Spring is here, yes. But we’ve had unseasonably cold temperatures for more than a week, so it doesn’t seem like the end of April. It seems more like early March. I’m afraid that once the temperatures get back to normal, we’ll have about a week or two of spring and then it will be summer.
But there is growth in the garden. It’s just happening slowly.
The chartreuse ground cover is slowly making its way through the soil. The perennials are inching their way out of the ground: sedum, day lilies, catmint, poppies, phlox. The hyacinth leaves are showing, but no flowers as of yet, and normally they’d have bloomed by now. The tulip that has been here since we moved in, and probably for many, many years before, has not come out of the ground at all. For the first time. Did this extreme winter finally do it in?
My dependable catmint is filling out and it’s everywhere in the gardens. The hydrangeas have tiny leaves. The rose bushes? I can’t tell yet. Nothing is happening and I’m sure I’ll discover damaged canes, but I’ll have to wait on that until some sort of growth appears.
The peony shoots are coming out of the ground, though I’ve yet to clean up their beds. The lilacs are budding, just waiting to bloom.
Impressionistic views
In the meantime, I’ll do some weeding today in preparation for laying down some mulch in the garden beds. Last year, money was tight (it still is) and I didn’t buy mulch. Never again. Weeds were out of control. Mulch is a must buy this year.
Yesterday, I got an email informing me of a security vulnerability that had just been discovered in this newest version of WordPress and it had to do with the WP comment system. So I had to shut down comments until WP issued a patch for the problem. That meant that for about 5 hours, no one could leave a comment.
To say I missed reading and responding to comments is an understatement. One of the true joys of having this blog is the daily dialogue we share with each other and yesterday….I couldn’t partake. I couldn’t talk. If you spoke to my mom or my first grade teacher who was constantly sending home notices that I talked too much, you’d know that would be a problem for me. When the patch was finally issued, I turned everything back on.
Remember:
Let’s hope that doesn’t happen again!
From yesterday. This piece that I said I had decided wasn’t McCoy?
Danged if I didn’t see it on eBay in another color with the McCoy mark. It is McCoy. I was right in the first place!
Oh, hello!
The newest member of the Mockingbird Hill Cottage McCoy Team has arrived for training. I’ve said this before; in that case, it was the egg cups – I blame you. You encourage me to do these series and then I research and study and look at photos of McCoy and then I browse through the offerings on eBay and in the shops and then, before you know it, I’m staring at new-to-me pieces of McCoy.
I’ve purchased three since the series began.
This one I’ve had my eye on for a long time. It’s from the 1940s and is in McCoy’s familiar basketweave design. I so love the way the glaze settles into the grooves on the piece, creating light and dark contrast.
From the side. It’s 8 inches tall.
I’ve become obsessed by McCoy pottery once again, but as my husband said yesterday, “There are worse obsessions.”
The winner of a copy of Behind Closed Doors by Elizabeth Haynes is Monica. I’ve sent you an email, Monica.
New post on Just Let Me Finish This Page.
Happy Tuesday.
I’m glad your comments are up again. Enjoy the Spring unfolding of your garden…yes, mulch! I’m re-landscaping…getting rid of the lawn for more drought-tolerant plantings. I still want flowers though!
Of course you do! Flowers are a must, Wendy!
Love the new addition to your wonderful collection of pottery. Color, texture, and shape are just perfect.
Thank you, Shanna!
I love the color of your new pieces. Thank you for sharing your collection with us.
Right now I’m taking a break from cleaning out the front yard flower beds. Creeping Charlie is taking over the lawn and encroaching on the flower beds.
It happens so quickly, doesn’t it?
Love your new pottery. Don’s right, it’s a harmless obsession to have as obsessions go! As far as your garden woes I can relate. We’re having a few warm days right now. But then it gets cold and rainy. This is been the strangest spring I can remember in a long time.
Blessings,
Betsy
I agree! It’s almost May, for heaven’s sake! Enough already with the cold!
