We’ve been spoiled by very sunny skies lately, but today promises to be cloudy all day long. Ah, well.

Decorating for the holidays is done, I think. I added a few more presents under the tree in Dove Cottage. Now I have to take pictures of everything, but the lack of light means today is not the day.

I’m finishing The Impossible Fortune  this morning as I have to get it back to the library. Two books I had reserved have arrived, and I have some books to donate, so I’ll do all of that in one visit. Then a quick trip to the grocery store. Exciting, right?

By the way, if you’re a fan of Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club mysteries, this newest in the series does not disappoint. He is such a good writer.

Today is Dick Van Dyke’s 100th birthday! Happy Birthday, Dick!

Gosh, I don’t have a whole lot more to say this morning. We’re doing our best to protect the magic of the holidays here at the cottage. We’re staying away from the news and anything we cannot control. Sending out wishes for peace and the removal of you-know-who. In the meantime, it’s twinkling lights and Christmas music.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

I was ready to add ornaments to the tree yesterday, but Don wanted one more day with just the lights. Fine with me!

It’s been lovely seeing the tree with little white lights. Nevertheless, today is the day. We’re adding the ornaments later this morning. I’m debating whether to add my big white bottlebrush ornaments, like I usually do. I’m not sure. They provide great filler and they’re striking. Hmmmm….

We’re due for a “wintry mix” this afternoon, but it doesn’t sound as if it will cause any problems. I just want to be able to return the big ornament bins to the shed when we’re done decorating the tree. They take up a lot of floor space in our small cottage. Other than that, we don’t have to be anywhere other than here today.

They don’t look too excited, do they? I’m sure I’ll learn just what’s ticking them off soon enough.

My friend, Little Keiko Doll, who designed the face molds for Jessie and Audrey, came up with a new mold for a smaller head, like the size of Ruby and Gilly (designed by Landoudou dolls.) You know that I am quite taken by the look of Ruby and Gilly on an Obitsu 22 body. I love those girls. So I ordered the new mold a few months ago, along with a wig and eyes. It arrived here on Monday.

. The mold is called “Bunny.”

First of all, isn’t this box beautiful?

I changed my wig choice at the last minute because the one I had opted for looked too much like Ruby’s bob. I decided to go for long hair and this wig is lovely. She has pale green eyes. And she has teeth, which I’m nervous about painting. I can’t start a faceup for a while because when I do one, I have to go outside several times over the course of the work to spray Mr. Super Clear to protect each layer of the faceup. Mr. Super Clear is toxic and I only use it outdoors. I’m pretty sure the temperatures are too cold right now for the spray to be effective. I have a body on hand, so when there’s a warmer spell, I’ll start working on her. For now, she is Bunny. When she’s finished, I’ll come up with another name.

What do we have in use at this point?

Nina, Sophie, Imogen, Gilly, Ruby, Wren, Lily, Rosie, Prudence, Harper, Amanda, Chloe, Jessie, Olivia, Pippa, Madeleine, Audrey, Miyoshi, Lucy, Maeve, Ella, Holly, Zoe, Katie, Mabel, and Ling.

Yikes. They’ve all come into my life during the past 4½ years.

Let’s hope I get some bolt of inspiration when I’m working on her.

Okay. It will soon be time to put the ornaments on the tree. You’ll see it on Friday.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

A very, very cold Monday morning! And it’s going down to 4° tonight. It’s been a long time since early December has been this cold and snowy.

As I was making coffee just now, I watched a squirrel go up and down the black walnut tree right outside the kitchen. He was clearly looking for something. He jumped down, dug in the snow – nothing – then dug in the snow two more times. Finally, he found it. A black walnut! He carried that large nut off in triumph. Squirrels are amazing.

We put the lights on the tree yesterday, with a delay in the middle of the process when we realized that 3 strings of lights were no longer working. Off I went to Lowes to buy some more. I ended up buying an extra box so we’d have them on hand. Back home, then lots of adjustments to the previous placement of the lights as the new strings were longer than normal. Finally, we finished.

There it is.

We love it.

We’re going to leave adding ornaments until tomorrow, as we always waiver at this point. Do we want to ruin the beautiful simplicity of a tree adorned in pretty white lights? So we’ll sit with it for a couple of days.

Plus, we’re tired today. And we have to go grocery shopping.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.