• I saw a bluebird drinking out of the birdbath the other day. I never see bluebirds around here except in the fall or early winter. I didn’t have time to take a picture. Then I saw our resident bluejay chasing 3 or 4 bluebirds away. (Maybe they’re on their way to warmer climes?)
This is the best I could do. He was a long way off, so I used my zoom lens. Trust me, he’s a bluebird. Or she. I love bluebirds and I see them so rarely!
That darned bluejay was chasing lots of birds away, the bugger. I was upstairs at one point, sitting at my desk, and I heard a loud squawking. He was right outside my window, talking to me!
• This is what it looked like around here last night:
I had to bring in all the plants from the porch as the temperature was going down to 31°. Tonight? 28°. I would have left them inside for the day, but the guy was coming from the alarm company, so we had to move them all back outside. Back inside tonight. Since the overnight temps will warm up to the forties after tonight, I’m hanging on to these plants as long as I can.
I covered up the barrels of geraniums with sheets. And this morning, I hacked through the ice in the birdbath so the birdies can get a drink. I am still seeing robins and finches and cardinals (they hang around all winter) and the bluejay, of course. The other day, my sweet mourning dove was drinking from the birdbath.
• I hadn’t lost my mind! Look what I found among the books on my bookshelves – Plates.
Gosh, I love these books. I also forgot to mention another favorite magazine, also no longer available: Flea Market Style. It came out quarterly. I’ve been looking through some back issues that I saved. I really miss it. Another sob.
• This was my Instagram post yesterday. And it still looks like this today! I’m dining on oatmeal and raisins with some apple cider, syrup and tahini added. Mmmm! And of course, you can see my favorite coffee mug.
• Alarm problem solved. The repairman replaced the sensor.
• Finally, last night’s sunset. Beautiful.
Someone who lives in this house with me is preparing a guest post for the blog. I won’t say who. It will be up tomorrow or Friday.
Happy Wednesday.
Yikes frozen bird bath, glad you are covering the plants. The ‘Plates’ book looks interesting, I’ll have to keep an eye open for it at the thrifts. Glad the alarm is fixed. Oh yes a guest post is always fun!! I’m taking Mom to WalMart today…always an adventure. Hugs!
Have fun at Walmart, Linda!
I would love to see a blue bird, never have. I read somewhere that Flea Market Style is starting up again. And is that dollhouse furniture I see being painted?
Oh, I hope you’re right, Shanna! Yes, I decided to paint Little Z’s furniture, that’s the primer coat you see. I have a lot more to do but with the wallpaper that I’m adding it seemed right to paint the furniture
Here’s what I found about Flea Market Style:
http://kinassauerstyle.com/2016/10/place-wholesale-orders-of-the-new-flea-market-style-mag-now.html
It mentions Winter 2017 issue. Hope that means January and not December!
My worry about this is that it might turn out to be a reprint of an previous issue from long ago. That happened last year, when I mistakenly bought a ‘new’ issue that was actually exactly the same as one I had at home.
You have to check down in the corner – maybe the left hand corner – to see if it says something like ‘reprint.’ I’d love nothing more that for this to be a totally new issue, but I’m wary.
I take that back, see Olivia’s comment! Hurrah, it’s coming back!
Ah yes, frosty on my way to work this a.m. (32 on my patio…29 at my son’s place). But a warmer weekend is forecast (fingers crossed). I cam downstairs to two giant plants of mums in our downstairs bathtub and another one in the kitchen sink! This happened after I went to bed last night. Also when I got home from work yesterday there was a large basket green and red tomatoes and peppers on the counter. The last of our garden crop (except for greens – kale, etc. which are doing well). I’m thinking fried green tomatoes will be on the menu in a day or two. Beautiful sunset picture Claudia.
Enjoy your fried green tomatoes, Vera!
We brought in the geraniums I will winter-over this past weekend when we cleaned up the yard. 2 of them are on their 6th winter-over!! They are cut way down to the rim of the planter, but it is fun, over the winter months, to watch them grow again to their summer height before they get to go outside again!
We have had 3 inches of rain since last night. Dreary day here, but perfect for a good book. After I vacuum, that is going to be my “reward”!! Have a wonderful Wednesday!
I’ll have to choose which plants to overwinter. But we only have so much space in the house, so I’ll have to let most of them go. But not yet!
Yawn…had to get up early to take the car to the dealership. A recall of Hondas because the front passenger airbag is faulty. On the way home, saw a Red Tail Hawk on a light pole. It was looking over the airstrip for private planes.
