Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Day Three Hundred Forty-Five

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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

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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 Forty-Three

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It snowed most of the day and night and it was snowing when we got up this morning. But surprisingly, I think we got about 3 inches at most. Don is out there shoveling right now, so I’ll have a better idea when he comes back in. We’re supposed to have more snow on Monday, but after that, temperatures will be in the forties with some rain and a lot of snow melt.

It ended up being a lovely cozy-day-inside with Don recording a song and lots of puzzle work from yours truly. I know how lucky we are. We have power and heat and shelter and food. My heart breaks for the citizens of Texas who are suffering during this crisis. It didn’t have to be so devastating.

And Ted Cruz continues to be an ass. Not only is he an inciter of insurrection, but he’s also a guy who takes off with his family for Cancun in the middle of this crisis, leaving his dog behind in his ‘freezing’ house. And then he lies about it and blames it on his kids. I vowed not to write about politics for a while, but this isn’t politics. This is dereliction of duty, plain and simple.

On to something else:

Almost done. This puzzle, The Piano Lesson, is one of my all-time favorites. I took piano lessons for eight years and I well remember sitting in my teacher’s living room waiting for my turn. I also remember several of us crammed into that same room for our recitals.

It’s perfect. She obviously lives in NYC, perhaps in a brownstone. She has a loft upstairs where she sleeps. Lots of bookcases, a birdcage, cactus plants on top of a radiator cover, framed photos of musicians, tchotchkes, including miniature pianos, a statue of a composer (perhaps Beethoven?), a miniature Eiffel Tower. A poster of a Glenn Gould concert. One child is playing the piano. Three are waiting; two with arms crossed, one studying her music. There are mugs and hot chocolate(?) and some sort of cake waiting on the table. A comfy sofa, flowers everywhere, an umbrella stand near the entrance.

I loved working on this one because there was so much detail –  little objects and hidden gems that were unveiled over time. Speaking of flowers everywhere, that unworked area is filled by a hanging ivy plant.

I’ll miss this one.

Next up:

From 1964, Art Shop.

And I’m going to order more.

Don is still shoveling, but it’s obviously easy to clear because he’s not using the snowblower. Good!

Stay safe.

Happy Friday (which I keep thinking is Saturday.)

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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