Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Happy Thanksgiving

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Happy Thanksgiving!

I’m starting a gratitude list and I’m going to add to it throughout the day today and tomorrow. The first item? Social Security. It has been an extra long time between checks and we have been getting by on a wing and a prayer. But relief arrives today.

Item number 2: a glorious sunrise this morning. I could see it from my chair in the den as the sky over the back forty turned a beautiful and fiery orange. Magnificent.

Item number 3: Yesterday, we were at a local grocery store grabbing a few items and as we checked out, the cashier informed us that we qualified for one of their free Thanksgiving items. You know, a turkey, or some other Thanksgiving treat, one of which was a free “turkey” roast from Gardein. We love this roast and it’s what we have on Thanksgiving and Christmas. We already had one on hand for Thanksgiving, but now we have one for Christmas as well! A very nice surprise.

I’ll keep adding to the list as the day goes on.

It will be a quiet day and a thankful one.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving (if you celebrate.)

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

 

There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe

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Well, a month from today is Christmas.  I have a feeling all of us are craving the magic of the lights and decorations, especially this year. Since we buy a tree, we’re going to hold off getting one until later next week, simply because we want it to last through the beginning of 2025. I have to admit that I’m craving some sparkly lights. I have a small artificial tree – a couple of them – and I may pull that out of the shed and put some lights on it. Maybe it could go on the little green table that sits to me right here in the den. And, of course, the porch lights need to be hooked up. I’ll probably have them up by Thanksgiving.

I wish I had one of those antique feather trees. They’re so beautiful.

It was a low-key weekend. Reading, a walk at the library, watching old movies. We checked the rivers on Saturday and they’re much higher than they were before our two days of rain earlier this week. Thank goodness! The Canada geese looked quite happy as they paddled around on the river.

I think I’ll prod Don into taking another walk this morning.

In addition to creating little Jessie’s face up last week, I also received another doll in the mail that I won in a giveaway. It’s a “Boto Doll” a BJD designed by a young woman who is Asian – I think, Chinese – and lives in Germany. She just moved there from France, where she has been pursuing a graduate degree. Anyway, I was surprised and pleased when I won the doll. She’s about 10 inches tall – taller than I expected – and very solid and heavy compared to my other BJDs and Blythe dolls. That was surprising. Because her body is a different size, I had to order her wig, shirt, pants, socks, and shoes from the designer. Very inexpensive, but, as you can see, nothing is every truly free!

She’s named Ling.

I think she’s adorable. Right now, she’s living on the shelf under the dollhouse, standing in front of the little dolly clothes cabinet. Because she’s heavier, she can stand on her own.  I did ask Don if he minded another doll staring at him while he’s watching television. Nope, he’s completely cool with it, bless him.

Jessie was a giveaway doll, too. Lucky me!

A reminder: BJD dolls are Ball Jointed Dolls, made of resin. (Blythe is plastic.) Because they are created by independent doll creators, they’re eventually made from a mold and it’s a complicated and expensive process. Usually, but not always, the designer comes up with a new doll design and lists it on IG or their website. They can make only a limited number. After all the orders have been received, production will start and it can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months to receive the finished product. My BJDs were much less expensive than a customized Blythe. I like them because they’re generally smaller and I can easily add them to the edges of the shelves in the cubby. Plus, they have so much personality!

My BJDs are the two Eat Zongzi dolls I have – Wren and Lily, Jessie, and now, little Ling.

I have one more coming in a month or so – just the head, which will have a finished face up, along with a wig. I’ll add the same body I use for the Blythes – an OB 22 body.

That will be about it – only so much space! But I do find myself wanting to customize one more Little Keiko so that Jessie can have a sister.

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe…

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

 

 

Saturday Thoughts

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The rain stopped overnight. We got a really good soaking, which was desperately needed. We even got some snow flurries yesterday. They didn’t last long, but it was a hint of things to come.

We plan on walking this morning, something that we’ve not been consistent with lately. I’ll drop off the book I just finished, Lone Wolf  by Gregg Hurwitz. I just finished a luxury read, straight through from 6 am to 8:30 am. This book is his latest and now I’ll have to wait, just like everyone else who has already discovered him, for his new book to come out next year. (I just checked: February 11th, 2025.) This may have been my favorite because it centers on AI – artificial intelligence – and its danger. Since this is a subject I think of quite often, it was timely. And chilling.

I’ll check out some John Sandford books when I stop at the library because he’s an author our tiny little library has on the shelf. And I’m still not ready to read Gray Wolf. It’s not time yet.

What else? Clean the bathroom. Wash the towels. Hang out with Don. Stay away from the news for my emotional well being.

Sometimes we’re sort of forced – or nudged – into doing something. With Jessie, when she was still a blank head with lovely little features, I sought out one of my favorite customizers to ask what she charged. She lives in Belgium. She is very kind and extremely talented. She customizes a lot of Little Keiko dolls and the results are beautiful. She was willing to adjust her price, given I already had the head and also had an OB22 body on hand. But she is a true artist, so she likes to supply the perfect wig and outfit, as well. Completely understandable. After dithering over the decision for a long time, I declined, because I didn’t really want to spend that much money. She understood and was lovely about the whole thing.

Then my friend recommended another customizer who had done one of her Little Keikos. I’ve spoken about her before. She finally responded to my friend’s request and contacted me saying she would be able to book me toward the end of November. I wrote her back asking about the price. No answer. Wrote again. No answer. The whole time this was going on – since September – I flirted with trying to do it myself. But I didn’t have much confidence. In the meantime, another friend gave me a list of the things I would need to buy to in order to do a face up. Very inexpensive, all of it, so I ordered what I needed and a stack of supplies sat on my desk for a month, Still no answer from the customizer, who I knew was having some personal problems.

I had already been watching lots of videos about the face up process. I had done a lot of research. And I won the head in a giveaway, so I hadn’t invested the kind of money that might make me fearful about screwing it up. I wrote the customizer and told her I was going to go for it and she was apologetic yet greatly relieved. She’s going through an awful divorce. It worked out for the best for both of us.

Sometimes, you need a nudge and the universe gives you one. You just have to pick up on those messages.

And now I’ve got little Jessie.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

 

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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