garden — Page 184

Early Morning Contemplation

June 1, 2015 at 7:33 am by Claudia

6-1 lavender

We had such a heavy downpour last night, with more rain expected today.

The three remaining poppies are, I’m sure, no more. Those delicate petals cannot withstand even a light rain. And the peony from yesterday? I’m afraid to look. I was going to go out and rescue it (in the dark and in the heaviest part of the downpour) but saner heads prevailed: in this case, Don.

And I woke up at 4 am. What?? You know the drill; you wake up and some worries start batting around in your brain and you try to let them go but you can’t and you finally give up and get up. Scout looked rather shocked when I appeared at such an early hour. She’s currently snuggled right next to my feet.

6-1 grasses

I planted this ornamental grass the first summer we lived here. I’ve never seen these – what do you call them – feathers? or plumes? appear. I love surprises in the garden. As long as they’re not the deer-chomping kind.

We watched Bridget Jones’s Diary again last night. It’s one of our favorite movies – the kind we watch when we need a lift. It makes us laugh out loud. It’s full of wonderful performances from the leads and a marvelous supporting cast. Hugh Grant does so well with this kind of caddish character. He oozes charm while he tells lie after lie, whatever he needs to come up with in order to get what he wants.

Have you ever known or encountered a habitual liar? I have, unfortunately. And I don’t mean the little white lies we all use from time to time. I mean the lies that are told to manipulate others, to bend and shape reality into something that ends up being far from the truth, to change the story in order to make oneself look good, or to look like an innocent victim, rather than the perpetrator.

What fuels that need, I wonder? It certainly involves a need to create an alternative reality in order to, what? Pump oneself up? Avoid taking responsibility for an action? Create a persona that is carefully crafted and is not the reality? I’m not a psychologist, that’s for sure, so I can only surmise. I suspect some habitual liars repeat the same untruth so many times that they actually come to believe it.

Sometimes you are fortunate enough to be able to correct the ‘story.’ Sometimes you just shake your head and realize it’s a losing battle and it’s better to vacate the premises. In the end, you’re powerless to change someone’s habitual behavior, so detaching is the only thing you can do.

Anyway, watching the movie again got me to thinking about that kind of behavior, that kind of person. Grant’s character, Daniel Cleaver, is going to end up sad and lonely – you can see it coming – because he can’t be trusted.

What are your thoughts, my friends? Have you dealt with this kind of thing in your life?

Let’s close with another pretty picture.

6-1 rocket

Ah! That’s better.

There’s a new post up on Just Let Me Finish This Page.

Happy Monday.

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They’re Here. Hint: Starts with a P.

May 31, 2015 at 8:36 am by Claudia

5-31 first peony

Stop. Breathe. Lean in. Take a whiff.

The first peony bloom appeared yesterday; a little earlier than usual, due, I suppose, to the unseasonably warm temperatures we’ve been having.

Be still my heart.

This particular bush (we have two) is under what used to be a small tree – a shag hickory – but is now, after several years, a much taller and bigger tree. The result is that for the last two summers, there have been only a few buds on this bush. Not enough sun. I could try moving the bush, but I don’t like to mess with peonies. This one has been in the same location for years and years.

5-31 first peony 2

What a beauty. The scent is simply incredible, heady and more than a wee bit addictive.

I look forward to this small window of time in the spring when my favorite flower blooms. It’s going to rain for the next few days, and the buds on the other bush are about to open, so I have a feeling I’m going to be running outside to rescue them. Peonies are easily beaten down to the ground by heavy rain.

They’ll just have to come inside.

To Kill a Mockingbird was on TCM last night, but I didn’t watch it. I’d just seen it recently and I’m very careful about how much I watch it. I don’t want it to lose its magic and if I watch it too frequently it will become less powerful – at least, for me. Heck, I own two copies and I never watch them for the same reason. So, I opted out and we watched the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on HBO. Quite a contrast, don’t you think?

We did watch another favorite, The Third Man, on Friday night. Beautifully directed, beautifully photographed. Black and white, highlights and shadows, dark and rainy streets. Orson Welles. Joseph Cotton, Trevor Howard. What else do I need to say? It’s a great movie. And the music, the theme! Played on a zither, the music is haunting and stays with you for days.

