Mockingbird Hill Cottage

• We have one tulip. It was planted by a previous owner. At times, it only develops leaves, but for the past two years, it’s flowered beautifully. A thank you to the previous custodian of this house for planting this beauty.

• Friends, I hit a wall last night. We have been working so hard outside, running errands, mowing the entire property, and the wall was a combination of exhaustion and allergies. Today, a day we had already decided would be a day off, I feel like I’m in a fog. Thankfully, it’s raining gently right now so Mother Nature has decided that it’s a day to stay inside.

So what did I do yesterday? I went to the nursery, where I saw one of the owners carrying the exact hanging plant that I wanted. He said it was already sold but that he might have one left. He did. Someone had just purchased 13 of them! The good news? More were expected later in the day and I should come back after 3 pm. Okay.

Then I drove to the grocery store to get a few things that we needed.

Came home, hung the plant, got out the weed whacker and went all around the property, cleaning things up. Then we mowed the back forty. Then we raked all the bare spots left over from taking down the corral fence, as well as from all the machinery that was used to remove our trees, and applied grass seed, in hope that we can get something going there before the birds eat the seed.

Then I had some lunch and drove back to the nursery and purchased the other two hanging plants. Early in the morning, there were a few people there. By the end of the day, all the weekenders had shown up and I could barely find a place to park. A pox on those city people!

My allergies are very bad this year and I just plow ahead and do things because if I let allergies stop me I would never get anything done. But boy oh boy, do I need to sit it out this weekend!

Still to do: sow seeds for zinnias, morning glory, and moonflowers. And mulch the big garden bed which I haven’t done for a couple of years.

• I was reading a book on oil painting and quickly realized that though there is a lot of helpful information, I couldn’t linger there too long or I would be thoroughly intimidated. I may be too tired today to attempt anything, but maybe tomorrow…

• Yesterday when I was going in and out of the shed, two robins, perched in trees on either side of the shed, started chirping at me. I suspected that they might have moved into that nest that is nestled in the climbing hydrangea. And then, as the day went on, I kept seeing two robins in the corral area (eating the grass seed!) This morning, I saw them again and one flew into the nest. Aha! I love it when birds nest there. I think we’ve had three different sets of nesters over the past four years, which is why I’m glad I never took it down. It really is a piece of art, that nest.

• A conversation for another day: what Don and I have been discussing about reentry into the world and the fears we have about that, as well as what we realize we don’t want as we move forward. I’ve addressed this a bit before, but as an introvert, I’m determined to reenter on my terms. I’m too tired to write more than that today. Maybe tomorrow.

• A sad note. Meredith called me to tell me that fellow blogger, Theresa Kasner, had died suddenly. Theresa was a lovely person and Meredith was very good friends with her. Theresa also visited my blog occasionally and I loved her personality, her joy in life, her beautiful photography and the life she shared with her husband, Dayle, on their farm. Rest in peace, Theresa. You will be greatly missed.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.