Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Life in our little cottage in the country

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Puzzles, Banjos, and Birthdays

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Puzzle in progress. I can’t remember the name of the puzzle – oh wait, it looks like Autumn in the Neighborhood. It reminds me of Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Philadelphia. Philly was long ago, but in just this kind of weather two years ago, I was walking the streets of Park Slope in Brooklyn. Beautiful. (It was on sale and that’s why I bought it – made by Gallison,)

Don took his banjo to the music store and they cleaned it out with a strong solvent, followed by lemon oil. It helped temporarily, but the peg kept coming loose, and after the solvent smell went away, he could still smell the mustiness.

Yesterday, he visited a wonderful place that sells musical instruments and he bought a banjo. We bought the banjo, technically, because it will be his Christmas present. (I’m getting a doll.) He was literally dancing around the living room at the prospect of owning a brand new banjo. And gosh, is it a beauty!

It’s really beautiful. The sides, which I’ll show you on another day, are made out of beautifully grained wood.

He’s a happy camper. We’ll tie a bow on it and stick it under the tree on Christmas Eve.

Speaking of – ahem – special occasions, my birthday is tomorrow but, since I’m not posting on Tuesday, I’ll mention it today. It’s not a biggie, that was last year, but I know Don will do his best to make the day special. I’m not one for parties or big celebrations, and as I get older, I need my birthdays to be quiet and gently celebratory. I didn’t ask for anything but a puzzle, as I’ve had plenty of Blythe-related treats recently.

Anyway. Happy Birthday to me tomorrow!

I also want to let you know that our beloved Linda lost her mother over the weekend. Linda was a devoted daughter and had recently made the decision to move her  mother into Assisted Living. I believe she was 93. We are thinking of you, dear Linda. Sending love in this time of profound loss.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday,

 

Concrete, Puzzles, and Banjos

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Very cold morning! The plants have been inside for four days and as far as I can tell, I have only two days where the temps don’t go down below freezing before I have to say goodbye.

Sob.

I woke up to the sound of a Carolina wren singing away. I heard the same bird yesterday. It’s awfully nice to hear that cheerful sound as the days get shorter and colder and we head toward a period of time that is always difficult for me.

Behold, the World of King Arthur!

This was a fun one. I was obsessed by King Arthur when I was young, probably fueled by my love of the musical, Camelot. This brought back a lot of memories as well as new information about the legend, as the maker always includes a key to all the figures. Loved the big red dragon.

I’m expecting a new one today – not from the same designer, but a fall scene in the city – presumably Manhattan or Brooklyn. My birthday is next week and I told Don not to get anything for me but when he pressed me, I sent him the link to a puzzle. Why not, right? They keep me sane and I’m sure he’s grateful for that!

Our concrete repair work is looking really, really good. We’re surprised by how good it looks. We just have to do the skim coat and it’s best to wait a few days for that. Most likely Thursday or Friday, which will be a bit warmer than usual.

Don had a gift card given to him by the people who ran that concert series last summer. Don booked all the performers and oversaw everything; he’s doing it again next year. Anyway, he was in his favorite music shop the other day and was searching through a pile of used instruments and he found a banjo. For $75! It’s in pretty good shape, but it needs some cleanup. It was so fun to hear him playing it yesterday. He has had a lot of instruments since I have known him, but never a banjo. I love to watch him when he gets something like the banjo, he is so excited. Don has always had a charmingly childlike (in the best possible way) enthusiasm and it has never left him. I am profoundly grateful for that. He teaches me to be joyful.

Pictures of a couple of girls:

Holly wearing the hat. We’ve got a definite color story here.

And Miranda.

Don’t cross her. She sees right through you.

By the way, British friends, Spoiler Alert  is now available in Great Britain. I believe you can find it on Apple+ and Amazon Prime Video. You can see my coaching work with Ben Aldridge and a little bit of acting in a hospital scene.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

 

A Cold Monday Morning

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Yesterday in the early morning, there were four bluejays flying around the property – much like the robins did. It took me a couple of beats before I realized they were trying to get to the water in the birdbath but it was frozen.

I ran outside and chopped up the ice, but I think it was too late. If they returned, I didn’t see them. Sorry, guys! I know there are heaters for birdbaths, but, no. I can easily go out there and chop up the ice as part of my morning routine.

It’s 23 degrees outside as I write this. The porch plants came inside on Saturday and they’ll be here for a couple more days, but frankly, there will only be a couple of days in the week ahead where the nighttime temps are above freezing. Sigh. This is the part I dislike; deciding when to let go. Because then, it’s official: winter weather is here.

We are in the middle of a project. The entrance/step up to the front porch has deteriorated a bit. The porch is bluestone and the skim coat and quite a bit of the cement has deteriorated. Yesterday, we cleaned up the ‘riser’ to the porch and mixed some Quikrete. Trowels in hand, we started to fill in the areas that had deteriorated – adding stones and support along the way. Don just left to buy some more QK, as we will now call it, and today we’ll add another layer, hopefully completing it with a smooth skim coat.

Just call us Mr. and Mrs. Amateur Mason.

The World of King Arthur in progress. Have I told you that I love jigsaw puzzles?

So that’s the day ahead: washing the sheets, a little work on the puzzle, reading, vacuuming, and finishing up our masonry project.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

 

 

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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