I’m sure mine has been recalled, but it was under my father’s name originally. I’d better check on that!
I have a lot of years of Mary’s magazine sitting on a bench to go the thrift. Can you believe the thrifts don’t want them? So I guess they will go in the trash. Breaks my heart. I so enjoy seeing your comments please don’t stop blogging.
Maybe you could list them on Craig’s List? I bet there might be someone out there who wants them, Tracy!
Oooh, how exciting – a guest blogger! Makes me think of Scoutie’s posts, which were delightful & like this lady herself, will always be missed. VERY chilly here last night – 33 I think. Almost freezing. Should bring out a lot more color now. Good thing I caught the forecast last night [I usually don’t] because I still had groceries to bring in from my trunk. What happens when bananas & limes ALMOST freeze? Bet it’s not pretty… LOL. 🍁
I miss Scoutie every day and I miss how much a part of this blog she was. Everything seems empty and not as much fun without her.
No, I don’t think you’d want to deal with a banana or lime that had almost froze!
Tracy you could sell them on Ebay. Back issues start at $2.50. Even more for the Holiday issues or the ones with uncut paper dolls.
Most of our bird population departed for warmer climates for some time ago. Does that make them “snowbirds”? That looks like a fun project on your work table – I wish I could join in a morning of miniature making and coffee! You’ll have to keep us posted as to your progress.
I wish you could, too! That would be so much fun, Barbara!
I do think that makes them snowbirds!
The little round bluebird is precious.
Glad you got the alarm thing figured out and that no ‘funny business’ was at hand.
I have tons of plates. Love how in the cover photo of the book she’s got some on the wall in that arc.
Your work area is delightful; a corner all your own.
We went to the beach yesterday after my CT scan and it was so healing. I’d been terrified and under huge stress and I’m tired of pain. I needed my ocean…the clean air; land’s end. I love the shore at other times of the year than summer. The light is different; the sun feels the best to me than when it’s otherwise so intense. The colors were calming toward evening … soft-blue cliffs descending to deeper-hued blue water with white-blue sky above, very muted and bordered by the sand beiges (you don’t see green anywhere here). Reminds me that despite my great love of saturated and bright colors in decorating, for instance, neutrals can be so ultimately serene.
I’m so glad you went to the beach, Vicki. You deserve some peace and the smell of the ocean air. Hope all is well, my friend.
We’ll see; no news yet. I had an incredibly-conscientious and knowledgeable technician who found a way to cut it down and combine scans in some way I didn’t understand (to reduce the amount of radiation for my brain and everything else [they’re also looking for facial fracture]) and he covered every square inch of me which was NOT getting radiated by heavy lead shields. I’ve had such things/tests before when the technicians were unfeeling and not as careful, so I was grateful. This guy was a gift when I needed one. And even though he’s in another city, I learned we share the same doctor duo, which was sort of amazing (that the world can often be so small). My husband was also wonderful; what can I say, he’s a gem. He knew I just was not up to navigating freeways and distance yesterday. He took time off work for me, which wasn’t easy for him, so he could be driver and hand-holder. More gifts. I was wiped out last night; I slept for the first time, hours-long and with no nightmares, which was a relief. I hope you get respite from your nightmares soon, Claudia!
Blessings on that technician and your husband, Vicki. I’m so glad you got a good night’s sleep. Now take it easy today.
(I’m convinced the nightmares spring from my stress level with this election, Vicki. I’m not prone to bad dreams.)
Claudia, I came back here so as not to muck up Don’s great post with any of my personal health issues and I’m not going to keep talking about my headaches on your blog but, you know, that started up with you and me sometime back when you were so kind to care and inquire about my absence after I’d read you for such a long time and been a near-daily presence. Thanks for all your kind thoughts and for ‘listening’ – I really appreciate it. So, to sum up, my CT scan revealed no brain bleed or fractures and now it will just be a matter of when the headaches will, if ever, resolve. I’ve done a lot of research with credible online sites, such as Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, brain injury organizations, etc. and comments from patients/sufferers are varied in terms of symptoms after a head hit. (I guess I had more of what they call a ‘face plant’ – right above the eye and at my temple off the forehead. It’s probably not helping that I had a bike accident with concussion and unconsciousness at age 11 resulting in an injury in almost the same place on my face/head, which I intend to discuss more with the physician.) And, of course, these accidents/injuries are much harder on us as we age and I’m a ‘senior’ now. Even without concussion, you can be symptomatic for months or years with dizziness, headache and other odd sensations or behaviors after a blow to the head. I hope this won’t be the case with me and I’ll have to work closely with my doctor on it. Anyway, onward. Life is a little too challenging lately! I look forward to when I could even just get in ONE day without a headache after almost 7 weeks of it.
