Well, Happy New Year! I was born in 1952 and this year ends in ’22, so you do the math. It won’t happen until the end of the year, but, believe me, I have taken note.
We had a very low-key New Year’s Eve. I think we went to bed around 11 pm. We dined on delicious Thai food, ate a few chocolates, watched one of our favorite movies – It Happened One Night – and toasted the new year with sparkling cider.
Now we’re at the point in the weekend where we keep thinking today is Monday. Just as we thought Saturday was Sunday. I’ll be happy to get back to normal, whatever that is. The tree is still up, though it’s very dry. (We never have the lights on when we’re not here, so it’s safe.) We were going to take it down today, but Don asked if we could keep it up one more day. Normally, we’d have it up until the 6th, at the very least, but this tree from Lowes is not lasting as long as the trees we usually buy from our favorite nursery. I’ll miss it. It’s quite beautiful.
Plus, it’s raining. Again. We’ve had endless fog and rain. It’s getting rather depressing.
This tray full of vegetables and a copper pan with the makings of soup was one of the miniatures that Ben gave me as a present on the last day of shooting. There are several others that I’ll share with you. Here’s the back story: When I was coaching Ben via Zoom, I used our office. I did my best to angle the camera so that the Beacon Hill wouldn’t appear in the shot. Not everyone understands dollhouses, for one thing, but more importantly, it seemed unprofessional. But eagle-eyed Ben caught sight of it once and became excited and wanted me to show it to him. So I showed him the Beacon Hill and the English cottage and he was quite taken with them. (His mom had a dollhouse.) I mentioned that I hoped to get to Tiny Dollhouse in NYC while I was staying in Brooklyn. If you didn’t read my post on IG, I went there on the one day I had off and they were unexpectedly closed. I was so disappointed. But Ben, who was always on set, sent his boyfriend David to the shop to pick out a few things for me! David, by the way, fell in love with miniatures while he was there. Ben presented me with the loveliest card with very moving thank you, along with a gift bag. Inside the bag were all the miniatures. So, so dear of him. One of them was for Don and me – a really neat guitar. I’ll show you more in the future.
And here’s Zoe and Bertie (on another dark and dreary day.) She’s wearing a new dress.
Okay my friends. I hope you had a lovely weekend.
Stay safe.
Happy Sunday.
Oh, those teensy parsnips! And Bertie 😘… 🎉🍸happy new year!
The same to you and Fred, Shanna.
Stay safe.
At first glance, I thought the vegetables were real! How thoughtful of Ben and David to choose such lovely gifts. It’s also raining and misty here so nothing new.
In the Autumn, I finally had all the conifer trees removed. They were sapping the life and light out of the garden. I wanted to make sure that all birds had flown their nests, what a difference it’s made. The tree surgeon said that I’ve gained at least a third more garden, so lots of scope for new ideas once the new fencing has been installed.
I’m surrounded by green hills and I can see all of them again!
Bertie is adorable, coincidentally my friend has just got a new rescue cat and she has renamed him Bertie . The rescue centre had named him Romeo but she felt she would have to call “O Romeo, Romeo , wherefore art thou Romeo?” when she needed him to come inside!!
Happy Sunday
I, too, thought the veggie and soup were real at first glance. Then I realized that I didn’t see Stella in the kitchen and knew. What a lovely and touching gift.
Happy New Year to you both.
Yes, a kitchen without Stella is someone else’s kitchen!
Stay safe, Linda.
You’ll have such fun gardening, Dee Dee!
Yes, thought I love Shakespeare, that would become old very quickly!
Stay safe.
Happy New Year, Claudia!
Thank you, Regula.
Happy New Year to you!
Stay safe.
At first glance, I thought the kitchen was yours. The vegetables are so real looking. Bertie is just the cutest. It’s always fun to see what’s happening in the dollhouses, and now with ‘the girls.’
Happy New Year, Claudia.
There’s lots of activity over here, Karen!
Thanks so much.
Stay safe.
Oh my goodness … how extremely thoughtful!!! Doesn’t it make you feel so good when someone does something so unexpected and perfect for you?!? I know you’re still recovering a bit from the exhausting schedule, but it makes my heart so happy for you, that you got to have that lovely experience.❤
Yes. I was very touched by Ben’s gesture. He’s a wonderful human being.
Stay safe, Debbie.
What a wonderful gift from Ben! Those veggies look so real. We had a very low key New Year’s Eve and day…that suited me just fine. Most of the Christmas decor is down, and I’m considering taking the ornaments off today just to have something to do, but leave the tree with lights up til tomorrow.
We got a light snowfall yesterday….and we have sun and blue skies today, but it’s really cold outside. It’s a good day to snuggle inside, and later to watch the Packers play. Enjoy your day! ;)
Our tree is coming down today. It’s very cold here and Friday may bring some snow (the first real snow, so we’re excited. That will get old quickly.)
Stay safe, Donnamae.
what a sweet gift of miniatures for you and don. :) ben and david made such thoughtful choices and i also thought those veggies were real!
little bertie is a perfect addition to your home, too.
and i would like my-size versions of zoe’s dress and sweater, please.
your new year’s eve sounded lovely.
great choices all!
i had a nice new year’s eve with some members of my family and stayed overnight because of the weather forecast (we ended up getting six inches of snow on top of ice … ugh). easy foods, easy conversations, card games and i think everyone was asleep well before midnight.
back to work tomorrow. other than not being able to spend more time with my family (a big thing, to be sure), it feels good to have a job again.
happy new year, everyone!
kathy
Yes – that dress of Zoe’s is enviable!
