Mockingbird Hill Cottage

A cold morning here, but warmth is on the way. We are exiting this way-too-cold-for-September 3 or 4 days and we’ll be back to more seasonable temperatures for the next couple of weeks. The sun is shining and that makes me happy. No rain, of course – our drought continues. I sure hope autumn brings some much needed rain.

I finished All the Devils are Here  last night. Stunningly beautiful, a mystery written with heart and grace. I didn’t want it to end. In fact, I re-read the ending this morning when I got up. I simply love Penny’s books and now I am in that position of not wanting to start another book because I need to hold this one close to me for a while. If you are a fan and haven’t read it yet, I envy you a little! You will love it. If you’ve never read her books, oh my goodness, you should! Start with Still Life, the first book in the series. There is an ongoing story that continues through all of the books in this series so it’s best to read the books in order. I have a lot of favorite authors writing today, but Louise Penny reigns supreme.

Yesterday, which was supposed to be a low-key day, was not. Things happen. And late in the day we decided to go grocery shopping because we needed just about everything and didn’t want to put it off any longer. Never again. It was so crowded in the store. In terms of social distancing, it was nigh on impossible. We had our masks on, of course, but there was this one older guy who we kept encountering in the store and even in the parking lot. He had a mask on, but he had it pulled down from his nose. What the heck is the point of wearing a mask if you don’t cover your nose? It drove us crazy. We were also in an aisle where a woman fell, with her cart landing on her. We asked if she was okay and stayed there to make sure she was, but in these times of COVID, you wonder just how much you should do. She was able to get up and assured us she was fine, but shaken. Don righted her cart for her, but he was uneasy for the rest of the time we were there because he’d touched the cart. When we got to the car, I told him to use the hand sanitizer immediately so he’d feel better about the whole thing. The need to help someone out vs. COVID. I’m glad he helped her. And we were, after all, masked. So was she.

The trees are starting to turn color around here. Most are still green, but as we drove home from the store yesterday we saw flashes of brown and orange and red.

Today will be a day to rest. I have insisted. Last night we agreed to do nothing but relax, no outdoor work, no raking the paths, no nothing but reading and playing the guitar and the usual daily making of the bed, a quick run of the vacuum, etc. This morning, I sat down next to Don on the sofa for our second cup of coffee and he said, “It’s a beautiful day. Maybe I can find some chores to do outside.”  What? NO. A big fat NO. He reluctantly agreed.

Happy Birthday to my late beloved father-in-law, Oscar Lee Sparks. He was such a good guy. Every time I spoke with him, I was charmed by his Oklahoma accent, still retained after many, many years living in Southern California. In fact, his voice kept running through my head when I coached the national tour of Oklahoma! He was my guide.

We’re going to light a candle for him today.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

And there it sits while I ponder if this is the way I want to go. I think it is, but wallpaper is tricky. When you first apply it in an empty room, it’s overwhelming. That’s where I am now. But I know that it will be balanced by furniture, appliances, rugs, paintings on the wall, books, flooring, etc.

I think the next step is to install a floor and see what that does. Also, installing the beams for the ceiling will help as well. Looks like I have some work to do today. I was curiously inert about doing anything more to the room over the weekend. But both Don and I were really tired. I don’t know what’s floating about in the air but mowing the other day gave me far more allergy problems than I had at any other time this year.

We were also sort of wiped out after the bear encounter and the two days with the chrysalis turned Monarch, saving his life four times, as well as rescuing him from the ground and installing him in a tree. Lots of worry and stress last week, including doing our tax deductions, knowing we’ll have to pay but not knowing the amount. Last year it was very high. We’re seeing our savings not-so-slowly being depleted by a combination of the tax changes and the pandemic. (And fallen trees.)

Anyway, all that is to say that we needed to hang out and rest this weekend.

But you can be sure we shared the bear story with Little Z yesterday. He was wide-eyed and listening to every word. We were going to tell him about the butterfly, too, but we figured that was too much storytelling in one FaceTime. He was pretty animated yesterday, starting off the call with a joke. He’s such a neat kid, so funny and so smart. That call made our day.

Thrilled about the wins for Schitt’s Creek  at the Emmys. We watched the awards for about an hour and a half and I think they did a bang-up job of finding a creative way to deal with every nominee being at home instead of in the audience.

It’s still really cold here but tomorrow will bring a warming trend, so hopefully we won’t have to turn the heat on again for a week or two. I saw that there had been a frost advisory last night when I got up this morning. I had no idea. Luckily there was no frost on the ground here this morning but everyone up in the mountains might have suffered an early end to the growing season.

I’m close to the end of the Louise Penny and I’m stalling. I know that this is it until next year, so I’m taking my time so that I’m present for every word. It’s excellent, with a very complicated plot and a Paris setting. (Oh, how I wish I was in Paris!)

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Another morning where the furnace kicked on. That means we have to order heating oil this week. And so begins the extra cost of heating the house. Sigh.

I think tonight will be the last night that gets this cold for a while, but this is a wake-up call. It’s Fall and it’s been colder than usual, rather suddenly. Both Don and I were mourning the passing of summer yesterday. I love autumn, but it heralds the onset of winter and that season is never easy for us and will be all the more challenging in this time of COVID.

I mowed a lot of the property yesterday and Don helped, after finishing his work up in the woods. The other day, I ventured into the woods for the first time since “The Bear.” Don had already done it on his own, but I hadn’t. I sang a song the entire time I was walking the paths, so, if by some chance, the bear was out and about, he’d hear me.

So far, so good!

I have to end this early, as Little Z just face-timed us and that pulled me away from the post. If I don’t publish now, you won’t get the email.

So take care, stay safe.

Happy Sunday.