Horses Passing My Cottage

These two horses and riders clippity clopped past my cottage sometime over the weekend. Now you can also see my front lawn that is still uncut and will stay that way until we have some much-needed rain. The ground is like concrete and is cracking open. I could check my blog to see when we last had rain but I'm almost afraid to look. I did work on some outdoor planters so it doesn't look as if I am completely oblivious to outdoor work. I picked some lilacs at the home of a friend and the house smells wonderful. I did 521 twirls with my hula hoop after dinner last night in case you are interested. For some reason there are no realtor open houses in my town today. Maybe everyone has the blues after paying their taxes. See you later!

Maggie Smith Rumors at Downton Abbey

Say it isn't so. There are whisperings that Maggie Smith has not renewed her contract beyond Season 3's Christmas Special. Hopefully she will reconsider and stay on once she realizes that the series cannot possibly go on without her. via

Top 10 Maggie Moments from Season One


Top Maggie Moments from Season Two

Distracted from Doing Housework

I can so relate to this painting. I am distracted by anything and everything any time I start to organize or clean - especially by my books. 

Artist: Édouard John Mentha (also Menta) 
1858 Genève 1915 

Library interior with maid reading.

I would be hopeless in this room too! via

Beautiful Paint Color for A Bedroom

I love this sage green wall color and the wooden ceiling too. And the windows. And the cozy size of the room. via
PS--Tonight after dinner I did 424 continuous spins with my weighted hula hoop. That is a record so far! I want to be able to do 1,000 without stopping. That's my goal right now.

Cat and Owl Calligraphy - So Beautiful

Click photo to enlarge and you will see that there is a mouse in the owl's beak. I dearly love this folky antique drawing snd handwriting exercise. The fragile calligraphy drawing was produced by the schoolteacher, Jacob Labotz, as part of a series of sketches with poems that he gave to students sometime in the 18th century. via BibliOdyssey
The Dutch text reads: 
"De kat spreekt tegen den Uijl 
Uijl gij doet mijn onregt 
de muis is mijn toegelegt 
Den uijl spreekt tegen de kat 
Kat gij moet weten 
het ongegoste broot word't meest gegeten"
I think there is some sort of dialogue going on about who deserves the mouse.

Cottage Flowers

Have a beautiful Spring Sunday. I love these pink flowers in front of this stunning English home, don't you? via

Daisy Sunshine Antique Wood Stove

I photographed this great old stove in an old barn today. Don't you love the name? Daisy Sunshine!

Lovely Bedroom

Mill Valley Reovation by Benjamin Dhong Interior Design. I love the walled-in privacy porch off the lovely bedroom with the cool round window. Have a great weekend.

Have a Relaxing Weekend

The nights are still chilly but we are supposed to have a warm weekend. Enjoy lying on your back in front of the heater if you can. via

Martha Stewart doesn't live here

And thank goodness for that. This another sign from the house with the chickens and the plaque about the dog hair. There is more to life than having a perfect house, isn't there? 

Perfectly Wonderful Wrap Around Porch

Yes, please. This looks like an amazing place, doesn't it? via

This indoor plant nook is too lovely for words. It's pretty enough to be a painting, isn't it? I wonder how many years this geranium has been in this spot? via

My Favorite Split Rail Fence

This is my favorite style of split rail fencing requiring no 'set' posts in the ground. It's sort of a balancing act and is self supporting. Read a real description here. I photographed this one from my car with my iPhone on Tuesday after I left the open house with the chickens. 

Spreading Wild Violets

I bought a new lawn mower this year to do the front lawn. It's too tight to get my riding mower in there plus it slings the clippings up against the house and makes a big mess. My old one bit the dust last year and I went one whole season using the old 'reel' mower from the dark ages. I still use it but for big jobs and spring cleanup I prefer a power mulching mower. I got just what I needed at Sears. It has big back wheels and it's RED. Wahoo. I can't wait to fire it up but I'm going to wait a little longer until the violets that have invaded the lawn start to shrivel a little more. They look like miniature orchids up close. These are considered to be a weed by some but I happen to love them and can't bear the thought of chopping their beautiful heads off.

