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Day Three Hundred Ninety-Nine

April 16, 2021 at 10:16 am by Claudia

Right next to the catalpa.

What did I say to Don this morning?

“It’s Spring. And I’m fully vaccinated.”

Those six words say it all. Very, very grateful.

We had heavy rain yesterday, so the ground is saturated. I’ll probably wait until tomorrow to do anything outside. I’m anxious to visit our nursery/farm stand as it’s been two weeks since I purchased the pansies and I know they’ll have more stock. It’s time to clear the rest of the garden beds, buy another hollyhock, and plants for the Secret Garden pots and the pots on the porch and Funky Patio. Time to move the Adirondack chairs back onto the porch and dig those cushions out of the closet under the stairs. And, in about two weeks, time to sow seeds.

Wednesday’s book haul:

Uprooted  is by Paige Dickey, well known gardening columnist, and it’s all about having to move and start a new garden.

The Paris Library takes place during WWII and the Occupation of France and centers on The American Library.

The Rural Diaries  is by Hilarie Burton Morgan. She and her husband, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, are actors who relocated to Rhinebeck from the West Coast, bought some land and started a farm. They are very active in the Rhinebeck community. This book came out during lockdown and, at least for a while, a percentage of the proceeds was going to support Oblong Books. I’ve been wanting to read it for a long time and just started it this morning.

The Glass Hotel  is Emily St. John Mandel’s second book. I absolutely loved her first, Station Eleven.

Maigret and the Informer – another Georges Simenon because I love Maigret. I’d love to have a full set someday.

And here’s the puzzle:

Delicious colors, don’t you think?

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

 

Filed Under: books, bookshops, flowers, garden, jigsaw puzzles 22 Comments

Day Three Hundred Ninety

April 7, 2021 at 9:53 am by Claudia

We’re at 390 days. Do I stop titling the blog post by number of days at four hundred? Do I keep on going? I’ve been thinking about that lately and I can’t decide what to do. I don’t know if I want this to go on endlessly. My question this morning…

We went to our local nursery yesterday. There’s very little there as it’s too early in the season to have plants outdoors that might not survive a frost. So far, it looks like we might skate through the next few weeks safely, but you never know. Of course, I knew that there wouldn’t be a lot of stock – I was there specifically for the pansies, which they had in abundance. I also got some more potting soil, a couple of beautiful Italian pots that I knew I had to snag while I had the chance. Don stocked up on some vegetables. Oh, and I bought my seed packets.

Still, there’s so much to be done outside! So much cleaning up. We came back and raked gravel that had been deposited on the lawn by the snowblower back onto the driveway. I cleared the culvert, which was clogged by wet leaves. That was really exhausting, as the opening to the pipe that runs under our driveway was completely blocked and I had to straddle the culvert. The county is supposed to do this – the culverts are their property. But they rarely do. We also started to prune the big burning bush in the garden. It takes both of us because some of the branches are too high for me to reach.

Today, I’m going to rake out one area of the garden bed – where the grasses grow. Better to get the dead grasses out now before the new growth gets too long. And I’m going to plant the pansies in the pots. I didn’t get to that yesterday.

We get tired out and stop. I’m determined to not push myself like I have in years past. I can take my time and I’m going to. I think, counting the trip to the nursery/farmstand, we were doing something outside for just about two and a half hours. Not all that long.

We came inside, took showers, checked each other for ticks, and took it easy for the rest of the day.

I’m thinking it will be soon be time to put the cushions on the glider and move the Adirondack chairs out of the shed and onto the porch. I’ve already moved the chairs and bench back onto the Funky Patio and today I’ll move two more chairs and a little table out to the Secret Garden.

It feels good to be getting some exercise and to be outdoors again.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Filed Under: flowers, garden 49 Comments

Day Three Hundred Eighty-Nine

April 6, 2021 at 9:40 am by Claudia

Hello, beautiful daffodil! There will be more blooms opening today. I love the fluffy petals of this particular daffodil – I take no credit for it as it has been on the property for years, well before our time here.

Today, we’re headed to the nursery to get a few things. I’m feeling the need to plant some pansies in my urns. I do that every year. Since they like cold weather, I can plant them early.  We’re also going to get some grass seed. There are a lot of bare patches in the back forty from all the truck action when we had the trees taken down.

Then, it will be work outside. I’m not sure what yet, but I’ve got a whole list of chores to do, so there’s plenty of options.

I am so happy that spring has finally come to our property.

I finished the puzzle yesterday afternoon. This one was rather difficult, but quite satisfying.

I started another one yesterday, though I briefly considered not doing another one as I’ll be outside more. However, I think I have one more in me and so it’s begun.

I’m really enjoying The Shell Seekers. Pilcher is such a delicious writer. Her descriptions of interiors and gardens alone are worth it, but there’s so much more.

Okay. I know this is brief, but we’re going to get going early.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

Filed Under: flowers, garden, jigsaw puzzles 24 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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