Stay safe.

Happy Saturday. Have a lovely weekend.

My schefflera – which I’ve had for years – lives on the sideboard in the living room. I’m used to it dropping some leaves once a year, but this year it dropped nearly every leaf on the plant. I thought it was dying. I cut a few branches back and I removed the dead leaves on a daily basis.

Well, there’s hope.

From one of the branches I cut back.

And from the other. There are also wee little babies appearing everywhere. I’m fascinated by the whole thing. It looks like the schefflera will have another life.

And my monstera has also been losing leaves. Frankly, it looks kind of like a monster! BUT…a new leaf has appeared. And last year, we had no new leaves.

A good sign!

And then there’s my mom and dad’s snake plant – over 40 years old and it keeps on going! Dependable as the day is long.

Lots of rain and storms yesterday, but today looks like it will be lovely. I have officially reached the “I no longer do any upkeep on the garden beds” stage of the summer. It happens every year in mid to late August. They’re kind of wild looking and there are blooms everywhere, so I’m happy. The coneflowers are still there, but they’re fading. And some zinnias are beginning to bloom, which makes me smile.

The Beacon Hill: I’ve reached the stage where I’m not sure what to do next. The basics are installed in the rooms, except the bathroom. Baseboards need to be added. But a lot of what needs to be done needs to be done on a budget. The rooms need furniture and rugs and accessories and all of that takes money. So I’ve had to slow things down as I search for pieces and decide what to invest in.

I also have to pick a paint color for the exterior. I have a definite idea, but I’m too lazy to go to the hardware store at the moment.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Along with practically everyone else in the world, I am mourning the loss of an extraordinary human being. She was a light. She lived in the light. She showed us the light. I told Don that the thought came to me that she was an angel who came down to our planet to show us the way to live a good life.

I believe that.

Rest in Peace, dear Dolly Parton.

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I spent Tuesday morning cleaning and organizing the studio. I couldn’t take the mess anymore. A few days away from the work on the Beacon Hill gave me a clear-eyed view of the space and that was that. It had to be cleaned up.

I took the opportunity to take some pictures with one of my big girl cameras and a macro lens.

First up, a view of what the entire dollhouse looks like at the moment:

A peek into the living room. (I’m loving the shadows.)

The den. (New piece of art from the same creator of my other pieces. )

The art studio.

The kitchen.

More of the den and the piano.

The Morris chair.

The green cabinet. I need more mini Roseville. (And I need to clean up the Blu Tack that’s holding the pottery in place!)

I’m keeping the camera upstairs so I can take more of these wonderful macro looks at the Beacon Hill.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Sorry, this is a little blurry. It must have been too dark when I took it. I’ll try to get a better picture today. I finally attached the little shelf unit to the wall. I also spent some time touching up the wood floors. I want to do something or other today, but I’m not sure what.

I’m definitely going to de-clutter the studio, though! It’s driving me a wee bit crazy.

We had a lovely weekend; nothing big, just hanging out together and watching old movies in the evening.

I’m doing everything I can to shut out the news right now. I know what’s going on, but Don and I have had long, serious talks about our age and our health and protecting ourselves from too much stress is paramount. Don escapes into the world of music and composition and recording. I escape into the miniature world, as well as books. I know I’ve said it before but finally starting work on this dollhouse has been the best gift I could have given myself. I have been so immersed in it. It has saved my sanity. I go upstairs to the studio and I’m in another world. I am so grateful that I have that outlet right now. I’m already searching for other (smaller) dollhouses to work on. I’m not ready to pull the trigger on another project, but the good thing is that I’m thinking seriously about it.

The garden is winding down and, frankly, it takes care of itself. I occasionally weed and clean up certain garden beds, but that’s all. Mowing is fabulous because I lose myself in that repetitive process. But, having an ongoing creative project is the key for me. It could be a puzzle, a painting, crocheting an afghan (I have to get back to that soon) – whatever. I need to create and I love creating in miniature.

I’m very grateful that I finally felt the urge to work on the Beacon Hill.

Don has to go to the doctor and get that darned shot in his eye this morning.

It’s a beautiful day out there today.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.