Mockingbird Hill Cottage — Page 572 — Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Day Fifty

May 2, 2020 at 9:37 am by Claudia

First of all, the email versions of my posts have not been going out at the normal time. They’re scheduled to be sent during 11 am – 1 pm EST. But for the past couple of days they’ve gone out after 1 pm. Yesterday, I noticed some of them went out at 4 pm and others at 6 pm! What the???? Anyway, there’s nothing I can do about it. I use Feedburner, which is free. I’m not about to pay for yet another item in regards to this blog. So…I will advise what I always advise: come to the blog directly. Bookmark it in your browser. I always post before 11 am. Always. And if you come here directly, you’re helping to support this blog. It costs money to keep this blog going, money I have to put out every year. This pandemic and the lockdown will also have a negative impact on my ad income, so I’m told, and coming to the blog directly will help me through this time.

Thanks.

Yesterday, in the pouring rain, we went to our local nursery/farm stand.

Masked and ready to go. (Meredith made these masks.)

Despite the rain, there were several people wandering the aisles in the nursery, but everyone had masks on and all of us were good social distancers. Amazingly, everything on my list was there, including impatiens. There are a few other items I want to get eventually, but for now, I’m thrilled. What a difference a week between visits makes.

Don got lots of produce, I got the plants, we met back at the car, used our hand sanitizer, and drove back home. We did the usual washing of hands, produce, sanitizing of packaged goods, washing of hands again and again, etc., etc. etc. All of the plants were brought to the porch, once all signs of impending thunderstorms had passed.

Exhausting, but that is a given.

I’m so looking forward to potting all of my plants but first we have to pick up the other groceries we ordered and go through the sanitizing ritual yet again. Then – I really hope – we’re through with it for a while.

It’s a sunny day today. The temperature is going to reach 70 degrees! After this past week of rain and more rain, we are very grateful.

I started on the new puzzle but I haven’t done much on it yet. Updates to come.

Have a lovely day today and stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Day Forty-Nine

May 1, 2020 at 9:36 am by Claudia

Finished.

I inserted the last piece in the early afternoon yesterday.

Then I let it sit for 24 hours so I can admire my handiwork! Actually, I keep it there to admire the design of the puzzle itself. These puzzles are so bright and wonderful with all the wonderful cover illustrations. Hard to take a picture of all the detail, especially on a dark and rainy day, but you get the idea.

A close-up of one of the book covers.

And another.

This one is my favorite:

Can you imagine all the young boys who wanted this Detective Handbook? Who wanted to learn about “Authentic detective methods for solving mysteries?” I wonder if I can scout out one of these on the Internet? I’d love to have it to add to Don’s collection. It’s sort of like sending in for decoder ring or a special prize on a cereal box. A special detective handbook!

Such a pleasure working on these puzzles (thank you again, Vicki!) I love doing them, I learn about the books, and I inevitably think I don’t have enough pieces (it happened again,) am faced with the empty space where the last piece should go but I’ve used them all and then…discover it on the floor. This happened to me with both puzzles.

It rained all night long – very, very heavy rain, so we have a river flood warning. Today? Rainy, thunderstorms in the afternoon. You can bet I’m pulling out the next puzzle. It will be the perfect thing to do on a rainy, thundery day.

But first, we’re going to the nursery/farm stand. We’re out of fresh vegetables. I’ll see if any of the plants I want/need have come in. We’ll wear masks. We’ll take disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer. And then we’ll come home and wash our hands and all the vegetables and then we’ll wash our hands again and take showers and put on hand sanitizer.

It takes twice as long to do anything these days.

Tomorrow, we pick up our order from the grocery store. We’ll disinfect everything. And then, hopefully, we can lay low for the next week.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Day Forty-Eight

April 30, 2020 at 9:39 am by Claudia

Rain and more rain, including very heavy rainfall overnight tonight.

As Don said this morning, “I guess I won’t be doing any work outside.” Yep. We’re stuck indoors for the day.

Almost finished. Once again, I look at the number of the remaining pieces and the empty spaces on the puzzle and worry that something is missing. I did that last time. Don kept saying he was sure I had enough. We even had a $5 bet going on the subject, which I lost, as I did have all the pieces.

It’s a very dark day here today so getting a good photo is difficult.

Thank goodness for these puzzles and for this, which arrived a day early.

These are Nancy Drews with the original cover illustrations, designed by Russell H. Tandy. They’re the ones I collect and I have all of these on my shelves. Don thinks this is one I should frame as it could hang on the wall near my children’s bookcase in the upstairs hallway; the bookcase where I have all of these, along with some Hardy Boys and childhood favorites that were my mother’s. It would be neat, wouldn’t it? Don comes up with some pretty good ideas.

Honestly, there’s not much to report. It’s dismal out there, the garden is progressing but not to the point where I would take photos. We’re currently debating when to go get fresh produce. When we do that, I’ll check to see if there are any more flowers and plants in at the nursery. Saturday we drive to the grocery store to pick up an order. Pick up seems to be more readily available than delivery.

I know this is the new normal, but the combination of worry and planning and sanitizing along with the gray and rainy weather is a bit too much for me today. It all seems a bit grim at the moment. That will change, of course, so don’t worry about my state of mind. It’s just what it is this morning.

Thankfully, the weekend weather forecast looks positively pleasant!

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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