Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Life

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I just mowed this about 4 days ago. Now it looks like it’s been neglected. The grass grows so quickly! Lots of wildflowers are emerging on the property and in the secret garden specifically. I love this particular time of year in this little hideaway because there will be all sorts of flowers and color for the next few weeks.

Speaking of flowers, we have a freeze warning for tonight. Are you kidding me? What the heck? So Don and I will have to bring in all the pots for the night, including these heavy vintage pots. Coleus does not like cold and they’ll die if frost hits. Big old sigh.

It’s actually been a trying 24 hours or so. Don found out his high school friend died a week ago. They hung out a lot together with another guy, Don’s friend Joe – who is in his early seventies and battling Alzheimers. So, one friend has passed away and the other is slowly fading away and it is very upsetting for my husband.

Then we found out our mortgage payment is going up because of some escrow screw up. We need to find out more and I’ve asked Don to call them tomorrow. But I’m already panicked.

Then, Don remarked casually, “Well, the babies have obviously fledged.”

“What??? I just saw them yesterday!”

“I took a picture and they aren’t there.”

So I went outside to see for myself and the nest is empty.

I had been staying away from the nest, which is quite deep, so when I actually peeked at it the day before yesterday and saw the very top of their heads, I assumed they were little babies.

Obviously, they weren’t.

So now I feel sad that I didn’t have any idea they were about to leave the nest. It’s quiet around here. No mom and dad scolding us, no babies. I just wasn’t prepared for it.

And a freeze tonight.

Insert lots of sighs here.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Rain, Endless Rain

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Forgive me while I whine. We had torrential rain all weekend long. And we are to have rain today (the only day that was supposed to be dry) and every day through Friday. I can’t do any work outside. By the time this ends, the lawn will be impossible to mow. Insert scream here.

I did pot some impatiens yesterday, but I ran out of potting soil. I’ll get more today. It’s also damp and cold, so I have to hold off planting the coleus that I pot for the Secret Garden. As the little sign at my local nursery says, “Warning! Coleus does NOT like cold!”

Don is doing better. He’s still dealing with post-surgery pain. I washed his hair again yesterday, but I think today is the day he can actually shower. I bet that will feel good! We’ll rig up a plastic bag to cover his bandage – though plastic bags are hard to come by now that NY has outlawed them.

With the terrible gun violence in our country, including the recent slaughter of a family in Texas, and the complete misinterpretation of the Second Amendment, handily leaving out the words “a well-regulated militia,” with the weapon being a musket, I’ve been remembering a conversation that Don had when we were last in Paris. That would have been October 2019. We used to buy vegan hot dogs from a little shop just down the street from the Luxembourg Gardens. One day, while we were watching a game of pétanque, Don went to the shop to get some take-out hot dogs. He was chatting with the young owner about America and the young man said: “Oh, I would never go to the United States! It’s too violent!” That was four years ago. It’s only gotten worse since then. Between gun violence and the rise of fascism and ultra-right “Christians,” I wouldn’t visit here, either.

I try to stay positive these days, but I must have been willfully naive: I never thought our country would come to this. Anyway, that’s what I’m thinking this morning.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

The Patient

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Full-time caregiver, here. I’m making light of it but I do know many of you have been serious full-time care givers and it’s much more than I’m dealing with.

It’s also cold and rainy and we’re trying not to turn on the heat at this late date because we have very little oil left and ordering some right now is an expense we don’t need. So, it’s dreary and damp and we have a lot more rain coming later today and throughout the week.

Don’s in a bit more pain today than he was yesterday. We’re still icing the hand every half hour and no showers until tomorrow. I washed his hair in the kitchen sink yesterday. It brings back memories of my childhood, when I routinely washed my hair in the kitchen until I began to take showers. Clean hair and a sponge bath and the day seems better.

I’m cooking at night, with Don’s guidance. It isn’t that I don’t know how to cook, I just don’t like it one bit and, I admit, I’ve been spoiled by Don taking over the cooking. Hang in there, Don, it’s only for about 5 more days. Actually, last night’s dinner turned out pretty good!

What else? I have to do some grocery shopping today (another thing that Don usually does because he likes it) and I really want to get the impatiens I bought 3 days ago in some pots, especially before it begins to rain heavily this afternoon.

Anyway, my sweetie is hanging in there. He gave himself a research task to do online – he’s exploring a certain genre of music – and it’s keeping him occupied.

No time for photos, so here’s a recent one of Holly – from last week:

You’d better tie those shoelaces, Holly.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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