Gardening Wallpaper, Dahlias + An Owl

I photographed this delightful gardening wallpaper when life was normal in the powder room during a broker open house.

This is a screenshot from Instagram @mccormickcharlie one of my favorites. Of course, he lives in England and raises award-winning dahlias on his property, a Manse alongside a beautiful country church.

Have you ever seen a more determined owl. He's definitely on a mission. This is also a screenshot from Instagram @animalswilder

Guinea Hen Sighting This Week

I was creeping along in my car in order to take this photo, waiting for this small flock of Guinea Hens to get out of the way and it took quite a while. Luckily I was the only car on this country road. I actually took a video and paused it to get this photo. Why was I out and about? I was coming home from a local farm market that has curbside pickup and puts your order in the trunk of your car with no human contact. It is a family owned business that was founded in 1922. I figured all the big box stores and large supermarkets will be okay but the little local guys might not. It was also good to go out and drive my car. At one point, I was a little concerned that I would not be able to stay within the 10,000 miles per year maximum mileage allowed on my three-year auto rental. This year, it will not be a problem!

See more info @ eBirds.com on Guinea Hens or Guinea Fowl. I love these polka dot birds and was very excited about my encounter with them this week. Stay safe, my friends and enjoy your Sunday. xo

Violets to Brighten Your Day

My wild violets are all over my front lawn and I dearly love them. Their sweet faces always brighten my day or, in this case, my evening. Stay safe. Stay strong. Stay home. xo

Sourdough Breadcrumbs

My 1973 Cuisinart is still working perfectly and made wonderful sourdough breadcrumbs for casserole toppings.

I never throw away glass jars and here is my breadcrumb stash to prove it. Pay no attention to the sprouting onion in the background.

Baking Sourdough English Muffins

I baked sourdough English muffins yesterday and they were easy and good but way too small. They look pretty normal in the photo but the are more like sea biscuits in real life, but good. The recipe called for a 3 inch cutter and that's what I used. My mother used to use tuna cans with the bottoms cut out. They don't make the cans that way anymore and you cannot cut out the bottoms. I just transferred the muffins from the griddle to this pan for the photo. To see more photos, go to my Instagram where I posted three photos. Use the forward arrow on a computer or swipe on phone or iPad. The jonquils were planted by my mother and I love seeing them sway from my kitchen window in a new garden where I transplanted them. xo

Happy Easter and The Bunny Hop

This bunny is hopping down the bunny trail to wish each of you a Happy Easter.

Baking: My Sourdough Oat Bread

As promised, here is the loaf (minus a few slices) of Sourdough Oat Bread I baked yesterday. The cookbook is opened to the page for how to make the starter. Click on the link for the recipe I used. I am very pleased and this bread is very satisfying somehow and doesn't leave me wanting to snack after eating it. Maybe I'm on to something. Staying at home during this pandemic makes one try to go back to homesteading, doesn't it? I have dabbled with sourdough several times before but I think this time, I will stick with it. 

I put this photo on Instagram this morning and so many people are learning sourdough techniques right now. I am looking forward to learning more. I will probably have french toast made with my loaf tomorrow for breakfast. See you tomorrow. xo

UPDATE: HuffPost has a great article on the immense popularity of backing sourdough bread now that people are home all day. Everything old is new again!!!

Lady's Mantle and Before Weeding Grape Hyacinths

Lady's mantle is lovely this time of year and especially with raindrops. The scalloped edges look as if they were cut with the pinking shears and they catch the droplets too.

This is a before photo of the edging I did by hand on my hands and knees with clippers that operate like big scissors. My poor grape hyacinths were in danger of getting choked out. It looks a lot better now and I will put down fresh woodchips around the two shrubs that no longer have leaves underneath to hold in the moisture. A hired landscaper would have whacked everything down to the bare earth in no time but I like my way better and it took hours. 

I baked sourdough oatmeal bread today and it it's delicious. I will post a photo and the recipe tomorrow. xo

Red Geranium Thru A Window

I took this geranium photo this afternoon after I worked in my front yard for hours tidying up the weeds and dead grass and leaves along my brick wall. The violets have just started and I wanted to give them room to spread. It was a good way to work off the sourdough pancakes I made this morning. I have gone back to the early 1970s with my cooking from scratch. I prepared my first batch of sourdough starter on Monday and prepared my overnight sponge for the pancakes last night They were delicious and I can heat up the extras in my toaster. 

