Friday, March 7, 2014

small things



I've been savoring my beautiful arrangement of roses, ranunculus and sweet peas, but it's this little one on my bedside table that my sons noticed.


This winter's been so cold, icy and snowy that I've been scattering bird seed in more places than usual, including a big terra cotta pot I forgot to bring in. The pot is tall enough that the top peeks out from the snow still on the ground.

Every night two rabbits sit in it and pick through the seeds to see what the birds (and squirrels) have left. We put out celery too, but they seem very happy with sunflower seeds. It's a nightly ritual, people and cats looking out the window watching the rabbits in the flower pot.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

24 comments:

  1. These rabbits must be very happy with their finds! And your vase and flowers are really beautiful! Where to travel? I would like to return to Denmark...and France of course.

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    1. I've never been to Denmark. I've been to France, but not for many years.

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  2. Hi Jen, There is no snow in Taiwan, so I can't complain. Just the opposite--I am trying to plan how I can escape some of the oppressive and enervating summer heat coming up in a few months!
    --Jim

    PS: I love the way your flower arrangements and photos light up the screen and bring me so much color and life.

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    1. You are so kind. Given that I use a little point and shoot camera, I cannot take any credit--all credit goes to the subject.

      Are there cool places you can escape to for a weekend?

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  3. Hello Jen,

    The winter with you does seem to have been extremely harsh this year and unrelenting in its length. You must be wishing for the warmer days of Spring so much. And, your post is a timely reminder that for many birds and animals, such harsh winters bring very small pickings for them.

    How wonderful that you remember to pay attention to the small creatures who live in your area and what a joy it I must be to see the rabbits at play.

    Keep warm and have a very happy and relaxing weekend!

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    1. Jane and Lance--The pleasure we get from watching the little creatures is well worth its weight in sunflower seeds. Every morning I fill the feeders, the frozen birdbath, the flowerpot and a couple other places, and the cats get set up at their window for the day.

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  4. I would love to be stunned, bowled over and amazed in South Africa!

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    1. That's high on my list now too, since I started reading 66 Square Feet.

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  5. I would like a cosy weekend with you and Shelley in your country house. Would there be a roaring fire? And piles of books? And we would need your men to cook for us since I'm apparently the only true cook among the 3 of us and I've got a clipped wing.

    xo J

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  6. at the moment, I'd go to Fiji. don't ask me why. or Rome and Venice. you had to ask.... there goes the rest of my day ;)

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  7. I was thinking about Venice and Rome too, and the south of Italy. I've made a couple trips north, but never south.

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  8. Erg, I must be such a country girl because I've never felt a strong pull to any other country that would make me have to fly on a plane for way too many hours and spend ridiculous amounts of money in the name of fun. So on that note, I would have to say Taos.

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    1. There are so many amazing places in this country--now that you are in the NW you have the Cascades, the Pacific... My mother used to live on Orcas Island.

      I will definitely return to New Mexico one day--I dream of those pink buttes and green enchiladas.

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  9. Oh that's a tough one, I have wanderlust. I could pick one place now and another in the next minute. Capetown is high on the list so are New Zealand and Australia, too many places too little time. I do love that ranunculus. Paris!

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    1. I took a stupid quiz on what city I should live in, and the answer was Capetown. I have no idea why. NZ and Australia are so vast, to me it's like India--you'd need a month to scratch the surface.

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  10. We're going to Scotland in May. Haven't been abroad since before 9/11. Mom has been in assisted living since 2007 with dementia, nearly 89, so I'm taking a big chance traveling -- but the years go by and I can't wait any longer.

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    1. Does this have anything to do with Outlander? I'd love to visit Scotalnd too. And Wales.

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    2. Not really - I've been doing research on Scotland from 1689 - 1746 off and on since the 1990s for an historical novel. I just want to get a feel for the lay of the land, tuck the memories away until I need them. Gabaldon has mined some of the same old books on Scotland that I have. It's rather funny.

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    3. I think the whole rocky windswept wildness of it is so appealing. And I'd like to visit Glasgow too.

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  11. What soft dreamy lovely shots of flowers! They are like you!
    Where I'd like to go...well first I'd like to go for a trip to rediscover my own country.
    I'd also like to visit Machu Pichu, Yungfrau, if only they were nearer from here!

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    1. I do think sometimes we forget about the beauties of our own countries. I want to make a big mountain trip too!

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  12. I would want to return to Croatia. What a lovely country with lovely people. If my husband were more adventurous, I might be tempted to try to convince him to let us spend the majority of our time there when we retire.

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    1. My son went there and loved it, so it's definitely on my list. How interesting that you feel so strongly about it. Hope you will post on that topic one day.

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