Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

You are here: Home / Archives for books

Day Three Hundred Forty-Five

at by

In 20 more days, we will have reached the one year mark in this strange pandemic-land. It’s hard to believe, but then again, it’s not.

Puzzle Central. I worked on the puzzle yesterday, but only a little. Sometimes I need to rest my back and yesterday was one of them. I’ll do a bit more today.

It’s sunny and cold, but the sun should shine all day today, unlike yesterday. I’m grateful.

Thanks for all the positive comments on Don’s latest song. He’s so talented, that guy. I was happy to assist with some background vocals in which I used the higher part of my range and sang with a light touch, because it was not about me. It was about enhancing the story and Don’s voice. I’m actually an alto/mezzo soprano and I’ve got a big voice. I started out in musicals, so I’m perfectly capable of belting out a song, sans microphone. This kind of thing, doing a light background vocal, is something new to me and it was fun.

Speaking of voices, there is no voice that makes me happier than my husband’s. I love hearing him speak first thing in the morning and I love hearing him sing. His voice is deep and resonant and soothing. Since my career is all about the voice, that’s high praise indeed. I’m a lucky girl.

We watched Nomadland  the other night, the new Frances McDormand movie. It’s excellent. It’s in theaters and on Hulu. We don’t subscribe to Hulu, but we did a free trial just so we could see it. It’s a bit annoying, this trial, because it pauses for what would be commercials (the least expensive version of Hulu.) Rather than wait out that break, I hit “back” and and resume the video. But it was free, so I’m not complaining. The movie is based on a book of the same name, which I now want to read, and the cast consists of actors and non-actors and it’s fascinating. My love for McDormand’s work just gets stronger. She is fearless. She doesn’t have to fill every moment with ‘something.’ She can just be. And she has stayed true to who she is – no plastic surgery, no fillers. She embraces her age. We’re going to watch it again this week.

Last night we watched The King’s Speech  again. We’ve seen it several times and we love it. We were both feeling a bit tired and under the weather, and for us, it’s a comfort movie.

Back to Mrs. Tim Carries On, which is delightful. I’m now a D.E. Stevenson fan and plan to read more of this series, as well as her other books.

A bit more snow tomorrow then, fingers crossed, warmer weather. And by warmer, I mean in the 40s, which is positively balmy compared to the deep freeze of the past few weeks.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

Day Three Hundred Forty-Four

at by

I’ve named this “Sun on Endless Snow.”

We’re getting a bit more on Monday and then the warm-up should begin. I hear a bird singing right now. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but hearing a bird sing in the dead of winter is always a comfort to me – a sign of hope. I always stop and listen and thank Mother Nature.

Don has decided that we should frame the puzzle I finished yesterday – The Piano Lesson. I think he’s right. So I carefully moved it off the table and onto a piece of foam board. At some point in the future, we’ll use puzzle glue and frame it.

I started the new puzzle, but I sort of ran out of steam, so I didn’t do much. I’ve been working so intensely on them that I needed a break. This morning, I read a big chunk of Mrs. Tim Carries On, and it felt good. It’s such a lovely book and it describes wartime England beautifully. Anyway, more reading is on the docket for today, plus a little laundry and cleaning. It’s not supposed to stay sunny all day long, but the sun is shining brightly at the moment and that sure helps.

Don and Dan have released a new song, “Lust in the Dust.” It hearkens back to Marty Robbins and Old Westerns and I love it. (I contributed some background vocals.) Here’s the link.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

 

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Four

at by

We have at least 30 inches of snow on the ground. Today is sunny and the snow is sparkling. There are big wavy mounds of snow here and there – Don says it looks like whipped cream. Very magical. But that’s all the snow we need, thank you very much.

I took a break from the very challenging jigsaw puzzle to give Stella a major cleaning – there’s still a bit more to go. She really needed it. Here’s a view you don’t often see:

Stella with her ‘lid’ down. The lid converts into the shelf you see normally. Such a smart design! I keep forgetting about that gold strip across the back which glitters when the light is on. I have to say, getting Stella is one of the best things we have ever done. She’s clean now, nearly grease-free. I just have to soak the burner grates in some Dawn to degrease them and we should be all set. I just have to remember to do a deep cleaning more often.

As for the puzzle…it’s hard…which is what I want, of course. So while I mildly complain, I really love the challenge. You won’t see as much visible progress from day to day, but believe me, it’s there.

I’m currently working on the proscenium arch.

Have you seen puzzle tables? Someone I follow on IG bought one from Amazon and it has nifty side drawers. She has a cat and it keeps the pieces relatively safe from cat paws. I’d love one for the portability, but I can’t justify the expense.

Heck, I need to keep the pieces free from my hands and arms. I continually knock puzzle pieces off the table and have to go searching for them.

I finished Winter Solstice. Sob. I started Mrs. Tim Carries On  by D. E. Stevenson. I’m going to order The Shell Seekers  today. Mrs. Tim is a relatively short read, so I should be finished by the time the new Pilcher arrives. Thanks so much for your advice yesterday!

Of course, it’s not like I don’t have stacks of books to read. I do. But I’m yearning for simple comfort reads that are well written and engaging. That’s what I need right now as we get ready to head into our second year of this strange time. And while I’m so happy for those of you getting your vaccinations, there are no appointments available here. We have a shortage of vaccine here in NY. So I feel like a kid who doesn’t get picked for the team (that happened to me a lot when I was young) but in this case, the stakes are much higher. We check every day. But we’re still isolating and are fortunately able to do that, so it’s not like we’re facing danger on a daily basis. I must be patient.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

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