Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Light and Dark

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On Monday, I went out to get the mail late in the afternoon and what I saw made me run in the house for my camera.

Such an extraordinary sky! Dark combined with golden light. Gosh, I love it!

Someone asked me if we got snow or rain and no, we didn’t. A front moving through, I think.

I sent out three packages on Tuesday. Yesterday, three more pieces were purchased! So I guess I know what I’ll be doing today. I’m quite pleased that I’ve sold six pieces of McCoy. I listed a few additional pieces yesterday afternoon. I keep walking around the house looking for other things to sell and I’ve found a few. But there are pieces of McCoy I am not yet ready to sell because they’re my favorites. And I’m not going to sell any Roseville. No egg cups either, though I did sell my duplicate Snow White. I didn’t need the duplicate any longer, so I was able to release it into the world.

Some butter pats, maybe.

This is the remaining inventory (only so you get an idea of what I’m selling – all of you are quite familiar with my McCoy…) It isn’t always easy to choose what to let go of.

Mostly pastels but one midcentury McCoy piece in a dark green. One of the very first pieces I purchased.

I’m really enjoying Tom Lake  by Ann Patchett. Her prose flows so effortlessly and it’s a great story. The fact that the plot involves a summer theater and my home state of Michigan is an added bonus!

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Friday Thoughts

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This morning’s sunrise. This was the view out our back window. However, I went outside to shoot this, rather than shoot through the smudgy window. Isn’t it gorgeous? We do get the best views out this window and from the window in the upstairs half bath. Last night’s sunset was glorious, too, but that view is from the front of the house.

We are having unseasonably warm weather. That will change tomorrow. So I’m going to enjoy one more day of warmth and potted flowers in bloom on my porch. The cement job looks great. Don put the skim coat on yesterday. Finished!

During all my ongoing reading, I’ve also been rereading The Deptford Trilogy by one of my all-time favorite authors, Robertson Davies. I just finished the second book in the trilogy, The Manticore. Now, it’s on to the final book, World of Wonders. I first read these books well over 30 years ago. Maybe even 40 years ago? I haven’t read them since and I can’t tell you how wonderful it has been to revisit them. Davies was a brilliant writer. I’m also reading My Name is Barbra, Barbra Streisand’s autobiography. I’m not a regular reader of biographies; I much prefer fiction. But her style is very chatty and it’s like having a conversation with her – a very accessible and compelling read.

I’m contemplating selling my first dollhouse, Hummingbird Cottage. Should I? The dollhouses take up space here and though I love it, I’m not as invested in it these days. I would sell it without the furnishings, I think. But how do I price something like that? It took 6 years off and on to repair, refurbish, and decorate. I don’t know, maybe it’s a fruitless idea. It would have to be a local sale and I can’t imagine there are that many prospective buyers.

I won’t sell the vintage houses; even if I wanted to, Don would never let me! And I’ve got the Beacon Hill to work on. Plus, Dove Cottage is here and Don’s Mini Studio.

I’m also going to sell some of my McCoy pottery on Etsy. I have so much of it! There are pieces I’ll never sell, but there are plenty that I was happy to acquire at the time but am fine with selling. I’ve been washing them and thinking about how to photograph them. That will take up a great deal of time, but having done this in the past with the scarves I used to sell, I’m fairly sure I can handle it. I’ll let you know when they’re posted on Etsy.

Letting go of anything is hard for me, but as I grow older (another birthday next week) I realize I need to let go of those things that I can willingly release.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

 

 

 

This and That

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Between the time change and Wonderland of Play, I swear it’s taken me the entire week to recover! Getting used to the time change always takes a few days, of course. And as I live a fairly low-key life these days, a huge event like WOP wipes me out. But it was oh so worth it.

I’ve been doing little chores around the house, one of which was installing a shelf in the office. It’s to the left of my desk between the pink cabinet and the wall. I’ve been messing with it for a few days; first trying to find the studs. They were a little too far away from the wall (a wall shared by the office and our bedroom closet.) This house was flipped and sometimes it shows. So then it was plan #2, using dry wall anchors. The first one worked perfectly. The second was a screw up on my part, I drilled a too-large hole so the anchor disappeared in the wall. Yesterday, I went to Lowes and bought new anchors, a new level (I can’t find the one I had,) some more spackle, and some joint compound for my work on the dollhouse. The shelf is in a narrow area bounded by the desk and the cabinet so it involved some bizarre body positions, but I finally did it.

It’s for my Gene Marshalls. On the left, Hello Hollywood (with a suit designed by my friend Doug,) Love at First Sight, a Simply Gene wearing Mandarin Mood, Iced Coffee, Tea Time at the Plaza, and Warmest Wishes – a special collaboration with FAO Schwarz.

This arrived in the mail:

I was on the waiting list at the library, but since our system involves many local libraries, my number in the queue was way too high. So I bit the bullet and bought it. I’m going to start it today. Speaking of books, I was ready to dive into a new mystery when I went to bed last night. It had great reviews. After 20 pages .I could go no further. The writing was terrible. Sigh.

That’s why Barbra has moved up in my queue.

And one more photo – the girls are fighting over this helmet. It’s Pru’s turn to wear it.

She’s still shoeless because Mom has run out of shoes. More are on the way. I thought this picture might give you a better view of the hat/helmet.

Okay. I’m due to have a chat with Doug this morning, so I have to get going and make that second cup of coffee.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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