Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Life in our little cottage in the country

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Relief

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Big thunderstorms rolled in late yesterday afternoon with lots of thunder and rain and downpours. This morning? It’s cooler. The humidity is low.

As Don and I sat on the front porch, we sighed with happiness. What a difference!

I mowed the front part of the property yesterday and managed to get it done before the rains came. Very satisfying! Because someone who reads this blog said I complain about mowing, let me be clear. I like mowing. I really  like it. I look forward to it. I’ve been pretty clear about that on the blog. I can see the results right away and that makes me happy. I’m grateful that I have the strength and the stamina to mow almost two acres of grass. I often insist on doing it all myself. In fact, I did that yesterday. It’s great exercise.

Mowing in high humidity? It’s hard. That’s a fact. But stating that fact doesn’t mean I’m complaining. It’s just an acknowledgment of something we all know to be true.

Moving on.

Look what I found on the ground this morning.

What????  It’s too early! It sure is beautiful, though.

A couple of you dear readers asked if I could take a photo of the cabinet that shows a wider, longer view so that you could understand where it is in the house. Of course!

Taken this cloudy morning. I was standing in front of the sideboard, with the front door to my left. The living room is to my right. If you walk forward toward the stairs, the den is on the left. And right next to the cabinet is the downstairs bathroom.

It’s such a relief to see that I don’t need to paint those cubbies. I see the egg cups and they’re very clear. I’m sure it’s because they’re so colorful against the darker wood. Not only would painting the cubbies be a pain in the tush, I was hesitant to mess with the rustic look of the dark wood contrasting with the white cabinet and doors, not to mention the little letters and names above the cubbies. I wanted to keep it as is and now I can.

We’re having brunch with Rick and Doug this morning and then Don is off to do his photography thing and I’m going to run an errand or two.

Happy Sunday.

 

 

 

Comments

  1. That cabinet is such a treasured find! I love how the reflection looks as though there is a lamp inside of it!
    Have fun today with your friends!
    Happy Sunday 💖

  2. glad all that mowing is done (for a little bit), the humidity broke and you and don can spend time with friends.

    thanks for the longer view … that cupboard sure is perfect there and especially for holding your egg cups! love that you left a spot for “sleepy” and hope you find him soon.

    happy sunday!

    kathy in iowa

    ps … if i had to mow two acres even once, i’d sure be complaining about it! i don’t hear you complaining, but instead sharing how you spend your time and try to fit in some outdoor chores, often around unpleasant, uncooperative weather. besides, it is very clear you love your home and take good care of it.

  3. Oh, those leaves, they are a changin’, though not around here yet. There has been too much rain and everything is painfully green! It’s also been the warmest summer that I can remember. Fingers crossed that this old camp can keep its grip on this steep hillside for a while longer. And just a couple of weeks until the unofficial End of Summer at the lake. Yikes!

    And as I’ve said before, that cabinet was just made for that space! Perfect.

    • Same here with rain and green – but nevertheless, we have some changing leaves.

      I can’t believe it’s almost the end of summer. I’m bummed!

  4. I love this view of the cabinet! It really seems made for your home and this spot. Oh that humidity, happy to hear it’s a lovely morning there and you can get some relief. Enjoy your brunch with your friends.

    It’s quiet clear to me that you enjoy mowing but not the humidity. I often wonder if others are reading the same blog I am? Take care!

    • I often wonder that same thing. I shake my head and wonder just what it is that person is perceiving – usually out of thin air!

      Thanks, my friend.

  6. Thanks so much for this long view photo. I don’t think I understood exactly where your bathroom was…and how the new cabinet gave you more room…I believe Don had mentioned that. Now I understand. It really looks perfect there. You can see the cups very well , too…from a distance. All in all…sheer perfection!

    I can’t believe the leaf…pretty, yes. But way too early. Hope you have a great time today! ;)

  7. Love the cubbies with the eggcups. Where did you get the stair treads? Is each a different pattern? Looks great. Thx. D

    • I got them when we first moved in from Lowes. Same pattern, different colors. We got them because we couldn’t afford carpeting for the stairs at the time.

  8. Hi Claudia,
    I love the signs and artwork going up your stairs! As for the leaf: It’s beautiful but I really don’t want to see too many of those yet. Our Maine summers are short and I’m trying to savor every moment before the cool weather sets in. Happy Sunday!
    Cheryl

  9. Perfect fit, Claudia, and in a place you see at least twice a day.

    I remember the Eastern thunderstorms of my childhood, visiting my grandparents in eastern Canada. We’d sit on their porch and see the huge bolts of lightening and count for the thunder. We’d get quite excited if we didn’t count long, which meant the lightening strikes were quite close.

    • The thunderstorms in the midwest where I grew up are just as wild. I missed them when I lived in San Diego.

  10. Fits like a glove!! Again, just like it was meant to be there.

    I love to hear about what is going on in your day. I certainly don’t hear complaining! And, as others said, if I mowed 2 acres ~ even once ~ I would take out full page ads in newspapers.

    So, please continue to share the good, the bad, and the ugly! It’s life. Hope Don takes some amazing phots today and you complete your errands. We have sun today, BUT, they are talking about some rain for tomorrow, so we are wishing and hoping!!

    • You need rain, right? So I hope you get some! We, on the other hand, need a break from rain!! It didn’t rain today so that’s a good thing!

