Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Nature, Miniatures, and Spoiler Alert

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Yesterday was a full-on amazing nature day.

Spectacular sunrise with a pink sky as far as we could see. A spectacular sunset. Two murmurations of starlings on our property that were truly magnificent and glorious. At one point, I looked out the back window in the kitchen and there was a huge hawk standing on the ground eating something. I’ve never seen a hawk land on our property and stay there for at least ten minutes. Don said he was eating big, fat worms. It was amazing to watch – all of this was happening as we were talking to someone on the phone!

Wow.

Turning to miniatures, I’ve been trying to find a vintage-looking stove other than an Aga for quite a while. Almost impossible to find. Then a friend reminded me of the Hallmark Keepsake ornament from 2004, which you can still find on eBay. It’s very Christmasy and loaded with things I don’t want (and have already started to remove) but it reminds me of our stove. It’s 1:12 scale, or pretty close to that. It arrived in yesterday’s mail. It’s plastic, of course.

This ornament was designed to be plugged into a Christmas light strand and there was a fragrance pack tucked into the rear of the stove – sort of an apple spice scent. You plugged it in and you could smell cookies baking. I think there was a light in the oven, as well. It will need some work, as I’ve already removed the salt and pepper shakers, cookie sheets, and mugs, so I’ll have to repaint the top of the stove. I know of at least one other miniaturist who has worked with this ornament, so I’m going to check out her stove, which I believe she has since sold. I also have to cut off the electrical cord.

But I think this will look great in the Beacon Hill, don’t you?

Spoiler Alert  opens nationwide today! Go see it – it’s a wonderful movie with beautiful performances by everyone. Jim and Ben will make you laugh and break your heart at the same time. Sally and Bill are brilliant, as one would expect. And you can see me!

I’m so proud of this and my little contribution. My work with Ben paid off as he aced the dialect, and I managed not to embarrass myself in my scene. Who would have thought I’d be acting again, on screen, after 30 years?

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

 

Monday

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This morning. It’s still unseasonably warm out there – lovely, of course – but tomorrow will bring colder temperatures, so we’ll do our best to enjoy today. It was actually a little too  warm yesterday – 76 degrees. Both of us mentioned that we were ready for colder temperatures.

Remind me of that in a month or so.

Today will be a self-imposed ‘No news’ day. I’m nervous enough about the election, but there’s nothing I can do now but VOTE. We are voting tomorrow, though we could have voted early. But Don likes the ‘event’ of voting on Election Day itself and since we don’t have any conflicts, that’s what we’re going to do.

There’s so much I could say, but you know how I feel and what I believe. The GOP lacks a moral compass of any kind at the moment. Voting for one issue – like inflation, which is happening globally – when the party you think will rescue you from that doesn’t have a plan and voted against the Inflation Reduction Act is the proverbial “not seeing the forest for the trees.”

Our democracy is at stake.

Anyway, my plan is to stay away from Twitter today. (We’ll see how that goes.) I’m sure some news will find me, no matter how hard I try to avoid it. But I’m going to retreat into puzzle land and start a new book. And play with some dolls.

I’ve found that whenever I’m feeling blue or worried, grabbing one of the girls, dressing her in something fresh, then taking a photo of her lifts my mood. So that will probably happen today.

Speaking of which, I found two of the girls upstairs in the studio:

They look confused. They’re probably wondering why they don’t fit inside, because shouldn’t my world be all about them? They’ve told me they’re going to supervise when I start to work on the Beacon Hill.

Looks like it might get crowded in my little space.

Hang in there, everyone. Vote.

#Roevember.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Socks, Puzzles, and Miniatures

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Warning: If you’re offended by cuss words, I’m giving you a heads up. (I’m not, and I have a salty tongue that is in use regularly, just not on the blog.)

As you know, I was very down yesterday and I felt that way all day long. I feel much better today. I got a good night’s sleep, it’s a beautiful and cool fall morning and my back is a wee bit better. Don was out running errands. When he returned he came into the den with a gift bag.

In it was a card with a lovely note from him, a Cavallini jigsaw puzzle (theme: houseplants,) and a pair of socks that made me laugh out loud.

I’m in love.

It’s as if they were made for me – and every other avid reader in the world.

It was just what I needed, that belly laugh.

I was supposed to coach today, but the stage manager asked if I could do it next Wednesday instead. So I get a bit of a breather and that means I can rest my back. I find that when I’m sitting in my chair while zoom coaching, I often sit forward in the chair and my back tenses up. I’m not even aware of it until I start to feel pain.

Today? Reading. Maybe with my new socks on. Dressing a couple of dolls. Crocheting a hat.

I managed to wash the sheets yesterday but I needed Don’s help putting them on the bed. After a few skirmishes, we successfully completed our task and we had fresh bedding last night.

It’s the little things.

We’re entering the season where a new Michael Connelly and a new Louise Penny are published. I can’t wait. I need to buckle down, let go of all of the things that take my attention away, and read. Don’t get me wrong, I am reading, but I’m not reading in big chunks and that isn’t satisfying. Today, I hope to do that.

And I’m eyeing the next doll house project. Speaking of miniatures, the IGMA show is in a week. It’s just outside of Hartford. I’m wondering if I will go or not. I’d like to. I was reading the program this morning and I was so saddened to read that Barbara Vajnar passed away in July. I’ve mentioned her several times on this blog because I have a few pieces of her furniture. She retired a couple of years ago.

She made this:

And this:

Her work was exquisite. When she announced her retirement, she put her pieces up for sale on eBay, a few at a time. Most of them went for far more than I could afford, but I did manage to snag this corner cupboard. It will go in the Beacon Hill.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Barbara and her husband as I dithered about buying the mustard colored cupboard. They were endlessly patient and kind.

Rest in Peace, Barbara.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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