I finally have a flower that is beginning to bloom on my giant thistle bush, weed, plant, or whatever. It is gigantic and I am so glad I did not pull it up. The state bird of New Jersey, the goldfinch, loves it. I never tire of seeing this beautiful bright yellow wild canary with black wings. Many photo opportunities await! Butterflies will gather here too. So stay tuned!
Webster and I got an early start this morning. I love the way the sun's rays are filtered through the trees.
I call this my poison ivy tree. If they ever find a use for this as a cure for some disease, the first stop for harvesting should be here. Don't look at the next photo if you are afraid of snakes!
This snake in the 
A peek inside my pantry.
A happy accident growing in my driveway. I am so glad I did not pull up the seedling. Sometimes laziness pays off!
''It had been startling and disappointing to me to find out that storybooks had been written by people, that books were not natural wonders, coming up of themselves like grass,'' she wrote. ''Yet regardless of where they came from, I cannot remember a time when I was not in love with them -- with the books themselves, cover and binding and the paper they were printed on, with their smell and their weight and with their possession in my arms, captured and carried off to myself. Still illiterate, I was ready for them, committed to all the reading I could give them."
Have you ever seen a simpler work space? Why do we feel that we just can't be productive unless we have a big place? There are blogs, flickr groups, and websites devoted to this subject.
She was organized too. I guess it could go either way after 76 years in the same house. She probably never fell victim to the computer. It is a good thing too because her hand-written and typed archives are invaluable. Look at the ball fringe on the curtains. I can remember sewing this on my kitchen curtains in the early 1960s.
It makes me feel so much better to see these piles of books on her dining room table. Now I don't feel so bad about the piles on my kitchen farm table.
Her home in Jackson, Mississippi is open for tours by appointment.
She lived in this very house from the time she was 16 until her death at age 92. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Garden lovers will want to view the gardens designed by her mother. The photo above shows one variety of the many camillas on the property.
A garden tour seems to be forming outside the lattice-work fence. There is always something in bloom.
The garden arbor. I love the look of this ~ especially the height of the fence. I wonder if this would keep the deer out?
The garden plan. Nothing has changed. The gardens are maintained by volunteers.
I have had this little hedgehog pincushion for so long I can't even remember where it got him. He was completely black and was full of holes and I didn't really know what he was. I think this was one of the items I found in a desk drawer. Believe it or not someone once sold me a desk and said the purchase included the contents of the drawers! I had such fun going through them and found some treasures.
He is from England you know! The hallmarks on his belly say that he's sterling (the English always say solid silver) made in Birmingham in 1903. He is stuffed with some kind of hair. He really took on a new personality once I filled all the holes with pins. Isn't he wonderful? I have always loved hedgehogs...just like Beatrix Potter! I can just see her mending while using this item and suddenly see it come to life!
SWEEPINGI have always wondered why I dislike doing housework in the summer. This little cartoon sums it all up, doesn't it? I find it quite impossible to take care of the inside and the outside all at once. In the summer I concentrate on my outside rooms. Winter is for inside work.
I scanned this page from an old book of mine entitled The Cheerful Cherub by Rebecca McCann published in 1928. She contributed a daily cartoon of this cute little guy each day in The Chicago Post as an antidote for gloom.
Still can't do it? Don't know how to copy and paste? We could never be friends! Just kidding ~ I will do it for you. Here is the URL: http://contentinacottage.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
Thank goodness the overnight rain brought a wonderful cool front to New Jersey. The heat wave is over! It's a good day to play inside without guilt. You could curl up with a good book, watch movies, read the New York Times, or work on your blog. I slept much later than usual this morning and am so glad this is a free day for me. I searched through my photos and found some raindrops on a window to share with you. Now what I really need is a second cup of coffee. See you later!
I recently bought a great set of books from the house contents sale of an old doctor. The original set had five volumes but I only found Volumes 1-4 in the hot attic. They are in great shape. The second picture cracks me up. It shows a man sleeping in a brass bed with half the bed sticking out the window so he could breathe fresh air. And a brass bed at that! Do you know how hard this would be do do? I have a brass bed and it weighs a ton...especially with the mattress and box spring!!! Click on the photo to enlarge so you can read the caption.
I took this photo in my entrance vestibule using only natural light. I have always liked it. The binoculars and case were given to a friend and fellow birdwatcher. It is nice to have a record of previous possessions. Enjoy your day. I'll be back later.
Look what I saw peeking out of the big round black rubber tub that holds my garden hose. Sighting occurred while taking an outdoor shower this morning. Mine has hot and cold water, a big rain shower head, and a nice mahogany platform. I am so glad I put it in when remodeling my cottage. It is one of the best things I ever did. There are two extra faucets down below so I can water the garden and give the dog a bath. You'd be surprised how often I find the need for hot or warm water outside. It is right outside my laundry room so it was easy. I drain the system and turn off the water in the fall.
For ages I have been meaning to switch this orange hose with a black one that's attached to the faucet on the side of my house. I am so glad I didn't. Mr. Frog looks so handsome on a colored background. 
Slideshow with 14 photos
