Mockingbird Hill Cottage

We ran a few errands this morning and as we were driving up a familiar road, I noticed the clouds, which were in a formation I’ve never seen before and most likely will never see again. I kept telling Don how spectacular it was, so he decided to stop so he could see it without being distracted by driving.

This is just a portion of it. These clouds radiated out from the center like a giant fan. They stretched way off to the right and left. I’ve never, never seen anything like it. We are so lucky that we happened to be out in the car or we would have missed it. By the time we finished our first errand they were dispersing and what we saw was just a memory. But thank goodness for iPhones! Don got a video as well.

Running errands is always frustrating. Don was picking up some chocolate from a local shop and when he exited to the street, he had to veer around some young people who weren’t wearing masks. We are always so happy to get back home where it’s safe.

We had some lunch and then it was time to decorate the tree. Unfortunately, two long strands of lights were no longer working, but we managed to work around that. We’ve had them a long time so next year, we’ll replenish our stock.

I’ll post more pictures, of course. I took this one just after we’d finished.

Oh, my goodness, what a difference this tree makes! The glow of the lights, the magic of the vintage ornaments, all of it makes me very happy. Very peaceful. And that’s what Don and I are aiming for this December. Peace. There’s nothing we can do about what OM might pull in his last days in office, so we’re letting go of all of that, knowing that compassion and love and sanity are just around the corner. We feel very good about all the work we did for the campaign. We’ve done a lot of work outside and inside – renting the dumpster and clearing the shed, putting a tarp on the roof, all of the work we’ve done on the property and in the gardens, since last spring – I know there’s more that I’m forgetting – and we want to spend this month being together, playing music, watching the lights on the tree, creating, cooking, and laughing.

We’ve all earned it, haven’t we? Let this month be about renewal and hope and faith and magic and healing.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

We’re quite happy with this tree. We have low ceilings downstairs and we had to trim a bit off the top, but what a pretty shape it has! We’re going to decorate either today or tomorrow. (I’m pushing for today.)

Since we were on a roll, we hung three of the framed pieces of art we found in the shed. The poster I showed you before that we got in Lake Louise is at the bottom of the stairs. We’ll be adding to that wall over time, making it another gallery wall.

Then we went upstairs and hung two more pieces.

I found this reproduction poster in London many years ago and had it framed when I lived in California. We both love it.

The framed photograph on the floor is also one of my favorites. It will be hung at the bottom of the stairs – it exudes joy. (I had it on the wall in my apartment in Cambridge so I’ve had it for over 30 years.)

The other is one of my favorite things ever.

(Trying to take a picture full on is difficult as there is glare from the window.)

This is from a production of The Mikado  at the Stratford Festival in Canada in 1982. I saw it and it was wonderful. I love the graphics. On a personal note, I love Gilbert & Sullivan and have performed in two of their creations, HMS Pinafore  and….The Mikado, in which I played the character pictured here, Katisha. She was deliciously devious!

Growing up in the Detroit area, I was able to visit Stratford for many years as it was only four hours away. I haven’t been there for a while and I’d love to go back. But I was lucky enough to see many great actors perform there; William Hutt, Martha Henry, Nicholas Pennell (who I had the pleasure of coaching many years later,) Len Cariou, Brian Bedford, and Maggie Smith.

So this poster brings back all sorts of happy memories.

Interesting news, first sent to me by my longtime friend Donna. A class action lawsuit has been filed against the SAG/AFTRA Health Plan by, among others, Ed Asner. Among the complaints; “premiums have skyrocketed and medical coverage is being stripped from elderly guild members under the guise of a COVID-19-related restructuring, according to a complaint filed Tuesday in California federal court.” This is potentially good news. Here is the link to the article in The Hollywood Reporter (there was also an article in the New York Times.

I read it to Don and we felt a smidgen of hope, which is more than we had before. Read it, if you can, because you’ll understand the enormity of the whole thing.

Rain on the way tomorrow and Saturday – a lot of it. Now, with all the leaking, I fear rain.

But today is cold and sunny.

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.