Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for winter

Go Away February. You’ve Been A Pain From Start to Finish.

February 22, 2014 at 8:40 am by Claudia

eggcups

Since I’ve moved many of my egg cups to the mantel/shelf in the studio, I rearranged the ones that remain on the shelf in our bedroom. That’s Christie’s framed print that I bought from her when I was working in California. It used to be in the living room, but Don found a little print that he loved and I wanted him to be able to see it from his chair, which was exactly where the rose print was. And that’s how things are moved around here.

mable

And right below the shelf is Mabel, ready for work, but safely tucked away in the bedroom. That plant is yet another of my porch plants that I’ve managed to keep alive this winter. They are stashed all over the house.

I figured out what happened with Scoutie the other night. We’ve had some melting going on around here and it has caused the snow to be uneven and slippery, especially on her paths in the dog corral. Add to that the rain that we got yesterday. The freeze/melt/freeze cycle is not helping at all. Her arthritis has been really bothering her and I’ve watched her in the corral when she slips on the snow and loses her footing. It’s terribly hard for her. Last night, I thought I would take her out on the leash to help guide her (thought I don’t think it ended up doing any good) and I was slipping and sliding everywhere, just as she was. She wouldn’t pee or poop, probably because it was scary and she couldn’t relax enough to take care of business. I took her out onto the driveway, thinking that might be easier, but the damned rain had frozen, so it was very slick and slippery. I ended up taking her back into the corral, where she pooped. But no pee.

That had to have been the problem. She went out that night and was slipping and sliding and didn’t do anything. Since I can’t see her out there with all the frigging mounds of snow, I had no idea she hadn’t done her business. And she simply couldn’t hold it during the night.

It’s going to melt more today and tomorrow and I have no idea what to do. I’ll salt everything today, but this nightmare of a February continues to make things incredibly hard for us. Every time I start to think I can relax, something else happens. I don’t want her hurting and all this walking on uneven surfaces is indeed causing her pain. Do I drive down the road at night and walk her on that private road we used to use? Do I hope the driveway stays free of ice and try walking her there? Will she even go there? Due to the nature of our property, the snow and ice that melt flow downhill to the top of the driveway and it all collects there. If it goes down below freezing, it turns to ice again. An endless cycle.

I went to bed worrying about the whole thing, couldn’t sleep, got only a few hours. I heard Scout moving around at 6:15 and let her out. So no messes occurred last night.

Can I just let out a blood curdling scream? And then can someone magically transport us to a warmer climate for the next two months?

Okay. Another pretty sunset.

fridaysunset1

fridaysunset2

A reminder: our Christmas Critter Felt Along party is officially Monday. But the post will be up tomorrow evening, the 23rd, at 6:00 pm. So even though it posts then, it will be Monday’s post. Does that make sense? So don’t be wondering if there’s anything wrong with me if you don’t see a Monday post. Sunday night’s post is Monday’s post.

I’m exhausted just from explaining that.

Happy Saturday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: egg cups, Scout, snow, winter 58 Comments

I Surrender

February 20, 2014 at 8:34 am by Claudia

Don’t ask.

More snow yesterday. It wasn’t all that much but it was very heavy and wet and seemed to be the hardest to shovel so far. I am sure that was due, in part, to my muscles and back screaming, “No more!”

The truth? I don’t care anymore. I’m so friggin’ sick of this month’s weather that I simply don’t care. If I’m snowed in, I’m snowed in. If my car gets buried, so be it. If my mail can’t be delivered, I can plead ignorance when it comes time to pay the bills. If the ice in my gutters never melts, it’s okay by me.

I give up. It’s too much for one person. My body is tired. My brain has turned to mush. I surrender.

Even Scout is sick of it and that girl normally loves snow. The very cold temperatures we’ve been having have been very hard on her arthritis. She’s having a tough time.

Paint the kitchen? Are you kidding me? I never want to do any physical labor again.

Do some hand quilting on the quilt I made in Hartford? My hands are sore from shoveling.

I can just manage to click the shutter on my camera, which is what I did when I rolled up the blinds in the kitchen to discover this guy:

cardinal1

cardinal2

cardinal3

Cardinals are quick to move and I was shooting this through my window with my older camera. But the fact that my little elusive friend stayed on this branch for more than 10 seconds was a miracle. He made me smile.

And when I was shoveling I heard the sweet chirping of a little bird. For a split second I was reminded of spring and summer and the music of the birds that live with us on this property. Right now, it seems an impossibility, but I know that Spring will come. A bit late, and there may be mounds of snow around here until June, but it will come.

Happy Thursday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: birds, snow, winter 90 Comments

Oh So Tired

February 18, 2014 at 8:30 am by Claudia

stairs

I’m tired. I’m about as tired as I ever remember being. When I trudge up these stairs at the end of the day I am ready to sink into that new bed of ours and stay there for a week.

This bout of weather, the storms, the sheer amount of snow we have on the ground and on the roof, has been out-of-the-ordinary and almost impossible to deal with on my own. I feel like all I have been doing is shoveling, chipping away at the ice, digging to free downspouts, salting and then doing the same thing the next day. And the next.

I’ll be honest. I’ve cried on the phone to Don more than a couple of times. He is frustrated because he can’t help. I seem to be able to say only one thing, “I wish you were here.”

Anyway, it’s snowing. Again. Yes, on top of everything already on the ground, we’re getting more today. To be perfectly honest, the thought of staying here for several more winters is losing its appeal. I hate to focus on age, but I’m getting too old for this. But then again, I think everyone around here, regardless of age, feels tired and sore and achy and sick to death of winter.

With mounds of snow everywhere, this property feels like a walled compound.

In Antarctica.

wallpocketwithscissors

My newest wall pocket has been moved up to the sewing table where it is holding my scissors and invisible markers. The question now is do I actually hang it on the wall or leave it sitting on the table? The jury is still out on that one.

I finished Sycamore Row by John Grisham. Finally. It’s a good book, but the pace is too slow and I figured out the plot twist at the end long before it actually happened. That’s not good. But I finished it, as I vowed to do, and I’m on to the next book.

I’ve been watching the Olympics like everyone else; not all the time, but here and there. I find I enjoy watching events in real time during the day much more than the primetime coverage, which seems to be carefully crafted to hype certain events and ‘rivalries.’ Why oh why does NBC need to keep doing that? Just show us the competition. Ah, well. I suppose it’s the nature of primetime programming, but I try to avoid it.

I think I love Ice Dancing the most. And short track speed skating, which is thrilling. Yesterday’s Ice Dancing final was simply superb with every team skating so skillfully and beautifully. I could watch it again and again. The American gold medal winners skated to music from Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov, one of my favorite pieces. I’ve listened to it since I was a young girl. I have it on CD and I’m going to play it on this snowy day – the perfect piece to take me to another place, another world. The perfect escape.

Thank you for your comments yesterday. On a day when I was so tired that I wanted to cry, your lovely words brought a big smile to my face. Thank you, thank you.

Happy Tuesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: books, snow, vintage, winter 80 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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