Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

The Calm Before the Storm

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Late today because of the time change.

The puzzle I’ve been working on is one I took at stab at about 3 years ago. Back then, I started with the borders, as I usually do, and I just couldn’t get them to work. There were a few missing pieces and a couple that didn’t fit anywhere. So I gave up and put it in the closet.

This time, I started from the middle of the puzzle and did the two side borders last.

Same problem.

I’m glad I started with the flowers this time because, at the very least, I was able to see the finished piece. It really is lovely. But I can’t donate this one because it doesn’t have all the pieces.

On to the Renoir puzzle, which is in the ‘find the outside edge pieces’ stage.

Well, my friends, we are going to get walloped by a nor’easter tomorrow and Tuesday. The forecast has fluctuated over the past 36 hours, but it’s starting to look like we’ll get at least 8 -12 inches of heavy, wet snow. There will be high winds. It will be quite dangerous out there.

I pray for the safety of everyone in the path of this storm, for the safety of trees and animals, and I hope we don’t lose power. In the meantime, Don is out right now buying bottled water in case we do. I can hear birds singing right now and it’s beautifully sunny. You would have no idea what’s on the way.

Crap. It’s very worrisome. Don thinks I worry too much, and he’s right.

It starts tomorrow morning, but I should be able to get a post up. Then, we’ll take it day by day.

We watched Everything, Everywhere, All at Once  last night, which is nominated for lots of Oscars.

I hated it. In fact, we didn’t finish it. It was like being assaulted with a strobe light for over 2 hours. I get the message of the movie, but it was all special effects. I’m not even sure why the performances were nominated – how could you chart any through line and character growth with all that going on? Lots of people disagree with me on this one, but both Don and I disliked it. It’s the kind of movie that is so different and edgy that all the critics hop on board and praise it. Bravo to the critics that called it out for what it is – and isn’t.

Wings of Desire  said it so much better. Stranger Things  also has lots of time/place/different world special effects, but the story is enhanced by it, not lost.

Okay. Today is the calm before the storm. Literally.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

 

Snow. And More on the Way.

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Not a whole lot of snow on the ground and what’s there is heavy and wet. It’s currently still snowing, so we might get a half inch more this morning. That being said, what worries me is the nor’easter that is being forecast for Monday into Tuesday. That could come with 8 or 9 inches of snow. I know I said yesterday that I was fine with some snow, but a nor’easter is an entirely different animal. High winds, dangerous, and lots of heavy wet snow on the trees and plants. I’m praying that particular forecast changes, though our crack local weather guys seem to think it’s going to happen. I’d love to see it move east and head out to the ocean.

Fortunately, we have a freshly baked apple pie which should take us through Tuesday. Fingers crossed.

I’m nearing the end of the A Killing of Innocents  by Deborah Crombie. As always with Crombie, the book is excellent. Then I’ll start Shrines of Gaiety  by Kate Atkinson, another favorite author.

And this sucker is almost finished:

I have to fit in all the border pieces on each side. I’ve already begun. It’s pretty tedious.

We finished watching Season 4 of Unforgotten. We were completely shocked at the ending. I can’t stop thinking about it this morning. Season 5 is airing in Great Britain, according to Dee Dee. I know it will be a while until it airs here and I’ll need it to recover from the end of this season! If you had been here, you would have heard gasps from both of us.

Have a great Saturday.

Stay safe.

 

Mabel’s Outpatient Surgery

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I apologize for the heavy Blythe content this week, but that is the way it’s been around here. We’ll get back to whatever seems to be “normal” next week.

First of all, we’re getting about 6 inches of snow tonight and tomorrow and more on Monday and Tuesday. I’m fine about it. I wouldn’t be, perhaps, if we had already had a winter full of snow, but we haven’t. So I’m looking forward to it. Since it’s late in the season, it will melt rather quickly. We moved here because we love the seasons; the Southern California weather, at least when we lived there, was very consistent, and though I loved it, I missed the seasons more. So, bring it on! I’ll be eating apple pie while it’s falling.

Yesterday: I decided to change the body on my Blythe from a licca body to an Obitsu 22. I watched a video showing the steps I needed to take. In the meantime, Don went to Lowes and had them cut a piece of 1/4″ plywood, which looked far too thin to him, as well as a piece of 1/2″ plywood. I took Mabel’s head apart, removed the licca body, and started to work with the obitsu body. The obitsus are notorious for having weak necks that can’t handle the weight of the Blythe head. So I had also ordered a neck strengthener/neck joint. That meant I had to take apart the torso of the new body, replace part of it with the new, stronger piece and then add the neck joint that allows the dolls head to tilt, etc. It was very fiddly work and when I was finally ready to insert the replacement inside the torso, it wouldn’t fit. I tried again and again and I couldn’t figure out what I might be doing wrong. I sent off panicked messages to Palma dolls (the creator of the neck strengthener and joint) and to my friend Natalia at VegaDolls, who also uses these in her dolls. Both of them are in Spain, so they were six hours ahead. It was evening.

In the meantime, Don came home, so I left the doll and came downstairs and we proceeded to attach the bookshelf to the wall. It wasn’t easy. Our floors are funky, and the bookshelf itself is wonky – I’m not sure why, as it was assembled correctly. It leans to the right. Maybe this narrower unit needs to be right next to a wider piece in the same system? I don’t know. Long story short, we attached it to the wall. (And we went with the 1/2″ plywood, by the way.)

The wonkiness drives me a bit crazy, but really, I’m the only one continually gazing at it, so who cares? The shelves are level, the girls stand up straight, so I need to let go of my need for perfection.

After lots of water and some lunch, I went back upstairs to give the body another try. By this time, both women had contacted me and given me guidance. I finally figured out what I needed to do. It took a bit of time, but I was successful! Ta dah!!! But it was exhausting.

Mabel with her new body:

You can see the many joints on this body and that is why I love it and why you can do so much with it. Mabel is happy her head feels more stable.

Having survived surgery with grace,  Mabel decided she needed a change of clothes.

If only the rest of us looked so fresh after surgery!

Today? No more craziness. Rest. Reading. Puzzle. By the way, I finished all the leaves in the puzzle! Now I have to fill in some blue background pieces and finish the patterned edges and it’s done.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

 

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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