Tabitha, Two Months Ago

This photo was taken on June 3, 2015. I think it was on this very day that Webster knocked the cat dish off the chair trying to get the last piece of kibble out and it broke on the bluestone walk. Now Tabitha is gone too. 

Thank you all for your kind concern about her passing. I saw it coming so I had some advance warning. I am really okay and I'm glad it happened in the summer while she was outside and happy. She really didn't seem to be suffering either, not even on her last day. Good-bye, sweetheart. You will be missed. xo

Anna and Tabitha -- Together Again.

This is one of my favorite pictures of my mother walking her cat Tabitha. Anna departed 2-1/2 years ago and Tabitha went to join her yesterday. Now it's only Webster and me and we miss them both. Tabitha had been failing for the past couple of weeks and her passing didn't come as a big surprise. I actually thought she was improving since her appetite returned, but I was wrong. She lived a good life here and she loved keeping watch and sleeping in "her" chair next to the front door. Who will guard the cottage now? Not Webster. He's too busy sitting under the air conditioning duct that blows down on his dog bed. 

Wonderful Seashore Cottage

Wouldn't this be the perfect place to spend the month of August? Sign me up. I would love this cottage in any setting, but the seashore would be quite wonderful. via

Tiny Animal Road Signs in Lithuania

I'm sure the human residents of Vilnius, Lithuania get a kick out of these cute signs. See cat and bird signs here and the boys who make them.

Another Beautiful Antique Garden Urn

The patina on this urn is wonderful. This would be quite a statement piece in any garden, especially mine. via

Small Cottage with a One-Person Porch

This is too charming! I really want to go inside and look around to see if the inside is as perfect as the outside. via

Golden Laced Wyandotte Chickens

These golden laced wyandotte hens are absolutely stunning. Their patterned feathers in shades of gold and brown brown are so very beautiful, designed by Mother Nature. via

Mind Your Manners for Children

I love this.

Every parent should save this and print a copy for each child. via

Gentleman's Closet Extraordinaire

I hope this beautifully fitted walk-in closet doesn't have a door, for it's far too lovely to be out of view for even a minute. via

Rustic Shed with Attached Greenhouse

The rustic shed was built with wood recycled from a car dealership that was being demolished and the windows were found in the garbage. The conservatory top was probably the only really expensive item. It's a pretty wonderful DIY project for this handy gentleman and his sheep, isn't it? via

Ferns at My Cottage

The ferns are still going strong in the woods surrounding my property. The skunk cabbage is dying off and I consider that one of the first signs of fall. The crab grass is at its peak and it's the weed I dislike hate the most. I am slowly getting rid of it next to my front walk so I can put down more wood chips. This is not a fun job either. Webster and Tabitha like having me out there in the cool of the evenings before we all turn in. I slept like a log last night and that's an excellent benefit, right? Enjoy your Sunday. xo my photo

So Many Things To Love in This Kitchen

Where do I start? Dutch door, island, nail-studded stool, floor + ceiling, wall cupboard beside the sink, the window over the sink, and on and on. I love it all. via Elle Decor Have a great weekend.

Greenhouse with Potting Cottage

Greenhouse : The handsome attached brick structure has a slate roof, flower and bulb rooms, and a half bath. I always like the outbuildings better than the mansions. photo source MLS

Wonderful Outside Room / Greenwich CT

Landscape architects Conte & Conte, Greenwich, CT via

Hollyhocks, Tall and Beautiful

This photo looks like a painting. These hollyhocks are perfect against this brick wall and near the weathered shutters. They are my favorite old-fashioned flowers. via

Free Range Chicken + Envious Dog

Maybe the chicken is wishing the dog could come out and play.

They seem okay with each other and the dog looks calm and wishful too. Both are beauties. Source

Clipped Hedges w/ Potted Orange Trees

This is a really lovely walled garden. I'd like to see a bird's eye view to see the entire geometric design. via

White Galley Kitchen

This tiny kitchen works because of the window. via

Beautiful Greek Revival Estate

Di Biase Filkoff Architects Click through to photo #4 and continue for a few more views of this delightful compound.

Elephant Slide: Girona Spain 1975

Have a fun Sunday.

What a great beach jungle gym for these lucky kids.

