Life's Little Instruction Book, pages 78 + 79 . . .

Feed me, feed me, feed me . . .

Webster always closes eyes when he's licking something particularly delicious.

Full house at the feeder. Go away...all the perches are taken!

I usually don't feed the birds after the weather gets nice but this year is an exception. I saw one lone goldfinch trying to find a seed in the empty feeder recently and immediately filled it up. I had almost a whole garbage can full of sunflower seeds left from the winter. I actually stopped all my feeding because the seeds were attracting mice. I got one in the house (two actually) and nothing distresses me more than knowing those creatures are running around inside. After I stopped feeding the birds, I had no more mouse problems.

I am hoping mice don't want to be inside in the warmer weather. After this can of seeds is gone, I will stop feeding my feathered friends. I hope they will stay anyway and I know they will. It is so wonderful to wake up each morning to their singing. The peepers (tree frogs) are quite loud too.

Thanks for stopping by the cottage for a visit. Stop again soon. ♥Rosemary




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Make your own flower and garden seed starting pots from recycled newspaper . . .

Pot Maker

Use yesterday’s news to start tomorrow’s flower and vegetable seeds. Tear or cut newspaper into 3½" x 10" strips and wrap around the wooden form. No glue needed. Fold the ends under and press the form into the base to make a biodegradable paper pot for seedlings—put the pot right in the ground when it’s time for planting. Makes an unlimited number of starter pots. A fabulous way to demonstrate the regenerative powers of recycling! Use gift wrap to make special snack cups.

I wonder if you could also make cupcake and muffin pan liners using parchment paper?

Every year I say I am going to order one of these wonderful gardening tools and this year I did.

This is sold as a children's toy but it has a place in every household. It is a wonderful thing to teach gardening to children at a young age. The site has many more items too. Click on the photo or link below it to enter.

These would be great for your school and garden club projects. Give one to your mom for Mother's Day and order one for yourself while you're at at.

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Life's Little Instruction Book, pages 76 + 77 . . .

...To be continued...

Wild violets in my grass . . .

I have lots of wild violets in my lawn now. I can't bear the thought of mowing over them. What should I do? I don't want to commit a violet murder.

Enjoy your Sunday. I have been so busy trying to get a jump on summer. It was very hot here yesterday and they are predicting record heat for today. We'll see how it goes. I guess I will have to get out the fans. Webster has requested one pointed right at him. Full blast, straight on, with no oscillating. Perfect for a hot dog.

Spruce Up Your House for Spring . . .

In addition to saving pictures ripped out of magazines, I can't resist saving photos of cottages like the ones below to my pc. Once I blog about them, I can erase the images and let Google save them in cyberspace. Two tasks are accomplished and I've shared something with you too!

Before.

After.

I was really impressed with this relatively simple cottage makeover. The overhang was extended and widened with the pitch built to complement the roofline. The old iron supports and railing were replaced with wooden posts and pickets. Shutters were added to three replaced windows and the trim was painted on the double windows to pull everything together. I am assuming that the windows were replaced but maybe they weren't. They look bigger but that could just be an illusion. I like the addition of the mullions.

Doesn't the home look bigger? I think the end result stunning. This project probably wasn't terribly expensive but it added great value to this delightful cottage. Love the hydrangeas too.

We are supposed to have record high temperatures today and tomorrow. I have been busy trying to beat the heat so I can sit outside and simply enjoy it. My goldfinches are back and those yellow wild canaries are making me happy. The chirping outside is unbelieveable and it's so nice to have all the windows open.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend. ♥Rosemary

Life's Little Instruction Book, pages 74 + 75 . . .

...To be continued...

Earth Day 2009 . . .

"Take care of the earth
and she will take care of you."
Author Unknown

"Don't blow it - good planets are hard to find."
Quoted in Time Magazine

Soup Kitchens for Pets . . .

Pet soup kitchens are becoming more popular, as more people -- and welfare organizations -- seek to establish a cheap, community-based means of supporting pet owners in need.

To learn more about pet food pantries, please watch video story here.

Pets are people too. My own dog endorses all projects that provide for animals.

Thanks for stopping by the cottage today. ♥Rosemary and Webster

Photo Courtesy of Best Friends Animal Society

GREY GARDENS before and after with slide show + video + footage from the original documentary film

Many of you are watching GREY GARDENS on HBO. I wonder how many of you saw the original documentary film that was made 34 years ago by Albert Maysles and his brother. I found it at my local library years ago and found it very difficult to watch.

Thirty-four years after a documentary film introduced the world to Grey Gardens and its eccentric occupants, a new movie on HBO is again casting light on the legend of this East Hampton property. In 1979, when the last photo was taken, Sally Quinn, the writer and Washington hostess, and her husband Benjamin Bradlee, former editor of The Washington Post, purchased the property, which had fallen into complete disarray, and set out to restore it to its earlier splendor.

View the slide show with 12 photos via The New York Times.

Albert Maysles visited Grey Gardens to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his film several years ago after the house and gardens were restored. This 10-minute film from YouTube shows Maysles' reaction with footage from the original documentary. This will give you a glimpse into the "real Grey Gardens" and the two Edies. Don't say I didn't warn you about how shocking it was while the two eccentrics were in residence.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today for a visit. I hope you found this post to be informative and entertaining. I don't have HBO, do you? Should I get it? Are you enjoying Grey Gardens? Let me know. ♥Rosemary