Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Sunday.

Though really, one day melds into another and into another. I get points for knowing that it was Sunday when I woke up. Half the time, I’m not sure what day it is!

It’s another beautiful day though we’ve had high temps and humidity for the past few days. The mornings, on the other hand, are quite beautiful and to prove that point, I’m blogging from the porch this morning. I hear cicadas and birds and the sound of the creek that is just across the street. Now a crow has joined in and some crickets. I’m reminding myself that these morning sounds will fade away as winter draws near, so I want to imprint them on my memory.

I’ve started the new James Lee Burke. Heavens, he’s a gifted writer. Right from the start, I’m plunged into the world of Louisiana and bayous and fish and heavy, humid air. Burke has a language all his own and I’ve called him a poet from the very first time I read one of his novels. I don’t know what number this one is, but I am forever a devoted fan.

Lest you think it’s perfectly idyllic here, the sound of a motorcycle tricked out to make the loudest sound possible just assailed my ears while sitting on the glider. Motorcyclists love this road because it’s long and fairly straight with big stretches of open road between stop lights. They get going at the light down on the corner and rev it up as they drive by our cottage.

Not a fan. I’ve been known to make a gesture or two.

Today? I might force myself to clean the bathroom. I will definitely launder the sheets. I’ll read. I’ll look at my current miniature project and maybe do something. Or not. I will definitely make a list of all the minis I have marked as favorites on Etsy and eBay, along with the building materials and wallpaper I need and I will prioritize each item. I have to make a plan that fits my budget in order of what is needed first. I tend to want to buy the pretty decor items right away, but I can’t work that way this time out. Wallpaper, stain for the floors, window inserts and ceiling beams are first up.

My view.

Prayers for every living being, for homes, for firefighters, as wildfires rage in California and other states. My childhood friend had to evacuate several days ago and is still waiting out the fire. As of yesterday, his home was safe, but it’s still very much in danger. He was my first crush, by the way.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

 

The late summer wildflowers are everywhere; asters, goldenrod, Queen Anne’s Lace (more than I’ve ever seen before.) Most of them pop up down near our culvert which is right next to the street. They grow with abandon. I was down there yesterday taking some photos and I saw these guys:

Two garden spiders, also known as orb weavers. I’ve never seen two occupying the same web before. That in itself was fascinating. As you know, I love these spiders. Usually. they’re down near the culvert, but last year one of them had a web that stretched between the coneflowers right next to the porch. I always see one somewhere. And I’m strangely cheered by their appearance on the property.

I finally tackled a job I had on the schedule in my planner all week long. Somehow something else always came up to keep me from completing the task and I would write it in for the next day. And the next. Finally, I got to it yesterday. I cleaned out the closet in the office, clearing a couple of shelves for miniature supplies. I filled a big old trash bag with ‘stuff.’ I don’t mean to imply that everything I need or use in my miniature work is in one place. It isn’t. There’s stuff on the desk and work table, there are miniatures in the French cupboard, supplies in the drawers and cabinets, and on my rolling cart. But the stuff that was spread out all over the closet is now in one place. Everything looks better, and I can access it.

The office can move from neat to cluttered in a second. Both of us have desks there. Don’s guitars and equipment are there. There’s a big overstuffed chair and plants. I have a cupboard full of treasures. And we stash extra items like paper towels and toilet paper up there. We’re now used to this new normal and we’ve figured out how to shop safely, so we have less need of boxes of staples, thank goodness. Less clutter makes me happy.

Storage is always at a premium here.

I finished Hamnet  this morning. Stunningly powerful, moving beyond words. Don is going to read it next. For the rest of the day, I’ll hold it close to me. I have to do that before I can start another book. I need to think about it, let it simmer. I recommend it highly.

Oh, and the crazy Qanon-type trolls have appeared. I had a comment this morning (in Spanish) full of crazy conspiracy theories. It was deleted and the troll was blocked.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Life at the cottage, taken in the morning because I was sitting on the loveseat, still drinking my second cup of coffee.

Wow! The convention was terrific. I liked it so, so much better than the usual fare. Truth be told, I usually zone out during conventions, waiting to hear the big speeches. All of the hoopla, signs, funny hats, balloons, and noise is distracting, so I usually busy myself with something else until Don says, “So-and-so is going to speak!”

This year’s experience was intimate and powerful and so well done, especially since the Dems had to invent an entirely new convention. Bravo! Last night; the young boy with the stutter who spoke so movingly, the words of the Biden family, the stories of Joe’s kindness and compassion and strength in the face of despair. His speech may be the best I have ever heard from him. He was magnificent.

I’ll be glad to get back to our regular sleeping schedule, but boy, staying up late was worth it. I feel hope again.

And Steve Bannon was arrested. Perfect. Grifters, one and all.

We came up with our voting plan this morning. We will vote in person, but early. This is the first year that New York has had early voting, and we can vote in our neighboring town at the Community Center from October 24 – November 1st. We don’t trust the mail simply because OM is doing all he can to keep us from voting by mail. So we figure we’ll be able to vote sometime within that nine-day time period and social distance while doing it. If it seems crowded that day, we’ll come back later or the next day. That’s our plan.

I’m close to finishing Hamnet.  I cannot say enough how beautifully written it is. Extraordinary. And since it deals with death in the time of the Plague, it doubly resonates. O’Farrell writes about grief so movingly; the pain, the raw, laid-bare emotions, the sense of unreality. I have to put it down at times because it is so beautifully, excruciatingly painful. It’s a gem.

The newest James Lee Burke is sitting here waiting for me after I finish Hamnet.

We mowed like crazy yesterday and we were pretty tired for the rest of the day. Today? Hopefully, I’ll get to the organization in the office that I wanted to do earlier in the week.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.