flowers — Page 298

Monday Morning

July 11, 2011 at 8:08 am by Claudia

Sun is flooding the living room of Mockingbird Hill Cottage. Such a beautiful, though hot, day! I plan to putter a little in the garden and perhaps whack a weed or two. Yesterday I washed the sheets and hung them outside on the line to dry. Heavenly.

Right before I left for Wisconsin, I planted some Liatris in the new garden bed. These plants grow very tall and are graceful and almost other-worldly. They are just starting to bloom.

The coneflowers are starting to bloom as well.

I love my garden.

Speaking of love, I must thank 3 of my blogging friends for some thoughtful gifts that have come my way in the last few weeks. My friend Spencer of Bellamere Cottage sent me a package that arrived while I was still in Wisconsin.

Oh my gosh! Remember the play program I have on display in the studio? It is from a 1940’s production of the play Claudia. This is the novel on which the play was based. I am thrilled! Thank you, Spencer.

Then my friend Sonja (who sent me the Roseville Pottery) said she wanted to send me something that would help me in my gardening.

Yippee! A garden rocker! I thank you, Sonja. My aching back thanks you even more! This is going to make my life so much easier.

And on Saturday, I received a package in the mail from Jan of BessieMary.

Inside was a scented bath pouch (to use in the bath or the shower) and a Healing talisman; such a lovely, compassionate gesture.Thank you, Jan. I will begin pampering myself immediately.

I am amazed and humbled by the thoughtfulness of my blogging friends. They are friends, plain and simple. And I treasure them.

Overgrown MHC

June 21, 2011 at 3:12 pm by Claudia

I’m home. We had a rainy spring and our hostas are giant sized. Everything is larger than life, including poison ivy. I didn’t get to our house until 1 am on Monday and even in the dark I could see that husband had, once again, neglected certain areas of our property. He has suffered from lyme disease off and on for a few years now (and at times the lyme has made him very sick indeed) and because he fears getting a tick bite, he doesn’t mow the edges of the yard that border the woods. Of course, I tell him that by not mowing those areas there will be more ticks because they like the long grass. We usually check each other for ticks if we’ve been working in certain areas of the property. Obviously, this becomes impossible when one of us is away. I don’t blame Don for being wary.

This time, the area behind the kitchen is completely out of control. As is part of the dogs’ corral that we sectioned off from the main corral. He “forgot” about it.

He felt guilty. So guilty that he bought a weed wacker yesterday. I will be the one using it, but at least it’s a form of atonement. And hey, he might use it, too.

Oh, and he had a few yard sales while I was gone and everything he didn’t sell is still on the porch. The same porch where I love to sit in the summer, where I go to look at the lovely bluestones and the potted plants and the pretty view.

Insert the sound of a scream here.

I would throttle him save for the fact that I love him dearly and I’m happy to see him again and his birthday is Friday. And he takes wonderful care of our dogs. And he’s a wonderful person. By the way, it’s a big birthday. More later.

Here’s a mini trip around the garden.

I planted this New Dawn rose bush right before I left. I’m a little hesitant because I think the location isn’t sunny enough. If I can just get it to climb a bit more, the sun will hit it perfectly.

A bee sipping a little nectar from the Spirea.

I planted some yarrow when we first moved here – about 6 years ago. It didn’t last. Today I found some that had reseeded about 15 feet away from the original site.

Another bee on a Jacob’s Ladder bloom.

Here’s another surprise. I planted this Clematis at least 5 years ago. Though it always had a lot of leaves, it never flowered. This year? Pretty purple flowers.

Roses peeking through the porch railing.

Hydrangeas and roses – such a cottagey look.

Riley is a little under the weather – his right hip and leg are bothering him. If you read this blog, you know he has hip problems. We’re watching him closely and giving him Rimadyl. My poor little boy has had a tough time of it, but he seems a little perkier today.

I have lots of weeding to do – everywhere. I did the major yanking and pulling and pruning Monday on 4 hours sleep. Today I mowed. The next few days are supposed to be rainy.

That means I’ll finally have to unpack and work on the inside.

Random on Saturday

June 11, 2011 at 10:23 am by Claudia

This may be my first Saturday Random post. It would take a bit of research on my part to confirm this. That won’t be happening.

:: Blithe Spirit seems to have drawn the unlucky straw weather-wise. Every run of the show on the outdoor stage has been cursed by bad weather. I’ve sat through gale force winds, 100 degree heat, mosquito attacks, gnats everywhere, thunderstorms and last night? A constant drizzle-rain in the cold that crept into every pore of my body, leaving me in a shivering, miserable puddle. Can we get a break?

Picture me trying to write notes on a legal pad during all of this. I’d write a note, then shove the pad up under my sweatshirt. Then I’d take the pad out to write another note. At one point I tried to hold an umbrella and write notes at the same time. By the end of the evening, all I could think of was the heater in my car and a long hot shower. Imagine how hard it was for the actors. During one scene, the lead actress got up from the sofa and had a huge water mark on her backside. I have to say, the audiences here are up for the challenge. Slickers appeared, rain hats were put on as they kept on watching the show and reacting with laughter and applause.

I had to spread my notes out to dry overnight. Don’t even try to read them. I write these in the dark, you know. And that is why I have to re-write them the next morning.

:: In an effort to comfort myself, this morning I did something I rarely do. I ate a bunch of cereal right out of the box. I’ve reverted to my childhood-self. Except this childhood-self also drinks coffee.

:: I’m currently reading 4 books at the same time. This is not unusual for me. I started Cloud Atlas right before I got sick a week ago. It is the kind of book that requires a bit of work from my brain, so I abandoned it for a short while as I turned to page-turner mysteries – the only kind of book I can read when I’m feeling miserable. The book by Lisa Jackson is one such mystery that I grabbed off the communal shelf at the theater. Scout, Atticus and Boo is a collection of thoughts by various writers on To Kill a Mockingbird. I got it for half the original price when I was shopping at The Brattle Bookshop in Boston. A wonderful book. And From the Ground Up is a book by Amy Stewart about the creation of her first garden. If I have to be away from my garden for a prolonged period, then I find I must read about gardening.

:: My roommate’s wife and baby daughter arrived yesterday and they are now staying in a house as part of a 8 day house swap. They are based in NYC. The local homeowner travels to Manhattan to stay in their apartment and they get to stay in a fabulous house with an incredible vegetable garden. So I am on my own again.

:: Let’s close with some pretty flowers:

Alstromeria again, this time in an orangey-peachy color. They have to last until I leave – which is in 9 days, by the way.

Monday Morning

Overgrown MHC

Random on Saturday

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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