Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Needs Must

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This morning.

We have a frost advisory tonight, so all the porch plants will have to come inside. The pots you see in the secret garden are too heavy to carry in and out so they’ll stay. Here’s hoping they withstand the low temps – as well as my little zinnias. As so often happens around here, we get one night in October with frost and then the temps become milder for a couple of weeks. But in the meantime, all the plant life is dead.

I’m not ready for our catalpa leaves to drop, either.

But just in case, here it is this morning

We have lots of catalpas, actually. I think there are seven. But this one is right by the shed and the driveway so it’s the one we see all of the time.

I have a lot of crafty skills. But I’ve come to the conclusion that I do not have the sewing skills necessary to make little clothes for my Blythes. I tried again yesterday after working on my Elna sewing machine. I got it to work, but friends….this kind of sewing is not my strength. And though I certainly don’t expect everything to come out perfectly when I’ve just started, I know when I’m floundering. It’s too stressful for me, so I will leave that to those who are so much better at it. And there are many wonderful seamstresses out there.

As I’ve said before, sewing a straight 1/4 inch seam to make a quilt top is very different than making clothes. I remember back in junior high school Home Ec class, I was dreadful at making an A-line dress. Dreadful. Especially the darned zipper!

I’m fine with it this morning though I was a bit sad yesterday. And to forestall any questions, this was a beginner’s pattern and very easy. And I still couldn’t do it. I have the doll house project ahead of me, so there’s plenty to do that I can  do.

We get our booster shots tomorrow. And then Don gets his shot from the eye doctor on Saturday. Next week we’ll get our flu shots. Enough already!

Here’s the exciting list of things my paycheck is going to cover: heating oil, getting the septic tank emptied (which has become more expensive than it used to be,) and a new, lighter snowblower. I would have loved to put it all in savings, but needs must. I’m grateful that I can pay for these essentials.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

 

 

 

 

Fading Gardens

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Bits and pieces of the David phlox are still hanging in there, bless them. It’s clear, though, that they’re preparing to leave for the winter. We had a sunny day yesterday – so welcome after several dreary and rainy days – and I took some time to look at the gardens. They’re overgrown, of course. I haven’t been weeding because of my back. Come to think of it, I probably wouldn’t have weeded them anyway. I usually lose interest in weeding by August.

Once again, I have a morning glory climbing the chicken wire fence that is lovely but has no flowers. Do you remember the days when I routinely had tons of flowers on the vines? Now, they seem to bloom much later, if at all, and it’s always just before a frost hits. Climate change? Soil problems? I don’t know. I’m reluctant to give up on them because I’m ever hopeful, I guess. I loved the look of those beautiful morning glories. Sigh.

Truth be told, I sort of gave up on everything after the drought. I spent hours watering the garden beds, especially the chicken wire fence garden. And some of the beds revived and did well. But others suffered.

I finished The Ink Black Heart  yesterday. Excellent! I’ve never had 1000+ pages move along so smoothly and effortlessly. It was completely engrossing. Sometimes after a particularly wonderful read, I need a brief palate cleanser before I make a decision as to what to read next. I’ve found that Georges Simenon’s shortish Maigret mysteries are perfect. I chose Maigret and the Man on the Bench  which was on my TBR pile. I suspect that I’ll start Maggie O’Farrell’s newest, The Marriage Portrait, after I finish the Maigret.

Today, I’m going to mow. I’ll be careful and I’ve made a vow not to take on too much. I’ll start with the back forty where the grass is very long, then, the corral area. But right now, it’s too wet with morning dew so I’ll have to wait until it dries.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

 

Monday – the Funeral

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I’m writing this post on Sunday because we’re getting up early on Monday to watch the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, so I won’t have time to write at my usual time in the morning. Better to write it now and guarantee it’s published near the usual time instead of hoping I get to it.

Sunday was warm – 83 degrees – and sunny. I was actually rather shocked by the warm temps when I went out to water some of the plants.  There is still a lot of mowing to do, but we plan to spread it out over the week ahead. Hopefully, I’ll be able to join in. My back is getting better; I vacuumed and dusted and did a little more work on the puzzle. After all of that, I sat back down in my chair with the heating pad on.

Remember the bunnies eating all my zinnia buds? Well, I guess they didn’t get them all because these tiny zinnias have bloomed. I’m hopeful there will be a few more. The gardens along the chicken wire fence have suffered this year. The Rose of Sharon didn’t bloom as much as it would have had we had rain. The morning glories and zinnias basically came to almost nothing in the chicken wire fence garden, and the aforementioned zinnias right outside the side door grew, were eaten, and apparently fought back. The morning glories behind these zinnias are growing up the fence, but no buds are in sight. Still hoping.

What a strange and depressing summer. Frankly, though I dread winter, I’m very eager for fall. These cooler mornings and evenings are lovely. I’m afraid fall color here in my part of the northeast will be a bit of a bust because of the drought.

Okay, my friends.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

 

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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