• We’re now referring to the baby groundhogs as a gang. Despite their adorableness, they sometimes need a rebuke, provided by either Don or me, when they venture into areas of the property where they should not be. For example: Scout’s mini corral. They’ve been discovered there a couple of times. As soon as they see us, they run like the dickens back to the safety of the shed ramp, where they sit and stare at us. Another example: my garden bed, where I’ve discovered Henry/Henrietta a couple of times and, yesterday, one of the babies. Said baby retreated immediately, but a few minutes later, I saw the baby run under the car, case the surrounding area, and head for the garden bed. Again.
We don’t like yelling at Henry (who, by the way, wasn’t labeled in the above picture, because it’s obvious, isn’t it?) Before the babies came along, we had a very nice relationship. But kids? Well, they change everything, don’t they?
Suddenly, they grow up and become gang members. Do they have tats, I wonder?
Now, I feel like I have to stay on watch 24/7.
• We were under a tornado watch last night as storms headed our way and humidity increased. As the skies darkened, I made a tactical decision to rescue some peonies. Clippers in hand, I ran down to the bush, snipping the ones I knew would become too top heavy. I’m glad I did, because that was some thunderstorm! Yowza. As we watched So You Think You Can Dance, the skies lit up with lightning, the thunder rumbled, and the rain poured down.
I don’t like cutting them this early, but, as someone said in the comments yesterday, peonies in bloom guarantee that it will rain. I’m paraphrasing, but that’s the gist of it. I agree with that sentiment. I’ll even add to it: peonies in bloom guarantee it will rain torrentially. It happens every year.
It sure smells nice in the kitchen.
• Say hello to the beginning of our cookie jar collection. That’s the faucet you see there. There’s no way to hide it as these jars are on the window sills right above the sink.
The rabbit cookie jar was found several years ago in a small antique shop in a neighboring town. We fell in love with it. It’s perfect here, as I often look out this window and see one of our bunnies chomping on the grass. We think this cookie jar was made in England. Either that or Canada.
And you know all about the McCoy cookie jar, found a few days ago at the Country Living Fair.
They will be more. But we’re sort of picky. We want unique but not tacky or cheap looking. Of course, that particular decision is purely subjective as what could seem tacky to us might be beautiful and collectible to someone else.
• I have to start getting ready for my trip to Chautauqua, as I leave on Sunday. Getting ready in this house consists less of packing and more of writing up lists of Things That Must Be Done Around Here for Don. Then I have to find the right time to go through these things with him, knowing that he will not retain what I’m saying and we will then go through this kind of conversation on the phone:
“Where are the stamps?”
“Don’t you remember? I showed you where they were. They’re on the white desk in that little letter holder.”
“What letter holder”
“The one on the left side of the desk. Remember?”
“No, I don’t remember. I wouldn’t be asking you if I remembered.”
Sigh.
Happy Tuesday.
The groundhog gang seem to have it pretty good – you may have to start charging for the all-you-can-eat salad bar.
I’m taking reservations.
Good decision to rescue the peonies. Men can seem so helpless. Are they really, or is it a way to get their women to do the things they don’t want too? I’m never quite sure.
I just call it ‘selective hearing.’
And Happy Tuesday to you, too! I like reading about the start of your cookie jar collection, and the ground hog woes, and the peonies are beautiful! My husband will look right at something and ask me where it is, LOL! And don’t even get me started about the “selective hearing” you mentioned……
It seems to be an epidemic among men, don’t you think? Don and I actually laugh about it a lot of the time.
Hi Claudia. That was some storm last night. We were under the same Tornado Watch last night here at my daughter’s house in the D.C. area. The thunder boomed and the lightened flashed and the rain came in torrents off and on most of the evening/night. Good decision to rescue the peonies.
I like your cookie jars. I have a small bell collection but have to find a good display area for them.
Blessings,
Betsy
I hope you’re having a good time visiting your daughter, Betsy!
