Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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.

The chrysalis has joined the other inhabitants of the Plate of Curiosities. You can see it next to the robin’s egg and the cicada wing.

Friends, I’m tapped out. The news of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing last night was shocking. I suppose that I, like most everyone, thought she’d hang in there until January. She was that fierce and that strong. RBG was extraordinary and she will be greatly missed. Her legacy will be enshrined in history. McConnell’s will live in infamy.

Keep up the fight. We can’t back off now. She wouldn’t have wanted that.

I woke up too early and because my first thought was about RBG, I couldn’t get back to sleep. So it’s mowing and cleaning today to keep me busy. Don’s off to recycle.

In the past two days, we’ve watched two documentaries that I highly recommend. The first is Unfit, and it’s from Duty to Warn, a large group of mental health experts who have spoken out about Trump. It centers on Trump’s pathology and how dangerous he is. It’s available on several platforms, but we watched it on Amazon Prime for $4.99.

The second, which we watched last night, is The Social Dilemma  and it’s available for free on Netflix. Excellent. It’s a warning about social media (from those who helped develop it) and the ways in which it is changing the shape of who were are, how we respond to things, how it effects children who are exposed to too much of it, how it shapes public thought, and it explains the whole “how can they believe that?” question I seem to constantly utter. It’s really well done and I urge you to watch it. I know that both Don and I are thinking long and hard about it today.

The heat kicked on this morning even though we were determined not to turn it on. It went down to 39 degrees last night and will be even colder tonight. This will last for a few days and then we’ll be back to more normal temps. I am currently wearing my pajamas, a hooded sweatshirt with Escape to Margaritaville  on the back, and a wool cap I got in Edinburgh. Yikes.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

 

Our little Emby took off yesterday morning. I’m not sure what time, but once the sun came out and I had finished this post, I went outside and he was gone. I looked around to make sure he was not on the ground, but he wasn’t.

Both Don and I felt sad for the rest of the day. Obviously, we were thrilled he took off on his adventure, but we missed him. We sort of fell in love with him.

I also wrote out the check for the tree removal yesterday. Gulp. We need some employment. But COVID. But we need some employment.

Anyway, I thought I’d give you a little update on the dollhouse.

This is the basic setup for the first floor. I’ll have a side table or a coffee table and at least one more chair. I think I forgot to include the kitchen island the last time I posted a photo.

I ordered this piece from Italy. It’s perfect for what I want here and I don’t have to attempt to build it, thank goodness. The cupboard on the left will be a mini fridge – I’m thinking the owner can walk to the neighborhood shops to pick up fresh vegetables and milk, etc. She doesn’t need a big refrigerator.

The AGA and cupboard will be on this wall.

This cupboard will be filled with books and vases and pottery. There will be a chair and a table and a rug.

I applied the wallpaper yesterday (it’s a pain in the tush) and here is a glimpse of it:

I like it…but I’m a bit unsure about it at the moment and much of that is due to the fact that the windows are unfinished, as is the door, as are the floors. I’m thinking of adding some beadboard (chair rail height) to the wall behind the stove and cupboard in the kitchen. So that wall would be half wallpaper and half beadboard.

The last thing I want to do is remove the wallpaper. So I think I’ll just trust my choice and move on to the floors. Oh, there will also be beams on the ceiling.

Okay.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.