The morning glories have been slow in coming. One flower will appear every few days. Only one. While I would love to have a profusion of morning glories, I sort of like this one-at-a-time business. It heightens the pleasure, the beauty.
I was surprised, therefore, to see three new flowers yesterday. That’s a first for this summer.
Three new beauties and one from the day before.
This one. Equally beautiful.
When our friend Adrian was here, he was very charmed by our cottage. When he said, “It’s like a dollhouse!” I smiled and thought, well there you go! I never thought of it that way, but it makes perfect sense. We live in a dollhouse. (A dollhouse that contains other, smaller dollhouses.) I have a feeling that if any of you were to stop by for some tea and scones, you’d say the same thing.
I like that. Oh lord, we get so frustrated by lack of storage space, by having no usable basement or attic or garage. We say, “This house is too small!!” And it is. But, then again, it’s gosh-darned charming. And after having thoroughly cleaned it in preparation for Adrian’s visit, we look on it with fresh eyes and fall in love with it once again.
We really concentrated on the guest room/office/studio which ends up being a catch-all room for everything that doesn’t have a ‘place’. Don took on that room, as he’s the one who uses it the most, especially in the winter months. He did a bang-up job. It looks great.
It’s autumn. The nesting instinct has one again hit me smack in the face.
By the way, I’ve finished Come Rain or Come Shine by Jan Karon (which is being released today) and am now happily immersed in the world of Three Pines via The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny.
There’s a review of Come Rain or Come Shine on Just Let Me Finish This Page today.
I’m hoping to get some work done on the Top Secret Project this week. Wish me luck!
Happy Tuesday.
Today’s post made me smile. Sometimes we have to look at our homes/lives through someone else’s eyes to truly appreciate what we have don’t we? I hopped over and read your review of the new Jan Karon book. We have the entire series. My husband truly enjoys them, so I’m sure I’ll be buying this one too. Have a lovely day.
Blessings,
Betsy
Yes, indeed. I certainly am seeing this place with fresh eyes!
Be happy you live in a dollhouse. If you lived in a big house you would be wanting to downsize eventually!
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
The grass is always greener….
A wonderful compliment for you and Don. Have a great day. Doris
Very nice words to hear, for sure, Doris.
So true!! It is always fun when someone sees our homes for the first time…. especially when they use words like charming, lovely, and dollhouse!!
My MG’s are opening in groups of one as well. LOVE to see each one, and the colors never cease to amaze me ~ so perfect ~ but I covet those who have cascading mounds and a plethora of beautiful blooms. I have lots and lots of vines, but the flowers are few. Maybe that is what makes them so precious.
I think that’s true. The first year I planted them I had lots of blooms at once, but it’s never happened again. One at a time.
I would much prefer a charming, cozy cottage with character than a honkin’ home any day. Was just watching some of the minimalist videos and how they were talking about the storage industry booming because we can’t get rid of our stuff. Why do we buy and have so much stuff? Honestly, I wish the nesting instinct would hit me upside the head. I really need to do a good sorting, cleaning, organizing, purging of this place. Have a terrific Tuesday! Tammy
The nesting instinct is hitting me, Tammy, but not necessarily the sorting and purging part of it!
What a wonderful compliment you received from your guest! How often we don’t see what others see. Glad the morning glories are still doing their thing…I’m so thankful for this glorious weather…prolonging our flowers! ;)
May it keep prolonging them for at least a few weeks!
There’s nothing like having company to help you see your home in a whole new light. And anyone would enjoy visiting your bitty cottage, Claudia. It’s pretty, and it’s very clear that it’s a real home to REAL people. PS – I saw Don on “Frasier” last night – a scene in Niles’ office. Just one line, but in the opinion of “this reviewer” – perfectly delivered. If there were Emmys for one-line guest star performance, he’d be a shoe-in. ? :>)
We just saw both of his episodes recently. The one with Diane coming back is the one with the one line. He had more, but they cut some of his lines because it was such a big episode in terms of Shelley Long guest starring and they needed more screen time for her. I was on an audition tour on the east coast and saw it before Don so I had to call him (we were living in San Diego) and break the news to him that his lines had been cut. Such is show biz.
No house guests for me, but I’ve been cleaning, tidying, sorting, donating. I keep thinking that one of these days, I’ll have a place for everything and everything in its place….one can only dream. But, I see progress, which is as good a motivator as anything.
Progress is good, Wendy. I need to purge in a big way!
What a sweet compliment from your friend Adrian..I looked him up online and was quite impressed with all that he’s done…I see he has worked in all types of entertainment like Don does…I would love to see his Hemingway film…Did you show him Hummingbird Cottage?…I am starting to feel that nesting feeling too…cleaning and rearranging and getting ready to settle in for the Winter..although I am still hoping for that El Nino Winter I read about…A warm Winter would be so nice after the killer ones we have had the last few years…I’m off to read LMJFTP now..I am reading The Returned by Jason Mott now..It”s been on my list since you reviewed it I forget when…
..JLMFTP…
xo
I didn’t really have time to show him the actual dollhouse. We were pressed for time.
Oh goodness, wouldn’t it be great to have a warmer winter??
I reviewed that book a couple of years ago, I think. I really loved it. Hope you’re enjoying it, Nancy.
Dear Claudia
I must confess that when I first found out your blog I felt terribly attracted to your house.Such a charming cottage surrounded by all that splendid nature! Then of course reading you day after day I was trapped by your personality, your way of seeing life and of course the presence of two adorable dogs at that time.An idyllic setting.I think you’re right.Your house really ” is ´´ a dollhouse!,so full of light coming through all the windows,the way you decorate it,your woods! Who couldn´t be happy living there!Despite living in a beautiful house too I´m in love with your house!You must consider yourself a very lucky person.As always kisses to you all and please give aspecial one to sweet Scout will you?
xoxo Alicia Buenos Aires
ps I love your flower photos too ! Beautiful!
Ah, thank you so much, Alicia! You are so sweet. I am very lucky and it sounds like you are, too! I will give Scout a kiss from you.
What a sweet compliment! I love your home because it seems so comfy, cute and reflects you and Don. I’m enjoying my small duplex with a dream of a small cottage home ‘one of these’ days!
hugs,
Linda
A duplex can be just as charming as a cottage, Linda!
My husband and I stumble over each other constantly, saying “We need a bigger house.” (I know, though, that it would feel bigger if I got rid of some of my ‘stuff.’) Of course, we also say, “We need a bigger frig.” “We need a bigger car.” “We need a bigger closet.” Time for serious self-examination!
I love your expression of ‘nesting’ for autumn…like when, at my former home, we had tons of squirrels and they’d start gathering acorns from our tall, ancient oaks. (Just one of the very small signs of Fall in subtle-season SoCalif, those busy little guys!) I miss the squirrels; for some reason, in the house I’m in now…mere miles from that other house…and for as much as surrounding properties here are fairly heavily-foliaged with old growth and a lot of trees, we have no squirrels which I think is really weird. Actually, I miss that nesting instinct in myself because it’s so long since we’ve had a true autumn. We just have one season for all 12 months in the southern coastal west now: Summer. I’m so over it, so bored with it and so fed up with temps in the 90s day in and day out. I have a few fave blogs I read and commenters in the East are talking of mornings in the 50s and 60s, which make for brisk morning walks with the dog and curling up with a shawl while drinking a steaming mug of hot coffee for breakfast. For me this morning? ICED COFFEE, at 6:30 am!!!
I sure hope you all get a break from these high temperatures SOON!