Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Life in our little cottage in the country

Plants, Movies & Books

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I do my best to keep this fern going during the winter months, knowing that if I can, it will blossom once it’s outside again. But there are lots of dead fronds along the way, lots of vacuuming, lots of worrying. As long as I see new growth – and I do – I know it’s okay. It’s just in dry, inside-the-house, winter mode.

This is the only place I can keep it – upstairs in the office – where it gets enough light and we aren’t bumping into it all the time. I have to do some nifty maneuvering to get to my desk but I’m a pro at it now.

We watched Dr. Strangelove  last night. It was on TCM. It’s one of our favorite movies. Don had been in the city all day and as he was doing something in the kitchen he mentioned that he’d like to watch something funny that night. As if on cue, we saw that Strangelove was on. It’s simply brilliant on every level.

It’s quite cold here today and I think it will remain that way for a few days. But it’s partly sunny, so I’m happy. Actually, I don’t mind the cold. I grew up in Michigan and have spent most of my life beyond the Michigan years in the Northeast. That’s really all I know, except for 8 years in San Diego, which were nice and refreshing for a while until I realized that I missed the seasons. Even my Southern California born-and-bred husband now loves winter.

I’m reading Hi Five  by Joe Ide. This is his fourth book in the IQ series. I can’t recommend his books enough. Ide is a terrific writer, funny and irreverent and Isaiah Quintabe, IQ, is such a wonderfully drawn character. When I learn that Ide has written a new book, I’m so happy. After my experience with Lock Every Door, it feels so good to read a book in which the plot is complex, as are the characters, and I know I’m being guided along by a pro.

We’re going to lay low today and hang out here in the cottage. I’m looking forward to it.

Happy Thursday.

 

 

 

Giving Up On A Book & A Reset

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Just something I noticed on our coffee table the other day.

It’s sunny today! Cold and windy, but sunny. I’ll take it.

Well, I got to page 68 in Lock Every Door  by Riley Sager and I chucked it. It’s clunkily written, predictable, improbable, and uses a plot device right out of the pages of Rosemary’s Baby, which was a better book on every level. It’s a young person’s book, I think, and I don’t mean to disparage young people. Rather, it’s geared to the mass market, Gone Girl  kind of audience. That’s fine, but it’s not my cup of tea. As I said on IG, when I’m rolling my eyes at least once on every page, it’s time to admit defeat. Also: if I read a book and think that I could have done better (and I have no illusions about being good enough to write a novel) it’s time to move on. Anyway, it’s going back to the library today and I’ll start Hi Five  by Joe Ide, a highly skilled writer. That makes 3 out of the 4 library books ready to return, with only one to go. Two read, one started but not finished. By the way, I very much enjoyed Blue Moon  by Lee Child. Finished it in bed last night.

We watched An Inspector Calls  last night on Amazon Prime. It’s a BBC version of the play by J. B. Priestly, a play I’ve seemingly always known about but have never seen. Excellent. Don and I are still talking about it this morning.

Other than that, life is fairly routine lately. Except for this morning when I was briefly locked in the bedroom, Don spilled a container of baking soda all over the floor, and knocked over my egg cups on top of the cubby. One fell to the floor, but nothing was broken. I told him that we need a reset!

Deep breath. And let’s start over.

Happy Wednesday.

Sepia

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More from my little jaunt the other day. Some hydrangeas are still relatively intact – but only a few. There’s such a sepia look to the gardens right now. Beautiful. I need to be more aware of that when I feel that everything is gray and gloomy.

It isn’t.

Thank you so much for your kind comments yesterday. They make all the effort over the years worthwhile. Bless you.

Yesterday was marvelously sunny but we’re back to darker skies today. We were supposed to get a smattering of wet snow overnight, but that didn’t happen. I haven’t checked the weather but I wouldn’t be surprised if we got some form of moisture today.

I’m almost done with Blue Moon  by Lee Child. Complete escapism: that’s what Lee Child books are. I’ve read nearly all of them. They’re really a modern take on the gunslinger that saves a town or a family from the bad guys. Jack Reacher is the equivalent of Shane. If you go into them knowing that, you’ll have a great read that truly takes you away for a while. It’s comforting knowing that the bad guys will be dealt with, the good guys will win, and then Jack Reacher – ever the wanderer – will move on.

Next up? Either Hi Five  by Joe Ide or Lock Every Door  by Riley Sager. Since Lock Every Door  is supposed to be very scary, the choice will definitely depend on my mood later today.

I’m looking forward to spring, but I’m trying to stay here, in this season. I’m doing surprisingly well with it and so is Don. That was one of our goals this winter – not to wish the time away. Of course, we may be helped by the lack of snow this year, but we had plenty of it in December and we’ve had lots of ice and freezing rain since the first of the year. In other words, lots of weather to contend with, but hopefully, with some grace.

Happy Tuesday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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