Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Life in our little cottage in the country

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Amusing Myself

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I stayed inside all day yesterday – my allergies have been making me miserable. I don’t know, maybe this is peak pollen time? It sure seems that way. Don mowed a lot of the lawn, thank goodness. Thanks, husband!

Still feeling poorly this morning. I’ll get outside to water the porch plants but that’s about it. Thankfully, it rained during the night so the garden beds are nicely watered. It’s a beautiful morning, the kind you get when the sun has broken through after a rain. Truly gorgeous.

What do you do when you’re feeling poorly and you don’t have enough energy to concentrate on reading? Well, naturally, you play with your dolls! Doesn’t everyone?

Mei taking Bertie for a walk.

Good thing Zoe was on alert! (Mei tends to daydream.) There was traffic ahead.

Zoe.

You also go upstairs to take pictures of a little miniature project.

I wanted to recreate one of the ‘dolly tubs’ you see in British gardens. (I would love a real-life version, but they’re very expensive here.) I thought it might be a neat addition to the exterior of Dove Cottage.

They’re made from zinc in real life. Mine is made from plastic – two Nyquil bottle caps glued together.

I’m rather proud of this little tub! I’m going to make another one in the not-too-distant future.

We’re nearing the finish line. Dove Cottage is almost finished.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Some Needlework

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Big thunderstorms last night, heavy rain for hours, and I opened the front door this morning to see no leaks. None inside the door, none on the siding next to the door. It’s a simple thing, but oh my goodness, what a blessing to finally have it fixed! I only wish we’d done it sooner.

I know we’re supposed to have rain later this morning and the sky is still darkish, but the sun poked through and it’s beautiful. Plus, the peepers were back last night!

Since I have yet to be inspired re painting in oils (that will come) I pulled out a quilt that I pieced several years ago when I was working in Hartford. I’ve hand quilted it off and on – more off than on. I should have been finished with it by now. It has been sitting in the same basket where we stash throws and the heating pad (ever present lately.)

Imagine my surprise when Mei plopped down on it.

She knew that these colors and stripes worked very well with her outfit.

Luckily, all my supplies were here in the den, so I sat in my chair and watched Gardener’s World while doing some hand quilting. I have to be very careful that I don’t lean too far over the quilting hoop – my lower back is still fragile. It was a challenge and I feel good that I’m back at it again. A little bit every day. The quilt is about the size of a large throw and I’ve been thinking it would look good on the sofa in the living room. That’s just a thought – I may use it elsewhere.

We have several days of rain in the forecast. I’m so anxious to get out there and do some work, but this happens every year – it is Spring, after all – so I’ll be patient. As I finish this post, the sun has disappeared and it’s cloudy again.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

 

 

Tuesday Thoughts

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Mei is celebrating the onset of Spring.

And who can blame her?

I know it’s not officially spring until Sunday, but what the heck? We’re celebrating a little early. The snow has melted, it’s almost completely gone. I’m still nursing my back – it’s hard to find a comfortable position in which to sleep that doesn’t screw me up the next morning. And my sinuses are out of control with all the crazy weather extremes we’ve been having.

I think I’m going to see if BritBox has the first episode of the new season of Gardener’s World. That would be the perfect thing for me to watch today. I’m trying to keep busy while resting – if that makes any sense! I read a lot, I thumb through Instagram, I listen to music, and I get up and do the occasional chore that won’t involve lifting or pushing. It’s slowly  getting better.

I wanted to say a few words about William Hurt – I didn’t know him, have never met him. But I was a huge fan of his work. The thing about William Hurt was that he almost always underplayed a scene (and that’s a compliment), did less than many less confident, less experienced, less ego-driven actors would do. He took the work very seriously and approached it with intelligence and honesty. Everything I ever saw him do rang completely true. If you didn’t know better, you’d think what he did was easy. It wasn’t. The last thing we saw him in was the excellent series Goliath  starring Billy Bob Thornton. Hurt had a recurring role. In the final episode of the series, he appeared in a sort of dream sequence where he was on a train in the Old West, a train that was clearly taking people on to another plane of existence. His character was dying. That scene sticks in my mind, especially as he was clearly ill in real life when he shot it.

He was far too young to leave us. Rest in Peace.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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