Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

The Mundane on Thursday

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It rained all day long yesterday and into the night. And it’s going to rain tomorrow and Saturday. I remind myself that we need the rain right now and that I have to be patient.

See how green the grass is getting? Very, very soon I will be taking a first pass at it all with the lawn mower.

Yes. It’s that time again.

I saw Henry munching on some ground cover last night. There’s something that grows near the lilac that he likes. Have at it, Henry. And while you’re at it, mow the lawn!

Nothing much to report – I ran errands yesterday and I’m going to take a stab at some of the poison ivy today, so I bought a special pruner just for that job. (I’ll be careful. I also use special gloves.) And it’s also time to take a whack at the brambles. Neither of these jobs are what I’d call fun, but they’re necessary.

There are still a couple of garden beds to clean out before I add some topsoil and, once things really get going, get ready to mulch. All in good time. (Isn’t that what the Wicked Witch of the West says? “All in good time, my pretty…all in good time.”)

In other exciting news, we’re getting a new sump pump today. I know…it’s almost too much excitement, isn’t it? Poison ivy, brambles and a new sump pump. Be still my heart.

Happy Thursday.

Pansies

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Hostas are emerging from the ground along with ground covers, day lilies, phlox, sedum, grasses, poppies and more. Once the warmer weather and sun kick in, it’s always fun to see how quickly plants start to grow.

I stopped by our local nursery yesterday. There’s not a huge amount of inventory available, but that will change now that spring is here. I picked up some bags of top soil and a flat of gorgeous pansies, since I knew I could plant them in my urns. They’re hardy – just in case we get a freakish cold weather day.

It’s immensely cheering to see some colorful flowers on and near the porch. Pansies make me happy.

I’ve been watching a British gardening show on Netflix called Big Dreams, Small Spaces. The host is Monty Don, who is a sort of gardening hero in Britain. I knew about him via Instagram (I follow him) so when I came upon this show, I was thrilled. He works with people who want to turn front or backyards into a beautiful garden and it’s a lot of fun. Plus, I learn a lot.

Heaven knows, we can’t expect any gardening shows from HGTV. Those days are apparently gone as they’ve locked into an endless stream of House Hunters and “Flip” shows, all of which bore me to tears. I realize they are a cash cow for the network but for me they’re a big, fat yawn. I really only watch Home Town – and that’s over for the season. Remember the days of gardening programming? And a host of other wonderfully unique shows?

Thank goodness the Brits are true garden lovers. I imagine there will always be garden programs across the pond. And thank goodness for Netflix!

Today it’s a ‘rain all day’ kind of day so I’m going to run some necessary errands.

Happy Wednesday.

Adventuring

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Lovely day with my husband yesterday. It was beautifully sunny and in the mid-sixties. We went to brunch at a favorite local restaurant and then proceeded to drive around randomly, adopting our “road trip” attitude. I still think about our trip across the country last year and I miss it; the adventure, being open to new experiences, stopping when someplace or thing looks interesting. We decided during that trip that adventuring with that attitude attracts wonderful experiences and people.

We had a taste of that yesterday. I felt my shoulders drop. So did Don.

We discovered a wonderful family run farm market, greenhouse, and wholesale vegetable farm called Davenport Farms.

Favorite thing of the day: this vintage cooler with that fabulous Art Deco font. Still in use after all these years. I love it.

We found some lovely pots and I bought a flat of pansies and some lavender.

I also found these, which made me gasp!

I haven’t thought about these in probably 40 years! I used to suck on these all the time. I love root beer and the flavor of Reed’s Root Beer is intense and long-lasting. It was like reuniting with an old friend! Obviously, I bought them and Don and I proceeded to drive with the windows down, sucking on root beer candies. Heaven. (I did some research – they were made in Chicago.)

We also had some great conversations with the staff. I’ll be going back for sure.

Also saw this in front of a local restaurant:

We tried it out, of course. Sadly, it isn’t for sale. Sigh.

We came home, unloaded the car, took it easy and then made dinner, topped off by watching The Post. Excellent movie and never more relevant than today.

And now I have to get ready to drop him off at the bus station.

I’m just happier when I’m with him. That’s a fact.

Meanwhile, not much is blooming here in the early spring, but the first batch of daffs are gorgeous.

And the lilac buds are getting fatter.

I’ll close with a remembrance of my dear mom who died four years ago today. I love you, Mom. I miss you every day.

Happy Tuesday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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