Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Snow: Shoveling, Snowblowing, Baking & UPS

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This says it all. We had a heck of a snowstorm yesterday, with wind and lots of snow. I guesstimate it at 8 inches. It fell all day long and we couldn’t get out to shovel until around 3:30. The snowblower was hauled out of the shed and while my newest batch of linzer cookies was cooling, I grabbed a shovel.

We were out there for a long time.

And today, our aches and pains attest to it. Thank goodness, the snow wasn’t the heavy, wet variety. That certainly helped. Now we have to contend with high winds and dangerous wind chills for the next two days, with the nighttime temps going down to well below zero.

Winter officially came on December 21st, but here at the cottage it feels like it’s been going on for months. I’m over it.

But, speaking of ‘over it’ I shared a little story on Instagram yesterday. For those of you who don’t do IG, let me share it again.

I was expecting a package from UPS, but since the snow was falling heavily and the visibility was bad, I expected it would arrive today instead. I was in a not-very-great mood, having had my fill of subzero temps and snow. I was sitting in the den when I heard the UPS truck stop on the street with a little tap of the horn. I couldn’t believe they were actually delivering! So I threw on my jacket (I was still in my flannel pjs) and went out on the porch to meet the driver. He jumped over the culvert, ran up the lawn to the porch and greeted me with a smile.

I said, “I can’t believe you’re out in this!”

And he said, with another big grin, “Oh, it’s okay! I’m having an adventure!”

He was so cheery and so positive that my mood changed instantly. What did I have to complain about, right? If he could be positive, so could I. The universe sends you teachers when you need them.

See that great smile! He’d also grabbed a ride with a snowplow at some point during his day so he could get back to his truck after having parked on a hill. He was  having an adventure.

I moved this lamp, which, for some reason, had been stashed on my bookcase in the bedroom, down to this little table/stool by the sofa. I think I thought there was trouble with the cord, but when I changed the light bulb, it worked. I love these lamps and Don needed a little bit more light by his preferred daytime seating. Plus…the shade!!

Part of my “Riley Plant.”

I have three new leaves coming on the rubber plant.

And this new growth on the larger of my two ZZ plants.

Happy Friday.

Potpourri on Thursday

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• I’m officially ‘over’ Winter and it’s only January 4th. These sub-zero temperatures and, now, more snow, with freezing rain and ice in the forecast for the beginning of the week are too much. I’m over it. Don: “Look at the snow falling, it’s really pretty.” Me: “Don’t like it. Don’t want it.”

And we’re not even getting the brunt of this storm, which will hammer those who live nearer to or on the coast. We’re far enough inland that we’ll just get 3 to 5 inches of the white stuff.

The house is so dry that Don and I are constantly complaining about it. And before you ask, yes, we do have a humidifier and we use it every day. It isn’t making much of a difference. Rick and Doug have two of them, and they say the same thing: Nada. It’s been a tough winter so far.

Okay, enough kvetching.

• I entertained myself yesterday afternoon by taking photos with my big girl camera.

Paperwhites.

New growth.

Baby pileas. Or is it pileae?

More new growth. This schefflera has finally calmed down. For the longest time after I bought it, it kept shedding leaves, and since the previous schefflera that I had bit the dust, I was beginning to think scheffleras and I were on a collision course. I cut back on frequency of watering and it seems to have acclimated itself to the conditions in the cottage. I’m very happy about that!

• I managed to snag a copy of The Hidden Staircase, number two in the Nancy Drew series. This one is pretty hard to find, especially in fairly good condition. Once again, it was all in the timing. I happened to do a search right after someone had listed this as a Buy Now. It was a really good price, so I jumped on it.

Isn’t that a fabulous illustration? I love the clothes and the cloche hat.

Two more to go. They are from the last of the series that Tandy illustrated, with darker covers, and they’re fairly easy to find, so I should complete this collection soon.

• And finally, last night’s sunset:

Happy Thursday.

Sun, Cold & Screeners

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As I natter on about the cold, I’m aware that today is to be the warmest day of the week and it will still  be below freezing. I’m also aware that keeping the blinds drawn makes it a tad warmer inside, but we have so few hours of daylight and I need sun.

I’d give anything for a 32° day.

One positive in the midst of endless cold: I’ve been drawn to the winter sunshine and the way it changes the look of the cottage throughout the day. Don pointed out the way the light was illuminating the Vernors soda crate the other day.

The crate and the blue of the table, along with a bit of a spotlight on the jade plant – lovely.

Light and shadow.

Since Don is a member of SAG, the Screen Actors Guild, we get to screen the movies that are up for Best Picture at the SAG Awards. They’re called ‘screeners.’ They trickle in through the mail in early January. Last night, we watched Get Out, a brilliant piece of work by Jordan Peele, who wrote and directed it. You might be familiar with him through his series with Keegan Michael Key called Key and Peele. It’s one of our favorites.

The film is incredible and we can’t stop talking about it this morning. I don’t know how to describe it except to say it’s a combination of horror/dark comedy/social commentary about race in America. The direction is impeccable, the cast is top notch, and the actor playing the protagonist, Daniel Kaluuya, is brilliant. I want to watch it again. It’s that good. I recommend it highly. It makes you think. And think again.

I’m not sure what our pick for tonight will be, but I do know it’s the perfect way to spend a winter evening – watching a movie with my sweetie.

Christmas is still up. I’m thinking I’ll take it down at the end of the week. But then again…

Happy Wednesday.

 

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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