Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Life in our little cottage in the country

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Home Again

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The first of the bee balm has opened. I like seeing that splash of red in the garden.

I got home around 4 pm yesterday and immediately watered all the plants on the porch. While adding water to the birdbath, I myself was watered, as we had a sudden summer rain, seemingly out of nowhere.

As always, I was glad to be home. Home is the best.

I saw this little guy yesterday on the edge of the woods. He’s part of the dragonfly family, which is apparently much larger than I knew. Once I start googling these things, I find myself off on a learning adventure. So many different kinds of dragonflies!

And the first of the coneflowers have opened. I love coneflowers; to me, they are the perfect cottage garden flower.

Today? Guess.

If you guessed mowing, you are right.

And some grocery shopping and some reconnaissance. My dear friend Rick (I was at his retirement party a few weeks ago) and his husband Doug are considering a move back east. Both of them lived for years in NYC and they love the Hudson Valley as well. So they’re thinking about buying a house outside of NYC and also having a little pied-à-terre in the city. Yesterday, Rick emailed me about a property that happens to be very near our cottage, and we ended up talking about it via the phone for an hour or so. I told him I’d drive by and scope it out for him. And maybe, just maybe, I can meet with the agent who is going to look at it on Sunday and check it out for Rick and Doug. Obviously, Don and I would love to have them nearby – it would be wonderful. But even if they end up being an hour away somewhere in the Hudson Valley, it will be a heck of a lot closer than San Diego!

Happy Thursday.

Afternoon Tea in a Lovely Garden

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Yesterday, I had afternoon tea with my friends Noble and Tina. They live in a neighboring town in a very old house from the 1700s. Tina had surgery recently and I wanted to see how she was doing and give her a gift. Yes, one of the Guy Wolff pots was for her. She’s smart, that Tina; when she read my post about the pots where I mentioned one of them was a gift for a friend, she quickly figured out it was intended for her!

Tea was served at a little table on the lawn and the three of us had a lovely time together. Oh, I should say ‘four’ of us. Petey, my favorite little dog, was there.

Here he is after having taken over the cushion that Tina uses to elevate her feet. He assumed it was the perfect dog bed. And it was.

I want to share their garden with you. Noble does the gardening and it is simply beautiful. It’s a shade garden. Noble has a green thumb and a sense of design that is impeccable.

Meandering paths, benches tucked into the landscape, beautifully aged garden ornaments.

Now, that’s a gorgeous hosta!

Those are McCoy pots, by the way.

Isn’t it lovely? I feel like Noble’s garden is the adult garden and mine is…well…the teenager’s garden. This is when I envy a flat plot of land. Our slope is a pain in the tush and I confess, I haven’t tried to work around it except for the big garden bed. But I have plans.

I find Noble’s work to be inspiring, which is why I took a lot of photos yesterday.

Tina, who shouldn’t have, gave me a gift as well.

This little doggie who reminded her of Scoutie. And this book, a source of comfort for anyone who has lost a beloved pet. I haven’t read it yet. I’m saving that for later today.

I’m happy to report that Tina is mending nicely.

All in all, a lovely day in our little slice of heaven – the Hudson Valley.

Today? Rain.

Saying Happy Memorial Day never seems quite right when we are memorializing those who lost their lives in service to this country. So I’ll close with my usual:

Happy Monday.

 

On Saturday

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View from the kitchen into the living room.

Boy, is it cold here! I hope my newly emerging daylilies can hang in there. It’s going down to the single digits tonight. What the ??? The weather has been so wildly inconsistent lately. 70 degrees one day, winds and freezing temps the next, and now this. Within another day or so the temps will be back up in the fifties during the day.

We even had a little snow squall yesterday.

I have to journey into Manhattan again today for a run through of Anastasia. There will be at least one more run through next week and then on Thursday, the whole production moves into the theater. As they start tech rehearsals, I’ll stay away for a bit and then I’ll be back in Manhattan (and staying there) as final dress rehearsals and previews start.

Don’s car is all tuned up. We had to make some repairs (the driver’s side window wasn’t working) and one of the wheels was locked. The timing belt needed to be replaced. But our beloved CR-V is now ready to roll.

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My longtime blogging friend, Tracie Truran of My Petite Maison, lost her husband this week. It was sudden and shocking and heartbreaking. Tracie and her husband, Shayne, lived in California for many years. They made a big change last year when they found a house in Nebraska, a short sale, and moved there in order to finally realize their dream of owning a home. And now Shayne is gone.

If you know Tracie, you know that, in addition to her exquisite taste and decorating skills, she has the biggest and kindest heart. Her love for animals is deep and profound. Her beloved Great Pyrenees, Bechet, is a beautiful boy.  She has always been there for me, especially as I navigated the last years of Riley and Scout. Tracie is one of the first people I met through blogging and my heart is breaking for her.

I know that most of you probably don’t know Tracie, but some of you who have been around a while might. If you know Tracie, her daughter has started a GoFundMe campaign to help with funeral expenses and bills, to help ease the pressures on Tracie as she navigates this heartbreaking journey. Here’s the link.

Tracie blogged for years and now focuses on Instagram and Facebook. You can find her on IG here. How I wish I could wrap my arms around her right now. Rest in peace, Shayne.

Too much sadness now. Everywhere.

Happy Saturday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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