This as the sky at 7am on Monday morning. My mother always called it a buttermilk sky. I posted it on Instagram and a couple of people said Cogey Carmichael had a song by that name that was popular in the late 1930s and 1940s. We always had buttermilk in my house when I was growing up and I always thought this sky got its name from the way buttermilk dries on the inside of the glass when you don't rinse it out right away.

I took this photo on Monday with the geranium inside my living room and me outside on the balcony with a reflection of the buttermilk sky in the background.

I hope you are all doing well with staying inside during this time of quarantine. So far, I know only one person who had Covid-19 and she has recovered, but it did linger for quite a long time. I am thankful we are going into warmer weather rather than winter. We are all learning new things. One neighbor who has mastered grocery delivery says she will never go grocery shopping again in person after this is over; she loves online ordering and having them delivered to her door. Another neighbor (across the street from me) has been doing it for 10 years and she's teaching all of us her techniques. Neighbors helping neighbors is a good thing. xo

A Fabulous Kitchen

Nice!

This kitchen is simply wonderful but I need to see more. Where is the range? To the right? That's pretty far from the refrigerator but all in all I love what I see, especially the painted floor. xo

SGN SomeGoodNews Episode 2

Episode 2 is wonderful. The surprise at the end has all the original cast members. If you can't see video above, click on this link. You might want to do this anyway so you can watch full screen on a computer or laptop. xo

Old Cement Planter at My Cottage

Cement planter looking very lonesome while awaiting the return of a large geranium overwintering in the cottage. It won't be long now.

This is a screenshot of my Instagram grid showing all of my recent posts.

I took this photo this morning of the periwinkle blooming in my woods. The intense blue color is amazing and very stunning on an overcast day, like this Sunday morning. See you later. xo

Bird on Barbed Wire

I love this. The fields in the background are beautiful. Looks like this little birdie got the memo about social distancing. xo

Washboard Laundry Morning

I used this vintage washboard in the bathtub this morning to wash a few pieces of fleece clothing and it worked perfectly. You aren't supposed to wash fleece too frequently in the washing machine because it breaks down the material made from plastic bottles. Who knew? I don't really have a problem polluting the ocean because I have a septic. Anyway, I had too few clothes for a washer load and this was quick and easy and my things are dripping nicely on my balcony railing. Fleece always dried quickly. The original price $1.89 is written on top of this vintage laundry aid. I am glad I have it. Everything old is new again. xo

RARE Antique Figural Drinking Game Glass

A 17th-Century Drinking Game

This glass was designed to drench the drinker in alcohol, and put on an entertaining display for onlookers. What is better than that?

“Joke glasses” challenged drinkers to figure out how to get the alcohol out with minimal spillage. If they spilled? The glass then refilled. This one is the world’s only intact example resembling a man.

The Head

In the collection of The Getty Museum

It is really hard to grasp the rarity of this intricately beautiful example, especially since it is in three pieces --the body, the funnel, and the head. How in the world did it survive since the 1600s??????

I found this when I was searching more of those hilarious photos of people who are enacting art in their homes while in quarantine. It was started by the Getty Museum on Twitter. You can see more if you go to Twitter and search #betweenartandquarantine -- I can't get enough and really enjoy seeing what people are doing at home while in isolation. Be well and be safe. xo

April First. A Frog and A Rabbit

My antique cast iron frog that looks right into the window of my pantry where I sit to pay bills. He has a hole in his mouth because he was once a fountain. I set my iPhone camera on portrait mode to blur out the background. I so love this feature.

Hare and Quail by Australian artist Anita Mertzlin. Found on Instagram @glendoghalcottage

Happy April Fool's Day. No jokes here. Ready to jump into bed now. xo

Getty Museum Art Challenge

I don't remember when I have been more entertained by art masterpieces reenacted at home while in quarantine.

Here is the link, keep scrolling to make sure you see 35 or 36 examples. The girl with the black eye by Normal Rockwell above is one of my favorites.

You can also see a few more at Getty Museum. There is also an application if you want to enter a creation of your own.

Have fun looking. I shared the first link with numerous friends yesterday and everyone loved it.

Garden #2 and SOME GOOD NEWS

Looking left inside red circle is the first garden I put in over the winter on mild days. The daffodils from my mother's garden are in bud and should be blooming soon. I am excited about the red poppies later too. Wish me luck. The daffodils that are completely dried up and crispy on my windowsill came from the garden on the right. 

I'm not sure how I found SGN (SOME GOOD NEWS) on youtube, but I did and it is very enjoyable.

Click here to watch if you cannot see the video above. I love John Krasinski and look forward to watching all the episodes I have missed.

