Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Painting

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Forecast: 3 days of rain. What better time to start painting the kitchen table? I bought some more paint today (Ivory White by Benjamin Moore) and some primer. By the time I went to the hardware store, the post office, the bank and the grocery store, my starting time had been delayed a few hours. The first coat of primer is on.

I wish the light was better. However, this gives you an idea of how it will look. Tomorrow another coat of primer goes on and then I’ll be ready to paint it (Ivory White is the same color I used on the kitchen island.) Husband already remarked on how much better it looks – I agree.

I received a package in the mail today from my friend Tracie of My Petite Maison. I had mentioned in  a comment that I can never find white pumpkins here…so she sent me some! She also sent along some sunflower seeds for my garden and some lavender.

I have to say that I really love white pumpkins and prefer them to the traditional orange color. Gosh darn it – I wish the table was already painted because I can envision them in a pretty vignette in the center of the table. More reason to get a move on! Thank you, Tracie; you are such a sweetheart.

It’s 6:30 pm as I write this and it’s already dark outside! Do not like.

Saturday Outing

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The storms of Thursday and Friday gave way to clear skies and sunshine on Saturday. Autumn in the Northeast is truly beautiful. I needed to get out of the house, so husband and I took a little drive to a neighboring town. Very old and charming, this area is home to lots of NYC weekenders.  It’s just a stone’s throw from where we live.

There’s a historic canal in the middle of town,
With moss-covered stairs,
And still, leafy water. (Who is that couple?)
Who knew? (I’m still pondering the strange syntax and punctuation choices on this sign.)

There was a small antique sale taking place in a little field and we found a very inexpensive treasure. In a box of old tins, I was drawn to a shallow tin in a pale Jadite green and yellow. When I pulled it out, this is what I saw:

Hand-painted, no doubt, with a vintage decal in the center.  Even before we flipped it over, husband recognized it as an old movie film canister.

 

Sort of perfect for us, don’t you think? It’s now sitting in its new home on the coffee table.I hope you’ve had a good weekend. Husband is playing his music at an Apple Festival this morning, I am going to prep the kitchen table for painting. There are many leaves to rake and grass to mow and my Red Sox are playing their last game for the season. Saddled with injuries to half their starting line-up, they’ve had a tough time of it this year. But, scrappy as ever and blessed with a fantastic manager, they hung on until almost the last minute. After today, I must cheer for the Tampa Bay Rays (sister’s team.) Go Sox! Go Rays!

Unexpected Blessing in the Mail

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I don’t make it a habit to post twice in one day. However, I had to share something with you that just happened an hour ago. If you’ve read the earlier October 1st post, you know we were dealing with a leak in the kitchen yesterday caused by a combination of too many leaves in the gutters and torrential rains. Tending to that took a few hours. Thank goodness we were home.

I’m going to be honest. I had an argument with my father last night that kept me awake for about 3 hours in the middle of the night. The worries about my mother continue. I have a dog (Riley) who seems to have lost control and periodically poops in the house. This morning, after keeping him outside for a long time, I relented, let him in and he promptly pooped on the floor. We are dealing, as are many of you, with financial worries. This morning, I sat down and cried my heart out for a while. I just needed that release.

No sooner had I done that than I heard the toot of our mail carrier’s horn. That means a package has been left down at the mailbox.

The box was from my dear friend, Donna of An Enchanted Cottage. Donna is one of the first bloggers I was privileged to meet and we have been friends ever since. She is a lovely person with a heart of gold. She also loves all animals, as I do and we bonded initially because of that shared love. She also has a beautiful home. Donna’s father is fragile, so we have that worry in common, as well.

I found this inside the box. Donna had enclosed a card, which couldn’t have been more perfect.

If you read Donna’s blog, you know that she has a cat. She also has chipmunks and a squirrel named Sammy that hang out on her property. She is the Chipmunk/Squirrel Whisperer. Look what I found:

Beautiful notecards with gorgeous cherubs. I’ve written many times about my love of cherubs. My beloved cherub painting is hanging on the wall of our bedroom. These are beautiful, aren’t they? There was one more package, taped so tightly that I must admit I had no idea what it was.

Yes, I gasped. Two beautiful saucers in the Spode Claudia pattern! I mentioned this pattern at the very end of a previous blog post – my friend Jill had alerted me to its existence. I thought it looked like a perfect pattern to collect. Someday. I kept the photo Jill sent me on the desktop of my laptop. Every once in a while I would look at it. I don’t know where Donna found these, but I’m here to tell you they are beautiful. Even my husband remarked on how lovely they are.

Beautiful crazing. And I love that mark – “Spode’s Claudia.” I didn’t know that Spode loved me so much!

This gift, arriving out of the blue, for no reason other than my friend knows I’m having a hard time right now, was perfectly timed. As if on cue. I am so touched and grateful. Thank you, dear friend. I am blessed.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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