Love the peonies and glad you rescued them to be enjoyed indoors. We had quite the storm here this morning! I said it was ‘fireworks’ in honor of my birthday. Yes today I am 65 and quite proud of it!! I’ll be enjoying lunch with Sara and the Grands. Now the sun is shining and it’s a very good day!
hugs,
Linda
Happy, Happy Birthday, my friend! Have a wonderful day. You deserve it. What better way to celebrate than spending the day with loved ones? xoxoxoxo Claudia
If peonies mean rain, everyone in California should plant them! We’re in a bit of a warm spell. I miss the cooler days, not for the temp, but for less watering needs. Gosh, us Californians do harp on our water shortage, huh? How long do the young stay with Mama Groundhog? So, your cookie jar collection is beginning! Stayed tuned…
Listen, I would be talking about it all the time if I was in your shoes! It’s pretty important and it can’t help but be the focus of everyday life.
Apparently, about 3 weeks after the babies start eating food on their own, their leave home and dig their own tunnels.
I’m going to hit the Target store today to buy more pails for the shower to collect the gray water. We already collect about 95% of the rinse water from the kitchen sink. I wish I could collect the gray water from the clothes- and dish-washer, but I’m in a newer development, so all the pipes that drain those appliances go directly underground. Watering lawn only 2x a week, but it will soon go away when I re-landscape to drought-tolerant plants. We hand-water everything in the back with the gray water.
It’s a lifestyle now…my daughters are living thru what my husband and I did in the 80’s, the last severe drought. Hoping reports of this autumn’s El Niño are true!
I do too!
That last conversation made me laugh…so much of that around our house! I love this little
slice-of-your-life post, Claudia…it was like a visit in your home. The cookie jars are wonderful! I love your whimsical style and can’t wait to see what else you find.
I’ve never seen little groundhogs…do they stick around as a family when they’re grown?
No, I think the little ones take off after about three weeks of finding food above ground with Mama. They apparently build their own tunnels then – but my question is, are the tunnels nearby? Or do they go further afield?
Claudia, the peonies in that pink vase……stunning! You have such a good eye!
Thank you, Kathy!
So I thought I would water the potted plants and hanging baskets and fill the birdbaths around 5:30 last evening when my hubs left w/ the dog to head to the dog park. Deadheading as I went along, I thought I heard something….. Kept on watering and heard it again. It truly was thundering! It was still sunny, but thundering quite loudly. The weather people had just said, at 5:00, that rain was up by Wisc Dells (about 30 miles north of us) and heading south east ~ totally away from us. Needless to say, we had a down-pour. And I had not saved any peonies because it was not supposed to rain. This morning they are beaten and sad and I feel terrible that I missed that tiny window we are given to enjoy them each year.
Yep…. that conversation with Don is one we have daily here, also. Usually a couple of times every day. Sometimes I think I should label every drawer, shelf, and cupboard with the contents, but I know he wouldn’t even see the labels and still ask.
So sorry about the peonies!
No, I’m afraid they wouldn’t read the labels. In Don’s case, he probably wouldn’t have his glasses on!
We had the storms and tornado watch here too Claudia..My cats go into hiding when it storms and I was about to join them last night..lol..I have always loved that pink milk glass hobnail vase of yours..the pink peonies are so pretty in it..I’m glad you decided to save them..You have a good start to the cookie jar collection..the bunny one is adorable..I know what you mean about men..I have always called it MALE selective hearing..as it seems to be a guy thing..lol..How long will you be in Chautauqua this time?
I think it is a guy thing, although I know some women that are in the selective hearing category, as well.
I’ll be gone a little over 3 weeks.
Gorgeous peonies….glad you rescued them! I’m thinking you should plant a garden just for your gang…whatcha think? ;). Not only do men have selective hearing…they have selective memory. Just my personal experience mind you. Guess, that’s become sort of become a running joke between Jim and I! ;)
The gang has lots of things to chew on…they just choose to try the garden, like some deer I know.
We have that same joke going on here at the cottage.
There is quite a variety when it comes to Potpourri on Tuesdays! :)
The groundhog gang are seemingly happy there MHC … Pampered even.
