flowers — Page 241

Rain Drops

June 2, 2015 at 8:12 am by Claudia

And the rain continues. And continues. And continues.

The temps have dropped, it’s much cooler. I miss the sun, but I am fully aware that the rain that I am tired of is the rain that many of you desperately need. So I won’t complain.

One of the perks of rain is getting the chance to photograph rain-drop-covered flowers.

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The other peony bush is about to pop.

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6-2 rain peony 3

6-2 day lilies

And look what decided to bloom yesterday… the first of the day lilies. Hello.

It looks to be the kind of day where a good book and a mug of hot chocolate is in order. I have to send off the tickets to the winners of the Country Living Fair giveaway. Congratulations Betsy and Damara! Don is going with me this year (hurrah!) but since he has a wardrobe fitting on Friday for the next episode he is filming of Mr. Robot, we’ll go early Saturday morning.

I’m leaving in less than two weeks for Chautauqua. I’m looking forward to three weeks working and playing in that beautiful community. But I’ll miss my family and the cottage. That’s a given.

The winner of a copy of The Daughter by Jane Shemilt is Kim Stewart. I’ve sent you an email, Kim. Congratulations!

And the third congrats goes to my former student, Chris Nee, who is the creator and Executive Producer of Doc McStuffins. That show just won the prestigious Peabody Award. Bravo!

Happy Tuesday.

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Early Morning Contemplation

June 1, 2015 at 7:33 am by Claudia

6-1 lavender

We had such a heavy downpour last night, with more rain expected today.

The three remaining poppies are, I’m sure, no more. Those delicate petals cannot withstand even a light rain. And the peony from yesterday? I’m afraid to look. I was going to go out and rescue it (in the dark and in the heaviest part of the downpour) but saner heads prevailed: in this case, Don.

And I woke up at 4 am. What?? You know the drill; you wake up and some worries start batting around in your brain and you try to let them go but you can’t and you finally give up and get up. Scout looked rather shocked when I appeared at such an early hour. She’s currently snuggled right next to my feet.

6-1 grasses

I planted this ornamental grass the first summer we lived here. I’ve never seen these – what do you call them – feathers? or plumes? appear. I love surprises in the garden. As long as they’re not the deer-chomping kind.

We watched Bridget Jones’s Diary again last night. It’s one of our favorite movies – the kind we watch when we need a lift. It makes us laugh out loud. It’s full of wonderful performances from the leads and a marvelous supporting cast. Hugh Grant does so well with this kind of caddish character. He oozes charm while he tells lie after lie, whatever he needs to come up with in order to get what he wants.

Have you ever known or encountered a habitual liar? I have, unfortunately. And I don’t mean the little white lies we all use from time to time. I mean the lies that are told to manipulate others, to bend and shape reality into something that ends up being far from the truth, to change the story in order to make oneself look good, or to look like an innocent victim, rather than the perpetrator.

What fuels that need, I wonder? It certainly involves a need to create an alternative reality in order to, what? Pump oneself up? Avoid taking responsibility for an action? Create a persona that is carefully crafted and is not the reality? I’m not a psychologist, that’s for sure, so I can only surmise. I suspect some habitual liars repeat the same untruth so many times that they actually come to believe it.

Sometimes you are fortunate enough to be able to correct the ‘story.’ Sometimes you just shake your head and realize it’s a losing battle and it’s better to vacate the premises. In the end, you’re powerless to change someone’s habitual behavior, so detaching is the only thing you can do.

Anyway, watching the movie again got me to thinking about that kind of behavior, that kind of person. Grant’s character, Daniel Cleaver, is going to end up sad and lonely – you can see it coming – because he can’t be trusted.

What are your thoughts, my friends? Have you dealt with this kind of thing in your life?

Let’s close with another pretty picture.

6-1 rocket

Ah! That’s better.

There’s a new post up on Just Let Me Finish This Page.

Happy Monday.

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They’re Here. Hint: Starts with a P.

May 31, 2015 at 8:36 am by Claudia

5-31 first peony

Stop. Breathe. Lean in. Take a whiff.

The first peony bloom appeared yesterday; a little earlier than usual, due, I suppose, to the unseasonably warm temperatures we’ve been having.

Be still my heart.

This particular bush (we have two) is under what used to be a small tree – a shag hickory – but is now, after several years, a much taller and bigger tree. The result is that for the last two summers, there have been only a few buds on this bush. Not enough sun. I could try moving the bush, but I don’t like to mess with peonies. This one has been in the same location for years and years.

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What a beauty. The scent is simply incredible, heady and more than a wee bit addictive.

I look forward to this small window of time in the spring when my favorite flower blooms. It’s going to rain for the next few days, and the buds on the other bush are about to open, so I have a feeling I’m going to be running outside to rescue them. Peonies are easily beaten down to the ground by heavy rain.

They’ll just have to come inside.

To Kill a Mockingbird was on TCM last night, but I didn’t watch it. I’d just seen it recently and I’m very careful about how much I watch it. I don’t want it to lose its magic and if I watch it too frequently it will become less powerful – at least, for me. Heck, I own two copies and I never watch them for the same reason. So, I opted out and we watched the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on HBO. Quite a contrast, don’t you think?

We did watch another favorite, The Third Man, on Friday night. Beautifully directed, beautifully photographed. Black and white, highlights and shadows, dark and rainy streets. Orson Welles. Joseph Cotton, Trevor Howard. What else do I need to say? It’s a great movie. And the music, the theme! Played on a zither, the music is haunting and stays with you for days.

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Also blooming on the property: Rocket, or Dame’s Rocket, or Sweet Rocket. Rocket is a wildflower that springs up on the edges of the woods. It has a lovely scent. Some call it an invasive weed, but one man’s weed is another man’s flower. I love them. I haven’t found them invasive at all and their appearance is always welcome here at Mockingbird Hill Cottage.

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Usually purple or white, this is the first time I’ve seen this combination of the two.

It can be confused with wild phlox, but phlox has five petals and rocket has four. (I just learned that little bit of information yesterday.)

5-31 rocket 3

Isn’t it pretty?

I’m finishing up The Whisperers by John Connolly (what a writer!) and will then tackle my next review book, Disclaimer by Renee Knight, which has been getting a lot of buzz. I look forward to it, but I wish those who write blurbs would not say things like “in the tradition of Gone Girl.”

I didn’t like Gone Girl, as you well know. As a matter of fact, I disliked it intensely.

So I just have to ignore those things and start the book with an open mind, erasing the words “Gone” and “Girl” from my brain.

There. It’s erased.

Happy Sunday.

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Rain Drops

Early Morning Contemplation

They’re Here. Hint: Starts with a P.

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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