Thought for sure I saw on the news early this morning that you might be getting snow flurries! This is Thursday; we might get a little bit of rain in Southern California, too, today. It’s quite cloudy at the moment. And, unbelievably for us, only in the high 60s temp-wise. We can nosedive (ouch, just saying that makes my head hurt, like an unfortunate pun!) into frosty nights now; I’ve seen it happen time and again, first week in November. (But then be so hot on Thanksgiving that it’s uncomfortable to roast anything in the oven.)
Though it doesn’t resolve the headaches, I’m so happy to hear that there is no evidence of a fracture or a brain-bleed. Good news, Vicki! And yes, we got more than snow flurries, we got about an inch of snow, which quickly disappeared as it turned into rain.
The dusting of snow was beautiful, although you’re not ready for it. I hope your rosebuds survive. I loved seeing the photos in your subsequent post. Like powdered sugar sprinkled over gingerbread! I always love seeing your home and area in all its seasons. Thanks for writing.
Thanks for reading, Vicki.
I would love to get a look at that book! I wonder if our library has it. I am going to have to look for it. SIL came to visit and was appalled at the pictures and plates on my walls. Will have to up the ante on her next visit!!
I don’t know – I’d check eBay or Amazon – maybe there are some used copies out there, Jan. You go, Jan, UP that ante!
the library had one copy and it is coming my way. Also cheap copies on amazon!!
Hurrah!
Love the pic of the plants in your living room…didn’t realize you had so many! Can you believe my geraniums are still blooming, and I haven’t covered up anything yet. Great rain storm we had last night and this morning….between the wind and the swirling rain….our home got power washed! Maybe this rain will go eastward to you…here’s hoping! ;)
When they’re spread out on the porch it doesn’t seem like so many, but I guess there are a lot of plants. Especially impatiens!
Flea Market Style Magazine
Now Available for Pre-Ordering, a Brand new issue, Winter 2016-17, will be mailed in November. I read Margo’s Junkin Journal. She was a contributor to that magazine. Maybe even an editor. Her blog is offering the pre-ordering. She also blogged about the magazine coming back.
Whoo hoo! Thank you so much for that information, Olivia. Couldn’t be happier. Well, I could be, if MEHC came back too, but I’ll take this. I’m going to check out Margo’s Junkin Journal. Thanks again!
Out on November 15th – just in time for my birthday!
What a wonderful photo of the sweet bluebird! When we lived in the Northeast, we were very fortunate to live very close to a park attached to a small lake. The powers that be had established a natural habitat, complete with bluebird houses for the sweet little residents. Hubby and I spent MANY hours sitting on benches observing the busy parents caring for their babies. We were almost to the point of acting like toddlers bickering over the binoculars–my turn, no it’s my turn–haha We happened to stop at a flea market in Maine, and uncovered a second pair for a few dollars and both did a happy dance! Since moving back to the south, there aren’t bluebirds to admire and I miss them. We do have the bossy bluejays and they provide entertainment. Thanks again for taking the time to share your beautiful photos! By the way, I miss your sweet Scout too! She had the most incredible smile.
She was the most beautiful dog I’ve ever seen – and even more beautiful inside. What a blessing she was. My heart still breaks when I think of her, Jeannine.
just a quick note- did you see Louise Penny in the latest AARP magazine?
I did, Suzan. Just received it yesterday. It was such a beautifully written and moving article.
Hi Claudia, long time I haven’t written, but I still read! Behind our sofa looks like yours with plants! My darling brought in his potted veggies and our plants last week, and more today. It really drives me bonkers cause I don’t think the living room is an appropriate place for our vegetable garden. I’ve wanted a greenhouse for years, have not gotten it yet. Sigh. Perhaps next year. We pull the sofa out from near the bay window and line the back and window with plants. More plants — not vegetables — grace our dining room French doors, but they stay all year…then there’s the other plants in the living room….and on the front steps….and foyer…kitchen…guest room…you get the picture! The only ones that bother me are the veggies! Friends comment that it all works, and they know where to come in case of a disaster or famine….There are more veggies on the deck…
I have that same book -‘Plates’. I still look through it, and it sits in my home décor book pile on the fireplace hearth. :)