5-31 rocket 1

Also blooming on the property: Rocket, or Dame’s Rocket, or Sweet Rocket. Rocket is a wildflower that springs up on the edges of the woods. It has a lovely scent. Some call it an invasive weed, but one man’s weed is another man’s flower. I love them. I haven’t found them invasive at all and their appearance is always welcome here at Mockingbird Hill Cottage.

5-31 rocket 2

Usually purple or white, this is the first time I’ve seen this combination of the two.

It can be confused with wild phlox, but phlox has five petals and rocket has four. (I just learned that little bit of information yesterday.)

5-31 rocket 3

Isn’t it pretty?

I’m finishing up The Whisperers by John Connolly (what a writer!) and will then tackle my next review book, Disclaimer by Renee Knight, which has been getting a lot of buzz. I look forward to it, but I wish those who write blurbs would not say things like “in the tradition of Gone Girl.”

I didn’t like Gone Girl, as you well know. As a matter of fact, I disliked it intensely.

So I just have to ignore those things and start the book with an open mind, erasing the words “Gone” and “Girl” from my brain.

There. It’s erased.

Happy Sunday.

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Wild Roses, Bees, Flowers & A Gift

May 30, 2015 at 9:39 am by Claudia

5-30 wild roses

Please take note: we are celebrating the one time of the year when the thorny plants that live all over the place on this property, which I call ‘brambles’ for lack of a better term, become what they actually are: wild roses. The view from my kitchen window is gorgeous. Fragrant white roses are everywhere.

I think I need to start calling them wild roses, period, no matter what time of year. Because that’s what they are.

5-30 depetaled poppy

I told you that the poppies are short-lived. I walked out to the garden late in the day yesterday and most of the flowers had shed their petals. But isn’t this de-flowered poppy beautiful as well?

5-30 bee and catmint

The catmint is blooming, as well. I have lots of catmint in the big garden bed and also in the side garden. It’s so dependable. I planted myself, camera in hand, snapping countless pictures until I got one of this bumble bee. Those bees are loving the garden.

How are you all on this Saturday morning? It’s beautiful here; sunny, less humid. The lawn has been mowed. The peonies are about to bloom in the next few days. Scout is in the ‘tunnel.’ Don is humming to himself in the living room. I’m drinking my coffee, which tastes especially good this morning.

You know, I am blessed by the lovely people who read and comment on this blog. I almost never get a comment that is questionable or offensive or rude. But I do get them. In the past week or so, there was a rude comment left on one post. Then, the other day, another one on a different post. Not the same commenter. If you’ve ever read the footer of my blog, you’ve seen my commenting policy: I reserve the right to delete any comment I find offensive, in poor taste, or is bordering on spam. (My spam plugin takes care of all the actual spam.)

In the case of these two separate comments, my first impulse was to respond to the comment, as I do to all comments. And in each case, I came up with a response. Initial response: a sarcastic comeback. Not good, Claudia. Sinking to their level. Edit. Next response: try to be kind. But why am I even taking the time for this nonsense? Finally: I just said “Screw it” and deleted them, along with my responses. I refuse to engage. When someone is deliberately rude or offensive, the right to any sort of debate is forfeited. Gone. Bye bye.

Thank goodness, 99.9% of the comments here on the blog are lovely, intelligent, wise, kind, funny and helpful, to boot. The debate can be lively, but it is always from the heart and respectful.

So, my friends, a big thank you for contributing so much that is good to this blog.

One of my readers sent me a package. Kathy is from Iowa and the contents were Iowa proud:

5-30 kathy's present

From the heart of Iowa: roasted corn, apple butter, candy coated soy nuts, along with a CD and some treats for Scout. What a lovely gift! Don was popping those candy coated soy nuts yesterday. We’ve had the apple butter on some toast (yummy!) and Scout has found her new favorite treat. Kathy thoughtfully chose soft, easily chewable treats and Scout is very grateful.

Thank you so much, Kathy. I love Iowa. I’ve been there more than a few times and it is a beautiful state.

And one more note: I realize that most of you live far away from NY and Rhinebeck, where the Country Living Fair is going to take place next weekend. But if you know of someone who might be interested in attending, please let them know about my giveaway. I’m giving away two pairs of tickets – a really great value – and the deadline for leaving a comment is tomorrow night at 9 pm. Thanks so much! Here’s the link.

Happy Saturday.

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Early Morning Contemplation

They’re Here. Hint: Starts with a P.

Wild Roses, Bees, Flowers & A Gift

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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