I hope they don’t get into the corral when Dame Scout is in there- she might not be as understanding as you!
Peonies rescued✔️
They look lovely in that vase!
… I don’t like tornadoes.
We’re finally getting hot here and small chances of rain in the afternoon !
Hope your packing and list making is a success!
We check on who’s in the corral before we let Scout out. They wouldn’t be near the corral if Scout was already outside. Too timid!
I hope the new owner of my little cottage is enjoying my peonies ~ they should be in bloom now. I’ll just have to enjoy yours. Your cookie jar collection is off to a great start! Such sweet jars. New things don’t seem to have that combination of innocence and timelessness that vintage things do. I wonder why that is? Have we changed so much that we don’t have that forever appeal?
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan
It sure doesn’t seem like most things made today have that timelessness. Maybe we yearn for better days?
“My husband will look right at something and ask me where it is, LOL!” (HeidiAnn, above)
“Sometimes I think I should label every drawer, shelf, and cupboard with the contents, but I know he wouldn’t even see the labels and still ask.” (Chris K, above)
That particular condition has a name. It’s called “Male Cupboard Blindness.”
(With apologies to any men who happen to be reading this blog.)
Selective sight, perhaps?
Ground hogs !!! Looks more like a colony..We trap them in these parts..relocate them..We had 2 1/2 inches of rain in a very short period yesterday..Lots of local flooding..We do need the rain though..
I couldn’t trap them. Especially when there are babies who are very dependent on mom at this point.
The gang, I like that. They are too cute.
I need to plant peonies. We haven’t had rain for weeks in this part of Florida. My poor plants get droopy everyday if I’m not out there giving them a drink.
I love cookie jars. We have one of the Shawnee pigs and a real cute baker boy. They add so much personality to a kitchen. Enjoy the hunt….
We will, Kathleen!
I have those kinds of conversations with my husband too!
I bet we all do! I know my sister does.
We were told to wait for a socking great t-storm last night too, but it never got this far north. We got nuttin’ but regular old rain. But there’s more thunder and lightning in the forecast this week – in fact, it’s getting pretty dark right now. I have my mom’s cookie jar now – it was a shower present to her in 1955 – but it’s not airtight so cookies in my house are stored in Tupperware. I keep clean cotton dish cloths in the cookie jar now so I still get to use it every day. So what will you keep in yours? Besides cookies, that is… LOL.
Haven’t decided that yet! No cookies, though.
Oh how I enjoy peonies! They always lined my grandmother’s garden area, and just seeing them reminds me of her to this day, even though she has been gone since 1968. Funny how some memories just stick forever. xox
They sure do!
Uh-oh, with you leaving, will Don be able to watch those little outdoor rugrats and find the stamps? ha! Every time I travel, I have to remind my husband how to use the washing machine and dryer. Gorgeous peonies!
I hope Don’s up to all these responsibilities, Tammy!
Well, I learned something about groundhogs today. I thought they lived underground, coming out only Feb. 2. Little did I know. Do they tear up a yard like gophers or prairie dogs? Love you peonies in such a pretty pink vase. Ours are just beginning to bloom, and yes I’d cut them too if a storm weere on the way. I will cut some anyway.
Thanks for answering my question on the flooring. I am using a sheet of flooring from Hobby Lobby. I gave it 3 coats of stain and coats of eurathane (can’t spell it), and then I waxed it. It does look nice.
They can tear up a yard, but they haven’t torn up mine. But there are tunnels underneath our shed. Glad the floor worked out!
Love your two new cookie jars. I always wished we had wide windowsills in this house (there are none!), especially on the kitchen window. I would love to have room for a little collection.
Hi Claudia! I may have missed it but I was wondering if you have a post about the Tony awards this year? I thought your comments about the Oscars were so right on that I wondered what you thought of the Tony awards on Sunday night? Thank you.
The peonies are gorgeous and well worth saving. I know all about making lists and explaining them, knowing full well the information isn’t being digested.
Beautiful peonies. And yeah for the baby groundhog pictures, Do you think they’ll leave when they get larger. Could be problems in the future if they don’t,