This day lily opened up the other day and this morning there are at least six of them open. I bought this a few years ago and it is just gorgeous. Ruffled edges = heavenly whimsey.
Yesterday ended up being all about ordering and picking up groceries. I have a little story to share with you. Last time we picked up, we didn’t wipe things down because we’d had messages saying it wasn’t really necessary and after doing a little research of our own we decided to forego that process. Yesterday, Don was questioning that decision – or at least feeling uneasy about it – so while I was driving to the store, he was googling for up-to-date information. He finally called the FDA in Washington, DC and spoke to a very helpful gentleman. He basically said the same thing that we saw on the website; that is most likely wasn’t necessary, just make sure you wash your hands, etc., but it you want to, here are some tips about wiping down packaging. After having that discussion, Don asked the gentleman if he himself had stopped disinfecting grocery items, and the guy said: No, I still do it every time we shop because my wife makes me.
So, there you have it. We wiped everything down. The thing is, no one knows enough about this virus, though we know more than we did. We’re not comfortable with abandoning that process. (Of course, we each have to do what we feel is right and what makes us feel safer.)
So I didn’t get to the dollhouse yesterday, but I did add a few pieces to the puzzle.
I’ll be back at it today.
I stare at this house every morning when I’m sitting on the sofa with Don.
I’m still contemplating what I want to do with it. I do know that I consider it folk art and therefore, whatever I do will be minimal and removable. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s not built to 1:12 scale, more like what is called ¾ scale. There’s not a lot of furniture out there for this kind of scale, so do I just go with 1:12 scale and accept that the pieces will look too big for the space? Or do I use some of the House of Miniatures kits, which in my experience, are a bit less than 1:12? Hmmmm. Now I’ve got myself thinking about that possibility. I have several of the kits and they are still accessible (though no longer made) on eBay and Etsy.
Maybe I should try assembling one and see how it fits in the house?
Of course, I could simply keep the house empty and embrace it as a piece of folk art, but I have this nagging feeling that it needs a little life.
Finished Where the Crawdads Sing. I liked it very much. Maybe because there was so much hype about it when it was first published and so much talk on book Instagram accounts, I find myself saying, “Lovely, but not great.” And it was lovely. The descriptions of nature, especially, were beautifully written. The story was compelling. I was pulling for the protagonist. The ending left me a wee bit confused, and by that I mean, the last paragraph. The fireflies that were calling to Tate from the water – was that simply a poetic description and a way of referencing the title at the end of the book, or did it mean something more ominous or profound? Or am I reading too much into it?
Anyway. If I was grading it, I’d give it a B+ leaning toward an A-. (I hated grading when I was a professor.) Liked it a lot. Compelling. Well written and refreshingly different. But not an A.
Okay. Have to go.
Stay safe.
Happy Thursday.
We have not stopped wiping down any purchases that come in to our cottage. There was a news cast that talked about not having to do this but as we discussed together as a family, though it takes longer, we do it together and it’s not too long. And after the Pandemic, we’re going to continue this practice. We’ve come to realize that in the grand scheme of it all, we have no idea how many people have touched the products we’re buying, so a few minutes of wiping down is worth it for peace of mind. We wash our masks each time we come home as well. I have always washed any news clothes that come in to the house before they are worn. I have a friend who thinks that’s nuts but hey, it’s my time and I’d rather take an extra step than have to deal with illness. I do acknowledge it’s a pain but am happy to continue.
I love the look of the folk art dollhouse. It could be a feature piece that just remains as is. I’m sure you’ll figure out what is best.
Have a lovely day Claudia. I’m off to connect with my team for work after a short break yesterday.
X Chy
I agree. We will also take the extra step and we also wash out masks each time we wear one. Thanks Chy! Stay safe.
Felt the same way about the book. You need to go to Not Forgotten Farm blog and see the box doll house that Lori is doing with handmades, some from Ann wood tutorials. It’s charming, and to me fits your type of dollhouse. We did one out of a pop crate and I love it! You’ll enjoy the peek anyway.
