Thursday, July 16, 2009

Rolling Garden Bench of my Dreams

This is the rolling garden bench of my dreams. Scanned from one of my favorite books ~ GARDEN ORNAMENT Five Hundred Years of Nature, Art, and Artifice by George Plumptre; Photographs by Hugh Palmer. I always wanted to have one made and even collected quite a few antique metal wheels. I can't believe I gave them away when I made my last move in 2004. But I remember who I gave them to and I might just have to be an Indian Giver and take them back...sometime soon. I have been seeing the following picture around the internet of a modern version being made in the Netherlands. I want the English version above. The caption in the book identifies it as "an ingenious moveable seat at Felbrigg, Norfolk." Dibs...it is MINE! I saw it first. I even put my name across the front. You can enlarge the photo for a better view.

A good bench is sturdy and heavy; it's also very hard for one person to move. Dutch designer Rogier Martens has handily solved the problem with this barrowbench.
I would like his modern bench better in a garden setting if it had a metal wheel like this one. I scanned this barrow from one of my early 19th century English engravings.



Content in a Cottage

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Wonderful video of skating babies (Evian commercial) . . .





Content in a Cottage

Clingstone ~ The Old House and the Sea: maintained by work weekends . . .

CLINGSTONE, A faded, shingled 103-year-old mansion set on a rock in Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay, is one family's labor of love. It has been maintained for the past 47 years by working weekends in exchange for free lodging and food.

The Newport Bridge is visible from the windows of the Ping-Pong Room, to the left of the fireplace.

Casual array of multi-colored ping-pong paddles. There is time for play too!

The dining room table seats 14. Refinishing the chairs is a task on the list for a future work weekend.

Clingstone has survived through the love and hard work of family and friends. The architect owner (since 1961) says the house is always going to have rough edges. It's never going to look like the Breakers.

There are 14 photos in all that can be seen in this slideshow.

I was fascinated by this story when it appeared in the New York Times on August 7, 2008.
I have been saving it for those of you who missed it. Enjoy.



Content in a Cottage

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Random photos I've been saving . . .

More photographs by many talented people in no special order with no words. Enjoy the beauty. Thanks for dropping by the cottage today. ♥Rosemary





Content in a Cottage

Monday, July 13, 2009

Life's Little Instruction Book, pages 110 + 111 . . .

Happy Monday. I had a wonderful weekend. Hope you did too. I did absolutely nothing constructive on Sunday with no guilt. My internal battery is super-charged and I'm ready for a week of work. Feels good. Thanks for stopping by the cottage for a visit. ♥Rosemary

...To be continued...



Content in a Cottage

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Blue-eyed Snake + Purple Coneflower . . .

Don't look if you are squeemish about snakes!

These two photos are not Photoshopped at all. They are right out of the camera. I was shocked to see the blue eyes on this snake when I uploaded the pics to my computer. I saw him stretched out in a sunny spot outside my living room window. I went out the front door to see how close I could get and the snake never even flinched as I got closer and closer. I'm told that when these snakes are about to lose their skin their eyes temporarily turn blue. I'm not afraid of snakes but am terrified of mice. Anything that eats mice is a friend of mine!

It rained almost all night and now the sun is shining brightly. My favorite weather combination! Have a great Sunday. Thanks for stopping by the cottage today. ♥Rosemary


Old Blue Eyes!


A genuine snake in the grass.


Purple Coneflower
This plant is very tall this year.
I am so happy I moved it to the back wall!



Content in a Cottage