Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Rain, Filming, and a Puzzle

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Wednesday was a day of torrential rain. It never stopped. I even heard thunder, which is rare this time of year. Don left the house at 5 am and returned around 10:15. His work day was 12 hours, routine for filming (the same hours I worked on Spoiler Alert.) But when you add in the 90 minute commute to Yonkers, where they filmed, you work a very long day. Don had a good time on that set, he loved the director and the cast. He was more than a bit stressed heading into Wednesday as he hadn’t worked in so long. But once he got there, it was all very familiar.

I’m proud of him. And, he has two more episodes in a month or so. He forgot to tell me that! “Didn’t I tell you??” No. You did not. It’s so good to see him working again in a profession he has been a part of for over 50 years.

I started this puzzle, which was the cheapest 1000 piece puzzle I could find on Amazon, most likely because it has an autumn theme. It kept me sane while the rain was pounding on the roof.

It’s cold again and will be for the next couple of nights. Next week will be warmer. Finally!

I’m reading Daniel Silva books like crazy. I read many of his spy thrillers in the past but somehow stopped reading them around 9 years ago. This time around, I started with his newest and I’m working my way backwards to where I left off. Though I’m not certain exactly where I left off. He’s such a good writer, the kind of writer who writes so well that I become completely immersed in the plot and can’t put it down. I’m grateful for having found him again.

I hope to get outside today to do some more work. There is much to be done!

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Rain, Sleep Deprived, & Egg Cups

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Rain. Rain. Rain.

And a not-so-restful night as both Don and I kept waking up all night long, knowing he had the alarm set for 4:30ish this morning. That always seems to happen. Your body anticipates an early wake-up call and your mind worries you’ll somehow not hear the alarm. I felt okay when I first got up, but now, after being up for 2 ½ hours, the lack of sleep is hitting me. Don went into the city on Monday for a fitting and it turns out  he worked with one of the guys who will be in the scene with him on Rescue Me, so they had a chance to catch up.

As it’s so rainy, I haven’t had a chance to do much outside, though I did start digging up an invasive plant that has taken hold in the poor and gravelly soil near the house. I have much more to go, but that will have to wait until the weekend.

New York’s Presidential Primary was yesterday, so we voted – of course. I even have the sticker to prove it.

Lily and Pru. They hang out together on the edge of the shelf.

I haven’t been able to get hold of the woman from France who collects the egg cups that I love, so I’m just going to post a partial photo. She goes by the name, Ch Baralle. I want to make sure she gets photo credit.

Photo Credit: Ch Baralle

You can see several diabolo egg cups here, as well as traditional double and single egg cups. I love this kind of design, seen frequently on the French version of ironstone and china.

I want them all. But they’re not easy to find and I’d probably have to order from France, which involves a sometimes heavy shipping fee. I love the way she has displayed them – in tea boxes. She’s removed the lids.

I feel that little tingle I get when I’m about to dive down the rabbit hole. I know it far too well.

All right. Maybe I’ll start a puzzle, as my brain is sleep deprived and needs something simple to do, like finding the edge pieces.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Buds and Blooms

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Yesterday was a lovely sunny day, so I took a few pictures. Unfortunately, both Don and I were under the weather, so we basically did nothing all day long. We’re due for lots of rain over the next four days – that’s depressing – and a bit of snow on Wednesday night. It will be gone the next morning. But I did get outside on Saturday to do some much needed pruning of some of the bushes. There’s more to be done, but frankly, I was tuckered out. I have to get back in my ‘working outdoors’ shape!

Robins visited the birdbath, some critter has been chomping on my day lilies (grrr!) and there’s lots of bird song every day. And my beloved peepers are especially vocal in the evenings, as well as all night long.

The daffodils on the edge of the woods.

Drat! Both of these photos are a bit blurry.

Anyway, these are crab apple buds. There are also buds on the lilac and the hydrangeas. We lost a few trees up in the woods over the winter – we had such high winds! Lots of branches down as well. I suspect the trees were ash trees – they’ve been weakened by the emerald ash borer. Plus, we’ve had an excess of rain over the course of several months which doesn’t help. Some of the fallen trees we can move ourselves, but at least one or two will need a chainsaw. I also had to move three saplings that fell near the secret garden. Losing trees always makes me sad.

I also had to cut back the limelight hydrangea where it was covering one of the boxwoods. That limelight is huge, so a little cutting back is a good thing. I’m anxious to do more, but the rain will delay any more work until next weekend.

I hope you had a lovely Easter, if you celebrate.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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