I’ll go look. That style, however, is most likely not what I have in mind. Thanks for the tip, Suzanne. Stay safe!
That is the best color for a day lily I’ve ever seen. I have dark yellow ones and orange-verging-on-brown ones, but I’d trade them for your perfect soft red ones anyday!
It’s really beautiful! Stay safe, Shanna.
We had the exact same conversation, when we heard several weeks ago that it was not necessary to wipe down groceries. Result? We still wipe down. We’re not taking chances. Like you said, there is still so much that we don’t know about the virus.
And…that day lily? So pretty! Stay safe! ;)
No chances being taken here. I think we have to ensure that we’re not letting down our guard. It would be easy to do so.
Stay safe, Donna!
I think it gives peace of mind to carry on disinfecting groceries. Libraries in the UK can reopen from next week but it’s going to be very different for the foreseeable future. Books will need to be quarantined on return from people’s households. I think we are going to set up an order and collect system as it’s not practical to let people browse otherwise we would have to say to folk, once you touch a book, you’ll have to take it. My library has been considering advice from various libraries throughout the world that have reopened including the U.S. (Idaho) and Germany.
I think I mentioned before our specialist library supplier of fiction/non fiction has sadly gone out of business largely due to the virus. I could have cried reading the email from their rep whom we’ve gotten to know over the years. Dozens and dozens of local authorities used them. I also know we’ll start getting complaints from the public if we haven’t got the latest best seller in stock straightaway!
I haven’t read the Crawdad book yet, it’s on my list. My friend enjoyed it but neither of us knew what a crawdad was before the novel😀
Happy Thursday
Yes. I think they are only “crawdads” in the Southern US—”crayfish” elsewhere in English-speaking areas.
Thanks, Shanna – I thought it was a bird and my friend an insect! We have crayfish in Europe.
Stay safe x
I love day lillies. Yours is really beautiful. If wiping your groceries makes you feel safer by all means do it.
I have felt from the beginning that it wasn’t necessary although I did do it for about a month. I feel just as comfortable washing my hands after I put everything away.
It will be interesting to see what you do with the folk art house.
I have the Crawdad book on my list but haven’t read it yet.
I’m watching too much news again.
Stay safe
Ditto for me – too much Twitter.
We do both. Wipe everything down and wash our hands several times.
Stay safe, Marilyn!
It’s a whole new world at the library, isn’t it? It will be uncharted territory.
I’m so sorry about the loss of your supplier. That will be another troublesome thing to deal with, Dee Dee.
Stay safe!
What a lovely lily. I have several hundred day lilies blooming in my Detroit garden. Several are over fifty years old. They are transplanted from my mother’s former backyard garden planted in the 1960s. . But I have to admit, I love my pink ones. I purchased about 10 different varieties of pink ones a few years ago. They don’t multiply as quickly as the yellow or orange ones but they sure make a statement. My favorite yellow ones are called Many Happy Returns. They are a bit smaller than the D’Oro series and a lovely soft yellow color. They bloom all the way from June to November without any respite. Please do another video of your various flower types.. Your voice is lovely and so calming.
I have Many Happy Returns in my side garden, Nancy. Such a pretty pale yellow.
Thanks for your kind words. Stay safe!
I thought the writing in “Where the Crawdad’s Sing” was beautiful, but the story was preposterous. I don’t want to ruin it for anyone by saying why I thought that. I would give it a solid C. Gorgeous flower, Claudia!
I have to respectfully disagree (we’ll all have different opinions of course). There are things about the book I had a problem with but I didn’t think any of it was preposterous. I don’t have a problem with Oliver Twist or Nicholas Nickleby and Dickens used many of the same elements in his stories of poverty and self-education. It reminds me a great deal of Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter, one of my childhood favorites.
Stay safe, Jenny!
