Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for flowers

Hitting the Wall

May 8, 2021 at 10:04 am by Claudia

• We have one tulip. It was planted by a previous owner. At times, it only develops leaves, but for the past two years, it’s flowered beautifully. A thank you to the previous custodian of this house for planting this beauty.

• Friends, I hit a wall last night. We have been working so hard outside, running errands, mowing the entire property, and the wall was a combination of exhaustion and allergies. Today, a day we had already decided would be a day off, I feel like I’m in a fog. Thankfully, it’s raining gently right now so Mother Nature has decided that it’s a day to stay inside.

So what did I do yesterday? I went to the nursery, where I saw one of the owners carrying the exact hanging plant that I wanted. He said it was already sold but that he might have one left. He did. Someone had just purchased 13 of them! The good news? More were expected later in the day and I should come back after 3 pm. Okay.

Then I drove to the grocery store to get a few things that we needed.

Came home, hung the plant, got out the weed whacker and went all around the property, cleaning things up. Then we mowed the back forty. Then we raked all the bare spots left over from taking down the corral fence, as well as from all the machinery that was used to remove our trees, and applied grass seed, in hope that we can get something going there before the birds eat the seed.

Then I had some lunch and drove back to the nursery and purchased the other two hanging plants. Early in the morning, there were a few people there. By the end of the day, all the weekenders had shown up and I could barely find a place to park. A pox on those city people!

My allergies are very bad this year and I just plow ahead and do things because if I let allergies stop me I would never get anything done. But boy oh boy, do I need to sit it out this weekend!

Still to do: sow seeds for zinnias, morning glory, and moonflowers. And mulch the big garden bed which I haven’t done for a couple of years.

• I was reading a book on oil painting and quickly realized that though there is a lot of helpful information, I couldn’t linger there too long or I would be thoroughly intimidated. I may be too tired today to attempt anything, but maybe tomorrow…

• Yesterday when I was going in and out of the shed, two robins, perched in trees on either side of the shed, started chirping at me. I suspected that they might have moved into that nest that is nestled in the climbing hydrangea. And then, as the day went on, I kept seeing two robins in the corral area (eating the grass seed!) This morning, I saw them again and one flew into the nest. Aha! I love it when birds nest there. I think we’ve had three different sets of nesters over the past four years, which is why I’m glad I never took it down. It really is a piece of art, that nest.

• A conversation for another day: what Don and I have been discussing about reentry into the world and the fears we have about that, as well as what we realize we don’t want as we move forward. I’ve addressed this a bit before, but as an introvert, I’m determined to reenter on my terms. I’m too tired to write more than that today. Maybe tomorrow.

• A sad note. Meredith called me to tell me that fellow blogger, Theresa Kasner, had died suddenly. Theresa was a lovely person and Meredith was very good friends with her. Theresa also visited my blog occasionally and I loved her personality, her joy in life, her beautiful photography and the life she shared with her husband, Dayle, on their farm. Rest in peace, Theresa. You will be greatly missed.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Filed Under: birds, Don, flowers 29 Comments

Mowing, Pruning, Feeling

May 7, 2021 at 8:51 am by Claudia

A glimpse of the chokecherry that grows at the base of the big maple.

We did a lot of work outside yesterday. I pruned several bushes, pulled some weeds in the garden, and then we mowed the entire front lawn. It was a gorgeous day. Today, we’ll mow the corral area and the back forty as we’re going to have rain tomorrow, Sunday, and Monday. I’m also going to do some weed whacking since I charged the battery yesterday and the whacker is ready to go.

But first, I’m going to run to the grocery store and to the nursery. I’m hoping my hanging plants are in. Fingers crossed. I want to get there early today and avoid the weekend crowds.

I’ve been feeling a lot of emotions concerning loss lately. In talking about it to Don yesterday, I realized that April 24th was the anniversary of my mom’s death, May 1st was the anniversary of John’s murder, May 6th was my brother’s birthday. Sadness, grief, mourning – it never really ends – and in this particular year, it’s been somehow harder to navigate. I’ve also been thinking and talking about my dad, especially since I’m about to start on this new adventure in oil painting. It has evoked so many memories of his work, of watching him work, knowing that for my war-ravaged father, painting in oils brought him some peace. And he was good at it. Very good.

I spoke of his wooden box filled with oil paints and supplies the other day. On a whim – actually, urged on by Don – I texted Mere to see if we threw that box out when we were clearing out the condo. I explained that I’d been thinking about him and that I was about to explore painting. Her immediate response? I have it and I’ll send it to you. After a bit of back-and-forth because I didn’t want to take it if it was precious to her, she firmly said she’d put it in the mail today. My heart grew so full! I’ll soon have it here in the cottage.

Not to make too big a deal of it, but I was so moved, thinking that Dad would be smiling and happy to see me painting. I intend to have the box nearby whenever I paint.

I’m so emotional these days! It’s all good. It’s important to let myself feel all of it. And I am.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: Dad, flowers, Meredith, painting 37 Comments

Day Four Hundred Eighteen

May 5, 2021 at 10:26 am by Claudia

Rain, rain and more rain! It’s dreadfully dreary here today, but I must note that it’s getting greener and greener out here. And when it’s darkish and rainy, the green is more intense. More and more trees are leafing out.

And I just saw one of the wrens going inside the birdhouse.

A little porch update: more green in the background, some pots filled with flowers, and you can see the stone doves on the bench. I haven’t been able to sit out there very much. Soon.

We did some work outside yesterday, putting up the new chicken wire for the chicken wire fence garden. I also did a lot of pruning around the property (there’s so much more to do) and I’m starting to cut back the big spirea bush that borders the Annabelle hydrangea on the far side of the porch – right next to the glider. Both bushes look as if they had some damage over the winter, especially the spirea. It was almost flat on the ground in some places, which makes me think that it was flattened by snow for too long a time. That’s the first time that’s ever happened. So I’m cutting large portions of it back. It was overgrown anyway. And then I’ll try to find a way to make it look more attractive there. Mulch will be added to the bare ground. Maybe another small bush? I’ll have to see what seems indicated.

Today is too wet and rainy to do anything outside. Tomorrow will be better. The grass is really long – it grows so quickly at this time of year – and it’s too wet to mow. So that will have to wait until tomorrow or Friday.

I have to say it’s so nice to finally see green everywhere!

I’ve been gathering some supplies to start in on something I’ve been thinking about for a long time: oil painting. When an idea keeps haunting me, I know it’s time to act. Now, I have always thought of myself as the one family member that didn’t get that kind of artistic talent. (I know, I have many other talents, and I’m grateful.) My dad was an oil painter and a strong memory of my childhood is my dad standing at his easel in the middle of the living room. We lived in a very small house, so there was not room for a den or a studio space, so Dad’s studio was the living room. He was quite talented. I don’t remember what inspired him to paint, though he always sketched a bit. He had a natural talent. The smell of oil paints is a big part of my childhood sense memory. It’s comforting. I’ve been following along with several people on IG who paint in oils and many of them started painting during lockdown. I now realize there’s no right or wrong way to do it, so I’ve purchased a few tubes of paint and some canvas panels and some brushes. A great help: the tutorials posted by Miss Mustard Seed on her blog. Now, I just have to throw caution to the wind and start.

When my father died, Meredith and I cleaned out my parents’ condo. I know my father’s wooden paint box was there, but I have no idea what happened to it. I think we threw it out and now, of course, I could just kick myself for doing that. It would be so lovely to have it.

But I’m getting way ahead of myself. Let’s see if this new thing sticks.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

 

Filed Under: Dad, flowers, garden, oil painting 28 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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