Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for flowers

Daffodils

April 13, 2022 at 9:29 am by Claudia

The daffodils on the edge of the woods just started to open this morning. Looks like there’s a little spider in there.

Lord knows how long these daffodils have been here. They were here when we moved in. We have at least 4 different clumps here and there on the property. This particular plant has always been on its own, a splash of yellow against the trees. But last year, a little patch appeared about a foot from the original. And this year, another little clump has appeared. I love that.

The same thing has happened with the daffs in the big garden bed. They bloom later than the flowers in the photos, as they’re a different kind of narcissus. Last year, a single daff popped up about 8 or 9 feet from the main plant – right in the middle of the gravel in front of the porch. I was completely surprised by its appearance and very happy I didn’t pull it thinking it was a weed. This year, there are two more about 3 or 4 inches away.

One of the magical things about gardening is the self-seeding and/or spreading of flowers. I didn’t plant these daffodils, so I can take no credit. But watching plants multiply and pop up in other areas of the garden is a joy.

We had our monthly “french fries for lunch at Five Guys” date yesterday. We figured we would combine it with a visit to B&N to see if the new Country Living was available. It wasn’t there yet, which was disappointing, but the french fries made me smile.

Today, we’re going to clean the inside of the shed as it’s sort of a mess after all the leaking that occurred. We’re going to scrub it down and rearrange what we have in there, as we had to place items in certain areas to avoid water damage. Now, that’s no longer an issue, thank goodness.

Eventually, we’ll go to our storage space and start to sort through everything there. Hopefully, we can dump most of it and the items we want to save can come back to the shed and we’ll save the $125/month fee. They increase the cost every 6 months and we really can no longer afford it. Worst case scenario, we clear out as much as we can and then rent a much smaller unit for less money.

I finished The Man With The Wooden Hat  by Jane Gardam and now I’m into the last book in the trilogy, Last Friends.

It’s supposed to rather warm today – unseasonably warm – with a high of 76.

We’ll take it.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

 

Filed Under: flowers 26 Comments

Signs of Spring

April 12, 2022 at 8:55 am by Claudia

Teeny, tiny grape hyacinths growing in the space between the rocks. There’s another one coming out from the gravel by the porch. One of the earliest signs around here that spring has sprung. It was sunny and lovely yesterday and I did some initial work outside. Not a whole lot, as I am mindful of my back. It felt so good to be out there. I picked up branches that had fallen due to snow and wind, cleaned the porch railings, and basically started making a list in my head of what must be done around here.

And it’s a long one.

The lilac has buds in varying stages of growth. These are the furthest along. You can see the tiny purple bits inside.

Normally, I’d be further along than I am in yard and garden and porch clean-up, but between my back, lingering winter weather, and tons of rain, I’m behind. I just have to be patient with myself and do what I can when I can.

It’s raining this morning.

Well. The cassette tape. I got it to play and I was having a lovely time listening to the broadcast and then the sound got weird and I hit stop. The tape was caught in the rollers. We extricated it, but the tape broke, so we had to splice it. Okay. I fast forwarded past the problem area, was able to listen to another nice chunk of Jurgen Gothe and his eclectic music programming and then – it broke again.

That’s it for the tape. I’m very sad. But it’s also 23 years old and it was kept inside my old CR-V for several of those years. Sigh. I won’t deny that it left me feeling down. Maybe it can be salvaged in some way, but I suspect it isn’t worth the expense.

Crap.

I might take a little drive today to see if Barnes & Noble has the new Country Living. I’m curious to see how they styled my egg cups. I think it should be on the stands now, as it’s the May issue and it’s almost mid-April.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

Filed Under: flowers, spring 20 Comments

Buds

October 15, 2021 at 9:03 am by Claudia

The second morning glory is about to bloom.

If you look in the background, you can see some tiny blooms developing. In fact, they’re everywhere among both sections of morning glories.

Is this ‘blooming two months later than normal’ thing going to become a regular occurrence? Normally, we would most likely have had a frost by now and they would be gone. But, a quick scan of the weather forecast for the next two weeks shows no frosts. So…I think we’re going to get to see some pretty morning glories before I have to leave for the city. A lovely little autumn surprise. They, along with the still blooming zinnias, keep me going when all my pretty summer flowers are gone. I also spy a bud on the moonflowers, so….please, please, please…maybe I’ll get to see one or two?

I’m going to have to research this. Is it because of climate change? A very rainy and wet summer? Both? Neither? When I get some spare time, which is at a premium these days, I’ll see what I can find out.

I didn’t hear him this morning, but the Carolina wren has been hanging out around the porch for the last several days. A lovely gift, as I’ve really come to love those perky little birds.

Coaching Ben again today. Don’s car is in the shop. We have to clean the gutters today as it’s going to rain tomorrow. Waiting for our taxes to be filed at the end of the day – dreading what we might owe. It’s a nervous day for me, so I will try to be in the now, something my husband always reminds me of, thank goodness.

I’m reading The Lantern Men  by Elly Griffiths. Then the newest, which is still in hardcover. I’ll be caught up at that point. I have books stacked up, ready to travel with me to NYC. I’m also going to order a jigsaw puzzle to take with me. As I get more and more information from the production company in my emails, I can see where we will be shooting on any given day, when we have meetings, that kind of thing. It becomes more real.

You do know that I won’t be able to share details on the days on the set? That’s not for public consumption. It’s not any different than my previous decisions to not share theater rehearsal information. I’ll share what I can, but the blog will more likely be about sights I see along the way, places I visit on my days off, that kind of thing.

Okay. Lots to do today and I have to get going. Fingers crossed for more morning glories. Fingers crossed for Don’s car and for relatively little money due to the IRS.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: books, flowers, morning glory 26 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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