We still wipe everything down, too. I feel like every day they are learning new things about this virus, or else it is morphing, and that is an even bigger problem. It is a pain, but it isn’t life altering to take the time, so we will continue doing so, and it certainly won’t hurt anything to add in a layer of safety. Of course if we all together wished it away like our leaders seem to think will help, maybe it would “magically disappear”. I can’t even…….
Enjoy the rest of your day! Take care everyone, stay home, stay safe, and wear the damn mask!!!
I wish he would magically disappear!
We’re staying home! I’m lucky that I married a guy that is a great companion. It makes this much easier.
Stay safe, Chris!
Agree about the book. A little hard to believe she was able to self educate herself to PhD level.
I have no problem with that, especially since the PhD was honorary. One can be brilliant without a formal education. There are plenty of examples in history, Yes, it would be a rare thing but I can go along with that. It reminds me a great deal of Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter, one of my favorite books. Stay safe, Terri.
Love the flower. Stunning.
Heard or read similar things about ‘Crawdad’ book, which put me off it. Glad you are here to report about it for us.
You have such a good sense of what to do with those houses; I wouldn’t dare giving any advice. It’s very unique and you treat each one so uniquely.
Best to all for the Fourth – May the Fourth be with You. Ha ha – right (is that a balloon deflating I hear?)
Our neighborhood is having a ‘zoom call’ instead of our usual picnic in the middle.
I think you should read it. I don’t necessarily agree with the other comments. It’s all relative of course, as everyone has a different take on any given story. I didn’t find it preposterous or having any problem with the self-educating, which, after all, many great minds had to do when education was readily available.
The Fourth is the 26th anniversary of the day Don and I met!
Have a great holiday, Martha. Stay safe!
I would give it a B- Craft great but not my genre. Love the doll house and the flowers. Be safe brenda b
Thanks, Brenda. Stay safe!
What about homage to your Michigan roots? An Up North cottage? Mismatched furniture?
Love reading your blog. It always makes me feel peaceful.
The vintage dollhouse that I got a few years ago has already been deemed The Lake House. It’s an Up North cottage.
Thanks, Mindy and I’m glad you like the blog. Stay safe!
Have you thought of making the folk art dollhouse into a church, Claudia? That is what the view from the top reminded me of.
No. I just do houses, I have no real interest in buildings other than houses. The downstairs is full of individual rooms; a living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom and sun porch. And it was clearly designed after someone’s real-life house, so I’m going to keep it that way. Those upstairs rooms are so long and narrow! They will be a challenge. Thanks, Janette. Stay safe!
thanks for sharing about don’s call to someone at the fda about disinfecting groceries. family members and i wipe down groceries and other supplies and plan to do so for a long time.
will it surprise you to learn that my boss does not disinfect her groceries? i am not at all surprised … because she doesn’t require staff to wear masks and often doesn’t wear one herself (yeah, i am angry about that … and i keep away from them). ugh.
love the day lily. the colors are incredible!
glad the book turned out better than you first thought it would be. what’s next?
am sure you will make a great choice on that folk-art dollhouse (does it have a name yet?). i think my favorite parts of it are the windows and the very clever roof and it’s overall charm.
it was a long day at work today. and a long week … monday, as i was packing up to go home, i was so happy because a thought came to me … “i’m so glad today is friday!” :o not a good start … haha. so i am grateful to be home and to have tomorrow off in recognition of independence day. lots to do around here, but i might decide to sleep in a bit. :)
hope you all have a good night and stay safe.
kathy in iowa
thinking about books (including the one you just finished) tonight while washing dishes, i remembered something from my childhood that made me laugh. some neighbor kids and i went to a little pond; i was maybe eight. we decided to catch and sell crawdaddies and that’s what we did … hauled a bucket of crawdaddies in pond water around the neighborhood and knocked on people’s doors, offering crawdaddies for ten cents apiece. a lady bought one (probably because her youngest son was selling them with me). when no one else was buying them, we cut the price in half. and when that kid’s mother found that out, she knocked on my family’s door and demanded a nickle refund. a little nickle from a little kid?!? but she didn’t squash my little entrepreneurial spirit. my next “moneymaker” was to put in sandwich baggies some water that i dyed pink with some red crepe paper. one very sweet and encouraging elderly woman bought a bag for a quarter. haha!
