Mockingbird Hill Cottage — Page 1578 — Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Smooth Sailing

December 2, 2011 at 9:31 am by Claudia

During this time that my Mom has been in rehab and, soon, a nursing home, my Dad and I have talked on the phone several times a day. Mom will never be back in the house she and Dad shared. That this is terribly sad is an understatement. My Dad is heartbroken. So our calls cover everything: the good, the bad, the sad, the heartbreak.

Dad worked for Michigan Bell Telephone Company for over 40 years. That probably accounts for the fact that he hates to talk on the phone. If Mom was home and well, these phone calls would not be happening. One nugget of good that has come from all of this is our talks. We’ve come to know each other on a deeper level. I’ve shared things with Dad that normally wouldn’t come up in the course of a one minute “Hi Dad, how are you?” conversation. And he’s done the same with me.

The other day, he told me a box was coming in the mail. Yesterday, it arrived. Packed carefully inside was this:

A beautiful wooden boat with cloth sails. Maybe a schooner? Here’s the story he shared with me. When Mom and Dad retired to their beautiful home in Northern Michigan after living downstate in Dearborn for nearly 40 years, they visited Mackinaw Island. This move ‘up north’ had been a dream of theirs for a long, long time. They had finally done it. When Mom saw this boat, she bought it for my Dad and gave it to him with the words, “There will be only smooth sailing ahead.”

That was 25 or so years ago. Dad gave this to Don and me with the wish that there be only “smooth sailing” ahead for us. I cannot put into words how deeply this touches me.

I really love this little ship. Welcome to Mockingbird Hill Cottage.

Thanks, Dad.

By the way, the whole time I have been taking pictures of the boat, I have been straddling this:

When Riley sprawls, he sprawls. He has yet to get up for the day. Typical boy; he likes to sleep in.

Have a lovely Friday.

Craft/DIY: Crochet Snowflake Garland

December 1, 2011 at 11:00 am by Claudia

Last year I shared a pattern for a crochet garland. Whenever you see a photo of the white cabinet in the living room you see the garland, which is hanging on the cabinet door.

That was right around the holidays and I remarked how much like snowflakes these little flowers looked. So yesterday I played around a bit with yarn and hook.

Sweet little yarn snowflakes. As I begin this post on Wednesday evening, I’ve made about 9 or 10 or them. By the time I post tomorrow, I’ll have made more.

I’m back on a sunny Thursday morning. I did indeed make more snowflakes, while watching Dial M for Murder on TCM. Alfred Hitchcock and crochet = perfect evening.

I count 14 snowflakes. But you can make as many as you want. Lots more and you’d have tree garland. Or you could hang each snowflake separately, with different lengths of ribbon, and place them in a window. If you have some butcher’s twine in that yummy red and white combination, you could use that as the base for your garland. It would look very Christmas-y.

Simple. And sweet. The birds approve.

I used Sugar ‘n Cream yarn in white. You can find it at Michael’s and most likely Hobby Lobby and Joann’s. I chose it because it’s the next best thing to Peaches n’ Cream. I used Peaches n’ Cream for the aqua garland because I had a lot on hand and the yarn itself is rather stiff which makes it perfect for this kind of thing. Sugar n’ Cream is less stiff, but still works. It’s also very inexpensive.

If you’re interested in trying this, here’s the link for the pattern (which is based on this pattern.) You can make your snowflakes any size you want – I ended up making 7 loops on these. The snowflakes should look folky and handmade, so have fun!

And by the way, I’m not ‘officially’ decorating yet. Just playing. Decorating will not begin for at least a week!

Around the Cottage

November 30, 2011 at 9:49 am by Claudia

Well, the big news here at Mockingbird Hill Cottage is….hang on to your hats…the septic tank was emptied yesterday!

I know. Take a moment to collect yourself. If I had been a bit more on top of things, I would have taken pictures. I could have devoted a whole post to the process.

Let me tell you, the guy who drives that truck and empties the tank deserves to be paid very well.

I keep forgetting to share this little gem with you. I discovered it in a local shop and was planning to sell it in my future Etsy shop. But Don claimed it. It’s about 2 inches high and says:

I’ll hold your rings
For you;
While dishes or
Washing you do.

Souvenir of Lake George, NY

Lake George is quite a bit north of us, in the Adirondacks.

The little lid comes off and there is a little well with a piece of wood in the center, just like a ring holder. I used this on Thanksgiving when I took my wedding ring off in order to make biscuits. It lives on the window ledge by the sink. I love these little wooden souvenirs. They look handmade and are so gosh darned charming.

Can you find Scout in the background of the photo?

By the way, I’ve actually signed up for my Etsy shop! Someone already had the name Mockingbird Hill – I couldn’t add ‘Cottage’ because there were too many characters. So it will be under my user name of ScoutHarper. I have no idea when it will open, but I’m aiming for the first of the year. I will carry vintage finds and some handmade things, as well. I’m getting excited.

Playing with the Necco Candy Jar:

Filled with the fabric Easter eggs I made a couple of years ago. The pastel colors remind me of yummy candy.

I’ll eventually fill it with something Christmas-y but I refuse to start Christmas decorating this early. I’m adamant about the subject. Hey, I love Christmas decorations as much as anyone else, but for me, the season loses its sense of wonder if I rush into decorating the minute Thanksgiving has ended. We always get a real tree – usually around December 10th or so. Then the decorating will begin.

They’re in the jar temporarily. In fact, I’ve already removed them. The inside of the jar still smells musty. I’ve used coffee grounds in the past to remove mustiness. I have some ready to go. Any other suggestions?

I must thank you for the wonderful and moving comments on the “Blogging Etiquette: Mean Girls” post. Wow. I read them all more than once. I was touched and in some cases, moved to tears. This clearly resonates with all of us. Whether we’ve witnessed someone being bullied or suffered through the bullying of one of our children or have been bullied ourselves – this kind of behavior leaves lasting scars. I feel passionately about the subject and it’s clear that you do, too. Thank you.

Smooth Sailing

Craft/DIY: Crochet Snowflake Garland

Around the Cottage

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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