Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

  • About MHC
    • Disclosure
  • Dollhouses/Minis
    • Hummingbird Cottage
    • The Studio (Formerly TSP)
    • Dove Cottage
    • The Lake House
    • The Folk Art Dollhouse
    • The Modern Dollhouse
    • Dollhouse Source List, Information and Tutorials
  • On the Road
  • Collecting
    • Roseville Pottery
    • McCoy Pottery
    • Egg Cups
    • Bakelite
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / Archives for snow

Potpourri on Thursday

January 4, 2018 at 8:37 am by Claudia

• I’m officially ‘over’ Winter and it’s only January 4th. These sub-zero temperatures and, now, more snow, with freezing rain and ice in the forecast for the beginning of the week are too much. I’m over it. Don: “Look at the snow falling, it’s really pretty.” Me: “Don’t like it. Don’t want it.”

And we’re not even getting the brunt of this storm, which will hammer those who live nearer to or on the coast. We’re far enough inland that we’ll just get 3 to 5 inches of the white stuff.

The house is so dry that Don and I are constantly complaining about it. And before you ask, yes, we do have a humidifier and we use it every day. It isn’t making much of a difference. Rick and Doug have two of them, and they say the same thing: Nada. It’s been a tough winter so far.

Okay, enough kvetching.

• I entertained myself yesterday afternoon by taking photos with my big girl camera.

Paperwhites.

New growth.

Baby pileas. Or is it pileae?

More new growth. This schefflera has finally calmed down. For the longest time after I bought it, it kept shedding leaves, and since the previous schefflera that I had bit the dust, I was beginning to think scheffleras and I were on a collision course. I cut back on frequency of watering and it seems to have acclimated itself to the conditions in the cottage. I’m very happy about that!

• I managed to snag a copy of The Hidden Staircase, number two in the Nancy Drew series. This one is pretty hard to find, especially in fairly good condition. Once again, it was all in the timing. I happened to do a search right after someone had listed this as a Buy Now. It was a really good price, so I jumped on it.

Isn’t that a fabulous illustration? I love the clothes and the cloche hat.

Two more to go. They are from the last of the series that Tandy illustrated, with darker covers, and they’re fairly easy to find, so I should complete this collection soon.

• And finally, last night’s sunset:

Happy Thursday.

Filed Under: flowers, houseplants, Nancy Drew, snow, winter 40 Comments

On the Cusp

December 31, 2017 at 9:10 am by Claudia

Yesterday it snowed all day long, but there was only an inch or less accumulation – just lovely snowflakes gently falling. And the light! It was amazing.

Including the sunset:

I amused myself by baking, which seems to be my activity of choice on snowy days.

Don has started to call me his Linzer Tart. He’s darned cute, that guy.

We’re on the cusp of a new year. I wrote about my reflections on 2017 earlier this week; you can read them here. It will be a low-key day here at the cottage. We never do very much on New Year’s Eve – in fact, I can guarantee we’ll be in bed by 10:30 or 11:00.

The giant sansevieria is blooming – if I lean in, I can smell the lovely scent of these blossoms.

Speaking of heavenly scent, I’m immersed in it as I write this.

Rest in Peace to Sue Grafton, author of the Kinsey Millhone series. I’ve read every one of them, starting with A is for Alibi  back in the early eighties. I read Y is for Yesterday  when I was last working in Hartford. She never got to Z. But, oh how much delight she gave us over the years with a truly strong female protagonist.

Dear readers, have a lovely New Year’s Eve, whatever your plans. Be safe.

Filed Under: baking, houseplants, snow 42 Comments

Just Hanging Out

December 14, 2017 at 9:03 am by Claudia

We got up this morning and were putzing around for an hour and a half before we realized it had snowed overnight. I suppose this is what happens when you get up around 6 am and it’s still dark so you don’t open the blinds or the shades and you sit around and drink coffee and look at Instagram so that when you finally get up to open the blinds, you gasp and say “There’s snow on the ground!”

Not all that much fell, but it’s enough for a shovel, and more than in the photo at the top of the post, which was taken a few days ago. By the way, I’m not one who fusses with hiding the cord for the christmas lights. It would be hard to do with this particular tree, but really, I care not one whit if it shows. We all know it’s there, right?

This was a pre-lit tree for a number of years until the lights stopped working. Then I spent the better part of a day prying them off the branches and cursing while I was doing it because it was so hard to remove them. All because I didn’t want to shell out for another tree.

We watched Wonder Woman  last night while eating molasses cookies. I know we’re rather late to this movie, but it was fabulous! Amazingly well done.

The current garden-in-the-kitchen. Actually, there’s more than this. And I moved the dieffenbachia to the sideboard in the living room because the edges of the leaves are getting brown and that is either because I’m not keeping the soil most enough (a possibility) or because of the cold air that blasts into the kitchen when we open the door (a distinct possibility.) So I moved it yesterday.

The flowers-to-be on the sansevieria are growing taller.

On the window sill, the fascinating string of pearls. I love this little succulent.

Since we’re both not working at the moment and Don is finally back home after several months of being on the road in 2017, we are basking in the opportunity to just be. It’s awfully nice and very welcome after a hectic and busy year.

What are you up to? Getting ready for the holidays?

Happy Thursday.

 

Filed Under: Christmas, houseplants, snow 38 Comments

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • …
  • 55
  • Next Page »
  • Email
  • Instagram

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.

Thanks for stopping by.

Searching?

The Dogs

The Dogs

Scout & Riley. Riley left us in 2012. Scout left us in February 2016. Dearest babies. Dearest friends.

Winston - Our first dog. We miss you, sweetheart.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

Thanks for visiting! Feel free to browse, read and enjoy. All content is my own; including photos and text. Please do not use anything on this site without permission.

Disclosure/Privacy Policy can be found in the Navigation Bar under ‘About MHC.’

Also, I love receiving comments! I do, however, reserve the right to delete any comment that is in poor taste, offensive or is verging on spam. It’s my blog. If you’re a bot or a troll you’ll be blocked. Thanks!

Archives

All Content © 2008 - 2025 Mockingbird Hill Cottage · Log in