thanks, claudia, for talking about the books you read. this latest one brought back some nice memories. :)
kathy in iowa
ps … we put the unsold crawdaddies back in the pond. and my much-loved parents taught my much-loved brother and sister and me well about the value of things, including money. :)
Love, love these stories! Thanks so much for sharing them, Kathy!
I’m not at all surprised about your boss. She doesn’t seem to get it, that’s for sure!
No, the folk art dollhouse doesn’t have a name yet. I’ll wait until I’m inspired. So glad you have the day off and a long weekend. Stay safe, Kathy!
I don’t feel comfortable bringing shopping into the house until it has been wiped down. People often said how masks were not enough, but I now hear people saying that they should be worn when out. I make up my own mind on these things having listened and read various sources. It is my life and I wish to take as many precautions so that I am safe. Doesn’t matter if some are not going to work as well as I want them to work. I think it all contributes to a safer atmosphere.
Loved the photo of the lilly. Beautiful.
Thank you, Robyn. Stay safe!
We’re wiping down EVERYthing and also are still being careful with the paper mail. Super-cautious when at the bank ATM or the gas pump, too. It’s all a major hassle, but we’re taking no chances. We go thru a lot of gloves when being out in public. New pair for each errand, every time in and out of the car. Frequent handwashing, particularly after taking out the trash/garbage; frequent ‘sanitizing’ of car interior, doorknobs in & out the house, light switches, garage door remote, TV remote, sliding door handles, push buttons of any type, cupboard pulls, sink faucets, computer mouse, computer keyboard; phones; keys; sunglasses; bag handles, wallet, debit card, etc. I feel we should be more careful of what we track in on our feet and my husband usually remembers to pull off his shoes after going out in public before he comes into the house. When he gets home from various store errands, he usually pulls off his clothes before coming indoors and often goes right into the shower stall, clothes into the washing machine. But, I say with resignation and understanding, he’s really, really, REALLY sick & tired of this ‘routine’. And when you get to that point, that’s when the guard starts slipping. We’re all Covid-weary at this point.
There is still too much that is unknown about the virus.
Brought in (with trepidation of even being ‘out there’ in this Covid-heavy SoCalif world) xtra-xtra food and supplies the past two days and will now hunker down like never before, except for essential medical visits which I can no longer put off. My oncologist called yesterday and wants me in there; you stay in your car, call them that you’ve arrived, they come out to take your temp and only one patient is escorted into the office and elevator at any given time, plus they have a security guard to reinforce the rules. We’re in a world of hurt here in Southern California. I had a tele-med visit with my primary-care physician this afternoon and she’s quite concerned about hospital capacity in our county (which includes about 14 cities). I’m sure you know that the Covid positives in California have exploded; same for Texas and Florida, and Arizona.
I had a really disturbing (to me) thing happen yesterday. Mind you, I say ‘we’, but I’m meaning me and my husband, with Husband doing the work of shopping, errands and disinfecting while I hover in the background, hand-wringing. I’ve personally never been out in public, in terms of being around people other than my husband, since March 12. And that was a carefully-orchestrated circumstance, believe me. I haven’t been in a store since March 6. Again, carefully-orchestrated, there before the store opened, in the door at the pharmacy counter with no one there yet, fly in/fly out. So, yesterday, we were on our twice-per-month ‘journey’ (a mile) to the small post office to pick up our p.o. box mail where I sit in the car and never get out, my husband doing the retrieving. And, details unnecessary, he had to move the car, left me for a few minutes, then I had to (in his brief absence) move the car again. And, this last time, he’d parked right in front of a gym which was in full swing, their big entrance door wide open, with a very-full exercise class and a coach on a loud speaker. Again, we’re now parked mere feet from this gym door.
