Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

You are here: Home / Archives for flowers

Blooms and Miniatures

at by

In just a few days, everything has taken off around here. All of the crabapples are blooming or about to bloom. There are wee little leaves appearing on the maples. My neighbor’s flowering trees are in full bloom. It’s so healing.

Last year, we cleaned up the area in the front lawn where the weeping willow used to be. There was a sapling coming out of the ground – maybe around 5 feet tall – and we debated whether we should leave it or remove it. About 4 days ago, it suddenly had flowers – it’s a crabapple! It looks so lovely in the middle of the front lawn. I’m glad we let it be. At the time, I suspected it could be a crabapple because it had very smooth bark, but I wasn’t sure at all.

After haunting my local nursery, I was finally able to get some impatiens yesterday, as well as one of the hanging plants I always buy. So I spent the afternoon potting the flowers. As I was walking through the nursery, a woman saw me looking around and said “They said there is more coming tomorrow.” I guess I’ll be back there today or tomorrow. I still have to get some calibrachoa, lobelia, geraniums for the barrels, and some coleus for the pots in the secret garden.

I have to say it felt so good to see the porch starting to take shape.

My allergies are out of control, of course. Pollen, pollen, everywhere.

We’re going to have to mow the lawn in the next couple of days. Hurrah! I love  to mow the lawn.

I was online yesterday and I saw an announcement from my favorite online shop – miniatures.com – that they were closing. I couldn’t believe my eyes! I have been ordering from them ever since I started working on dollhouses – which was around 2010. They have everything, especially building materials. I also got the kit for Don’s miniature music studio from them. They are a family-owned business of 50 years and they’ve decided to retire. They’re based in Georgia.

Well, the shock has reverberated around the American mini world. I’m not kidding when I say I was stunned. The news caused me to really think about the Beacon Hill, which I had been considering selling. I just haven’t been able to get motivated to do anything with it. Renovating a dollhouse can be expensive, though I certainly could aim for doing it on a budget (like I have any choice!) That shop is the place I go to get things like baseboards, moldings, strip wood, and wallpaper glue. Knowing that there is a deadline for orders – June 9th is the last day you can order and everything is on sale right now – I decided to place a modest order, including Victorian style baseboards. I’m sure I’ll place another one before they close. The closing notice put me  on notice.

So I guess I’m hanging on to the Beacon Hill. As I said to Don, since it seems I’m being forcibly retired, what else am I going to do with my time?

I will miss miniatures.com so much. They were always so helpful and kind. It’s a gigantic loss for miniaturists.

Okay.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday,

Flowers, Egg Cups, and a Puzzle

at by

It’s lilac time. And crabapple time, but we’ll talk about that in the next post.

And the leaves are popping out on the maple trees. The forsythia is in full, golden bloom.

A couple of rogue daffodil plants have popped up next to the grape hyacinth. I’ve been tracking them for a couple of years. This year, for the first time, there are buds that are just about ready to open. I think they’ll be the same kind of daffodil that blooms in the big garden bed.

I sorted out the shed yesterday, rearranging and fixing thing. I gave it a good sweeping, as well. I’ve also been clearing out more of the garden beds, which I’ll continue to do today. But only a bit at a time, because even when I really budget my time, my back still ends up aching.

More egg cups. The double egg cups are Harlequin, from Homer Laughlin. I found a couple of them and Margaret, a reader of the blog. sent me the others.

In front of them, new egg cups that my dear Judy sent to me. What came first the chicken or the egg? They’re adorable.

Glass egg cups: Jadeite and Milk Glass.

And miniature egg cups in Dove Cottage.

Reader Kathy sent me a puzzle which I just completed. It’s a copy of a print done by someone I’ve followed for a long time – Angela Harding. She carves linocuts and is also a printmaker. Her love of nature is apparent in everything she does. (She lives in England.)

Here it is with everything finished but the sky. (I forgot to take a picture of the completely finished puzzle.)

This one was challenging! Thank you so much, Kathy.

And timely. Don just saw a bunny rabbit!

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

 

Daffodils, Gatekeeping & Egg Cups

at by

The daffodils on the edge of the woods are blooming. They’re facing east and the back of the property which makes taking a photo tricky.  I suppose they like the morning sun, though there’s not much of that today. No rain today, but Saturday and Sunday will be very rainy.

Both of us hit a wall yesterday. We have to take care of our mental health and regulate our reactions to stress. Obviously, most of this is a reaction to the news. But we also have other worries in our lives – everyone does – and all of it combined together is having a very negative impact. We’re not young and we have to protect ourselves. So we had a big talk about it and we’re going to move into a healthier self-protect mode (as well as protecting each other, of course.) I can no longer take everything  in. Neither can Don. I know this will be a challenge, but I also know that if there’s some information that we absolutely need to know, it will find its way to us. I’ve been suffering from anxiety once again. I can’t seem to concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes. We have to be better gatekeepers.

Sometimes you have to hit a wall before you say “no more.”

I hope you’re protecting yourselves, too. Do what you have to do to create a safe space. It’s imperative.

Oh, sweet egg cups; you make me smile.

On the left, one of my favorites, a beautifully painted egg cup with two feathered friends. One is eating, the other one is maybe hiding? Or holding up the cup? Made in Japan.

Center: This may be my favorite cup. An artist rabbit in a smock, holding a palette while he paints a face on the egg cup. Japan.

Right: A gift from reader Linda. A fabulous egg cup with a tail (which you can’t see) that is removable. Why? Because it functions as a salter. It has holes and a stopper. So ingenious!

Okay, my friends. I have to make more coffee.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

Thanks for visiting! Feel free to browse, read and enjoy. All content is my own; including photos and text. Please do not use anything on this site without permission.

Disclosure/Privacy Policy can be found in the Navigation Bar under ‘About MHC.’

Also, I love receiving comments! I do, however, reserve the right to delete any comment that is in poor taste, offensive or is verging on spam. It’s my blog. If you’re a bot or a troll you’ll be blocked. Thanks!

Archives