Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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A Green Hat

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I ran across this yarn when I was decluttering the office and closet and immediately thought of Sophie’s eyes, which have been this color lately. So, I crocheted this little hat for her. It doesn’t match her dress, but I like this dress on her and didn’t want to change it.

A little crocheting keeps me calm.

I’m going to have to go into the city tomorrow or Saturday to watch a run-through of the show. They go into tech rehearsals next week so I won’t be able to see it again until October 9th. That means I have to figure out the Covid protocol – do I need to test myself before I go, how do they want me to submit the test results, etc. And then, of course, I have to figure out the logistics of getting there. The theater is not far from Union Square – actually, I think it’s quite near the Strand Book Store.

I think I’d prefer to go tomorrow so I can get the notes to the actors before they run it again on Saturday. We’ll see.

Meredith and her family are fine. They didn’t lose power. Some branches and a hibiscus are down, but they’re okay. It’s still very windy there. My heart goes out to everyone in the path of this monster hurricane. I never watch the Weather Channel but I was glued to it yesterday. The video of the storm surge was shocking.

Grateful for my family’s safety, but sad for so many Floridians who have lost their homes and businesses.

Realization: I always carry a book with me, especially when commuting to NYC. The Ink Black Heart is so large and unwieldy that I’m going to have to find something else to take along on the bus ride. I don’t want to have to carry a heavy script and a heavy book!

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

 

 

Back Home

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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.

Friday

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Because it’s Friday at the end of a long week: Pippa in her new crocs.

I can’t get over this pair of crocs. Oh my goodness!

They were made by my favorite “cobbler” Cora Huang. I have shoes and boots from other makers and I love them. However, when I first purchased Sophie and was wondering where I could get shoes and boots, and was completely new to the Blythe community, I stumbled upon Cora. In a truly international doll/clothing/shoes world, Cora, much to my delight, lives in Connecticut. It’s nice to order something that won’t take weeks to get here. But the best part is her craftsmanship. Her shoes are beautifully made.

I’d say the majority of the shoes the girls wear are Cora’s.

I have one more new pair that I’ll share when I actually put them on one of the girls. They remind me of back-to-school shoes. I always got one new pair of shoes in the fall, invariably brown. As I got older, they were invariably brown penny loafers. Do you remember Bass Weejuns?

Now ask me when I last bought new shoes… Answer: last year. A new pair of Birkenstocks. Ask me when I last bought any new clothes…Answer: last fall when I had to order long underwear and heavy socks for cold location shoots on Spoiler Alert. I don’t much care about clothes these days. I’m happy with a new t-shirt. Maybe one new sweater in the winter. But I don’t have a lifestyle that requires being fashion conscious. I used to love it. Now I find it  exhausting.

Technically, the girls don’t need any new clothes or shoes, but much of the fun in collecting these girls lies in dressing them up.

Today I coach Jim for a bit in the early afternoon and then we’ll go vote.

Yesterday, on my one day off from coaching this week, I cleaned, watered plants outdoors – all sorts of little things that needed to be done.

Very satisfying.

To close,  I marvel at Lucy’s strength! She’s been holding her arm up to give the peace sign for two weeks now. How does she do it?

I certainly couldn’t do it.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

 

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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