Re-Booting My System

Well friends, a lot of time has passed since my last post. A LOT.  Looking back on 2017, I only posted 6 times.  There was plenty going on, but nothing I felt like writing about, except for those 6 posts. So now I'm ready to fill in the gaps and get back to blogging!

As you may have read, my 90 year old Mom came to live with us from Texas at the first of the year, and she sadly passed on a couple of months later.  We all loved the time we had together, though not long enough.  She was an absolute joy, and not a day goes by without missing her terribly.

My husband Seamus was my rock after Mom was gone.  Luckily, he was home and with me every day for the first few months since his work is seasonal.  I threw myself into several different projects around the cottage and garden. That helped a great deal. I did this -

Gravel in place of grass = less mowing!

And this -

I LOVE this rocking bench.

And planted these - 

But somewhere along the way, something happened.  My hubby started his tours and I was alone a lot. And then, the big, beautiful spruce tree behind the cottage died and had to be removed. I know that doesn't sound like a tragedy, but  after that, I just couldn't find the joy in the things that usually bring me joy.  

I stopped crafting. I stopped painting furniture. I stopped walking in the forest. I started binge-watching telly.  Oh, and binge eating junk food.  You know, REALLY productive stuff!! LOL

And if that weren't bad enough, Mother Nature brought us the first-ever hurricane to Ireland in the form of Ophelia.  And this was the result -

I thought I cried when we lost the ONE tree - In total, it was over a dozen large trees, including the huge cypress that came down on top of our new shed. The insurance examiner was quick enough to come out and assess the damage, but due to the widespread damage across Ireland, getting our site cleared took a couple of months. When the clearing was done, this is what we were left with -

And here are a few of the Before and Afters -

BEFORE

AFTER

 

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

                                 

                             

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

It breaks my heart to see the AFTERS, but it's important to remember how it was before so it can hopefully be again. I am determined to plant more TREES, and lots of them!!!

Once the trees were taken away and the shed was rebuilt, both my hubby and I suddenly got the home improvement bug again - FINALLY!!!

So, at long last, I'm happy to say that new projects have sprung up at Moonlight Cottage! Stay tuned, because I have plenty to show you in my upcoming posts. I try not to leave you hanging too long this time!

“Autumn Leaves and Pumpkins, Please”

“Advice from a pumpkin: be well-rounded, get plenty of sunshine, give thanks for life's bounty, have thick skin, keep growing, be outstanding in your field, think big." -- Unknown

I’ve always had a fascination for pumpkins. I think part of it is how very fleeting they are - we don’t give them a thought until October, and by Christmas they are long forgotten. 

This is my first attempt at growing these beautiful orange orbs. Truth be told, it’s my first attempt at growing any kind of vegetable. A normal person would start with some simple like tomatoes, but then, I have never claimed to be normal!

I can tell you that after just a couple of months as a pumpkin farmer I am 100% hooked!! I’m already planning a pumpkin patch on a much bigger scale for next year. In the meantime, here’s a few pictures of the current crop for your viewing pleasure —

Every Blooming Thing

The summer in the garden has had some ups and downs.  Let's start with the highlights:

New roses this year. Here we have David Austin's "Mary Rose" English shrub roses. 

The lavender hedge is maturing nicely. 

Starry Night petunias

A lovely "Shirley Temple" peony.

Our bird feeding station.

This hydrangea is called "Curly Wurly".

Our fire pit

This shrub rose is named "Winchester Cathedral ".

"Ebb Tide" English rose. 

Purple perennials.

Now for the unpleasant part -

Our beautiful Norway spruce tree that canopied the cottage... 

...fell ill and had to be taken down. 

I cried that entire day, to be honest.

Hard to see, but there's a guy in the tree cutting limbs.

 Just a bit of the trunk peeking over the roof.

 Some of the bits and pieces.

Nothing left but the stump.

 Proof that it was TRYING to live. New growth, but not enough.

I planted a willow tree nearby, in hopes for a new canopy in a few years.

