The view of of what we call “The Plain” at the back of our property. It’s my neighbor’s property and it has provided many a gorgeous view over the years. Snow is definitely melting here, but today is very cold. Tomorrow, we get 1 – 3 inches of snow and ice, which would normally piss me off, but it will be 51 degrees on Wednesday, so it won’t last. The craziness of March: it’s kind of all over the place, but we’re definitely headed toward spring. In mid-March we usually hear the peepers for the first time and that’s only two weeks away!

This has been a tough winter for us in terms of heating oil bills. We will have to order one extra shipment. It’s been so frigid and cold since December so we’ve had to use more oil than we’ve ever used in the past 20 years. Don is currently trying to get that last order in with our supplier before oil prices go sky high, thanks to this latest boneheaded attempt at distraction by you-know-who. And he’s is also going to fill up the car’s gas tank, as well.

I can’t handle this insanity, so I’ll be crocheting today and doing the laundry and anything else that will bring some calm to my mind.

I should get some of the wallpaper I ordered for the dollhouse in today’s mail. I’m curious to see it in person. Fingers crossed!

I mentioned that I wanted to get the giant box that contains the Beacon Hill kit out of the office/studio and I did. I went through all the components to see if there was anything I still needed and then I taped it closed. Don came upstairs and helped me move it downstairs and out to the shed. Hurrah! It took up too much space and if there’s anything you know about our house, it’s the fact that space is at a premium.

The Beacon Hill has become the dollhouse I wish I had never purchased – simply because of its size. I can’t tell you how much time I have spent thinking about where the heck I will put it when I’m done. Ah well, something will be worked out. I’m used to this – my entire house is like a Jenga puzzle and I’m constantly thinking about storage and what I can do to improve it.

I hope you’re all hanging in there, given what’s going on.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

I repurposed some big storage baskets to corral all the stuff under the work table. Now, if I can get rid of the big Beacon Hill kit box on the other side of the table, I’ll be happy. I just have to make sure I don’t need anything else from the box before it goes into retirement in the shed.

My oil paints. Yes, I know I should paint again.

Jumping Jack repair. His foot need to be reattached.

Awaiting some wallpaper. It should arrive on Monday.

Lanyards and more lanyards.

Mostly, I’ve been crocheting. But I’m going to wait a while until I post another update.

It will hit 52 degrees today. Then back down to the 30s for 3 days, with a wee bit of snow. Then back to the forties. That’s the way it will be as we move into March. Spring is on its way, but there will be the usual ups and downs as winter tries to hold on for a bit longer.

We watched Tender Mercies   last night in homage to the late, great Robert Duvall. It’s one of Don’s favorite movies and, for some reason, I’d never seen it. What a gem! Quiet and beautiful and heartbreaking and life affirming – with wonderful performances from everyone, especially Duvall.

Tonight, Shane  (on TCM) and tomorrow, To Kill a Mockingbird – another homage to Duvall, who will always be Boo Radley to me.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

After weeks of being completely engulfed by snow, the Dude has emerged. He is, as always, completely unruffled by wind, rain, snow, and thunder. He is the definition of ‘cool.’

We are in the middle of a little warming trend. It’s still quite cold at night – everything freezes – but we reach the low forties during the day so there is some melting going on. Every morning, I go outside and try to loosen the ice buildup at the end of the downspout that drains into the rain barrel. Then I tap on the downspout to loosen any chunks of ice that have built up overnight. I get a lot of pleasure watching the drip, drip, drip from that downspout. It means that the ice is disappearing from the kitchen roof .

I know we’ll have some colder days next week – just a few – but it does seem as if we’re emerging from the worst of the winter. (I’m going to tap on some wood right after I finish typing this sentence.)

I’m avoiding the news today. My tolerance limit has been reached. I need to take the weekend off. So does Don.

I ordered some wallpaper for a couple of rooms in the dollhouse – three different patterns. If I can get the wallpaper up in at least one room, I can then do the floors. But I’m moving slowly on all of this because of a very limited budget. I’m going to call this project “Slow Dollhouse Decorating” in a nod to all the YouTube “Slow Living” videos. Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing it when it arrives some time next week.

Here’s Ella supervising my crochet project. Her title? Quality Control.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.