Because I couldn’t figure out what photo to post.
We are due for thunderstorms, winds, a low of 29 degrees tonight and a low of 31 tomorrow. I’m worried, obviously, about all the plants coming out of the ground, about the lilacs, which are in bud, the crabapple trees, all of it. Our gardens cover a lot of ground so there’s no way to cover everything, and since we’re getting high winds and rain, any attempt to protect them would be fruitless.
This happened last year as well – during the first week of May. The boxwoods turned brown because of it, though I briefly worried about boxwood blight.
I know that many of you have had snow over the past couple of days as this weather front has crossed the country. I stress about these things, because they’re totally out of my control. Right now, it’s sunny, but that will change soon.
I’ll share more of my ‘career story’ soon, but I needed to take a break from it today.
Let’s see…the new puzzle is quite challenging. Nevertheless, it’s beautiful and a lot of fun. And you know I like a challenge. Amazon updated the delivery on that John Derian puzzle, first, to the end of next week, which I was very happy about. Then, this morning, I got an email saying it will be here on Friday. Good news all around.
Except for the damn weather.
Today was going to be our ‘car rider to the antique shop day’ but there’s no point in going during a storm, so we’ll delay that little trip.
We stopped everything to wait out the announcement of yesterday’s verdict and were enormously relieved to know that, in this case, justice was served. We have a long, long way to go, but this victory is a ray of hope.
I haven’t asked this for a while. What are you reading?
I’m reading The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel. I’m about 30 pages into it. I loved Station Eleven, and am a big fan of both her imagination and her beautiful use of words.
Stay safe.
Happy Wednesday.
We had just a few snow flurries yesterday. Fortunately, the snow went south of us. It has been very cold and froze last night. I haven’t looked at the plants yet. I hope everything survived.
I am reading the Virgin River series of books by Robyn Carr. They are basically Hallmark movie plots, lol! I just want happy endings right now.
Stay safe
I really enjoyed the Virgin River series of books but find the tv series boring!
Happy Endings are very nice, Marilyn.
Stay safe!
We had the snow yesterday but the sun is shining today. My yard looks fine and my flowers are hanging in there. I don’t plant annuals until May 15th so only hardy perennials are blooming now. Don’t worry, there will still be beauty to find around you!
I was so relieved by the verdict. The prosecution was right: “Believe your eyes, You saw what you saw.” Thank goodness the young woman was brave enough to film it.
She is a hero. Nothing less.
I don’t plant any seeds until the first week of May, which promises to be much warmer. I’m concerned about the perennials. All well.
Stay safe, Ellen.
My current book:
Mystery in the Channel, by Freeman Wills Crofts (first published 1931).
A green Penguin Book, dating to 1961.
I’m reading my way through the works of this author (don’t have them all, but I’m making an effort) You got me started on Edmund Crispin and I went on from there.
I’ll have to look into that author, Petra.
Stay safe!
Oh, that bedroom is lovely. It reminds me of my childhood visits to TN.
I have to keep reminding myself nature will heal whatever damage the snow we had caused, as I’m looking at the clematis buds drooping over!
Nature always does.
Enjoy your days of rest before lawn mowing, gardening season is fully on you. Along with the pleasures comes a lot of tired!😊
Yes, thanks for reminding me, Jan. I worry so! And we have two days of this stuff.
Stay safe!
Right now I’m reading Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig. I found her through Beatriz Williams because the they, along with Karen White, have written three of four books together – all good. Beatriz is my favorite, but they’re all good writers.
We got a dusting of snow overnight. We’re at about 6200 feet, so we don’t plant anything till Mother’s Day at the earliest, and usually wait till Memorial Day weekend for the more “delicate” stuff.
Have a great rest of your day!!
Oh, I haven’t planted anything. My concern is for the perennials and the blooming trees and bushes, all of which were planted long ago.
Say safe, Jayn.
I just finished reading Heartbreak Bay by Rachel Caine. Very good and a continuation of her Stillhouse Lake books. Saddened to learn that Rachel passed away in November of 2020 from cancer.
So sorry to hear that, Ann.
Stay safe!
I love all the furniture in this room. It’s just so pretty, I’d like to move in. (Do you ever get a hankering to move into your houses?!)
I covered what I could last night and I may have mentioned this before, picked some budding lilacs (which are opening nicely inside) and some other blooms. My bleeding heart that had broken at the stem is opening nicely inside, too, so it was a good decision to brigng it in. The hyacinths had already tipped with heaviness. I can’t breathe but I’m happy looking at them! Our snow didn’t materialize but we got in the 20s.
I just finished a very good mystery — “River of Darkness,” the first “John Madden” mystery by Rennie Airth. He’s a Scotland yard detective and WWI veteran and somewhat haunted by the war and the loss of his wife and child. He has a particularly grisly case of a serial murderer in a small English village and its region. I’d gladly read another by him. I just finished so I haven’t decided what’s up next.
Yes. I’d like to move into the English cottage!
I can’t bring in all the lilacs, they’re budding, but not opening yet.
Sounds like a good read, Jeanie.
Stay safe.
I so LOVE the photo you posted this morning, Claudia; it’s such a beautiful doll house room; just perfect. Shrink me so I can live there indeed.
Ah, budding lilacs; will I ever see them in my life? I hope so. I understand the scent is absolutely intoxicating.
