Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

White Barn Farm Sheep & Wool

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I promised you photos of our new local yarn shop and I try very hard to keep my promises. The landscape around MHC is dotted with old homes, farms and barns. I’m very used to seeing them as I drive around. In fact, I’d seen this white barn countless times as I was out and about.  One day, as I was tooling along, I almost slammed on the brakes when I saw a sign in front of the barn that said White Barn Farm Sheep & Wool. What??? Could it be? I wasn’t doing any crocheting or knitting at the time and life was busy so I didn’t make it there until very recently. (It’s only been open for a few months.) Since I was on the hunt for yarn with which to crochet my obsession scarf, I thought I should shop local first. I was looking for Mochi but wasn’t counting on the store carrying it. Well, I was wrong. There it was. And there was this lovely shop and its owner, Paula. Would you like to see some photos?

Gosh darn it! I went out on a sunny day to take photos and while I was out it turned cloudy. This is the barn. I love the green door and if I could, I would spirit those Adirondack chairs away to my front lawn.  This is a close-up of the tree you see on the right.

Yarn balls as Christmas balls – perfect. As you step inside, you see this:

A gorgeous sheep with a hat. Paula raises sheep, by the way. To the right there is an old door leading to another part of the barn.

I know all you fans of weathered, old and chippy are drooling over this beauty. I was, too.
The yarn is displayed in baskets which are attached to the walls. Over to the left is the Mochi Plus.
Paula carries well-known brands of wool as well as local wool and roving. She offers classes and a knit local cafe where knitters can gather to work on their projects. Every time I’ve been in, there have been several customers in the store. I’m so glad she is here; and by the traffic I see going in and out of the store, so are many, many residents of the Hudson Valley.

Somewhere Over The….

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I wasn’t going to post today – however, at the end of a long, windy, blustery day when I got drenched at least twice, this appeared:

(I posted this on my photo blog, hence the different watermark.)
I was in the middle of a phone conversation with my Mom and the dogs were bugging me for dinner. Trying to escape them so I could talk without annoying little barks in the background, I walked up the stairs and saw this out the studio window.  I yelled for Don to come look, turned the phone over to him and ran to get my camera. This rainbow was perfect. We could see the whole arc from beginning to end. If you look very closely, you’ll see a double rainbow. The second rainbow is very faint.
I was outside in the rain, in my slippers with no coat on. Thank goodness Don brought out my muck boots! It was truly spectacular. The schoolbus had just arrived and our neighbors across the street were also gazing at this beautiful end to a stormy day.
I tried to use the Stitch Assist on my camera. Of course, since I had never even thought about using it before, I didn’t know what I was doing. Here’s my attempt to stitch the shots together via Picnik. Please ignore the fact that the rainbow doesn’t meet correctly. And the fact that the maple tree has more branches than it really does.
The house looks like it is breaking in two. It isn’t. At least, I hope not. The challenge with Stitch Assist, I have discovered, is in not moving the camera up or down, even slightly. If you do, you get this Picasso-esque view of MHC. Nevertheless, this gives you an idea of how far this rainbow stretched across the sky.What an amazing phenomenon a rainbow is. I can’t remember the last time I saw one. And I don’t remember ever seeing one this fully formed and ‘whole.’ I guess living in the country helps – no other buildings on the horizon to block the view. It was a little miracle that completely changed the tone of the day. A blessing.

One other note: the winner of a copy of Dear Mrs. Kennedy is Suzanne from Privet and Holly. Suzanne, I will be contacting you for your address. Congratulations!

 

What’s New on Wednesday

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The first day of December has emerged as a gray, rainy, somewhat depressing day weather-wise. We’ve seen no snow yet, although we have seen a few flakes that were here one minute, gone the next. Today’s temps will be in the 50’s, which is a bit balmy for December. Though I love seeing all the Christmas decorations throughout Blogland, this house will continue to be a No Christmas Decorating Zone for another week or so. I just can’t decorate this early. I’ve never been able to. If decorations are up too soon, I get used to them. I no longer see them. They lose their magic. And I want them to be magical. I suppose this is also a reaction to the over-commercialization of Christmas, where every store seems to trot out the Christmas decorations as soon as Halloween has passed. In good time, they will appear. In good time.

What’s new here at MHC? After being locked into a 2 year cell phone contract with AT&T, we finally made our escape and went to Verizon.

I have nothing against AT&T, my Dad worked for them for 40 years, but their coverage out here in our little town is simply terrible. Our town continues to dither about a cell tower. Things being what they are, Verizon has the best coverage here. Now, when the power goes out, we can actually call the power company.  When I get a business call, I will no longer have to get in the car and drive to an area where I can hear the message. Yesterday, I actually spoke to a colleague about a potential coaching job while working in my studio. It’s a big deal here.

See, I’m not lying. I have been working in the studio. The quarters are tight, but I have to say I am proud of how it all flows. Yesterday, I had the ironing board set up, the cupboard doors open, the sewing machine humming; all to the sound of Don’s guitar as he practiced downstairs.

I’ve also been doing more of this:

Another scarf in Mochi Plus. Gorgeous colors, aren’t they? The addiction continues. I hope to take some photos at our new yarn store very soon. Today is too gloomy and dark. Hopefully, tomorrow.

If you live anywhere near Shelburne Falls, MA, Don is playing at a wonderful cafe called Mocha Maya’s this coming Saturday at 8:00 pm. You can find them here.  Don’s a wonderful entertainer and I can guarantee you’d have a great time.

What are you up to today?

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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