Laundry Day by Andrew Wyeth

This makes me want to hang out clothes even though I can't since I lost the tree that held up one end of my clothesline. I still plan on having a post set in the ground to take its place but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I might even get one of those upside-down umbrella contraptions, and I might not. We are having another rainy day so hanging out laundry wouldn't even be a possibility. I washed all the windows and doors and screen on the outside of my lower level yesterday and one was in the laundry room. I think I'll do the insides today. I don't like to wash windows on a sunny day because it seems like drudgery. For some reason, I am in a cleaning mood so I must keep up the momentum. See you later. Google Images

Courtyard Bedroom

Wouldn't you love to wake up in this bedroom behind the French doors? I would sleep with them wide open to enjoy the breeze and the fragrance of the plants. Tabitha wouldn't wake me up either because she could go in and out and in and out at will. I love the courtyard squares with the grass or moss or creeping something in between. via

Rainbow over My Cottage Yesterday

It was really a double rainbow as you can see from the upper right corner but I was on my balcony and couldn't get far enough away to get both on my iPhone. I think it was a good omen for my new listing yesterday. The owner got a great shot on her phone and until I saw hers I didn't even know it was a double one. That means good luck for both of us, right?

First Honeysuckle This Year

I spotted the first honeysuckle of the season on Webster's after dinner walk last night. I love it and the scent is heavenly. my iPhone photo

Delightful Children's Bedroom

Click photos to enlarge.

I have been very busy with real estate last week and this week with a new listing that went on the MLS yesterday. This is one of the bedrooms shared by two little girls. Isn't it fabulous? I had a broker open house today and everyone loved it. Cross your fingers for me and the sellers. my photos

Copper Measuring Cups

I have a set of these heavy copper measuring cups with brass handles and I love them. You can melt butter on the stove and they stand up to the high heat without warping. One thing puzzles me though. There is no 1/3 cup. The set of 4 includes 1 cup, 3/4 cup, 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup. Mine are hanging on the side wall of a cabinet and I use them all the time....except when I need 1/3 cup of something. via

Sleeping Bunny

Pretty soon I'll be on my side snoozing too. It has been a long rainy day and even though I was able to squeeze in a nap, I am still sleepy. See you in the morning. via

Landfill Harmonic: Uses Instruments made from garbage.

A friend just sent me this video about a town in Paraguay that recycles and sells garbage. The beautiful music you will hear is from instruments made for the children using oil drums and other parts pulled from the landfill. You won't believe your ears. Click here if you can't see the video below.

Poverty can't keep these musicians down.

Princess Elizabeth in Buckingham Palace 1945 by Cecil Beaton

Princess Elizabeth by Cecil Beaton, Gelatin silver print, Buckingham Palace, March 1945, Museum no. E.1361-2010 National Portrait Gallery. via She was born in April 21, 1926 so she was almost 19 in this loveliest of portraits. She's still beautiful at age 87 too. Long live the Queen.

My Missing Trees

As you can see the three trees I took down after Hurricane Sandy were at the end of their life spans. I was worried that I would miss them and that my balcony would get too hot in the summer. They were hollow in the middle and had some sort of fungus. I decided to have them cut down for peace of mind after one of the giant trees in the woods came down and hit my balcony railing and grazed the house. I still get very nervous when there are high winds.

It has turned out so much better than I ever imagined because my wonderful view has opened up the big sky. I love sitting outside at night enjoying the stars. The angle of the sun is never too intense and the house ends up shading the balcony as the sun moves to the west after lunch. I had the stumps ground but I never planted grass seed. I'll seed the three bare spots in the fall and next year it will be perfect. I might transplant some clover that is growing in my gravel driveway for some instant ground cover that should spread nicely. I took the bottom photo just a few minutes ago on this fabulous Sunday morning. Tabitha got me up a few minutes after 6:00 so I put her outside with her food dish. Poor Webster had to wait for me to get up again to be fed. I went back to bed and didn't get up until 9:00. It was wonderful to sleep without a cat poking me to wake up. Enjoy this beautiful day.

I never want anything this awful to happen to my cottage ever again.

I was lucky. It could have been so much worse if the tree had been even one inch taller.