Webster Romping under Cloudy Skies

Webster had a fine time on our mid-afternoon walk today. Who needs a visiting puppy to have fun? I hula hooped and he ran in circles in the cool April air under stormy skies. We are back to normal again. 

Spectacular Bedrooms from Architectural Digest

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which one is your favorite? There is something special to love about each one. 

One Rooster and Five Hens

These fowl friends were the best part of the open house tour yesterday. They were very excited to see me.

I photographed the rooster inside the barn last fall before this delightful property went on the market. It wasn't that long ago that the whole town looked like this with gardens and barns and farm animals ... but no more :(

Patio with Vine Covered Fireplace

As I inch myself towards daring to even think about moving outside again this year I'm stopped dead in my tracks by this photo. You would never want to go inside if you had such a beautiful patio, would you? I love the table and hanging lantern too. It's a wonderful outdoor room! Found here scroll up when the page loads.

Fashion Advice for Dog Lovers

I had a great time at one particular realtor open house tour today. This little stoneware plaque made me laugh. Isn't it great?

There were two cute real dogs running around inside and outside but they wouldn't be still long enough for a photo so I snapped these Staffordshire poodles instead.

Beatrix Potter Mouse House in The Spring

Beatrix Potter. Don't you just love her illustrations? I don't care for mice in person ... just in storybooks. My violets are running wild all over the lawn and the scale in this artwork is just about perfect for a well-dressed mouse woman locking up her tree house to go shopping. Have a wonderful spring day. I hope I will see a house half this wonderful on realtor house tours today but I doubt that I will :) via

Pillow Talk

I photographed this needlepoint pillow at a recent open house. It's really good advice, isn't it?

You Are My Sunshine

My iPhone photo of a sign on a kitchen wall in a house that was filled with sunshine.

The Skunk Cabbage is Spreading

The woods are being overtaken by the spreading skunk cabbage in the wetlands to the rear of my cottage.

Henry's Last Day at My Cottage

Today is Henry's last full day with us. I taught him how to get on the sofa by himself and today he did it with no assistance. His owner won't even know he's the same pup she dropped off 5 days ago. This is another kaleidoscope photo taken with my iPad and edited with the Infinicam app that was a free download over the weekend. I just checked and it's still free so grab it. It's normally $1.99 so it's a bargain right now. It's so much fun to play around with all the different borders. Have a great week and I'll see you later.
Here is another camera app that is free today only. It's usually $1.99. I downloaded it too. Will test it later. Grab it while it's free!!!!!!!

Baby Blue Bird

I had a great Easter and hope you did too. I love this photo of a baby blue bird -- found here. I can't wait to jump in bed and watch Mad Men. See you tomorrow.

Serving the Easter Eggs

 

Happy Easter everyone. I always look for vintage images and this is an old Easter postcard I've never seen before. It's a beautiful day here at the cottage and hopefully at your house too. via

Henry and Webster

Webster has another babysitting job this weekend. I'm so proud of how well he gets along with other dogs. He's so gentle and is an absolute prince in every way. Henry, the Cavalier King Charles spaniel adores him. He has been here since Thursday. He came with a picky appetite but that has changed since coming to the cottage. Now he eats with gusto just like Webster does. No between meal snacks and some people food mixed with his kibble was all it took. That's the toe of my sock foot in the foreground. The colored thing leaning up against the sofa in the background is my weighted hula hoop. We just got back from a walk to the way back and I took my hoop down there to get some exercise and I was able to do 191 continuous revolutions before I hit a snag. That is the most so far. I usually pick up and continue until I do 300 at each session several times a day. I had to take one week off when I hurt my back shoveling gravel. I started up again this past Monday.
Have a wonderful Easter. Mother and I are going to brunch at a the home of friends tomorrow. 

Healthy Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins, Mexican Style

 

Perfect Saturday Night Supper.

Surprised Hen

 

Jenni Oliver