It was a hurried situation due to needing to move the car quickly, totally took me by surprise; I fumbled with mask, which I’m never in a position to have to wear much, because I mostly live indoors and just on my home property (so I’m not used to it and how exactly to position it over my nose), and tried to get out of the passenger seat in a tight squeeze next to another parked car (diagonal parking) and while I began to circle the rear of the car, in ‘way too much traffic on the narrow street, to get to the driver’s side, the gym class let out, at that precise moment, and all these people poured through the door to the sidewalk, NOT ONE OF THEM WEARING A MASK and headed (straight for me) to their cars in the crowded parking spaces. I hurried as fast as I could into my car as they swept by me, so close that they even bumped my car door. And mind again, I hadn’t even driven a car myself since February. I was a rattled mess by the time I re-parked the car and my husband came back. Could not WAIT to return to the safety of home.
Still worried I skipped some step and exposed myself although, rationally and going back over everything, how? I just feel the ‘air’ got potentially contaminated very quickly except for me of course being in the OUTdoor air and not INdoor air (AND, even if it was on haphazardly, I did have on my mask; and I’ll never make that mistake again; the mask will be in place before I ever leave my house, and it won’t come off until I’m back inside my house; we scored three face shields, too, so one of those will get strapped on as well; an over-reaction to some but realize I have nearly every co-morbidity for complications from Covid).
I realize other people (even those in my own realm of friends & family) think I’m over-paranoid. But I’m afraid of those ‘droplets’. My doctor re-emphasized today, my risks if I get this virus, although I didn’t need her to remind me about the ‘plague’; I’ve ‘lived’ this since first finding out about Covid when my husband’s friend was on that contaminated Diamond Princess cruise ship off Japan in January. He now has another friend from the former workplace (Los Angeles) who’s been deathly ill with Covid; he actually coded and they almost lost him; was in the hospital for eight weeks, on a vent for much of it, in an induced coma; only now getting home and he’s still suffering effects with his breathing. He’s age 60. And a good friend of mine now has a couples-friend (I’ve met them before) where both are sick after trying to separate in their own house (good luck with that) when he got it first although the wife now has Covid, too; not yet hospitalized (her) although he was for several days, on oxygen but not a vent. They are both age 69 (active, healthy, ‘fit’ people with no underlying health issues; had been very careful about the virus, too). We of course hope they don’t get any sicker but it’s all yet unknown because they’re new in the disease.
This is NOTHING to fool around with; the virus wants us.
I thought it was just in my neighborhood, this too-large amount of people without masks, coming and going, congregating, especially on Father’s Day; and also now, night after night, groups gathering for illegal fireworks, like last light on the other side of my street. But now I saw it on Main Street at 9:30 am at that gym yesterday; so, yes it’s just my small corner of the world, which is now heavily virus-infected, but you multiply that by what’s happening elsewhere and that’s why the U.S. has lost control of this epidemic, because you can’t control the people. (My husband is really looking at it as a dangerous breakdown of society.) Which is why the governors have to go in and at least restrict the people’s movements by closing down stores again; the beaches, etc.
I’ll never understand how there can be so many people who don’t care for their own health but, sadly, for no one else’s either. I think it’s the main diff from when we’ve talked about The Great Depression of the 1930s, World War II of the 1940s; I guess our parents and grandparents were a diff sort of people; it seems to reveal itself now as a diff sort of mindset and citizenry, where there was more respect for authority but also civil cohesiveness; Civics 101 class as some have said. Certainly better leadership in a cause by which everyone needed to rally behind. I remember JFK when I was a kid, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” (A call to action for the public to do what is right for the greater good. [Wiki]) Patriotism. Fourth of July. We don’t have what we need.
