Mockingbird Hill Cottage

There was some discussion yesterday in the comments about the Scotch Cellophane Tape rack, so here it is. I got it in the Berkshires a few years back. I love vintage and I love graphics, so I bought it.

We waited all day yesterday for the dumpster to be picked up, but it didn’t happen. Today is the day. I suspect we will have to pay a bit more because of the excess weight. We’ll see. Anyway, I’ll be glad to see it gone. We have several things to do around the property this week. Clean the floor of the shed, arrange things, put a tarp over part of the shed roof where there are some leaks, do some caulking around the front door, and remove the air conditioners for the winter. And I have to store the pots that I use on the front porch. When all of that is done, I’ll put up the Christmas lights on the porch.

I have a question. I’m wading through info about dental plans since the dental insurance that SAG/AFTRA supplied is no longer being offered. I’m shocked at how little these plans offer compared to the one I had. I know I have to get at least one crown and most likely there will be more. One of the policies allowed one crown where they paid half of the cost and no more coverage for 84 consecutive months! That’s 6 years. When you’re a senior citizen, that seems ridiculous. So my question is for those of you who pay for a dental plan: are there any you can recommend? I’d love any and all suggestions. I have to firm this up soon. Thanks so much.

We were going to order groceries from the store and pick them up but there are no slots available until tomorrow and I assume things will be picked over by then. So, we canceled it. Hopefully, the truck will come to pick up the dumpster soon and then we can go shopping.

Feeling enormous relief now that the Transition has formally begun. Not complete relief, of course, because OM is up to no good, but still…shoulders are dropping. I’m going to completely ignore OM because truly, that’s the thing he hates the most. He has to be the center of attention. Let’s make him irrelevant.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

 

How much can two creative people cram into a smallish room that contains all of their stuff?

Answer: A lot.

I put the work table together yesterday. Then I did some reconfiguring. Space is always at a premium and the addition of the Boston fern (the office is its winter quarters) doesn’t help. I went in there this morning and I have to say I’m excited about the new U-shaped work zone.

Now I can paint on the table in the foreground (where the dollhouse was) and construct on the work table.

Note large fern, beachballs from Escape to Margaritaville, and toilet paper and paper towels.

This room has everything.

On the other side of the table: 6 guitars, 2 ukeleles, and a mandolin, camera equipment, the French cabinet (which holds miniatures) and houseplants.

I’m not even showing the big old reading chair, side table, Don’s desk, the printer, etc.

And this a small room.

We’ve had this vintage yellow kitchen stool for years. We ran out of room for it in the kitchen, so it’s been stashed in the closet in the den. Actually, it was while I was wondering if the stool would look good in the bathroom (it wouldn’t) that I started to think about using it somewhere and from that thought moved on to the idea of a taller work table. Don brought it upstairs yesterday and I wrestled with a configuration that could include both my desk chair and this taller chair/stool. Much to my delight, the stool fit nicely under the white table (formerly my sewing table.)

Happy camper. Trying to work on the dollhouse while sitting at the white table, having to lean to the side to look/work on the rooms on the lower floor resulted in back pain the next day. So happy to have this new addition.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Thank you for all of the birthday wishes! I so appreciate them – and you. These days, social media is an extravaganza of Happy Birthdays and I’m here to say I like it!

We had a lovely day; rather low key, by design, and full of peace. It started out with a FaceTime call from my sister and Little Z – he was very talkative and lively. Finally, he said “That’s all the news I have for you” and that was that. He makes me laugh.

Earlier in the day, Don wrote a a piece for acoustic guitar and as I was writing the blog, etc., I kept thinking how hauntingly beautiful it was. Later on, he told me that it was entitled, “Claudia.”  I swooned. When he gets a good recording – he’s still learning it – I’ll share it with you.

Don made a simple comfort food dinner (fries!) and after dinner he presented me with a birthday pie with candles and my presents. A note about the pie – it’s a sugar-free apple pie that he found the recipe for online and he was worried it wouldn’t be good, but it was fabulous! Such a good pie! As you know, I prefer pie to cake and since I’ve gone sugar-free, it’s not always easy to find a good one – especially one that doesn’t have a dicey sugar substitute. I can’t remember the last time I had some pie. This one was perfect and I’ve already insisted that Don make it again for Thanksgiving.

Presents: a copy of The Moonflower Murders  by Anthony Horowitz. It was just published here in the States, and a work table, not unlike our kitchen island, that has yet to be assembled.

This came about because I realized that working on dollhouses would be much easier for me physically if I had a taller surface. Right now, I have to torque my body into strange positions and it hurts my back. Where the heck I’m going to put it is another question!

And this. I sent a link to Don for both this and the book, knowing he might need some gift ideas. This is from Tiny Dollhouse in NYC.

A hand made umbrella stand, made by British artisan Tony Dunham. It came with two canes.

I thought it would be perfect for Dove Cottage and I’ve had it marked as a favorite for a long time.

I need to buy a couple of umbrellas.

Isn’t it lovely?

All in all, a wonderful birthday, with a FaceTime call from Rick and Doug, as well as calls from dear friends.

I am blessed.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.