Stay safe Kathy.
Claudia — veggies, soup are too cute!!! been thinking about soup for us tomorrow–temps gonna go from 50-60s to teens-20s–major ouch!! I know it is winter but old bones, bodies need to gradually get used to the feel, haha!! nobody asked me, however!! will be sorry to see your beautiful tree go, but I know has to happen — have spent the past 3 days storing ours away. was pretty sad for me–tables and spaces now bare–this year we had out all of the houses, people (painted by me), winter scenes thru out the house b/c grands expect these and love them so, but had to be put away. sure hope our new year will be better than the past couple for everyone. Stay safe/healthy
Our tree is going this morning. Don is on his way to fetch the ornament bins from storage as I write this.
Stay safe, Linda.
I’m doing the same math, Claudia. Not impressed with the result, so I think I might retain my current age and just fib. At least my birthday falls on the same day as some people I especially admire and it’s always felt nice to share my bday with Ben Franklin, Betty White (sigh) and Michelle Obama…I’m in good company!
Our tree was lovely, but Home Depot just couldn’t compare to fresh-cut from the forest. We usually leave ours up till Epiphany too. The tree may come down, but the nativity will stay up till the sixth, otherwise my wise men, their camels and the camel boy would be very disappointed to miss their big entrance.
Some yellow Thai curry is in my near future, but a pot of my sweetie’s unbelievably perfect homemade posole is simmering on the stove for tonight. That’s given me some time to think about what I’d like to accomplish this year. I love fresh starts–new years, new semesters, new notebooks, new kitchen towels, new ideas, blank paper.
I want to have lots of projects and goals in place, so that if Omicron comes calling in our area, I’ll have plenty stockpiled to keep me busy and relatively sane. I’m a thorough optimist with hopes for 2022, but enough of a realist who remembers 2020 and 2021.
Stay safe and warm and enjoy!
I put my planner together on New Year’s Day and it gave me such a good feeling, so I understand!
Stay safe, Roxie!
Oh, those veggies. They are just amazing. Such fun to have in the sweet kitchen! What a very thoughtful gift.
We haven’t started taking Christmas down yet. The little one is here tomorrow, so maybe we will start after that. She spent her very first night away from home with us on NYE. What fun. We were a bit worried because she doesn’t always sleep the night through. But she slept for 11 hours and woke up as happy as could be. So happy it was a good experience…for all of us!!
It is crazy cold here right now. At least we had a sunny day. That does seem to help a bit.
Don’t fret too much about your BD. The alternative is much worse. I “celebrated” my 72nd last week. Rah. Taking down the tree is always a messy job. Hope it goes well for you tomorrow! Take care.
So happy that overnight experience was a positive one!
Very cold here today, as well.
I’m actually not fretting about my birthday. Just aware of the number. I’ll be fine with it.
Stay safe, Chris.
My tree came down this weekend too. I, like you, tend to keep my tree up until the 6th but it was so dry. And we cut it ourselves. It was a hot dry summer here in British Columbia so perhaps there just wasn’t enough moisture stored in the tree even with water in the stand.
The gift from Ben is very sweet. Miniatures are intriguing. My father wanted to build a doll house for my daughter but alas that wasn’t an interest of hers growing up so I missed buying and making furniture.
Happy New Year.
I hate taking it down so early, but it’s going to be a mess to clean up since it’s so dry, so better today than tomorrow
Stay safe, Ann.
Several years ago, I sent my sister an “Awesome since 1948” tee shirt. It was a big hit, but I think I out-did it this year. Her new shirt says “Awesome since 1953”. I wish it were that easy.
Wishing you a New Year filled with love, peace, health and happiness and may it continue throughout the year.
Regards
Anne
Oh, I wish it were that easy, too!
Happy New Year, Anne.
Stay safe.
The miniatures are so amazing. I love that Ben did that and I know the note means so much to you also. What a great experience you had. I look forward to more stores when you’re able. I had a very quiet New Years with just Annie in bed. My Covid symptoms have been mild and I’m so thankful but its taken me down energy wise. My Biggest Blessing of the New Year, my Mom did not get Covid. Sending hugs and much love to you and Don.
So happy your mom is okay, Linda! Sending you love.
Stay safe.
So real that at first I thought it was your kitchen and then I thought, “No. That’s not Claudia’s kitchen. She doesn’t have that sofa in her kitchen.” Wow. What a thoughtful and generous gift from Ben. I love gifts that are just perfect in every way like that.
I know what you mean about mixing up the days of the week. Hopefully I’m on track now — but don’t bet the farm on it!
I’m thinking I’m back on track, but that could change at any minute!
Stay safe, Jeanie.
What a sweet and thoughtful gift from Ben and David ! Your dolls are so adorable, even tho’ they look a little sad. And Bertie ! Perfect touch ! So fun to see the girls and all their clothes !
I don’t think they look sad at all. I think they actually have faces that express something other than a big old smile (the norm for dolls in my youth). Much more my style.
Thanks so much for liking the girls, Sandy!
Stay safe.
I think it’s their big beautiful eyes. They definitely don’t resemble dolls of the 50’s and 60’s.
I should have said hey look thoughtful.
Yes, you’re right about the eyes – very different from any other doll.
Thoughtful is the perfect word, Sandy!
xoxo