Darling Brown Lamb

I love the color of this sweet lamb. The yarn made from this wool would be perfect. Wouldn't you love to have a nice thick sweater made from it? Or some of the yarn to knit you own creation? I would! via

Sunday Morning Views at My Cottage and a Mask

A rarely shared corner of my living room this morning. That glow in my bookcase door is a Himalayan Salt Lamp. I leave it burning 24/7 with a 25W bulb inside. I have one in the basement too. I didn't even know what they were when I purchased them at the Annual Firehouse Sale last September. My friend knew immediately and she has one in almost every room in her house. She told me they helped purify the air and a lot of other things too. The one thing I have noticed is increased concentration. It could be all folklore but maybe not. I like the nice glow, so why not?
The one I have with a dimmer is available from Bed Bath and Beyond for $24.99. I leave mine on all the time and it makes a great night light. (Good luck, Penny.) 

I found this image on Instagram. It is probably photoshopped but maybe not. Masks were common in the Elizabethan era to help keep out the noxious odors everywhere. This one is quite beautiful.

I made a new garden I can see out my kitchen window. There is another new one to the left near the bluebird house to be photographed later. I had the antique sundial already and the base is something I have had for a long time but wasn't using. It is perfect among the snowdrops and daffodils transplanted from different locations on my property. This was a fun project that started very early in February during the mild winter days. It sort of evolved with no plan. I just started out wanting to see my mother's daffodil clump near the house that I couldn't see without physically going outdoors. I planted them near the birdhouse and also planted a year-old packet of red poppy seeds, Papaver rhoeas. That was certainly a challenge, like planting ground black pepper, only finer. It took me forever to space them out a pinch at a time and I'm happy to report they have sprouted and I am beyond thrilled. Nothing is blooming there currently since the snowdrops have stopped but will post when something springs forth. Stay inside and be safe. xo

Good Saturday Morning

Monster bird? No, just a mom carrying her chicks under her wings. This is a JACANA, a tropical wading bird found all over the world. 

It took me a while to get this.

This little piggy stayed home 🐖🏠☺

TP cake. Looks pretty real, doesn't it?

A beautiful study in black and white.

Cat unaware. Wonder what happened when she woke up? People are dreaming up so many ways to entertain themselves while in self-quarantine.

I am still fine and hope you are too. Have a great weekend. All of the photos above were saved on my phone while reading various emails. Most are from Tumblr. 

Sheep Dog and Owl Camouflage

I absolutely love this photo. Such a happy face on this dog stuck in a herd of sheep. Found on Instagram. Photograph by Charlie Mackinnon, a Tasmanian farmer. This photo went viral when it was published in the Daily Mail Australia. 

Great Gray Owl

Hiding in Plain Sight

British Columbia

This is the best Owl Camouflage I have ever seen. You have to look really hard to see the body. Found on Instagram. Photographs by Alan Murphy Photography.

Here is a back view of the same owl with no face showing. Honestly, he is almost invisible! This is the second photo on the same Instagram post above. All the same links apply here. This is amazing.

Continue to stay at home and try to keep busy. There is a case of Covid-19 very near me and I know the lady. Very scary. She is recovering at home. Stay home, wash your hands, and try to stay busy. I will continue to try to uplift you in my meager ways. xo

Needle Felted Duckling Love

via

This is just too adorable. Hope it brightens your day. I have no intention of ever trying this craft but in case you are interested in how it's done, here is a YouTube Tutorial for making a simple owl.

Cheerful Photos

Fresh Acorna via

Backlit Bunny via

Brown and White Kitten via

This is a rare color in cats.

See an old post of mine with another brown/white cat.

18th Century Paper Cut Flower by Mary Delaney

via

Cut paper collage by Mary Delaney, English, 1700-1788. She began making these lovely intricate paper flowers when she was 70. It's never too late to start being awesome, is it? xo
Be sure to click on the link with her name -- her biography is fascinating reading!

Miniature Daffodils on Sunday

Last spring I went to a Broker Open House and the realtor was giving out pots of miniature daffodils instead of having a luncheon for the agents. I rushed home and divided the pot into three clumps and they are such a source of joy in these trying times.

They are planted near my hellebore.

I am still overjoyed with having this hellebore in my front garden. The window in my pantry where my laptop lives, overlooks this area behind my birdbath and I can see it from my living room too.

This intense shade of yellow is stunning.

My front yard photographed in the late afternoon yesterday. The governor officially closed down New Jersey last night to all non-essential travel and we are to stay home in order to prevent further spread of Covid-19. Stay put and be safe. I will continue to checkin and post frequently. xo