Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Puzzle and Upcoming Readalong

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Finished! It’s not the best picture, but we have had dark and dreary skies all week long, so I had to use some artificial light. Sigh.

Will we ever see the sun?

Anyway, I finished it just before dinner time yesterday. I have yet to read the explanation of all the characters and symbols. I’ll do that later today.

I’m writing this early Saturday morning because we have to get some grocery shopping in before Don leaves for his gig.

I’m taking part in another readalong this year. Simon, the same lovely gentleman from England who ran the War and Peace  readalong is not only repeating it for those who missed out – he’s also presiding over a readalong of the Cromwell trilogy by Hilary Mantel. We start with Wolf Hall  on January 1st.

I am not generally a reader or even a fan of historical fiction but when Mantel died unexpectedly last year, I read a lot about her and her books. The raves about the trilogy were unqualified and unanimous. That intrigued me, and I remember vowing to read one of them in the near future. Fast forward to this year when Simon suggested Mantel and I was immediately onboard. Since the chapters aren’t as short as Tolstoy’s, we can’t do a chapter a day, so he’s gone through every book and mapped out a certain number of pages per week. For example, the first week of January consists of pages 1 -33. He also provides a guide to all the characters. I’m really looking forward to it. The book is right by my reading chair in the den and I’m ready.

A couple of months ago, I ordered a couple of hats and a sweater from a wonderful artist in Ukraine. She makes them to order so it took a while for them to ship and then to arrive at my door. This is one of the hats – or helmets, as the Blythe community calls them. Isn’t it adorable? (Chloe is still wearing her Christmas sweater because I realized how adorable she looks in red. And it’s really a winter sweater, right?)

So. Grocery shopping and cleaning are on the docket. I’m also getting anxious to reorganize things in this house. That happens to me every January.

I’m going to store the putz houses and put the Vintage by Crystal figures back in the upstairs cabinet later today. But the tree will be lit and loved as long as it hangs in there.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Merry Christmas

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Two days until Christmas. I’m finished coaching for the time being. Now, Don and I will rest and enjoy listening to Christmas music and keeping our traditions as we welcome Christmas. It will be quiet here, which is kind of the way we like it. Peace – that’s what we want for ourselves and everyone. And for the world.

Chloe and Ella are enjoying their first Christmas here at the cottage. Shockingly, there were five new girls this year! Yikes. No more for the time being. I don’t have the money or the room. A few of them came to me as opportunities I couldn’t pass up – dream dolls made by my favorite customizers. These two are examples of that; someone put one up for adoption and I knew I would lose out if I didn’t jump at the chance. Same with Miranda, the red-haired beauty. But now I have to toughen up, stay strong, and be grateful for what I have. And I am.

A long afternoon of undressing dolls, adding sweaters, removing them, and redressing them in their original clothes resulted in this. It’s not the best, but I hope you like it.

Don, the girls, and I wish you a Merry Christmas, my friends.

I hope your Christmas is all you wish it to be.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your visits to this little place on the internet. You are wonderful friends and I treasure you.

I’ll take Monday off, so the next post will be on Wednesday.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

And stay safe.

 

 

Puzzles, Work, and Christmas

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Finished puzzle – the title is something like 50 Plants from Around the World, It’s absolutely gorgeous with incredible detail. This one is by my favorite puzzle manufacturer – Lawrence King. That’s the same company that does all “The World of…” puzzles. They’re beautifully illustrated and the puzzle itself is very high quality.

My next will be “The World of Hercule Poirot.”

On the egg cup cubby.

In front of the putz houses.

I have a coaching job. Well, I’ve had it for a while but it doesn’t begin until tomorrow. Sadly, theaters are struggling, with many canceling seasons, or greatly cutting back, or closing altogether, and I see that in my work as well. So I have one day of Zoom coaching with the 5 actors in this play, one filmed run-through to watch and take notes on, and one visit to the theater to watch and note the first preview performance. That’s it. For the last year or two, I have found myself having to coach actors on-the-fly (that’s really what it is) and it’s very depressing. I can’t coach thoroughly, I can’t even coach somewhat thoroughly. When budgets are slashed, it’s people like me who are the first to go or, at least, the first to have their hours/days cut. I’m grateful for some work, but I never thought that after almost 40 years of coaching professionally, I would have to work this way. Believe me, I am only one of many, many theater professionals that are trying to cope with less work and less time in which to do the quality of work we’re committed to. Anyway, it’s a production of Dial M for Murder, and I’ll have one day this week to meet with all the actors and give them every possible note I can cram into an hour session per actor. Next up will be watching a run-through virtually, and then – in January – I’ll drive to Rochester to watch a preview.

So I’ve been reading the script and prepping for the coaching sessions. And sighing a lot. Today, I chat with the director (who I know from my Hartford Stage days.)

Miranda in front of the tree.

Yesterday, I worked all morning on the script, and then, worried that I would run out of free time in which to dress all the girls in the sweaters, figured that now was the time. So, I redressed all the girls in some form of a Christmas sweater and socks or pants or tights. It took FOREVER. Then I took all sorts of photos and I can only hope one turns out well. And then I shot a little video of them, which I am unable to post here. But if you want to see it, just go to Instagram and search for sophieandherpals which is the name of my Blythe account. The video is there.

Okay. We’re caught up.

I have to mail a package this morning – another Etsy sale.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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