hej, vicki. :)
i am sorry that you had that experience outside the gym. i hope and will pray that you don’t get covid-19 and that you do have peace about that.
hope you have a nice night and weekend.
kathy in iowa
kathy, how sweet to get your comment; I’ve thought of you so much in your own battle to get past Covid; I understand it to be so draining, getting so tired so easily; wishing you the best always and thank you for always thinking of others as you do…
…we had another startling thing happen this week; my husband’s niece was on a conference call with her fellow employees (working from home) when she heard a thud in the next room, and her 42-year-old husband collapsed with a massive stroke; they live two blocks from a hospital and he got immediate care and was in surgery within a few hours for stents in the carotid artery and something to do with the aorta as well; his left side and face were paralyzed but it’s starting to come back and they think he’ll be able to walk again although he has lost speech which they feel will be helped with speech therapy (he can understand, but he can’t talk; no words); anyway, his wife (my husband’s 40-yr-old niece) has of course never been able to see him or be with him due to Covid, and they’ve got a long road ahead; he was already furloughed from his full-time job with a major hotel chain although she’s gainfully employed as a biologist and we’re so thankful she wasn’t at the lab that day and was instead home, or this would have had a much-worse outcome for her husband, as stroke victims need to get to a hospital asap; we’ve been saying our prayers for this ‘young’ couple who aren’t even eight years into their marriage, and newly-relocated to the state of Maryland, far away from any relatives or friends to help … her parents (my husband’s brother) are in tense knots as they’re both ‘under cover’ for Covid due to many serious underlying medical issues, in their mid-70s, can’t travel, separated from their daughter by 1800 miles … it’s a heartbreaker … but we have gratitude for his life!
hej, vicki.
prayers for your family, including your husband’s nephew by marriage … a full and quick recovery for him and peace for you all. that’s a blessing for sure that your husband’s niece was home at the time and they live so close to a hospital.
stay safe!
and thanks for your kind words.
kathy in iowa
It doesn’t sound as if you were out there long enough for anything to have impacted on you. There needs to be a bit of sustained contact and you didn’t have that. I know it was unnerving, though.
People seem to be self-absorbed and selfish; clueless, as well. This is not our parents’ generation, sadly. And we’re seeing it in all this “I want my freedom” BS. I want to smack everyone for making it even more dangerous. Those of us who have been sacrificing since March and doing the right thing are now being impacted by those who haven’t. It makes me very, very angry. New York has done a bang-up job of flattening the curve, and this includes NYC, which was a nightmare in March and April. The selfishness of others, especially those who politicized wearing a mask, has made this so much worse. So many people gone who didn’t need to die.
Stay safe.
Thanks for your reassuring words.
Speaking of words. I don’t usually watch commercials on television; I’ve usually recorded something so can fast-forward thru them. But I was impacted by this one. The medical insurance company in California, Blue Shield. The background music is a slow, somber rendition (reflective, pensive) from The Mamas and The Papas, that old “California Dreamin'” song. They flash each of these following words on a black screen, one after the other, almost like a heartbeat; I don’t know if the ‘heart’ symbol will print, but the succeeding words continue to flash from there as the music picks up and feels more determined (the shift in emotion; COURAGE), and one black & white photo after another is shown of janitor/cleaner, then firefighter/paramedic, nurse/doctor, maybe a bus driver (raw, candid shots), ending with the final words (the two sentences) I have in caps which, in some ways (although of course no comparison), could apply to any of us as warriors against an enemy, an appeal to just hang on with Covid and this epidemic, because we can do this:
Endless shifts
Mask scars
Emotional
Tired
Wiped out
Isolated
Beat
Overwhelmed
Alone
Confused
Frustrated
Painful
Scared
Unprotected
Stressed
Anxious
♥
Resilient
Brave
Unity
Committed
Proud
Hope
Love
Front line
Mother
Son
Wife
Friend
Hero
THE FIGHT IS TOUGH.
BUT SO ARE YOU.
