Nature finds a way !

Is this not the cutest bird nest? It's actually in our fake Christmas tree right outside our store entrance in Downtown Dublin. Not that Dublin is a sprawling metropolis but...people are in and out this door all day. There's 4 eggs, speckled blue, all neatly tucked into this perfect orb of sticks, mud, straw and cigarette butts. The nest started out with 6 eggs but 2 of them were unceremoniously kicked out one morning. We found them smashed on the pavement, unworthy and perhaps not viable. Mother knows best. We're all awaiting the hatching and hoping we don't make a wrong move and scare the mother away..and leave our 4 babies abandoned.

Why Crystal Bowersox won't win American Idol

I'm going out on a limb here but I think I can make this prediction, even though I'm going against conventional wisdom and just about every odds maker in Las Vegas. I don't think Crystal Bowersox will win American Idol and here's why:

1. Yes she has a great voice but what matters are the voters.

2. The voters for American Idol are like me. We don't like piercings and dread locks, sorry, but it's the truth. In the past we've voted out Jason Casto, that gorgeous chick with the blonde hair and heinous arm tatoo and even last season's Adam Lambert...well, he was tremendously talented but not really mainstream. Moms and Grandmas like me vote for mainstream.

3. Most mainstream winners are nice, clean cut, sing nice songs and don't have purple hair. You may get far with your kookiness but guess what....Me and my friends aren't voting for you. And yes, we have iPhones with unlimited AT&T texting plans and so do our nieces....who write down everyone's numbers and vote for the cutest girl and guy on the show. Just look at the untalented Tim Urban. The girls love him and he's a nice guy, but can he sing....? Not very well, especially compared to Crystal Bowersox but hey, she's got way too many things going against her. We'd even vote for her with those bad teeth (her parents fault) ...we voted for Elliot Yamin, but she won't win with that hair and that pierced face. At least I'm not voting for her. Yep, my girls and I voted for Donny Osmond on Dancing With the Stars and yes he won. I guess we'll see. I certainly like that Michael Lynch. He's a married man with a baby and an adoring wife, we vote for guys like him.