Boy, I'll bet that metal slide is hot!

via

1908 House with A Wraparound Porch

I think this is a great house with stunning curb appeal and I can't believe it's from 1908 either. Doesn't it seem perfect for today? Don't you wish we could go inside? via HGTV

J.R.R. Tolkien Quote

Via

Every line is its own quote, isn't it? I like seeing them all together too. Have a great weekend. We  had rain here at the cottage that stopped. Now it's gloomy and muggy but I don't care. I like all kinds of weather. I'm already planning my afternoon nap. xo

So Many Butterflies

Monarch Butterflies by Claude Bernard

Cades Cove - Great Smokey Mountain National Park

My favorite rail fence around log cabins. Nice. 

by ajgarrison3

Don't Be Delicate Quote

I'm not and I'll try. via

I have a lot of irons in the fire right now and I'm trying with all of my might to keep the fire burning. I haven't tried being vast and brilliant yet, but it's worth a try since I don't have a delicate bone in my body.

Delightful Irish Cottage

Irish Cottage with rock walls and hens. via

The Husky and The Kitten

This is a great story about how a Husky nursed this kitten back to health. Read here. There are many heart-warming photos of Lilo and Rosey too. Love!

Is Watchman the Unedited Mockingbird?

See where 

‘Go Set a Watchman’ overlaps with 

‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ 

word-for-word

Maybe it's not a new book at all. I found this article to be fascinating. Read highlighted passages from both books that are repeated almost word for word. The more I read, the more I believe this is Mockingbird before the two and one half years of editing and rewriting. What do you think? Read here. 

William Morris Wallpaper Designs

Brother Rabbit - William Morris - 1882

Marigold, William Morris, 1875
photo credits: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Wheat Fields next to Lavender Fields

Proof that man does not live by bread alone.

This is a stunning photograph.

via

Jimmy Stanton's Home

More photos here.

Harper Lee Manuscript found in Safe Deposit Box

I don't know about you, but ever since I saw the documentary on PBS about the author of To Kill A Mockingbird, I have had so many questions. Some of them are slowly being answered. I was wondering who was the owner of the safe deposit box? Who was present when it was opened? Who overlooked the unknown manuscript? Is there yet a third unpublished book?

Read this article and the link within from the Wall Street Journal: Harper Lee may have written a third novel, lawyer suggests.
Read the article in the Wall Street Journal ~ (click on top article when link opens).

I'm still curious about another aspect of the unpublished Watchman book from 1957. I understand it is being printed exactly as written. They why did it take 2 whole years of edits before Harper Lee's Mockingbird was published? This doesn't make sense to me. This fact was in the Documentary Film on PBS. Just wondering!

Watch Here via PBS

Let's Teleport to England Today

This looks like a good starting place, doesn't it? St. James Church, Shere - Surrey via

A Drive Down Memory Lane

Remember these car windows? I still miss the small vent window that you could open to keep your hair from blowing. I also miss the roll down mechanism. My front passenger window is electronic and it no longer works. To keep my hair from blowing when I have the front driver's window down, I have to roll down the back windows too. My air conditioning doesn't work either. I don't mind since I rarely turn on the central A/C in my house and I'm not really used to being cool all the time. The summer will be over soon so I'll wait until next spring to have more freon added. I mowed my back wildflower field just in the nick of time yesterday. It was very close to being too tall to mow. I had my mower deck all the up as high as it was go and it was hot and dry and it went well. Pretty soon my property will be in apple pie order once again. I got really behind because of that rainy weather pattern we were in, with 5 days of rain followed by 2 sunny days. Have a great Sunday. xo via

A Royal Christening: Family Portrait

I was so happy to find this royal family portrait on a cool Saturday morning here at the cottage. This is the first one I've seen with Princess Charlotte out of her pram. They are such a beautiful family and so perfect together. photographed by Mario Testino

Have A Cool Weekend

Webster likes to do this too. There's nothing quite like cold water straight from the spigot when it's hot outside. photo source

Toparies in Training

I took some cutting from my rosemary plants to root in water and then transfer to some small pots. I want to prune and train them to be straight and tall and bushy at the top. I have lots of moss growing on my property too. This will be a fun project. photo source

Breathtaking: Lavender and Topiaries

Gasp. Have you ever seen anything more beautiful? via

The horticultural art of topiary dates back at least 2,000 years, to when the ancient Romans cut bushes and trees into ornamental shapes.

Another Low Country Cottage

That's an awfully big house number for such a small cottage. I love the twin ceiling fans on the porch ceiling, It looks perfect in every way. via

Fabulous Ribbon Driveway

An old-fashioned design that harkens to the days when wagon ruts ran down the middle of a roadway, ribbon driveways typically put pavement beneath the wheels and grass in the middle. Back in fashion not just because they look great, they also create a permeable surface to reduce water runoff. Everything old is new again and I love this design. via