dollhouse — Page 79

Knock, Knock

August 8, 2015 at 9:36 am by Claudia

8-8 daylily

These day lilies in the side garden just keep blooming and blooming. They have a much longer bloom time than other day lilies on the property. And the plants have become very tall! It all makes for a strikingly sculptural look.

Lest you think I have been ignoring Hummingbird Cottage, let me assure you that I tweak it now and again. Yesterday, I was sorting through a bag of minis that someone had given me and I found a door knocker. (The sorting was happening because I have stuff stashed all over the house and it’s driving me crazy. Oh, for a separate room that is just for me! I can’t tell you how happy that would make me.)

Anyway. Upon discovering the door knocker, I thought that Caroline would appreciate it.

8-8 brassdoorknocker

But it was brass. I see that a lot in dollhouse miniatures, just as a lot of the wood furniture has a darkish finish, neither of which appeals to me all that much. So I got out some metallic silver paint.

8-8 silverdoorknocker

Much better.

8-8 knockerwbrassknob

Wait a minute. The doorknob is a brass jewelry fitting. And the knocker needs to be straightened a bit.

8-8 allfixed

A dab of paint and there you go.

This was just a little task to keep me occupied while I watched Scout like a hawk during the day. Over the past couple of years, Scout has suffered from seizures. They happen rarely, but they happen. And when they happen, our poor girl suffers and we are terrified. Our vet assures us that they are nothing to be unduly alarmed about, they’re part of being a very elderly dog. As they happen rarely, there is no sense medicating her. It’s been several months since one occurred. Yesterday, while Don was away in the city, she had another seizure – this time while she was outside.

When the seizure was over and I was able to get her back in the house, I settled her on the rug, called Don, and then proceeded to stay very close to her the rest of the day. By mid-afternoon, she was up and walking around and drinking a lot of water. By early evening, her appetite had returned and she was fine.

There are all sorts of changes due to her advanced age, but I don’t talk about them very much. I’m protective about that information, just as I was about my mother’s slow decline.

We simply adjust to each change and do everything we can to make her life as easy as possible.

Happy Saturday.

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The Garden, A Butterfly & Some Top Secret Work

August 7, 2015 at 8:18 am by Claudia

I’m fast approaching that time in the late summer garden when I stop caring quite so much. As the month turns to August and the light changes ever subtly and parts of the garden are starting to look a wee bit tired, I pull back from the whole thing. Self-protection? Just plain tired of pulling weeds? Probably a little of both. I did yank some weeds the other day for all of two minutes, but that was it.

I still check for daily changes. I await more morning glories. I snap photos. I water the pots and the chicken wire fence garden. But I don’t do a whole lot of cleaning up. Too much energy that I simply cannot summon up. I liken it to pulling away in a relationship; you know it’s going to go south, and your instincts kick in as you create some distance between you and the object of your adoration.

I let many of the plants go to seed, and nothing is cut back or pruned. The birds need those plants, for seeds and shelter. I’ll cut them back next spring.

8-7 hens and chicks

I did summon up the energy to repot the hens and chicks that are on the Funky Patio. They were overgrowing their original container. They needed more space.

This one will come indoors with me for the winter.

8-7 swallowtail

This black swallowtail was enamored of the geraniums, but his wings were fluttering so quickly that it was hard to get a picture. This is the best of the bunch. I love these beauties. At one point yesterday, there was an Eastern Swallowtail and a Black Swallowtail circling each other, swooping, soaring, and (I suspect) competing for the tastiest blossoms.

Don: Don’t Read Any Further!

I grabbed some time yesterday to paint and install two more windows in the Top Secret Project.

8-7 project window 2

These windows also open and can swing in or out.

8-7 project red

This will give you a hint as to the color I’m going to use on the outside walls. Yes, it’s reminiscent of our real-life shed. It was Don’s idea to paint the shed red, so his studio is going to be in the same color range.

Happy Friday.

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Cats, Bees and Houses (Tiny and Very Tiny)

July 30, 2015 at 8:26 am by Claudia

Do you remember a recent post where I showed a picture of a Tiny House that was being built locally? Well, I was at a local political function last night and I heard a young man talking about living in a Tiny House and I was intrigued. I introduced myself and asked about it and it turns out he lives in that house! He and his girlfriend built in and they love it. Small world! Maybe someday I can finagle a tour?

7-30 cat

This little cat has been hanging around our property. She’s skinny and beautiful and I presumed she was a stray. Don spotted her, too, and I put out a bowl of milk. Then I bought some cat food and put that out. They remained undisturbed. In the meantime, if I came to the front door and she saw me, she started meowing and walked right up the steps in my direction. Or, like in this photo, she immediately knew if I was at the window and, again, walked in my direction, making lots of noise.

So, yesterday, right after I took this photo, I grabbed some food and milk and walked around the side of the house with them. She walked right up to me and was rubbing against my leg, rubbing her body on the grass obsessively…but not at all interested in food. Something was up.

I finally made a sensible move and called my neighbor. When I uttered the words, “There’s this orange tabby cat hanging around our house, have you seen her?” she immediately responded with “Yes, she’s ours.” Ah. A sense of relief – she was being fed and taken care of, especially since I had already been worrying about trying to feed her in the winter – where would she find shelter?

Reminder: I’m allergic to cats.

The problem? She’s in heat. They’ve been trying to get her into the vet but it’s been tricky because her ‘heat’ has been erratic. All I know is that she was either on our porch or sneaking into the corral or right outside the kitchen window, constantly rubbing all day long. And this morning, she’s back again, announcing her presence with a very loud howl.

7-30 cat2

She’s beautiful, but she’s becoming a wee bit of a pain in the tush. Her name is Amber. As Don says, “Why can’t she be in heat over on their property?” For some reason, she’s picked us.

I worked on the Top Secret Project yesterday, only it’s not quite Top Secret at the moment because I let Don see the basic shape of the dollhouse. But that’s all he’ll be allowed to see. He’s excited.

7-30 DH project

The basic structure is in place. The walls and opening in the front haven’t been added yet. I was just dry fitting them to see if they would work. I’ll do a bit more today or on the weekend. Don is going away for a singing gig this weekend, so I should have plenty of time to play around with this and start painting the various elements.

Thank you for your wonderful comments yesterday. I take heart that there are so many of us that feel strongly about this issue. I just wish everyone felt that way.

And to close, another bee drinking in the delights of the liatris:

7-30 bee on liatris

Happy Thursday.

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Knock, Knock

The Garden, A Butterfly & Some Top Secret Work

Cats, Bees and Houses (Tiny and Very Tiny)

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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