I love your new McCoy vase….beautiful…..and in my fav color! We’ve been doing a lot of remodeling of our beds. Hostas are up….and deer are eating, so have to spray them…ugh! Planted two new Serbian spruces…actually my son did…he’s got more muscles! Pulled out some overgrown evergreens…with our jeep…..that was fun. Now, we’ve got to transplant more hostas, lilies, finish clearing, then mulch. Oh…a few of my daffodils finally showed up…not all, but half! Enjoy being outside! ;)
My daffs came in and the other ones in the garden bed look to be almost ready to bloom. But the tulip? Where is the tulip? Also – hostas are coming, but very slowly.
I’m enjoying all the blooms around here. I need to get some planted at my house, but so far haven’t. New baby is taking a lot of time. :) Love the new piece of McCoy. It’s a good obsession I agree!
hugs,
Linda
But what wonderful time! New baby is the most important thing, right?
Rosemary Scout and Tiger are the most important things in my life right now. I’m a happy Grandma for sure!
As they should be. They are beloved and beautiful.
I knew you had McCoy pottery, but who knew you had so many pieces carefully scattered around your cottage? I enjoyed looking at them and hearing the descriptions. I have shelves full of various colors and some books too. My collecting started with green mixing bowls and then shifted to pottery when the bowls became scarce. My husband has worked for an auctioneer for 40 years so we have had lots of opportunities to buy! I’ll have to share some of my pictures with you one day. Happy collecting!
Oh, lucky you! I’d love to see your pictures, Barbara!
Claudia, I am hoping that the gorgeous spring weather we are enjoying this week in Minnesota will head your way! Love your new additions of McCoy.
Fingers crossed! It’s sunny today and a bit warmer, but I want it in the seventies, please.
It truly is a late spring here, too. Things are coming back, but the colder weather which has lingered way too long has surely made a difference. It seems we can almost watch the sedum grow every day, but the coneflowers, peonies, roses all seem way behind. My Lilies of the Valley are just starting to shoot up as of 2 or 3 days ago. But, the dandelions are out!! And I won’t complain because in January I would have given anything to see one. They compliment all of the beautiful Goldfinch which are perching on every available space on our feeders. We are to be in the upper 60’s / low 70’s all week and the lowest night time temp looks to be about 40, so that should help. Enjoy your time outside.
I just noticed some dandelions yesterday, Chris. Huzzah! At least today is sunny. And with those words, I’m headed outside to weed!
We have crocus and daffodils here in Rochester, and my SIL’s hyacinths are up. But so far I’ve not yet seen tulips or forsythia. I know they’re out there. I’ve just missed them or been out at night. And I have seen robins, so according to my Mom, Spring is truly here. Typical April this week – 50s and 60s – and sun! I’ll take it. Sure beats single digits and snow. Or 90-degree days too, for that matter. Wonder what the Summer will bring? Enjoy your garden-digging time!
Love the new McCoy and happy you found out that the other piece is also a real McCoy..lol..It is starting to warm up here in Pa again..days in the 60’s are good with me..hyacinths, daffodils, tulips, forsythia are all blooming and beautiful..seeing leaves on my willow tree again makes me happy..I look forward to seeing pictures of your lilacs again as I have never gotten around to planting any for myself and they are one of my most favorites..have fun in the garden today..the sunshine and fresh air feel wonderful..
Our forsythia, which is up in the woods, is blooming, so I love seeing that splash of yellow off in the distance. Hyacinths are so SLOW this year! I hope they bloom!
DON IS AN ENABLER!!!!!…..yeah! Don…we all need one like you! love the new piece!
Addie
He is. Thank goodness!
I still can’t get over your post about the gift of books from your sister; if those books had been ruined, it would have been beyond-tragic. I do what you do…I try to duplicate a lot of things lost from my childhood and I’ve spent ‘way too much money doing so but I get an inordinate amount of comfort from those material things because they spark happy memories and the familiarity is soothing, I think somewhat maybe more now than ever, as I have fewer and fewer people in my life with whom to share my childhood recollections; I’ve just lost a lot of relatives in the past 20 years and my family was small to begin with…
Anyway, on to McCoy, with many congrats for your new ‘baby.’ A lovely addition to your collection. Claudia, it’s not like you’re going out and spending thousands of dollars on vintage jewelry or something. I’ve got a neighbor who does that and she has about bankrupted herself; seriously, their house is on a foreclosure list. Her husband works so hard at his job and isn’t in the best of health, yet she stays home and just spends and spends online as fast as he can provide the income. Some women have really expensive tastes and can’t curb it. If you buy an egg cup here and there, or the special piece of McCoy, you’re not breaking the bank. So you buy less mulch (just kidding!); but you know what I mean. You’re frugal in a lot of ways. You are permitted some indulgences!
