Monday morning – it’s lovely and cool, but we’ll hit the 90s today, tomorrow, and Wednesday. Too hot, too soon. I’ve been watering everything outside and doing any work that is necessary in the garden early in the morning. This hot weather will break on Wednesday/Thursday.

We still don’t have the A/C units in yet and we are fighting having to put them in this early. Our thinking is if we can get through this little patch, we can hold off a bit longer. Fingers crossed, but really hot weather makes me cranky, so let’s see if this plan works out or not.

Any work on the dollhouse will have to be done in the morning because we don’t have a window unit for that room and I really don’t want to invest in one. And let’s face it, the Beacon Hill is NOT portable.

Yarrow is popping up everywhere. I planted some when we first moved here. Just one plant. In the intervening years, it stopped growing where I planted it and proceeded to reseed in the corral and all around the funky patio. Can’t wait to see it in full bloom.

The catalpa tree, always the last to leaf out, looked especially bare this year and over the weekend I expressed a little worry that it “might be dead.” Within 24 hours, I saw little green leaf buds emerging everywhere. I should know better. It’s quite dependable. We have other catalpas on the property, but the one I usually mention is huge, kind of the “grand old catalpa.”

And the pansies are doing so well!

Don is singing and composing and recording his songs – he wants to create an archive. This is a hard time for my love. He hasn’t had any work in a long time and is worried that he won’t be hired again. And he turns 75 next month, which is a milestone that is very difficult for him to come to terms with. All I can do is be there for him, and I am, of course. And make him laugh, which is my specialty.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

This is my favorite time of year to photograph the dolls. The porch, the potted flowers, the natural light! It just makes the perfect background. This is little Miyoshi. Her face up just might be the most beautiful of all the girls.

Don mowed most of the front lawn yesterday. I offered to do the areas around the garden beds because I know he worries about that. So I ran outside to mow and ended up pulling some weeds in a couple of the beds, as well. I also pruned some of the rose bush (it’s not looking good at the moment and I’m wondering if it’s dying.) Long story short: I was sore and allergy ridden from the day before and I’m even more sore and allergy ridden today. But we mowed most everything on Thursday and Friday. The only part of the lawn we didn’t get to is the lilac side. Weed whacking begins next week.

It looks pretty and very green out there. Today, it’s raining.

I’m grateful for the rain because we need it, but also because it gives me permission to stay inside and rest. I’m going to clean up my work area in the studio so I can find things. It’s too cluttered at the moment.

We haven’t seen Phileas in several days. Don thinks he’s moved on. We had tree trimmers from the county doing work on our stretch of the road on Thursday and they were around for a long time and VERY LOUD. Maybe Phileas decided to vacate the premises?  I hope he comes back. Don had a sad note in his voice when he said “I think he left.” I’m sad, too.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Just thought you might like to see Nina.

As I’ve said before, I don’t really plan on buying more Blythes, except for a Dragonfly Blythe. Nina is a Dragonfly and so is Pru. Ola, the wonderful woman who was the customizer behind Dragonfly Blythe suddenly stopped customizing a few years ago. Her many fans were shocked. Consequently, they are now rare. My dream girl would be a redhead. But I’ve had some disappointing experiences in my search. There was a redhead that I dreamed of having and after many long chats, the woman who owned her promised her to me if she should ever want to sell. Long story short, the promise fell through and she sold her to someone else. Two beautiful redheads came up for ‘adoption’ but their owners wouldn’t ship to the US because of tariffs and customs fees. (Thanks, Agent Orange.) I have a couple of friends who are on the lookout for me. But it’s frustrating. Anyway, I’m grateful for the Dragonfly girls that I already own. And doesn’t Nina look beautiful?

I mowed the back forty yesterday and promptly had a huge allergy attack afterwards. Darn it. I’m still feeling under the weather today, so Don is going to mow the front lawn. We have rain coming in this afternoon, as well as tomorrow, so we’re trying to get ahead of it.

No groundhog sightings yet. No bunny sightings either. But it’s early spring here, so I expect we’ll see them sometime this month. I’m on a wee pause with the dollhouse as I ponder what room to renovate next. So far, the bedroom is winning out.

I’ll check in again tomorrow.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.