Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Life in our little cottage in the country

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Stir Crazy

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rainywindow

The view out my window this morning. It’s a rainy, messy day. It started with sleet last night, then a wee bit of snow and now, rain. There is more rain promised for today and tomorrow.

It certainly gives one pause. Do I really need to go out? No. Does Don? Maybe. Poor Scout has no choice.

I deliberately haven’t allowed my thoughts go there until yesterday, but oh, how I am longing for spring. I need to garden, to put my hands in the soil, to see little green buds everywhere. Heck, I’m even looking forward to cleaning up the garden! Do you feel that way – those of you who live in a winter climate like me? Are you going a little stir crazy? It’s just about the end of February and March in my neck of the woods can be very wintry. Or not. I’m pulling for not.

I need to be outside, working in my garden, witnessing the renewal of spring. I’m tired of being indoors. I’m tired of gray, which is a perfectly nice color, but not in the sky and the landscape. These last days of winter are always the hardest for me. I can see spring off on the horizon, but it’s just out of reach.

So I’ve been crocheting a new flower for some garlands to sell in the shop.

newflowers

If I can’t see flowers in my garden, I can create some with some yarn and a hook. I like this flower even more than the other design I was using. And it’s time for a change, isn’t it? This is a pale pink Debbie Bliss baby yarn I had in my stash. Karen Dunn, if you’re looking at this post, this is the color I was thinking you might like for your garland. If you like this design, let me know, and I’ll make it for you.

Crocheting flowers makes me happy, which is very welcome on a gray, rainy day.

pjparty

Don’t forget about our pajama party on Monday. Today is such a flannel pajamas day! I have no idea how many of you will show up for my party, but I would so love it if you came. Your pajamas can be flannel or cotton or your pajamas can be a nightgown. Just write a post about how much you love them, any adventures you’ve had in them – you get the picture. I have had many adventures in mine. It will be a one-time-only linky party. Put the date, March 4th, on your calendars and we’ll have a bit of fun as we wind down Winter and move toward Spring.

Happy Wednesday.

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A Potpourri on Monday

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littlepinkchair

The past week or so has brought the usual adventures and misadventures.

• One morning found me filling up the glass coffee carafe with water, then dropping it on the wood floor where it shattered in a zillion pieces. Not a good thing for a girl who needs her coffee in the morning. I figured out how to insert a bowl where the carafe should be and catch the coffee. (Where there’s a will there’s a way.) Once that bowl was full, I had to insert another. And another. Then I poured it all into a thermos. The sad thing was that I had to do this for two days as I was snowed in and couldn’t get to the store to buy a new coffeemaker. Must have coffee. Peets French Roast.

scout7

• Right before I was to leave to get Don at the bus station (after 2 months apart) I was trying to wipe Scout’s dirty paws, as she had just come in from outside. Scout does not like me wiping her paws and she is very impatient. By the time I’m working on the third or fourth paw, she manages to elude my grasp and I have to chase after her as she trails water or mud all over the kitchen. This time, I happened to be near one of the kitchen chairs and as she squirmed out of my grasp, my head went down, meeting the chair. Result? Stinging pain and a gash in my forehead. As you can imagine, I was not looking my best for the reunion.

New nickname for Scout: Bronco Scout. She bucks her way out of my grasp like we’re at a rodeo.

bride&groom

• Now that my husband’s back home, I’m being treated to far tastier dinners than I managed to put together in his absence. Don’s the cook in this house. I’m the baker. Cooking bores me. Thankfully, it doesn’t bore Don and he’s been whipping up all sorts of appetizing meals. Heaven.

He even made a special dinner to commemorate my Five Years of Blogging! How’s that for a good guy?

guitar

• I’ve also been treated to the sound of my husband’s voice and his new guitar.  For those of you who missed it, Don’s childhood friend Rob, who lives in San Diego, is a wonderful musician who has his own recording studio. The two of them just might have recorded a CD of Don’s music while Don was in town. Rob has lots of guitars and he lent this one to Don to use during his stay. It worked so well for Don’s voice and the kind of songs he writes that Rob gave it to him. Rob is one of the most generous guys I know.

Don is over the moon and loves this guitar. It’s a Martin. Named Maggie. (Have you noticed that we tend to name things around here?) Now we have two Martins in the cottage. The other one doesn’t have a name. Get going, Don!

• I have a couple of blogs to recommend to you.

First up: Heart Handmade UK. Claire, who I believe lives in Ireland, gathers the most gorgeous design posts from the web – most of them in beautiful pastel hues.  She manages to find blogs and sites that are absolutely beautiful. When I first discovered her, I was so enthralled that I went back through most of her archives. She’s on my blog roll now and I look forward to her daily posts. And she has a sense of humor. Always a good thing.

