Mockingbird Hill Cottage

It’s very, very cold here today. The wind lasted over 24 hours and was relentless. Thankfully, it has left us and it’s much quieter this morning. Don told me a funny thing: we were outside the other day, salting the ice that had formed on the parking area and driveway, shoveling excess snow, etc. At the end of it all, he had the thought “Well, we did it. We made it through the winter!” And then he realized that it was only December. We had three more months to go.

And on that note, I am ready to let go of 2025, which hasn’t been the kindest year for us and for so many of our friends. Nor has it been kind to our country and our fellow citizens. I pray that things change in 2026. Frankly, the sooner the better. Tomorrow would be a good choice.

We have found pockets of joy this year. I am ever grateful for my husband, who knows when I need to laugh and promptly does or says something that produces the desired results. Like everyone who is sane, I have felt anger and rage and sadness over what is happening in our country. It has taken a toll on me. And on Don. We’re not special. Everyone I know feels the same way.

I’m reluctant to take down the Christmas tree and the decorations around the house. Of course, I feel that way every year, but especially so this year. We need the sparkle and the lights. I imagine everything will stay in place until Epiphany, at least. There’s not been much needle drop yet, though parts of the tree are getting dry.

We’re at the end of the year. Here’s to a better year for all. May 2026 bring desperately needed change in Washington DC and a measure of peace to all of us and to the world.

I send you best wishes for a Happy New Year. Love to you all!

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

 

I feel like I have just gone through an entire winter and it’s not even the end of December! It’s been snow, rain, wind, more snow, subzero temperatures, and more wind throughout December. We had 7 inches of snow the other day. Last night, we had freezing rain and now, rain. It’s icy and scary out there. We have to try to clear some of it today and salt what we can. Though it will reach 44 degrees today, the rest of the week the temps will never get above 30°.

And, to top it off, we have a high wind warning for tomorrow.

I AM OVER IT.

The tree is beginning to dry out, but not enough that we have to take it down. You know me, I want to keep it up as long as possible. However, I’ve already removed the mini Christmas trees from the dollhouses and I might remove the trees from the girls’ cubbies. We’ll see. Just a little ‘cleaning up.’ And I’m reorganizing the closet in the studio, which is where I store all of that stuff.

All the other trees – the white one next to my chair in the den, the blue green tree up in the studio – will stay for a while longer.

I’m trying to stay in a mellow holiday mood, but I find I’m restless. I suspect that’s because of December’s weather which has kept us tethered to the house. You know I’m a nester and I love being in my little cottage, but I do miss the freedom to go outside and mow the lawn or putz in the garden.

I will have to adjust my attitude because it’s only December  and that means there are 3 more months of winter yet to come.

Last night, we watched The Holdovers, one of my very favorite movies. It takes place during the Christmas season. It’s a real gem, starring Paul Giamatti and directed by another favorite, Alexander Payne. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend it highly. We’ve seen it a few times and found ourselves – once again – singing the praises of everyone involved. I love Paul Giamatti, who also starred in Sideways  – another Alexander Payne movie.

I hope you’re enjoying the holidays!

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Looks like 7 inches at the birdbath, but since we’re on hilly property, that amount will be 8 or 9 inches elsewhere. But the birdbath is a good place to measure because it’s on relatively flat ground.

The good news? It’s fluffy and light. What a difference that makes!

Don went out around 8 am or so and worked on starting the snowblower. It always takes a while, especially after not using it for a long time. He moved it up on the porch the day before yesterday because he has to plug it in first. It needs a little electricity. We have no electricity in the shed.

The next thing I knew he was headed down the driveway. He always tries to clear the area by the street which, once the County plows do their thing, has piles of snow to get through. Plus, he wants to clear a path for the mail truck. I shoveled outside the side door and shoveled a path to the propane tank. I’m going to go out later and shovel around the car. Don did a lot of work. As he said when I said that “instead of hours of shoveling, the snowblower clears it so quickly,” – “Its a different kind of effort.” And he’s right. I can’t even push that snowblower, it’s so heavy. So I can’t help him with that. That’s why I’ll go out later and take care of the area around the car.

There’s a lot of snow, but less than I thought there would be. Though the forecast did say 5 – 10 inches and that proved true for us. It is very cold out there, only in the 20s.

We don’t have someone plow because our experience is that the plow sends all of our Item 4 (the gravel on the driveway) flying and we can’t afford to replace the gravel every year. We have yet to find a person plowing who can stop that from happening. I trust that when we reach the point in our lives where we need help, we’ll find the right person.

That’s it. That’s the news.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.