Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Crap. We nearly got two appointments in a town that’s about 45 minutes away from our house. But by the time Don got online as well, they were gone. Since then, we’ve been seeing one slot open here and there but we want to go together. But there is some activity, which is good, even if the results are frustrating.

I finished the stage and the the curtains yesterday. Now, we move on to the dreaded squiggles. Every time I’m faced with a section that seems impossible, I have to remind myself that I somehow conquer it in the end.

I stop writing this post every few minutes to refresh my browser for vaccination availability at local pharmacies.

We have a LOT of snow coming next week, so that impacts the days available to us. If the weather forecast is accurate, we could have another 10 inches or more coming.

Save me!

This reminds me of that winter several years ago when Don was in Boston working and I was here by myself and I had to rake snow off the roof and dig tunnels for Scout.

My girl.

Believe me, we’re just about ready to get to this depth of snow. By the way, I not only dug this little stretch of tunnel, I extended it around the entire corral. There was a time, not so long ago, when the first thing we did before digging ourselves out was to shovel a tunnel for the dogs.

Nothing else new, my friends. Puzzles, food, guitar music, constant refreshing of our browsers, shopping list finished and grocery pick up scheduled for tomorrow morning, vacuuming, dusting, etc., etc.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

There are little snow showers going on now. Very pretty! We scanned the weather forecast this morning and were alarmed to see a prediction for 5 – 8 inches of snow on Tuesday.

Ummm…no thank you. That would put us close to a total of 40 inches on the ground. I’m hoping this ominous forecast changes.

I filled in the proscenium arch and the boxes on either side yesterday. I’m quite pleased. The red stage curtain is next and that will be a bit more difficult, simply because there is so much red and variations of red. The stage set won’t be as hard. But the hardest will be all the squiggles that symbolize the orchestra.

I’ll be tackling that last.

Two more puzzles arrived yesterday morning:

These are made by Cavallini & Co., a company that makes all sorts of beautiful paper goods. I purchased these through the Victorian Trading Company web site.

I haven’t much felt like working on the dollhouse lately, partly because I’m into the puzzles, but also because I’m just in one of those brief phases where I feel uninspired. I’ll get back to it. I do love sitting at the kitchen table and working on the puzzle while Don is noodling around with his guitar or recording music. We share the same space but we’re each doing our thing, yet we can have a conversation.

I think what I love about doing the puzzles – and understand, I was not at all into them before last year – is that they require a kind of concentration which is almost zen-like. It’s very akin to the concentration I feel when working on a crossword puzzle. I can shut the world out and focus entirely on shapes, sizes, colors, words. I can step away feeling I’ve done all I can and come back later and immediately see where that troublesome piece should go. It’s creative, it’s satisfying, and I love nothing more than figuring something out – how it works, how it goes together. That’s why I’m good at assembling furniture, putting things together. That would drive Don nuts, I think. He’s never expressed a desire to contribute to any of my puzzles, nor would he. Also – he knows me very well. I like to figure it out all by myself.  Some words that describe me: independent and stubborn. And let’s throw in patient, but only in the case of puzzles and dollhouses. I can be very impatient about other things. But, I have finally learned to ask for help if I need it – not with puzzles, but with bigger things, for sure.

Anyway, it’s an escape. And a very satisfying one.

I ordered The Shell Seekers  and it should be arriving tomorrow. In the meantime, I have to get back to Mrs. Tim.

I won’t talk about our frustration with NY’s COVID vaccination rollout. Just know that we curse a lot. And I’m not watching the Impeachment trial. I get caught up each morning and I know what’s going on. As Hillary Clinton said – and I’m paraphrasing a lot – if there isn’t a conviction it won’t be for lack of evidence, etc., it will be because a segment of the jury is made up of co-conspirators.

Yep.

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.