Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

You are here: Home / Archives for Blythe dolls

Back Home

at by

Good morning!

I’m back home. I’m so glad I do not have to make that trip again! I will say that all four trips to and from Rochester were beautiful. Beautiful scenery and beautiful weather. I’m grateful for that. On the return home, Google Maps sent me on a different route for the last leg of the journey and that helped perk me up. I came home to a big hug from my husband, who was concocting a new recipe for dinner as a welcome home.

I drove directly to the hotel this time as I had a few hours before I needed to be at the theater. This time, my room was smaller but faced the Genessee River, so I had a lovely view. So much nicer than facing the parking lot, like my last visit.

At the last minute, I decided to bring Holly along for the ride because I had also packed some yarn to crochet another hat and I needed a model.

She liked the view, too.

My husband made the most wonderful dinner for me. The cooler worked beautifully, by the way. (I had no idea what was in the containers as they were supposed to be a surprise.) The contents: fried potatoes, thinly sliced, which is one of my favorite Don creations, and a vegetarian stir-fry full of tasty favorites. Oh my goodness! It was so appreciated after the long drive.

I headed to the theater to watch the final Preview. There were so many technical problems earlier in the week. These things happen. So a couple of previews had to be cancelled. I have to say it’s in great shape, despite all the stress earlier in the week. The cast is wonderful. The actress playing Jane did it in Hartford, as well, and she’s such a powerful and heartbreaking Jane. The actor playing Rochester is simply wonderful. They have terrific chemistry. The audience loved it and stood up immediately. I’m glad for the cast, but my side note is that standing ovations are a dime a dozen nowadays. In my earlier years in the theater, they were rare, so their impact was powerful. Now? People just stand up no matter what. Sigh. I’m not saying this cast didn’t deserve the ovation, just that if ovations always happen, they lose their power.

I took notes, talked to Elizabeth (the director) and Fiona (the dramaturg) and then got back to the hotel around 10:45. I called Don to let him know I was safely in the hotel, and took a bath, as my back was very painful after the drive.

The next morning, I finished crocheting the hat. I left a little later than planned because I didn’t want to leave any stitches still on the hook, so I crocheted like a madwoman. Hat? Finished.

I’ll let Holly model it for you (picture taken in the hotel.)

I’ve figured out the kind of yarn I need to use, so this one turned out perfectly.

I left Rochester around 9:40 and arrived home exactly 5 hours later at 2:40.

I regret to say that my back suffered from all the hours in the car, so I was in pain last night and am this morning, as well. It will get better. I have a few days free before I coach again and I’m going to baby it.

Coaching on Jane Eyre  is complete.

I’m happy to be home. It’s raining outside!

I write about 9/11 every year. This year, I’m simply going to acknowledge the date.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

Wednesday Thoughts

at by

• It rained all day yesterday and, though we’re experiencing a lull at the moment, it will rain for several hours today. It should be partly sunny tomorrow. I’m anxious to see how this has changed the water level on the river. It was shockingly low last week. Hopefully, the amount of rain we’ve had will make a difference.

• I coach today and tomorrow, most likely for several hours each day. Since my brain feels foggy today (sinus) I’m sure hoping that I sharpen up soon! Long days, and then long days on the road on Friday and Saturday. I’ll be glad when my work on Jane Eyre  is complete. I plan on relaxing for a couple of days after I return home. And then I’ll have two days of coaching next week.

• We just passed the 31st anniversary of my brother’s death. I always think of him, of course, but especially in the early days of September. He had cancer, as you know, and while I was chaperoning a group of BU students at the Edinburgh Festival, he took a turn for the worse. My mom held off telling me because she didn’t want to upset me, at least, not until they knew more. I returned home before Labor Day and mom told me what had been going on. I immediately called my brother in the hospital. He seemed to be hanging in there, but he told his girlfriend he was tired of fighting. One night, he sent her home, insisting she get some rest. He died that night. He was only 44.

I didn’t meet Don until 3 years later. I wish they had had the chance to know each other.

• More experimenting with hats for the girls; a lighter weight yarn, some tweaking of the pattern, and here is the latest version.

Zoe is wearing her back-to-school clothes. I think she looks quite fetching in that hat.

Although, I was in such a hurry to get a photo in the late afternoon that I put the right hand where the left should be, and the left hand where the right should be!

I didn’t realize until later when I was trying to figure out why her hands looked weird.

Don sometimes calls me Dr. Frankenstein when I do something like replace eye chips. I think this little error qualifies. Don’t worry, the hands are now in the right place!

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

 

Rain!

at by

It rained  for about an hour yesterday. And, drum roll, it rained during the night for several hours. When we woke up this morning, we could hear the rain on the roof.

You know how wonderful that is after the dreadful drought we’ve been having? Oh my goodness! It’s stopped now, but more rain is due late this afternoon and, supposedly, all day tomorrow.

It’s too late for some of the already brown maples. They’re not brown because of autumn color – it’s too early for that. It’s a result of the drought. We have a lot of leaves on the ground in the back forty and it’s only September 5th.

I sat here sipping coffee in the still-dark morning, listening to the rain. Heaven.

Just one more thing on this holiday morning. Yesterday, I crocheted a hat for the girls. I was sitting with the heating pad on with nowhere to go, so I made good on my promise to try a pattern I’d seen. You remember several years ago I was crocheting throws and lots and lots of scarves, which I sold on Etsy. I eventually stopped because I had been crocheting so intensely that my wrist was impacted. So, it’s been 7 or 8 years since I’ve done any crocheting. I had to brush up on my skills. Thankfully, I have a little book that I didn’t  give away, so I referred to it as I worked on this pattern.

Here it is. It’s a slouchy kind of beret. Sophie has a flair for wearing hats, so she got to model the finished creation. Plus, it coordinated with the outfit she already had on.

I ordered a bit more yarn in a different weight and I’ll play around with it this week. Wednesday and Thursday will be coaching days for the A Man of No Importance. Friday, I travel to Rochester, returning home on Saturday.

My back is sore, but it could have been much worse. I’ll feel much better in a day or two.

Don is making a sugar-free apple pie today.

I hope you have a peaceful labor day. My dad and brother were union members. My husband belongs to three unions.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

Thanks for visiting! Feel free to browse, read and enjoy. All content is my own; including photos and text. Please do not use anything on this site without permission.

Disclosure/Privacy Policy can be found in the Navigation Bar under ‘About MHC.’

Also, I love receiving comments! I do, however, reserve the right to delete any comment that is in poor taste, offensive or is verging on spam. It’s my blog. If you’re a bot or a troll you’ll be blocked. Thanks!

Archives