Curb Appeal

Springtime to me means gardening. We've done nothing up to now to enhance the front garden, which is really just a little patch of grass. 

 

It's an awkward patch to mow, and doesn't really add to the curb appeal, SO --

 

 

Out with the grass, and in with the gravel! Normally I wouldn't prefer a hardscape over greenery, but over the summer this area will be transformed into a proper cottage garden. I'm still in the design phase, but stay tuned and I'll post more pics of the progress.  Wish me luck!

Purple Passion

It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that purple is my favourite colour.  Back in the 70's, I even had purple shag carpet in my bedroom! I always wanted a purple door, and as documented in my early posts, that was the first change I made after we moved in here.

Then last summer when I added the gate sign, I did it in the same purple.

So I suppose it was a no-brainer when it came time to add this rocking garden bench -

That's probably the last thing I'm going to do up with my favourite shade of paint, ("Absolutely Livid" by Dulux) but you can count on plenty of purple flowers in the coming months! I'll update this blog when everything is in full bloom.

It Started with a Fairy Tale

This is my first post in quite a while.

Our life here was changed in a big way over the past months, and I'm ready to share the story. It's a bit long, but bear with me. There is a very significant point to this tale.

From the day we bought this cottage, our dream was to bring my Mom from Texas to live with us. Every decision we made during the renovation was with her in mind.

Fast forward to this past December. While on our annual visit to Texas, Mom finally agreed to come home with us to Ireland. We weren't looking forward to the actual travel day, knowing that it would be very tiring for my 90 year old mother. To our surprise, she came through it like a champ!

Once in Ireland, she was as captivated with it as I was. She loved the countryside, the food, our cottage - everything. She said we were spoiling her rotten, and we were!

Suddenly, without warning, my darling Mom had a heart attack and passed away a few days later.  She was here just under two months. It wasn't long enough, but I will forever cherish the days and weeks we had together. The last thing I told her before she took her final breath was that she made my dreams come true when she came to Ireland. And she understood and shared my love of this cottage. That's understandable, because it all started many years ago, with HER, may she rest in peace. ❤️

When I was very small, Mom would read me to sleep every night. She was the BEST reader,  and she was so good to read my favourite story over and over without complaining. That fairy tale changed my life.

The story? HANSEL and GRETEL. You know, the gingerbread house, the witch, and the brother and sister lost in the woods. But how did THAT story have an effect on me, you ask?

Hansel left a trail of pebbles that led them back to their home when the MOONLIGHT  glistened on the stones that pointed the way to their COTTAGE.

When Hansel and Gretel came upon the gingerbread house and started to eat it, the witch inside called out to them, saying:

NIBBLE NIBBLE NOTTAGE...WHO'S NIBBLING AT MY COTTAGE?

        

Obviously, that story and those images stayed with me my entire life. I remember showing pictures of the cottage from this blog to my sister, and her response was, "You really watched too much Disney as a kid, didn't you???" I was a bit offended by that remark, but in all honesty I guess she wasn't too far off.  My dream cottage was first created  from the beloved fairy tale that my sweet mother so lovingly read to me night after night.

Thank you, Mom. Moonlight Cottage is as much a part of you as it is me. You will live on forever in our hearts and in this place that you helped to imagine all those years ago. I'll love you forever, dear Darling ❤️

         Islarea Caviness 1926 -2017

Ringing in the Bluebells

I love this time of year. In our little corner of Ireland, it's the time when things start to come alive. The cows are back out in the surrounding fields, the birds are singing and nesting, and everything is starting to bloom.

When we first moved in here, I noticed bulbs shooting up through the ground and remember thinking that I might have to dig those all up if I didn't like the colour. I was pleasantly surprised when they turned out to be bluebells!

 

They're so cheerful, and they are everywhere - 

 

 

 

They are even growing around this old jug that I'm using to make a fairy garden. 

Mom was really looking forward to seeing the bluebells in bloom. She didn't quite make it, but today I picked few and made a little bouquet just for her. You'll always have flowers, Mom. 💗