We have to do the little things that make us happy. I just inquired about a painting I don’t need and shouldn’t spend the money on right now but after I’d thought and thought about it (yes, obsessed), because I have a companion to it by the same artist, whose work I love…and this modest-size painting brightens my outlook and puts a smile on my face every single time I round a corner and see it (has the most vivid, saturated color and a favorite subject of mine…DOGS!)…I have to at least ask about it and see if it’s a feasible purchase. I’ve been having a struggle with the threat of a second cancer but just got the ‘green light/all clear’ sign on Friday after a slew of tests, so I guess I’m justifying a little ‘reward’ for all my stress.
It’s important to try to eliminate as much stress as we can because worry and tension just wreaks havoc…and, although happiness comes from within, if we have pleasant and loved things all around us (human, canine, feline, inanimate, etc.), we’re doing a lot of good for our mind and bodies. I have a cousin who’s very zen and needs little to exist healthily and spiritually…and my hubby doesn’t agree with me at all and isn’t ‘into’ material objects whatsoever but, you know, we’re all different, unique and wonderfully individual, so…I’ll probably wind up buying this painting and have the pair. I think a lot about the need to accumulate and when does the day come when I say, “I have enough” – but that day has not yet arrived!
Absolutely reward yourself if you can afford the painting, Vicki. Such good news that all is well, my friend!
I, like you, get enormous comfort from having the things I love around me. A minimalist I am not! I love little treasures, books, pottery, my dollhouse….they make me very happy. And the make me smile!
Thanks so much for selecting me — I’ve replied to your email and looking forward to enjoying the tale you brought to life with your review.
I am hopeful you will share your pictures of the peonies and lilacs. They are two things I miss about living in Iowa. My grandmother’s yard was always full of them along with tulips, iris, hens and chickens, a plant she just called foliage (which I believe was Coleus), and many others. Living in Texas, close to the gulf coast, we have wisteria but it’s a poor substitute for lilacs. We just don’t get the winter temperatures needed to make lilacs, peonies or tulips possible. We just moved on to 5 acres and timing was not right for flowers or gardens this year, but I’m looking forward to seeing what my not-so green thumb might be able to grow as we make this place our home.
Isn’t it wonderful to have a husband who supports your interests? I’m blessed with one of those as well.
He’s a keeper.
I know – when I was living out in California, I couldn’t plant lilacs or peonies. I missed them a lot!
I am sorry to say that I have NEVER seen a lilac bush. From Vicki, a Californian
It’s been a late spring here in Michigan too but this week is warming up. Love your new McCoy…beautiful.
Thank you, Marilyn!
I hope your silly weather starts sending the sun/warmth that your flowers need. I can’t wait for your peony and hydrangea photos. Those two, and pansies, are my very favorite flowers.
Your new McCoy is beautiful – and definitely your color!
I can’t wait for the peonies. They usually bloom the first week of June. It will be interesting to see if they’re late this year.
Claudia, I just wanted to mention to you that the WP security issue may be more far-reaching than just the comment section. The other day, I had an email from Claudia Hill Sparks in the spam folder of the email address I used for my now, inactive blog. Since I haven’t commented here too recently (bad, bad me), and I haven’t emailed you recently, there would be no reason that I know of for you to be sending me an email. I’m not at all savvy about how hacking occurs but nevertheless, I was afraid to open the email, so I just deleted it. As I recall, it was dated April 24, maybe the 26th. Just a heads-up so you can be aware and vigilant…
Shari, that was a totally different issue that I talked about on the blog several times. That goes back to when my email was hacked. Needless to say, don’t open anything like that. Everyone’s comments are emailed to me – that’s how your address got in there. Sorry for the inconvenience, but it has nothing to do with WordPress. It’s just your generic, annoying email hack.