Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for flowers

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.

Filed Under: dogs, flowers, garden, Mockingbird Hill Cottage 34 Comments

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.

Filed Under: books, flowers, On The Road, theater 20 Comments

Flowers, Food & Clunky Cars

May 11, 2011 at 12:03 am by Claudia

My friends, I’m going to tell it like it is. I am very busy here in Wisconsin. My days are long. I’m really, really tired. I’ve been trying to keep up with my blog reading – but I’m not always up to it. I owe many of you visits and I hope to catch up soon. But the schedule here is intense, with 5 plays rehearsing at once. As you can imagine, the daily schedule is very detailed and extends well into the evening hours. I also start teaching on Thursday morning and I have a great deal of prep to do. And my allergies are going haywire.

With only 1 day off a week, we had to use that time to do some food shopping. Chris and I drove into Madison (a really neat college town that I want to explore further) and our first stop was a new super-amazing Target. Wow. I got a few things there and then it was on to Whole Foods, where I bought some produce and where we ate lunch.

Then Trader Joe’s, where I bought food and flowers.

I’m on a very tight budget, so I went for long lasting Alstromeria. I was tempted by the tulips, but these beauties won out. (I bought the vase for $2.00 at Target.) After I went through the checkout, I saw these sweet little potted begonias – for $2.99. So I went back in and bought one.

I have it on the table by my computer.

Such a pretty, delicate shade of pink.

When you’re away from your home and your garden, fresh flowers can make a big difference.

I took my camera along on Monday but it ended up being a very stormy day. Not the best for taking photos. Hopefully, I’ll have something to share with you after my next trip into the city.

I’m trying another car – a Honda Accord that must be 20 years old. So far I can’t tell whether the gas mileage is any better. It’s noisy and the ignition is problematic. Sometimes it is next to impossible to turn the key. The other option was a Geo that has to have the oil checked constantly. These are my choices. Each one of them has something going on that will make me nuts. I’ll keep you posted on this saga.

Edited to add: Congratulations to my nephew Jeff and his wife Raina. Their first child, Beatrice, was born on May 10th.

Filed Under: flowers, On The Road 24 Comments

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Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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