, starting with a full food pantry.

grey mouse out of modelling clay, beady eyes and nose and scrap tail. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

She said the grey mouse was made out of modeling clay with beads for eyes and nose.

The tail is a black fabric ribbon.

And it just so happens I have collected tiny mice for my fireplace mantle Christmas vignette. It all started with the Christmas card of a cat seeing Santa Mouse. Then on a thrifting visit to a store in Milwaukee, I found the first tiny mouse and the treasure hunt was on.

I didn’t always find something. I was particular about it being the right size and something that made me smile.

and now the pantry mouse has a whole family! (charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Over the years, I’ve decorated small for Christmas. With careers that involved a lot of travel, it was impractical to invest in holiday decorating that required months to complete.

Now I’m glad I did. Small Christmas trees and mantle vignettes like this one are easy to assemble, especially with repurposed items.

The new pantry mouse will join the vignette, a mouse now blessed with company.

For more tips on gardening, beekeeping, cooking and easy home decor, subscribe to my weekly Garden Notes.

Charlotte

Suet Holder Gift

The gift of a homemade suet holder with an ingenious top. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Suet Holder Gift

There are several things I like about this personalized handmade gift:

First, it started as a handmade gift the current maker loved, so she decided to make some for her beekeeping friends. It’s truly a gift that keeps on giving!

Secondly. As beekeepers we often have leftover wire that can easily be incorporated into this bird feeder, and

Thirdly, it’s a nice way to provide my birds with winter food.

Did I mention I’m partial to blue in my garden?

In addition, this handmade wooden suet feeder has an interesting top that should baffle my squirrels, at least for awhile.

Here’s a better view of that handy, easy to use top. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The number of songbirds in North America are plummeting due to the decline in their food source, insects. Pesticides and loss of habitat are impacting the pollinators that also provide our food supply. In addition to providing us variety in our diet as pollinators, many Insects are also food for at least 60% of all songbird populations so as the insects disappear, so will the birds.

I have provided a feeding station for native birds for a number of decades in my limestone hillside garden. I added this latest suet feeder to a cedar tree woodpecker seem to like based on the strips they have pulled off the cedar bark.

See how they have worked this poor cedar tree in the center?

Downy woodpecker is the first suet holder visitor. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Since installing the handmade suet feeder, it’s been a popular stop for birds and squirrels.

Oh. I didn’t nail it to the tree, I have a wire holding it around the cedar trunk so not to cause any further damage.

Charlotte