  11. It’s perfect in that spot! What a wonderful find! You’ll enjoy it for years to come, and it appears there are a few open spaces for future purchases. :-)

  12. Hi Claudia, I wouldn’t want to “use other stair” if it meant I would miss that beautiful cabinet and all those adorable egg cups! It fits so beautifully in that spot it looks custom made for you. That is a decision you will never regret. Living in Florida I know how humidity can change your perspective on any job outside . The fact you do it at all is amazing to me! Enjoy your day and as always thanks for all you share.

    • My grandmother’s old farmhouse and had a front stairs and a back stairs that went to the same place on the second floor. The front one was “grand” while the back one was narrow and closed-in. It was was great fun for us to run up one and down the other.

  13. Around here there is little mowing in the summer time. The grass goes dormant, and brown. At least it is quiet.
    Love that cabinet and the way it looks. It looks like it was made for that spot.

  14. Yes, the cabinet was made for that spot. So happy that you followed your heart.Will she have a name as does Stella?

  15. Hi,
    Your cabinet is perfect. It looks wonderful.
    I read your blog daily and you do not complain, at least I do not hear that in your words.
    Take Care,
    Kaye
    Park City, UT

  16. I always enjoyed mowing and did all my own yardwork until age 73. In fact, I was quite judgmental about people who bought gym memberships while hiring their mowing done. That said, yesterday I was using the electric hedge trimmers (no one does it to my specifications) and I accidentally cut the power cord. Whoops! That may be last time hubby lets me do any outside chores. So keep doing what you enjoy, my Dear, while you can. And always, always, reserve the right to complain!

  18. Oh my, the cabinet is perfect for that spot and for your egg cup collection. I love it!

  19. it was made for just that space! it makes the stairway even more charming!
    that’s the sweetest little cottage.
    it needs a name.
    or does it have one?
    it’s just perfection. xoxo

      • no! LOLOL!!! how funny!
        I mean name the cottage not the cubby cupboard! or should I say the cuppy cupboard?
        I’ve always loved England for the reason that all (or most anyway) of the cottages there are named! :D

        • I don’t know what cottage you’re referring to – our cottage? Our cottage is the name of this blog! Or do you mean something else?

          • YES! i’m sorry. maybe you just call it a house.
            to me it seems like this beautiful little cottage! LOL! …
            WHAT???
            OMG.
            DUH.
            Mockingbird Hill Cottage.
            just please ignore this entire stupid …
            LOLOL!!! oh dear gussie. this is one for the books!
            at least I’m going to bed laughing.
            have a wonderful week Janice. (LOL. did that one on purpose.)
            and no. I’m not drinking. well I did just brush my teeth and rinse with Listerine.
            :D xoxo goodnight dear bean. have a great week!

  21. Thanks for the new view of your home and explaining where things are makes it easier for me to imagine them in my mind…I’m sure you and Don had a great time at brunch with Rick and Doug!…I am so happy that we have relief from the heat and humidity!!!

    • We did. It got humid again here, but since the temperatures are lower, it wasn’t nearly as bad.

  22. I think your yard is amazing. Sometimes, I wish I could still mow my yard. I would rather be outside, any day.
    Love the cabinet, so perfect. I almost forgot to ask about the doll house, are you still working on it? I am getting close to getting one.
    Thanks for sharing with us.

    • I am, but it’s hard getting motivated at the moment. I imagine I’ll be more into when the weather gets colder.

  23. Thanks for the straight on shot so we can see how perfect the space is for the cabinet and how terrific the egg cups look inside. It’s so darned cute I wouldn’t be able to stop smiling every time I passed it. Today you must be enjoying the cooler low humidity day we had yesterday in the Milwaukee area. We spent yesterday at Irish Fest and the weather was picture perfect for being outside and listening to some great bands. Rain coming tomorrow and sure can use more, but hopefully not with the flash flooding that accompanied the storms we had last Friday.

    • Yes, we don’t need flash flooding! Nor do you. That’s been happening in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. We’ve been lucky so far. Thank you, Kay!

  26. Yippee, love the cubbie pic, love the lawn mowing story! We know it is a duty but a joy,
    as you said, instant gratification. Now I want to see pic with desk in cubbie area!

    • You’d have to check through the archives or search for a picture. I don’t have one readily available.

  27. What a perfect location for your cabinet filled with treasures…. with room to add more! Wonderful find, happy you went back & rescued it. Love your blog & photos every day.

  28. Oh, thank you for the photo I was hoping for! It’s all utter perfection. The cabinet is SO not in the way.

    I don’t think I realized you have a downstairs bathroom. Is it a half bath? Full bath? I just ran into somebody I knew from kindergarten and she’s living in a 2-story house (has been, for almost 40 years) and both she and her husband are now having difficulty navigating stairs with no downstairs bed/bath. They’re trying to see if one of those chair lifts for stairs on some kind of electric pulley will work in their house; modify the house to suit their needs. I hear this a lot, more than I want to. In a pinch, like say, God forbid you hurt an ankle or something and couldn’t get up the stairs for a few days, you could always camp out on the den room sofa, right, and then have the bathroom right across the hall, which is good! (I tend to get mired in these sorts of small details!)

  31. From France ! I’m expecting your posts, your pictures and your observations about our (wonderful, crazy…) world every day. Thank you for all that.
    Linda.
    PS. I really love your white cabinet under the stairs.

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