Next: This blog is written by my friend Lynn. When I first moved out east, I worked part-time for a Veterinarian. Lynn was also working part-time at the same animal hospital as she pursued a post-graduate degree. She is a great girl; funny, kind, compassionate and talented. Fast forward a few years: I no longer work there because the commute was too long when we moved to the cottage and Lynn no longer works there because she got married, moved to a farm in Virginia and had a little boy. We are friends on Facebook and I was thrilled when I discovered Lynn has a blog! It’s called Kid and Goat. Lynn’s personality shines through on her blog, with pictures of life on the farm and of her house and her darling little boy. And wait until you see her goat, Sarah. Sigh. Stop by and visit her.

pjparty

• Don’t forget our Flannel Pajama Party next Monday! We’re going to share our pajamas, adventures in our pajamas, thoughts on pajamas…be there or be square.

scarfgiveaway

And finally:

The winner of the Obsession Scarf Giveaway is Debbie Hibbert! Debbie, I sent you an email last night. Pick one of these colors for your scarf and I will merrily crochet one for you. Thanks to everyone who left such lovely and kind comments on that post. They warmed my heart.

Happy Monday.

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And Now We Are Three Again

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aguyandhisdog

Don and Scout just after his arrival home. She had been sleeping and was groggy. It took her a while to realize that her dad was actually in the room with her.

aguyandhisdog2

Right after this moment in time, she gave him a big old kiss.

Then she started dancing around.

He’s home. More than 24 hours after he left San Diego, his bus pulled into our local station. Poor Don.

We still don’t have his suitcase. Oh yes, the saga continues. Since his connecting flight was canceled, he was assured his luggage would be on the next flight. 3 or 4 flights later – no luggage. Isn’t US Air merging with American Airlines? One can only hope that it will be for the better. Because, let me tell you, they’ve managed to screw up just about everything.

Now we go through the re-entry phase. The one where two married people who have been separated for 2 months and are used to their own particular routines have to adjust and move and get used to another human being sharing their space. Always happens. It takes a while.

Don was depressed by the gray, wintry and rainy day he came home to – quite a difference from San Diego. Here’s hoping for some sun to help brighten the gloomy landscape.

In the evening, the three of us nestled into our usual positions on the sofa and watched Skyfall. We love Daniel Craig as James Bond. The movie did not disappoint – great plot and beautifully filmed. And Javier Bardem – he’s such a good actor and such an interesting villain. He is amazing. As is one of my all-time favorite actresses, Judi Dench. I just found the second volume of her autobiography at our local library.

Since we have it for 48 hours via pay-per-view, we’re going to watch it again tonight. And Don is going to watch the movies I’ve already seen, the ones that were sent to us by the Screen Actors Guild, in preparation for the Oscars on Sunday.

Don got rave reviews for his performance as Doolittle in Pygmalion. He thinks it was one of the best things he’s ever done.  Everywhere he went, people who had seen him in the show came up to him to tell him how much they loved his performance. Even in the airport! I’m so proud of him.

I say this with all honesty. He is one of the best actors I’ve ever seen. I first saw him onstage at the Globe when I had flown out to San Diego to interview for the teaching job I would eventually be hired for. He was performing in the play, Morning’s at Seven. I remember thinking what an interesting and wonderful actor he was. The next summer, after I’d been working there for the school year, he came to the Globe to play Malvolio in Twelfth Night. It was one of the most amazing performances I have ever seen. Brilliant, funny, touching. So I’d already seen him perform when I finally met him. I’m a sucker for talent. Then I found out he was not only talented, but funny and kind and compassionate and smart. I was a goner.

pjparty

Okay. Change of subject. A while back, I promised some sort of Flannel Pajamas Party this year. I still want to do it. Do you? I was thinking March 4th, which is a Monday. It will be a one-time only party and each of you can link up with a post about your flannel pajamas. Or nightgown. Or even your favorite cotton pajamas if you live in a warmer climate. Tell us how much you love your PJs. Do you, like me, use any excuse you can to wear them? Have you ever thrown a coat over them to run an errand? Guilty as charged. Have you gardened in them? Guilty. Painted? Guilty. Had hot chocolate? Guilty. Do tell.

I vow to use a photo of me wearing my flannel pajamas. Will you?

What do you say? Let’s toast our flannel pajamas and the comfort and warmth they provide.

So put the date on your calendar. I’ll remind you of the party as we draw closer to March 4th.

Happy Wednesday.

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Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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