The day Mother Nature stopped by!

 It was a quiet Saturday morning in June of 2023. Viva and I had come in from the backyard and were getting ready for our morning walk. It was 8:30, the sun was out and there was no wind. As we were ready to go out the front door there was a loud, very loud CRASH out back. I went out the back door to see if I could tell where the noise came from. I could not believe my eyes as the picture shows a larg limb dropped from the tree and landed on my simple shed...CRASH!

My spirit was as crushed as my poor shed! Never having experienced this type of situation I called my insurance company. The agent was wonderful! I felt bad that I was feeling so sad at really a minor incident. So many difficult disasters around the world and I am feeling sad about my little problem. The agent shared she understood and I needed to be ok with my feelings as this was/is my personal "crash"!

It has been just about a year since this very large limb fell. I have removed all the broken pieces and have begun to move my exsisting plants around . 

To the left is a picture of my shady yard before the tree decided to give me more sun light! 

the shed is in the background. 

Below is the same view but looking like a hurricane passed through! The orginal 8x8 shed weather the fall and I have sinced made it usable. I had all the tree canopy cut off as it was difficult to tell how far the disease had spead.

I just love this tree and instructed the men to leave what you see in the picture, it contnues to give praise!

That Saturday morning I was overwhelmed. How was I ever going to find the energy to put the yard back together! No shade! The hot summer sun full blast on my yard and house!

I don't know how I do it, but I am doing it! I have rearange the stone 

walls and paths, dug up my existing sun plants, divided and replanted

them in new gardens. I am excited about the new adventure and am

making the tree the focal point of my back yard once again!

Below a more recent picture of the journey.

 Well as "they" say this is my story and that is that!

I still haven't found spell check and need to learn how to arrange my photos better. I am not a pro just someone out there sharing about simple living. No politics. No AI, obvious!

Keep it simple and keep looking up to the stars!

the City Cottager

I'm Back!

 Well here I am again! I'm like the elf on the self, you never know when I will show up again!

Oh my. To quote Katheren H. ( I think); life,life,life! Life feels good right now, of course a sip of wine which I have given up for three years doesn't hurt! As I go forward with my "woordiness" let me be clear that my heart is still a problem. Enough said on that. 

My neighborhood is host to a wonderful small elementary school. On March 2,2024 they held a 5K fun run. Now the last 5K I did was in 1996 and I don't think I had a heart problem but Sat. I said "self go for it". I can't say for sure but I think my time of 55min. was as good as any in the past. 

It was a fun time and I got to speak with a lot of wonderful, young people! I think I have forgotten all the energy children possess. Back in the day I was an elementary teacher and later a principal so I am surprised at how surprised I was at all the energy they showed. Just goes to show age does slow us down not only physically but mentally.  

I feel the world is a bit of a mess right now. My little "bubble" is peaceful and very simple. Everything outside my "bubble" seems to be going so very fast and with little purpose. The electronic world is taking over and soon we will not be able to know the truth about anything! The other element that is fast taking over is pharmaceuticals. The TV is full of advertisements about the medication that will sovle all our health problems. Life,life,life!

I am not sure what I want to share on my blog. I have many ideas in my head. Many thoughts about nature, chronic illness, heart failure, aphasia and my dog Viva!

Since January 2020 I have spent much time dealing with my heart issue. Doctors, proceedures and hospital visits. Now it is time to move on and live. But I don't want to forget about the journey of these last three years as it has shaped my views about life and how it is lived. I am also one of the very many elderly people who live on Soc.Sec. I was not bright enough, lucky enough or what ever enough to have money in the stock market! That too shapes my views on life and my journey. 

So I need to find spell check! When I do I will write again. I am going to try and discipline myself to write at least once a week! I hope someone will stumble upon my blog and find a good feeling and maybe some insight to life.....until the next time look up to the stars!

The City Cottager

Viva after the hunt!

 This is Viva. She was adopted 6 years ago after Tivo Le died from cancer. She looks like a Jack Russel terrier but I think she is more Rat Terrier. Jack Russel sounds better than Rat Terrier but the truth is she is too large to be a Jack. She was 8 weeks old when I rescued her from the local SPCA. Who ever had her, had her tail cropped. I would never do that to an animal but it is cute to see her wage the 4" tail and it is a good handle when she is doing something that she shouldn't be doing! She loves to sleep under the covers and cuddle! I love that. She also loves to hunt for moles, voles and cicada nymphs. She is allowed the freedom to dig almost any where she wants to with the exception of a very small garden I have. For the most part she respects the rules; she is a very good girl!

I am having a bit of trouble getting into writing my blog. I thought sharing a picture of Viva would be a good way to get started but something is missing in me. I will give it time and see if I can write again. In the meantime one foot in front of the other.  

 Hello from the City Cottager! Things have changed since I have been away! I hope I can figure out what is what on the blog. Here goes!

I have just turned 72 year' old. I feel very fortunate to have not only lived for 72 years but have had a wonderful life. Nothing fancy, just plain living day to day, enjoying the moments and the people that came my way. Now at 72 ,I find that I have heart failure. Hmmm. I guess my heart has been failing for a few years but my body let me know about it last Dec. That would be December 15, 2020. It is now 7 months later, Aug. 18,2021. I have lived through a variety of life experiences, some fun, some hard, some that make me laugh now and some that scare me; did I really do that? Life. What makes up life?

I am back on my blog because I have the need to quietly share my thoughts. Once you speak words they are lost in another's feelings. Using the written word gives others the chance to "hear" think and hopefully reflect on what I am actually sharing.

So I have begun! Over the next few days I will begin to share about my new life's journey; how it came to be and where I am now. 

Till then keep on turning the page.

The City Cottager starts Pot It Up 1-2-3!

The City Cottager At Market!

Oh where, oh where has the City Cottager been? I have been to the market to sell plants and things!

To the market? Yes to the market; the Raleigh flea market!

Life as we all know has many twists and turns on the road we travel. The last 7 plus years I have been working at a local garden center but that chapter in my life has ended. I love working with plants and people and have all this crazy plant information in my head so I started a very small plant business called Pot It Up 1-2-3! My first season started on April 1, 2017, yes April fools day! I love a good joke!

 I am a bit rusty with my writing but I hope now that I have dusted off my blog I will share more about life at the City Cottage and how it has changed. I have also learned how to use my Chrome book to download pictures!!! I bet it was always there, right under my finger tips and I just didn't see it. That is the way with me, stumbling around until I unearth something worthwhile.

So the journey continues!

Spring

Spring is here! Along with the spring rain. I have just finished writing/compiling a short pamphlet about native plants to attract birds and butterflies. It was a challenge to get it into booklet form but it was accomplished! I will take it to the printers this week! It will be my first written work published! I hope to continue with the pamphlet form to increase my knowledge and ability to share that knowledge in written form.
The wonderful journey continues! I hope to begin writing on my blog once again. See you soon?

Taking a winter rest!

As I sit at my desk counting and naming the birds that are coming to my feeder I am thinking I am going to take a rest from writing, not that anyone will notice! I may look to another form of writing or just move forward to another adventure. Not sure. If my computer would be easier to use with this blog I probably would not take a 'rest'. But it is very difficult to load a picture and these days my chromebook doesn't always want to start up. It is just very frustrating. I do love to write, I just need to find my form. As my dear father would say, "We'll see".