Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Suddenly, it’s Autumn. I swear, in the past four days or so, every tree has turned color, leaves are falling, it’s stunning how quickly everything has changed. It feels early this year – we’re not even finished with September yet. I wonder why it’s so early – is it the drought we’ve been having? I don’t know the answer but it seems like it’s moving too quickly. Slow down!

I’m still reeling from the death of Ben. I spent much of the day yesterday communicating with his fellow students on Facebook. We shared memories. We shared our grief. I can’t get him out of my mind, can’t get his family out of my mind. I’ve lost students before; one lovely student at BU suddenly had a heart attack and died, my student John Lentz (in San Diego) was murdered and you’ve heard me speak of that heartbreaking time. And now Ben.

I didn’t sleep all that well last night – too much Orange Man tax info, too much Twitter, then Rachel, etc. I’m not sure if I’m going to watch the debate. Don is, but I’m exhausted and I think I’ll find the whole thing too stressful. I will do some texting for Biden this afternoon.

A little story.

For the past two Sundays, Don has been attending a Unitarian Universalist church service via Zoom. He found this particular service on an online search. It originates from a town in Massachusetts. He really enjoyed the service and the minister’s sermon, which centered on social justice. Afterwords, he entered a couple of ‘rooms’ and spoke with some of the members of the congregation, rather like fellowship after a service in normal times. He was quite taken with the people he ‘met’ – UU principles are very much in sync with Don’s beliefs, so it was a good fit. This past Sunday, he visited via Zoom for a second time. Loved the sermon, raved about the female minister, etc.

Later in the day, I was online and I got a message on Facebook. It was from a friend who I directed in a production of Bye Bye Birdie  when she was in high school – this would have been in 1983 because it was just before I moved to Philadelphia for graduate school. We’ve stayed in touch over the years (that show was a great experience for all of us.) Her message said: Is your Don Sparks the Don Sparks who has been attending my church service on Zoom?

Oh my god. I then remembered that Susanne, who is a Unitarian minister, had been called to a congregation just outside of Boston a few years back. (She went to Harvard Divinity School.) It was her  church that Don was visiting! What are the odds? I mean, what are the odds? My husband connected with a minister who is someone I worked with 37 years ago! Back in Dearborn, Michigan! And it’s someone I have stayed in contact with over the years, thanks to Facebook.

Don couldn’t believe it. Neither could Susanne or I!

Talk about serendipity. Of course, it released a flood of memories of Bye Bye Birdie  and that magical experience we shared. Susanne told me that she was a troubled teen at that time and that I helped her through that. I had no knowledge that she was having a hard time, but I’m always heartened to hear that I’ve made a difference in someone’s life.

I’m so happy that Don knows her now. It truly is a small world.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

I was going to share a serendipitous story with you today.

But I just found out that one of the finest people I have ever known died yesterday. Ben Hopkin. He was a student of ours in the MFA program in San Diego. Rick and I auditioned him and brought him into the program. We stayed friends for all these years. Husband, father, defender of the marginalized, teacher, actor, director – he was all of that and more. He had been battling cancer and was doing well before he took a turn for the worse. He was posting about RBG from his hospital bed. I thought he would come through. It never occurred to me that he wouldn’t.

He had lymphoma, the same cancer that took my brother.

I am shaken to my core. I really loved Ben. He was kind and compassionate and funny and devoted to his Mormon faith, yet liberal and a feminist. I just found out the terrible news as I was starting to write a post, so please understand that I cannot write about anything other than Ben.

And my dad, whose birthday is today.

Too young. Much too young.

I am heartbroken.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

A note: Please know that I am enraged by the choice for the Supreme Court, enraged by everything, to be honest. I addressed it a bit on one of my IG stories, but I have to take today to stay away from everything associated with Mitch McConnell and Orange Man. I spent far too much time reading online yesterday, seeing outrage upon outrage. So today is my day of peace – hopefully. Thanks, friends. It’s self-care today.

Let’s talk about another dollhouse which sits on the bookshelves right next to my side of the bed. That means I look at them every evening and that often means trying to figure out what to do with it. It’s the Modern Dollhouse, the one I purchased from a woman in England. She designed the components and did a great job of it. It was very easy to put together. She designed four different floor configurations and I bought two (this was in the days of Margaritaville.) I was aware that she might eventually discontinue making it (and it looks like she has) so I went for it.

Anyway, I have a few pieces of furniture that have been in place for a while; the sofa, a chair, the modern coffee table, a couple of other pieces. There are two floors. Should I put in a kitchen? On what floor? What about a bedroom? Can I leave out the ever challenging and, frankly, boring bathroom?

So I just left it as is for a long time.

Enter this piece.

 

It’s a Barbara Vajnar/Bubba’s Minis corner cabinet. I’ve mentioned before that Barbara is retiring and selling her leftover inventory. I snapped this up a few months back, as I got it for a good price.

As with all of her pieces, it’s extraordinarily well made. I will admit it: I have a need to collect anything of hers I can get – but only at a reasonable price. Much of it is going for way more than I can afford. However, I got this one. It’s tall and it takes up a fair amount of space in a dollhouse, where, by nature the rooms are tiny. Hummingbird Cottage is full. No space. The English Cottage already has two cabinets. No room in Don’s Studio.  So where was I going to put it?

The only place it could go was in the Modern House.

And I realized it worked there. Most of you know that I need to come up with a story about each of my projects. I had no story for this one other than it was modern. That wasn’t enough. The addition of this piece took me off in a specific direction. I now envision it as a loft-like space owned by art collectors. Collectors who love folk art and graphic art and some sculpture and pottery – all of it an eclectic mix. But not cluttery. Everything is – there’s that word again – curated. So there’s that great piece of blue pottery on the red table and a big brown bowl next to it. The sheep prints on the wall – which I’m going to redo in a bigger size. The cabinet will be filled with some sort of collectable. The modern coffee table with the retro ashtray. Rugs here and there, plants, more folk art – all of that will be added over time. On a personal level, I love eclectic spaces. The difference between this eclectic space and the eclectic English cottage will be the expansive white space.

Anyway, it gave me the jump start I needed after a few years of absolutely no direction.

There are two floors:

The light from the windows in the bedroom make taking a photo without my reflection impossible, but you get the idea. The downstairs? Maybe a bedroom and kitchen with a divider of some sort between them. And a dining room table. And more art. (You can see the other Petite Princess chair in the background.)

Don loves this house. He imagines it at the beach. I see it as a loft somewhere. But maybe it’s an open loft-like space in Malibu or La Jolla. Uh oh, now I’m seeing a shiny baby grand….hmmm. Lots of potted plants in the area outside the front door, a door I might replace with two french doors.

I have lots of ideas for all the houses. Now to get going on them.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.