Wonderful. Thank you, Vicki. Stay safe!
I should say that the background music was non-vocal; just a piano, and the pianist was totally in the right step and mood for the power of the words. I’ve got this pinned on the wall now, so I can see it often. Thanks for letting me share it.
The fight is tough, but so are we.
As you always so graciously say, Claudia, STAY SAFE.
xo
I think it’s so important to do what makes us feel most safe, since as you pointed out, there is very much about this virus that we do not know. Even Fauci stumbled about facemarks from the beginning and we aren’t getting any kind of federal guidance or support. I’m grateful Fauci is still speaking out. If I had more stamina and a bigger kitchen space, I would be washing and wiping down everything. I never used to wash can lids before opening the can, but I do now. Other than that…but I do always have a mask with me and I do always wear it indoors and I do have hand sanitizer and wipes and gloves in the car and I wash my hands so often that I can’t wear my wedding ring anymore–gives me a soap rash. Ah me. So lucky we personally don’t have it any worse.
I agree with your assessment of Crawdads. I got lost in her beautiful swampy environment, but much of the plot just didn’t do it for me. I’m glad I read it. I just re-read a sort of similar book from years ago and I really recommend this writer: Anne Rivers Siddons. Her books are basically romance but more on the order of Mary Stewart in terms of sophistication and character. Also, she writes about specifically South Carolina’s low country and you can smell the salt air, rich soil, and taste the seafood that she writes about (I don’t even like oysters or shellfish but she makes them sound delicious). Her novels are probably 20-30 years old but stay contemporary. I like her as a beach read, and I also like Elin Hildenbrand (may have the last name slightly wrong, but I’m close) who is a contemporary writer who also has a wonderful sense of place (In her cast Nantcket) and interesting characters. A lot of her books are about beaches so they are great summer escapes.
I love that doll house so much and it is absolutely beautiful just as it is in the way simple elegant Amish furniture is. But a little touch of home would be lovely. That’s a very weird scale! I wonder if there are any artists that work in it at all? Anyway, I love peeping into the soft, pretty wooden interior.
Thanks again for sharing your blogs here. Comforting!
Very few miniaturists work in that scale, so what I have to look for is pieces that aren’t exactly to scale. Believe me, there are vast differences in what should be 1:12 scale out there, especially those pieces that are older. We’ll see how I do! It all has to be on a budget, so I’ll have to be creative. Stay safe, Nora.
I’m still wiping down everything. I’m not quite as panicked if something gets in that shouldn’t (if Rick has shopped and I’m getting groceries from him the next day but I try very hard. Pretty much with mail, too. And I wear my mask on an extra long shoelace around my neck so it’s easy to get at quickly when I need it, if others are around.
That said, I’m pretty darned isolated, apart from Rick and even we are keeping distance, though he’s very good with the mask when he’s at the store and such. Yesterday I had to use a public restroom for the first time — we were at a park (he’s riding his bicycle north and I met him half-way at a park with a picnic). I watched that bathroom for a solid half hour to make sure no one was going in (probably longer) and when I did, I was in and out like a shot, not even drying my hands after washing. Then I used sanitizer. Rick said he stopped to get a pop at a McDonald’s, wearing his mask. Usually they fill at the self-serve but the attendant had to get it for you, in mask and gloves and you couldn’t drink inside.
Maybe the house should be a little art gallery, like the kind you see in places like Martha’s Vineyard where the structure itself is rustic and inside there is beautiful art on the walls. I bet any of your artists friends would send you “paintings” and “sculptures” at the size you’d like to make it work. Then all you might want for furniture would be a couple of little benches where your pretend people can sit and enjoy the art!
I think it’s going to be a house. The reason I love dollhouses is because I love looking at people’s houses, peeking in windows (figuratively) and seeing how they live. That’s what I do with my dollhouses.
I haven’t gone to a public bathroom since this whole thing started!
Stay safe, Jeanie.