Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Fog, Christmas Decorating, and the Shop

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This morning. It rained yesterday and this morning was quite foggy. I love a foggy morning!

We still haven’t taken the a/c units out of the windows, but we’ll do that this week. And it’s time to clean up the porch, empty the pots, rearrange a bit of the shed and store everything for the winter. So that’s the agenda for this week, along with getting our Christmas tree and hanging lights on the porch.

We already have our gifts and have opened them, of course, but that will not make a whit of difference as to celebrating Christmas. Lights, ornaments, decorated dollhouses, girls in Christmas sweaters, and Christmas music playing on the radio – all of it is joyous and also, in the best way possible, an escape from the world. And we need that right now. For a month or so, we can do our best to let go of worries and just be. I am fully onboard.

Today, I’m going to dust the dollhouse interiors and do some decorating.

Blythe Headquarters is also undergoing a subtle transformation:

The trees and the little deer are from Target. You an’t beat that store for inexpensive but tasteful decorations. Each shelf has a its own Christmas tree.

I sent off another package yesterday to a buyer who purchased two of my McCoy pieces. Got back home, knowing there wouldn’t be any more sales for a bit, only to get a message from Etsy later in the day that I’d sold another McCoy vase. So I have to go out tomorrow to get more packing material. With pottery, you have to be very careful. Everything needs to be wrapped in bubble wrap and then the box needs to be filled with padding and paper. I need more tissue paper, brown paper, and a couple more boxes.

I’m grateful for the sales, of course. I added a few items yesterday that are non-McCoy; a rare Susie Cooper demitasse set, a large Roseville vase which is exquisite but a bit too big for my cabinet, two antique hatpin holders (they’re gorgeous but have been hidden away in my china cabinet) and – oh yes – one McCoy planter in aqua.

The Roseville is rather expensive because it’s large and in excellent condition; the Susie Cooper pattern used in the demitasse set is on display at the V & A museum in London. If they don’t sell, I’m okay with that.

Anyway, shopkeeper Claudia is taking the day off today to indulge in play.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

A Reading Day

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A few of you were curious about the puzzle Don gave me. Here it is:

All of the wooden pieces are supposed to fit together.

I thought I had a way in, but it didn’t work. NO hints, thank you. I don’t like help with my puzzles, jigsaw or wooden. I have never asked for help and I don’t like ‘assistants.’ Thankfully, Don has no interest in puzzles, so I am happily on my own. The puzzle is actually quite beautiful and I’m keeping it on the coffee table so I can play with it when the mood strikes.

Don did good, didn’t he?

We are taking it easy today. We took down the tree on Monday, which – to be frank – requires more work from me than Don. Many trips to the shed, lugging Christmas bins back to the house. Then, removing the ornaments, most of which are vintage and precious, and carefully wrapping each one in paper. All that involves a lot of bending over so my back was complaining a bit. After an hour or so with the ornaments, I removed most of the lights until I needed Don’s help. Then, I got down on the floor and loosened the screws on the stand and Don pulled out the tree. It was so dry that we wrapped the bottom of the tree in an old sheet so it wouldn’t drop needles on all the furniture as Don walked it through the living room and kitchen.

Since we have woods and a bit of acreage, Don finds a place to leave the tree, so it will provide cover for critters throughout the winter.

Then trips back to the shed with the bins and the clean up in the house. (I love the way we have the shed organized now – it’s a pleasure to use it as everything has its place and it’s pretty darned spacious.)

All in all, it took about three hours, but everything is back in place now.

I now realize I have probably bored the heck out of you, as everyone who decorates for Christmas goes through this particular exercise. There are no gems of wisdom here!

Today is a day for reading. I’m in the middle of Bad Actors  by Mick Herron. Brilliant, as always. Then I have to start Michael Connelly’s newest, Desert Star. And I have the diaries of Alan Rickman, also. All three books are due next week. Gulp. So, instead of letting myself get distracted by other things, I’m determined to read, read, read.

This particular apple pie may be Don’s best so far. Oh my goodness!

It’s slowly getting warmer each day. We’ll have a high in the forties by the end of the week.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

Saying Goodbye to Christmas

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One last look at Christmas here at the cottage. I took these photos yesterday as the sun poured into the living room – it was bitterly cold, but it was sunny.

A last look at the tree. Since we purchased it so early in the month – I think it was December 1st – it’s very dry now and it needs to go. I’ve only taken a tree down this early once before; when we were both going out of town for work. But we needed the tree in our lives earlier than usual this year and we needed the decorations and lights. And so, we’re ready to let it go.

Thank you, little tree.

Time to clean those stair risers!

I think the putz house village will remain in place for another week.

This hatbox with a putz house and pink trees was a gift from a blog reader several years ago. She made it. I’m so sorry, but I can’t remember who it was. If you’re the creator of this beautiful piece, will you let me know in the comments, so I can acknowledge you?

I added the little elf and the Vintage by Crystal ornament – On Dasher, on Dancer. (If you follow Vintage by Crystal on IG, she posted the most magical video of her two vintage trees a day or so ago, one of them German. Watch it if you can. I’ve saved it because I love it so much.)

This little display on the piano makes me smile.

We had a lovely day. We played Christmas music. We did on Christmas Eve, as well, when we danced to a favorite song as we do every year. Very romantic. Presents were lovely; we each gave each other a book and one other little present. We were on a strict budget, and you know what? It was perfect. It turns out the theme this year was music. Don gave me the first volume of Stephen Sondheim’s writings about his music – Finishing the Hat. I’ve wanted it for a long time. And I gave him Bob Dylan’s new book; The Philosophy of Modern Song. We’re at the age when we basically say: This is what I want for Christmas. It sure makes things easier. I also gave him a daily planner for 2023, something I’ve been doing for years. And he found a little wooden bird puzzle for me to put together. It’s almost impossible to do, but I will keep working at it! It’s really beautiful.

We had a lovely dinner, including biscuits, courtesy of my grandmother’s recipe. We were too full for apple pie, so we’ll dig into that today.

And then we watched White Christmas. A perfect day.

How was your Christmas, if you celebrate? I hope you were safe and sound, that you had power, that you were where you needed to be and not stranded somewhere. It was a tough Christmas for many people because of weather-related problems.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

 

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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