Duck Love

“Duck love is recognizable in any language.”
― Edmond Manning
Too tired to post anything original but loved this and thought you would too. via

Enlarging My New Garden

I put this photo taken yesterday late in the afternoon on Instagram too. I moved my antique iron urn to this spot that started out as a large clump of my mother's daffodils. They have bloomed out now and this garden with no plan is telling me what to do. I planted my large rosemary that was wintering over in my pantry in the urn and I love it. To the left of the urn is a giant mullein i found growing wild against my foundation that I transplanted. 

I forgot to bookmark the location of this photograph of a clump of giant mullein growing in a beautiful garden. I found it on Google Images. My single giant will be probably overpower its small garden space but for now it is a free plant I rescued because I have always admired these wildflowers (or weeds) that must be in the lamb's ear family with their gray green fuzzy leaves. 

Stay safe, stay home, and enjoy the first Sunday in May. xo

Before and After Townhouse Vines

The vines that adorn this beautiful townhouse in winter let the beauty of the architecture shine through while still providing interest. via

The first spring blossoms are spectacular, aren't they, and well worth the wait. via HAPPY MAY DAY!

Tasha Tudor House and Gardens

Tasha Tudor's son built the house by hand without the aid of power tools. She loved Corgis, painting, gardening, and an old-fashioned life. via

Can you imagine in your wildest dreams having a row of pink peonies like this? Sigh. xo

Billy Collins Reading his Poems

The Poems of Billy Collins -- Point Loma Writer’s Symposium By the Sea 2013. He was the Poet Laureate of the US 2001-2003. If you cannot see the video above, click here for YouTube. View full screen if on a computer. I love him, the way he reads his own poems, and his humor. Enjoy. xo

UPDATE: I found another line for those of you who enjoyed the video above. Here is Billy Collins doing a lengthy performance before a creative writing crowd at Cornell University. It's 1 hour 26 minutes long. I watched the whole thing in bed instead of a movie, including the Q&A at the end, and loved it. https://www.cornell.edu/video/reading-by-us-poet-laureate-billy-collins Hope you enjoy it too. xo

Artichokes at My Cottage

I purchased the three artichoke finials at a thrift shop in February before the stay at home mandate. I knew immediately they would be perfect in my garden. I even went out and purchased artiichoke seeds that are still in their packet while I plan my garden in my head. I got the book on Irish Georgian architecture at a used book shop and it's wonderful. I left the finials at the desk of the small thrift store and every single person who went to check out wanted them too. Nobody knew exactly what they were so I stood my ground when asked if I still wanted them. Of course I did. Pineapple finials are rather common, but artichoke finials are rare! 

Here is my seed packet. I really should have started my seeds indoors but it's almost time to plant them outdoors, so I shall wait. Stay safe while sheltering in place. xo

Royal Nap: The Most Noble Andrew, 11th Duke of Devonshire

The Most Noble Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire napping in his library at Chatsworth. via
I have posted this photo before but since we are all staying at home and spending a lot of time on our sofas, I thought you would enjoy seeing it again.

He once told an interviewer: "Wonderful things have happened in my life — it's time my son had his turn. When I was young I used to like casinos, fast women and God knows what. Now my idea of Heaven, apart from being at Chatsworth, is to sit in the hall of Brooks's, having tea."

Beautiful Bedroom

I wouldn't change a thing. via

First Mowing Yesterday

I fired up my trusty walk behind power mulching push mower and filled it with gasoline leftover from the fall and it started up on the third pull. I worked until it ran out of gas and was tempted to fill it up again and do more but decided to call it a day instead. I still want to go deeper into the rear but will do the front first. I never do lawn work on Sundays and it's very chilly with rain on the way so I'll just stay inside instead. Enjoy your day whatever you decide to do. xo

Photos Around My Cottage

A little iron bird awaiting real birds in the birdbath, photographed in portrait mode.

Daffodils I can see from my kitchen window photographed after a rain. These were dug up from the woods and transplanted in February during a mild winter's day.

Lady's mantle yesterday, on a rainy day on my way to the mailbox. This perennial plant never ceases to amaze me the way it captures raindrops.

My mother's daffodils transplanted where I can see them from all my back windows. Enjoy your weekend. xo

Potting Sink and Antique Architectural Salvage

via

This piece of antique architectural salvage is in the garden under my balcony outside my mother's patio. It came from a local house where I bought it. The man said his dad removed it from an old building in Newark NJ that was being demolished. It was a roof element on one of the dormers. I love the form and the original surface.

Favorite Things and a Rooster Portrait

Just a photo in my pantry/home office showing the items that live to the left of my laptop.

Here is one of my cast iron roosters using portrait mode on my iPhone.

Dog on Book on Desk

Happy Earth Day

Just a random photo from my phone. 

I always buy dogs reclining on books whenever I can.

This one looks so nice on my slant front desk.

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