We’ve had such recent heat in SoCalif but have now clouded up; in the 60s at the beaches the next few days with possible RAIN on Monday (I can’t believe it; will we really get April showers to bring more May flowers?) which is so key, since we’re more than half below an acceptable annual rainfall total and the hills are already brown in many places.
You’re wise to stay put in a storm; not worth getting out. I find it kinda astounding that you’re still getting such cold, freezing temps. I was just reading on the AP news site about ‘arctic weather’ in Ohio. We had a relative traveling from Maryland and through Nebraska and Wyoming a couple of days ago (it’s a family matter; someone has been diagnosed with catastrophic illness, or these folks wouldn’t be ‘out there’ on the road in the pandemic trying to get to them; didn’t want to fly; but it’s a very necessary trip) and they did get hit with snow on the highway. Maybe this is why, pre-pandemic, when people were traveling here and there, a lot of them didn’t get out for a road trip til closer to Memorial Day. In retirement and post-pandemic, I think I have to remember that, for points East in vacay planning, I’d better not plan too much driving in April. May seems to be a good month; also September. A little into October. A girl can dream.
Thought of you when opening up my May issue of Victoria (one of the few paper mags I still get; I had a lengthy subscription); it focuses on Paris, I think “Postcards from Paris”. Drool-worthy stuff, and not nearly enough! Eye candy. I looked it up online; it’s from a February post, actually; under their Traveling header if you want to take a quick peek (although your Paris photos rival any of these, Claudia!). Again, a girl can dream!
I’ve seen so many posts on IG from people in the Midwest who have had plants ruined because of the snow. It’s very frustrating, not to mention expensive.
Thanks for the info, Vicki! Appreciate it.
Stay safe!
I just read “Two Part Invention” – a memoir by Madeline L’Engle. It is the story of her life before she met her husband Hugh and then their marriage and purchase of an old country house in Connecticut. I hadn’t realized that Madeline L’Engle worked extensively in the theater and met her husband when they were in the same touring company. If you haven’t read it, Claudia, I think you would enjoy all her references to the theater world a generation or so ago!
It sounds wonderful. I’ll look for it, Carol.
Stay safe!
I was so heartened by the verdicts yesterday. Trust what you saw stuck with me, It reminded me of the past 4 – 5 years with us all being told that we were crazy. Whatever we saw was a hoax ~ it never happened. Whatever we heard come out of their mouths, it was a hoax. So many fell under the spell of that cult, I was a bit concerned when the jury went out. But truth and justice did win this time. It was something we all needed. It is a start….a very tiny first step,. Now may we all believe that the journey will continue after this first small step.
I am finishing up my re-read of the Miss Read books. I always say I would like to live in Mitford, and now I think I want to vacation in Fairacre. Next up I hope to read either The Midnight Library or The Kitchen Front. Looking forward to both of those. And there are 11 more on my Hold list that I await arrival from the library. On some I am like 116 on the list. But that means that there is always something to look forward to.
It is snowing like crazy here. Then it stops and the sun comes out, and 10 mins later it is snowing again. Nothing accumulating, just yuck to look upon out the window. Supposed to be 75* next Tuesday!! Crazy crazy spring!! Take care.
This freezing weather and snow really is the pits. We had a big thunderstorm this afternoon and now we’re readying for 29 degrees tonight. Crossing my fingers that everything is okay tomorrow morning.
Stay safe, Chris.
The dollhouse bedroom really took my breath away. Did you ever read the “The Borrowers” by Eleanor Norton as a child? It’s a series about a family of tiny people who live in between the walls of big folks homes, and borrow everything they need ( in tiny amounts) from the big folks. Early 20th century English charm. That dollhouse bedroom reminded me of them. What a beautiful place to be tiny!
I just finished “The Sunday Philosophy Club” by Alexander McCall Smith, the esteemed writer of “The Number One Ladies Detective Agency” series, (which I love, and reread frequently just to spend time with Precious Ramotswe.). I did like the lead character, Isabelle Dalhousie, and I thought the other characters well drawn too. The resolution of the mystery was “philosophical”. Hmm….
I never read it for some reason!
Thanks for sharing your current read, Leslie!
Stay safe.
I am reading “Eleanor in the Village”
She was an amazing woman
Thanks for sharing, Linda.
Stay safe!
best wishes for the plants, animals, everyone with this roller-coaster weather and everything else!
the verdict is a relief, but (as was said by chris k) only a tiny step in a long journey. here’s to better days ahead for everyone.
is that a miniature box of laduree macarons at the foot of the bed?!? incredible details on such tiny things and a very sweet room.
glad you’re taking it easy, enjoying the puzzle and that the new one will arrive sooner than originally expected. that trip to the antique shop will happen someday and when it does, i hope you find something you’ve been searching for that delights your heart every time you see it in your home.
we had snow yesterday and today. it was beautiful, but i’m glad it didn’t last long as it was enough to affect visibility and slow down traffic.
i have two books in my read-soon stack, both gifts from my tbr list … “the vanderbeekers of 141st street” (children’s novel) and autobiography by robbie robertson of the band (love his solo work especially and his raspy voice).
stay safe!
kathy in iowa
Enjoy those books, Kathy. They sound interesting!
Stay safe.