Mockingbird Hill Cottage — Page 1074 — Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Permission Granted

December 13, 2015 at 9:51 am by Claudia

12-13 eggcups

Just because I wanted to.

I call this “Eggcups on Parade.” I’ve taken the same kind of picture of the eggcups that are lined up on the mantel upstairs in the studio.

They’re sort of jaunty, aren’t they?

It’s a very low-key weekend here. No Christmas decorations yet and I am perfectly comfortable with that. Because of the ankle, I haven’t even ventured out on the porch to hang the lights, but I’ll do that soon, because I love seeing the lights at night and we tend to keep them up and lit long after Christmas.

12-13 attheready

On the coffee table and at the ready: my morning Peet’s French Roast, the card that Cathy included when she sent that wonderful pottery, a reference book on Roseville Pottery, the book I am going to start – Susan Hill’s The Various Haunts of Men – as soon as I finish the one I’m reading on the Kindle, and my reading glasses.

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This is the book I’m reading on the Kindle – it’s an eGalley of a book that will be coming out here in the States in January. It’s already a bestseller in Europe. I’ll review it soon, but I can say that it’s an absolutely charming read, all about the power of books in a small town in Iowa.

I have to work on a scarf order today, as well. And it looks like we’re in for some rain.

Low-key and pressure-free are just fine with me. Just as I felt a few years back when Don was working away from home on Christmas and I decorated with only the small white tree and a wreath or two, I’m experiencing that same ‘liberated’ feeling. There can be too much pressure to create a certain level of holiday celebration. We see that on television, in the stores, and certainly here in blogland. But for many, the holidays are hard to get through for any number of reasons.

Obviously, it’s hard for me this year. So I’m giving myself permission to just be this year. To quietly celebrate with Don and Scout, and to feel no pressure to do what is ‘expected’ at Christmas.

What a lovely, calming feeling it is.

Happy Sunday.

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Pottery: Intact and Not-So-Intact

December 12, 2015 at 8:35 am by Claudia

Yesterday I spoke of a surprise gift and today I’m sharing some more gifts.

My goodness, I am blessed by sweet and generous people in my life. And I’m very, very grateful.

Cathy, a longtime friend of this blog, wrote me to ask if she could send me a few pieces of pottery that had belonged to her mother. She and her sister have many pieces from their mother – all of them with a story that is meaningful to the sisters – but these three pieces didn’t have any particular sentiment attached to them, so Cathy generously sent them to me.

12-12 gifts

Oh my!

12-12 catalina1

On the left is a piece of Catalina Island Pottery – a candlestick. This pottery was made on Catalina Island off the coast of California, sometime between 1927 and 1947. It’s very collectible.

12-12 catalina2

One of the marks – there are other, fainter marks on the bottom as well.

12-12 bittersweet candleholder

This is Roseville Pottery – a candleholder in the Bleeding Heart pattern. Sigh. It’s beautiful.

12-12 hull pitcher

And this little pitcher is Hull Pottery. I have one other piece of Hull that is lovely, though it has a broken handle. Now, I’ve got two!

Thank you, dear Cathy! What a delight it was to open this package. As I told Cathy in my email, Don stood there and oohed and aahed right along with me. I will treasure these pieces and give them a good home.

From the sublime to the ridiculous: I seem to have a problem with receiving damaged items in the mail. First up was the broken glass on the Maxfield Parrish (the seller has sent me a check to cover the glass replacement, by the way.) Yesterday, I got a box in the mail containing a piece of Roseville that I won on eBay. This is what I found when I opened it:

12-12 the mess

I’m not kidding. I wanted to cry. I immediately contacted the seller, of course. It had been packed in a box that I think was too small. It did have bubble wrap around it but there wasn’t enough space in the box for any extra padding.It seems to me that there should be a lot of padding around fragile items. The seller contacted me and was clearly very sorry that it had happened and said the same thing the other seller said – that she never has problems with breakage. Well, now you do, and I seem to be the lucky recipient. I took photos and sent them to her so she could see the damage for herself. She is going to refund my money. So in both cases, the resolution has been a positive one.

Nevertheless….

So, I grabbed the glue I use for miniatures and I put it back together as best I could. It doesn’t look all that good, certainly not at all good if you look closely, but if I put it in the back of the china cabinet it should be okay until the day I can find a replacement.

12-12 glued together piece

There are chips missing – especially near the handle – but this is the best I could do.

12-12 glued together piece2

This shot really shows the patchwork of glued pieces. You can see why I loved this piece. It’s the Zephyr Lily pattern in a blue/green and it’s a planter/window box.

Hey, at least I was able to patch it back together, right?

Waaah.

The ankle is much better, though I was on it way too much yesterday because Don had to go into the city for an audition, so I was on Scout duty. Next week: IKEA! It doesn’t take much to get me excited these days.

Happy Saturday.

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Flowers and Friends

December 11, 2015 at 7:59 am by Claudia

12-11 instagrammy picture of LR

This is another Instagram photo that I’d also like to share here in this space. Real Life, my friends. Lots of little rugs for Scout, Don’s guitar on the loveseat, Scout snoozing, air conditioner still in the window, assorted clutter on the kitchen table.

But I love the golden light. When the sun pours in the windows here, it’s truly lovely.

And look at this!

12-11 geranium

The geranium plant that was hanging on the porch is still blooming! I brought it indoors and it’s gorgeous red blossoms are really adding some cheer around here.

12-11 geranium2

This is the time of year when I can no longer garden, when I can’t take a quick picture of whatever is blooming at the moment, so I hunker down and concentrate on the inside of the cottage. I start to nest in earnest; gathering, collecting, rearranging. I think we all do – at least those of us who live in wintery areas of the country.

But I haven’t done one bit of Christmas decorating yet. Not one. We’ve barely talked about presents. It’s the way it is this year.

Speaking of presents, Don has a great friend who is a fellow musician. His name is Fran. I also know Fran and he’s a great guy. Remember those donuts I love so much that are made fresh every day in our neighboring town? Well, Don and Fran often meet at the donut shop for coffee and donuts and talk. I benefit from these meetings because Don brings me a chocolate glazed donut. Heaven.

Anyway, yesterday Don came home with a donut and little bag and said that Fran had sent me something – something that was on his mantel that he thought I would like. (Don told me that Fran occasionally reads my blog, which surprised and delighted me.) Fran knows I love pottery, and this was what was wrapped up inside of that bag:

12-11 gift from Fran

This beautiful little piece of cobalt blue pottery. It looks like it might be a cruet of sorts. Isn’t it lovely? There’s no mark on the bottom. I love the graceful curves and the elegance of the design.

I was so taken by this wonderful surprise. Thank you, Fran, for thinking of me and sharing this little treasure. I will think of you every time I look at it.

Aren’t people wonderful?

Book Review of two books by M. J. Arlidge on Just Let Me Finish This Page.

Happy Friday.

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Permission Granted

Pottery: Intact and Not-So-Intact

Flowers and Friends

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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