Yesterday consisted of lots of work outdoors, emptying pots and transporting them to the shed. (There are a few I have left there because, incredibly, they’re still blooming.) Don came out to help. We moved things around in the shed, Don swept it out, we reorganized a few things, the Adirondack chairs moved to the shed. Don moved the heavy vintage pots from the Secret Garden to the porch. Then I rearranged things on the porch, bringing all the outdoor furniture that sits on the Funky Patio and in the Secret Garden to the porch for the winter. Today, I’ll wipe off the cushions and store them under the staircase. Don will take that opportunity to swap out a guitar (we keep some of his guitars stored there.)
Because my back and our knees are a bit sore, we’ll get our tree tomorrow. But it felt good to finally tackle that job. Oh, I think I’ll hang our outdoor Christmas lights today, as well.
And start a puzzle.
Harper is modeling a dress from Miss Milupka, a mother/daughter team that sells the most magical dresses. The daughter lives in NYC, her mom is in Poland. This package came directly from her mom in Poland. I love, love it. I hadn’t decided which girl was going to model it, but then it hit me – it had to be Harper.
I’ll show you the cubbies and ‘wallpaper’ on Friday.
I have to take a moment to say how much I loved this novel. And I mean LOVED. I finished it yesterday and cannot get the characters out of my head. I want to keep them there, even to the point of not starting another novel. This is my first Patchett – for some reason, I haven’t read her work before – and I’m delighted by her beautiful writing style. It flows effortlessly. She’s what I call a ‘plot weaver extraordinaire.’ That is no easy task. There were some surprises; at least for this reader. Get it. Buy it. Check it out from your library like I did. I had to wait a long time for my place in the queue to come up and it was worth the wait. Thank you, Ann Patchett, for one of the best reads of 2023.
Stay safe.
Happy Wednesday.
