Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for flowers

Catalpa Blossoms and a Puzzle

June 7, 2024 at 8:09 am by Claudia

We had a huge storm yesterday afternoon, which sent some of these blooms down to the ground, but thankfully, there are still lots of flowers on the catalpa tree.

What a wild storm – rain and wind and a crazy intensity. It lasted about 30 minutes.

Here’s Maeve examining a catalpa blossom. She was quite taken by the size of the flowers.

I finished the puzzle:

It’s another Mucha and it’s called Reverie (Dream.)

I have run out of Mucha puzzles as I’ve done all of them, Sigh. So I ordered a Klimt and that should be arriving today.

We are now attempting to live without a microwave. I’ve never cared for the look of them and we were using the smallest and least instrusive one we could find, but it started to rust inside and then it misbehaved and smelled funny and we felt it was no longer safe. We really only use it rewarm coffee and make oatmeal, both of which we can do with Stella, so we added it to our pile of crap that needs to go to the bigger dump in the next town and we are now microwave-free. And we have more counter space, which we love.

I’m headed into the last section of The English Girl. by Daniel Silva. I’m not sure what I’ll read next. I have three books on hold in our library system that are being released this month but it usually takes a while to get them.

After so much groundhog activity last summer – remember all of the babies? – we have seen one groundhog a few times. Once, near the house, and once by the shed. And another time scampering across the back forty. That’s it. Maybe they had enough of life on this property and needed to move elsewhere. We do see bunnies and birds and chipmunks – and deer, of course. I loved those groundhog babies, but wrangling them all day long was a bit of a pain.

Okay.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, flowers, jigsaw puzzles 12 Comments

Sunsets and Day Lilies

June 5, 2024 at 8:27 am by Claudia

Yesterday evening’s sunset. I’m not usually outside at that time, but I’m glad I was. I did have to run back inside the house for my phone, though. There is something so magical about a sunset.

It’s been in the mid-eighties the last few days. I guess summer is here (though not officially.) It’s a beautiful morning. I’ve come to the conclusion that my gardens are becoming increasingly wild. Though I try to eliminate the stuff that hasn’t been planted there, i.e., tall weeds that look sort of like the things I’ve planted, but really aren’t, it’s a thankless task. And I have to limit my time out there because of allergies and my hand, which is so much better, but still not quite as strong as it will be eventually. I pruned a lot of overgrown brambles/wild roses yesterday and though I made an effort to use my left hand, sometimes that was next-to-impossible. So, I have to make decisions as to what to be anal about and what to let go.

There’s lots of milkweed again this year. It likes to live in the lower right hand corner of the big garden bed, near the driveway. Occasionally, it pops up elsewhere, but the big garden bed has been its choice for the past few years. I remember when it first appeared in the back forty. I never see it there now. Anyway, the flowers are forming on the milkweed now. And I caught a whiff of scent yesterday, looked up, and realized the catalpa is starting to bloom. First week of June, like clockwork.

These day lilies are always the first of my flowers to bloom. This was taken in the evening, so they look a bit more orange than usual. I happened to be outside yesterday when the guy who works for the county was about to come by and cut down everything near the road. I stopped him and asked him if he could please skip our property, explaining that my crabapple had been cut down a couple of years ago and he said ” I remember that. I did it.” He was very low key, extremely nice, and we had a pleasant encounter which ended with me thanking him for being so nice. I now know when to start looking out for him every spring because the machinery is usually parked down the road from us, so I go on alert.

But that’s another chore to be done, I’ll have to weed whack that area.

Don’s sunburn is still hot and painful but it’s slowly improving.

Okay. I have to vacuum and dust and do some work outside.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

 

Filed Under: flowers, garden 22 Comments

Three, Four, Shut the Door

May 31, 2024 at 8:04 am by Claudia

34.

That’s all I need to say.

I never watch television during the day, but lately, during the trial, I’ve occasionally tuned into Nicolle Wallace around 4 pm. So I happened to be watching as they got the news that the verdict was in. I called to Don to “get in here!”

Justice served.

Thank you to DA Alvin Bragg, the magnificent prosecutorial team, and the jury.

Wild phlox alongside the path into the woods.

Hey, I mowed the other day! Whoo hoo! My hand was a bit sore afterward, so I took the day off yesterday. I wrapped it in an ace bandage while mowing and was very careful. Since Don’s shoulder is acting up, it was time for me to get back in the mowing game. It was just what I needed, it pulled me out of my worried state of mind and that’s a good thing. More on tap for today.

We’re holding off on the car until we’re emotionally and financially ready to deal with it. We need a little break from worry. Don has two gigs this weekend but they’re relatively close to us, so he’ll use my car.

Outside the kitchen window. You can see the rear of the dollhouse. These wild beauties won’t last much longer, so I’m taking as many photos of them as I can.

But now, the wild roses are blooming, so there are white blossoms everywhere. And that means the catalpa is not far behind.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

 

Filed Under: dollhouse, flowers, garden 27 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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