Mockingbird Hill Cottage — Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Wednesday

October 21, 2026 at 9:37 am by Claudia

A common sight here: milk weed pods. I love their sculptural look. They eventually burst open and the seeds are spread on the wind. This is also the time of year that I start yanking the milkweed plants that are done for the year. I’ve had to mow around a few all season long and now I can move them to the compost pile.

I ended up mowing the entire front lawn on Monday and it took me all day yesterday to recover. It’s a beast. Don was grocery shopping and running errands for us and I didn’t want him using his injured foot too much. It’s much better now, but he had to be careful using it for a couple of weeks.

Of course, two more new books have arrived at the library. It is becoming clear to me that I won’t be able to read them all in the allotted checkout time. Some will have to be returned and requested at a later date. Fall is always the time for new releases and I’ve ordered more than I can handle. And, for the first time ever, I am holding off on the newest Louise Penny – only because I always order it right away and it ends up sitting here for 4 months before I get to it. Don’t worry – I’ll eventually buy it.

The big and horrid news is our heating oil bill. We ordered 100 gallons – we have a 250 gallon tank. Normally, that amount of oil is around $400 – $450 dollars. The cost of this 100 gallons? $647.84. Two hundred dollars more. I knew it would be higher, but this is ridiculous. All of this because of an illegal war started by Agent Orange. We only buy 100 gallons at a time because we have a very limited budget and can’t afford to fill up the tank. So we usually have about 4 deliveries a season. That adds up to $800 more. My online friend in Seattle said they just filled up their tank and the cost was $1800! She couldn’t believe it. She is retired, also. How the hell are people, especially those who are struggling already, supposed to pay to heat their homes? Medicaid is being taken away, not enough money to pay for the increases in groceries, gas, and heating oil (which is the common method of heating homes in our area.) All because of the deliberate cruelty coming out of the White House.

Between Don and me, there was a heck of a lot of cursing going on here.

So that’s been our week so far. Today I pick up the books at the library and we might start up our walks there again. We need to be more disciplined about that.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Frost, Burning Bush, and the Mini Art Studio

October 19, 2026 at 8:30 am by Claudia

Take a look at the beauty of the burning bush, while I mourn the loss of my zinnias and and leaves on the catalpa due to a low temp of 29° on Saturday. We have reached the point in October where we get these sudden frosts. There’s only so much I can do to save things. The porch plants are currently in the shed, so they’re okay for now. This, as you know, is my yearly battle: not wanting to give up on my potted plants because I know it will warm up again. I covered some of zinnias last night and the night before – they’re right by the kitchen door. Several buds were just about to open so maybe they’ll get a chance to do that during the week.

But of course, toward the end of this week, the same thing is going to happen – a low of 29 and a low of 30. I may just throw in the towel at that point.

I watched hundreds of catalpa leaves slowly drift to the ground yesterday. Major raking needs to happen. I need to mow the front lawn one more time. Don has to take the car in for an oil change this morning. It may be time to have the front brakes replaced. And we get our first delivery of heating oil this week and heaven knows what that will cost. The thermostat is being set at a lower temperature this year, that’s for sure.

Thought I’d share a better photo of the mini art studio. That table arrived on Friday. It’s from a favorite Etsy shop run by the same woman who made the tramp art pieces I have on the walls. I was so taken with the green and the stained wood top. In fact, I briefly wondered if it should go in the kitchen but I stayed with my initial impulse because that green looks great in the studio. I had the tubes of paint from Dove Cottage and I made some paint brushes. The piece on the wall is from a photo series that ran in the New York Times several years ago. I was so taken with the gorgeous photos that I found a way to miniaturize them. (There’s another one in the Folk Art dollhouse.) I backed the photos with a wood frame. “Borrowing” one from the other dollhouse seemed to be the perfect thing to do as it looks so great in the studio.

To make it even more complicated, both photos were originally made for the modern dollhouse.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.