Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Saviors: Reading and Gardening

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This is a kind of sedum that I planted in the memorial garden. (I can’t remember the name.) I’m always surprised when it blooms. Bonus points: it spreads.

I mowed a lot yesterday and then I spent even more time outdoors pruning things in the big garden bed, trying to get at those white flies. I was happy because I love being outdoors and working on the property, but I’m paying the price today as my allergies are especially troublesome. Every time I check the weather I see this: “The pollen count today is high.”

I know. In fact, I knew that without checking the weather app.

So for today, I’m going to stay inside except for watering the porch plants and shooting water at the white flies. This afternoon we’re supposed to get thunderstorms, so hopefully, they will take over the role of ‘water cannon.’

I’m reading my next Kate Atkinson, When Will There Be Good News?  Dang, I like her writing style! An absolute pleasure to read. There are two more in the series to read, as well –  whoops! – make that three, as a new Jackson Brodie mystery has just been published.

Next month: the new Louise Penny, A Better Man, comes out on August 27th.  Huzzah! On the same day, the newest in the “The Girl Who…” series, The Girl Who Lived Twice, will be published. Originally written by the late Steig Larsson, they are now being written by David Lagercrantz, and I have to say – he’s doing a bang-up job of it.

Deborah Crombie’s newest, A Bitter Feast, is being published on October 8th. And Michael Connelly’s newest Harry Bosch, The Night Fire, is being published on October 22nd.

All of the above authors are favorites of mine.

I like the idea of all sorts of books written by authors I love lined up, ready and waiting for me. It’s like a secret stash of good things to come.

And reading saves me in these times. Truly. I don’t know what I’d do without it.

Gardening, too.

Happy Thursday.

Happy New Year

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Happy 2019!

Tomorrow, the Democrats take over the House. I can’t wait!

We had a quiet New Year’s Eve, no surprise there. We went out for a late breakfast, walked to a vintage record shop, bought some cheese from our local cheese shop, shopped a bit at the antiques barn, had a veggie hot dog, and headed home. Late in the afternoon, we poured a glass of sparkling cider, had some cheese and crackers, and had an early toast to the New Year.

Those are my grandmother’s wine glasses. I was fond of them as a child because they had flowers etched into the glass.

Then we organized our records and watched four episodes of the Twilight Zone Marathon. We were in bed by 11:00.

From the antique barn:

A sheep and an egg cup. Is the egg cup Pyrex, Westmoreland, something else? I’m not sure. Glass egg cups have not been a part of the collection until now. But I loved the white and orange combination. Cheery. It’s tall and it won’t fit in the cubby cabinet, so it’s on the little shelves in the den.

I spent an hour or so yesterday making a backdrop for my mantel sheep. During a trip to Michael’s a couple of weeks ago, I found some interesting scrapbook paper that I thought might work. So I measured the width of the shelf and cut pieces of cardboard (which I found easily because I had just reorganized my pink cabinet!), taped them together, then I cut corresponding pieces of scrapbook paper and taped them on the cardboard with painter’s tape. That way I can change them out when I want to.

The paper has clouds and little airplanes. Keep in mind that the background is only 3½ inches high because the wall begins its slant at that point.

The ornament that is hanging on the right is made from a real egg and has two doves inside. Don gave it to me for Christmas because they’re turtle doves and because I love doves. It’s really beautiful. I’ll share a closeup sometime soon.

A closeup of the paper.

I finished the Louise Penny book this morning. I really liked it – Penny can’t write a bad book. The storylines were compelling. But, it’s not my favorite. Normally – and I’m not kidding about this – I am in tears at the end of one of her novels because she has woven everything together in a way that is life-affirming and transcendent. I didn’t cry this time and I knew I wouldn’t cry when I was reading in bed last night. Now, I realize that is no way to judge a novel. It’s just an indicator that, though I was engaged in the writing, it didn’t take me where it has taken me in the past. Something was missing for me.

All that being said, she is a wonderful writer and I love the characters and the setting of Three Pines and everything about that community and the people who live in it. And I can’t wait for next year’s book to come out.

Today? Christmas comes down. I’m ready for a change. I asked Don if he wanted me to keep the tree up for New Year’s Day and he said yes. So today it is. I’m also going to drop my book donations off at the library.

Happy Wednesday.

Natural Beauty in Late Autumn

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The porch lights are up. It actually takes no time at all, about 15 minutes or so. (I’m not even going to bother with cleaning the railings until spring.) The lights were such a cheery and welcoming sight as we arrived back home last night from Rick and Doug’s. As we drove up to Don’s parking space near the shed, we saw the buck again. And he stayed there, very still, until the car lights were off and we walked toward the house. Two sightings now of that beautiful animal.

While I was outside yesterday, I grabbed my camera. I like to remind myself that there is beauty in the bleak landscape. It just takes seeing the landscape through the lens of my camera to realize that every season has its beauty.

The milkweed pods have burst open to release their silk parachutes.

Here’s one that still has seeds. Soon they will be transported by winds, or simply drop right where they are, guaranteeing that more milkweed plants will grow next spring.

I think they’re beautiful.

The burning bush has finally lost its red leaves leaving these beautiful berries behind. The berries are toxic in large quantities to humans and animals, but they are food for the birds. I’ve never read that they are toxic for birds. I’ll trust the birds, who know, to make that decision.

I’ll be finishing Susan Hill’s latest sometime today. Then the question is: do I read another James Lee Burke or start the Louise Penny? Penny is the only author I do this with: I often postpone starting the book because I know it will be such an exquisite pleasure to read and that, once it’s done, I’ll have to wait another year for a new book in the series. So I hold off.

Delayed gratification.

I have a feeling I’ll be holding off. We’ll see.

I’m going to work on the mini trees today, as it’s foggy out there with rain coming later in the day.

Happy Saturday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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