Wicked

I had managed to put my back out by vacuuming the cottage, but Sarah had already purchased the tickets for herself, Ursula and me to see the play, Wicked, in Boston. I had to get to their home in North Easton by Saturday evening so we would have time to get to the Sunday matinee.

They live in what was once the carriage house for the main house in front. They have a big yard with woods around them so it's a pleasant location on a quiet side street, but the house is tiny.

There is one main room downstairs along with a small kitchen and smaller bathroom. Gregg made us pancakes for breakfast served with Log Cabin fake maple syrup...really just high fructose corn syrup. Yuck. I avoided the syrup.

Saturday night Gregg had blown up an air mattress. There was just barely enough floor space for the mattress. I didn't care. I was tired and fell asleep quickly. About 1 1/2 hours later I woke up because there was no more air in the mattress!

The second air mattress never really got firm, but I managed to survive it and my night on the floor didn't make my back any worse than it already was. I took my walking sticks with me and, though I felt every step, I managed to make it from the parking garage to the theater.

Wicked was wonderful. It had a message of tolerance for children. As an adult I saw the hypocrisy of governments and politicians, the destruction of good people to maintain power for the elite, and the story of Edward Snowden in allegory form. The wicked witch, who really isn't wicked, has to go into hiding in order to survive, but she leaves behind another witch who has learned to be good from watching the "wicked" one, and that good witch keeps the survival a secret while she tries to carry on the changes the first witch had fought for.

All of this and flying monkeys, too!

At home, Ursula gave me a tour of her bedroom. She explained how she had created a special hairdo for one of her American Girl dolls...she now has 6 of these 18 inch dolls.

She also showed me the dollhouse Gregg had built for her and explained what everything was and how she had made such things as the TV set and iPods for her dolls.

Since she has a limited amount of space, I asked her what on earth I could ever get her for Christmas. She suggested colored duct tape, cardboard, ribbon, scrapbooking paper...all craft items she can create with. Sounded like a plan...

The white beds came as a bunk bed, but you can see below how she has decorative duct tape making two regular beds into the second bunk bed.

There are no clothes in Ursula's closet. It is where one of the dolls lives with a stable for her horse.

On Ursula's dresser other dolls, ones with big round heads, have beds in an orphanage.

Tiny dolls live on Ursula's desk. She was proud of the "toilet" she had made from Legos...that's why we put it in the front of the picture. At the back of the desk is a stack of colored duct tape. I hadn't known there was such a thing.

Ursula's bed is high enough off the floor so that she can play underneath it. That day it was partially set up to be a school room. She had an Ugly doll as the teacher.

Ursula's dresser

Ursula's desk

The teacher's desk...under Ursula's bed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I drove home Sunday evening. The next day my back was still bothering me so I did a little cleaning, but mostly took it easy. Tuesday I had to get my car to Honda by 8 AM, get home to cook a big batch of chicken for the actors' dinner at the Weston Playhouse, and then be ready to usher at 6:45 PM. On Wednesday I had to be in Rutland for a haircut at 10 AM and then get home before Mimi and Harriet Ann arrived. They were coming to visit and stay overnight. My back was finally feeling better. After they left on Thursday I cut flowers and set up the 22 vases to take to school. 

 

Here they are in the back of my car, ready to be delivered. Not only do the teachers say thank you, but kids in the hallways comment about how nice the vases look. They also appreciate the flowers...

Day Trip with Margery

This was the view from our table.

Once again Margery and I headed north for cucumber sandwiches and scones...

The chair looks better in the picture than in reality. They weren't even sure we should sit on it!

Margery pouring tea...between us we managed to sample 4 different flavors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dollhouse Repaired

Decades ago, during a semester break while I was earning my master's degree, I was given a dollhouse. Before classes began again, the dollhouse was well on its way to being completely decorated.

My boys were young. They quickly learned that one might make a mess in the house, but the dollhouse was off limits...it would always be neat and clean.

That dollhouse has moved every time I've moved, and over the years it fell into disrepair. This summer I made its return to glory my goal...

I had never gotten around to filling the window boxes, but they are blooming now and the curtains have been rehung.

That's a mailbox by the front door and a knocker on the door. Clyde's water bowl is hidden behind the porch railing. 

 There is a never ending game of monopoly in the children's attic play room.

Some day I may get around to adding wood putty at the joints and repainting the outside to look like stucco...some day.

My original couch is in the dollhouse I created for my granddaughter, but I have a kit to make another couch. It is in one of the boxes tucked underneath...a good snowy day project.

The living room rug is a weaving sample done by my grandmother and the bedroom rug was crocheted by my mother many years ago.

I had to do a bit of re-gluing for the floor and wall papers, but I didn't change any of them. I had made the curtains, paper towel rack, salt shaker, and fly swatter when I first put this house together. The rest of the items were found or purchased years ago. There are milk and a few loose eggs in the old ice box.

Long ago I built the rocking chair from a kit. It had fallen into many pieces. While repairing it I quickly discovered that my hands are not as steady as they once were.

I had also made the brick hearth, fireplace screen, and picture frame. Fortunately, only the frame needed a bit more glue.

That's an old yellow telephone on the table and a radiator behind the rocker.

 All the chairs on the second floor were made from kits...and they all needed at least one piece re-glued. I had made the pillow. The blanket was another of my grandmother's weaving samples.

The bannister had been made from dowels and toothpicks. I managed to find all but 2 of the toothpicks and get the bannister back in place. I had made all of the wall decorations. The sewing machine and figure had been a kit and the machine table needed a lot of repair. The desk had also been a kit. Surprisingly, it was still in one piece. The writing surface and drawers still open and close.

The chimney is just a 3 sided wood box, but now it doesn't fall off when I move the dollhouse.

I worked on this at the cottage, but it's back home again, sitting on the dresser in my bedroom.


No matter how messy things may get in my real home, no matter if I haven't gotten around to cleaning my refrigerator because I'm too busy cleaning the cottage refrigerators, no matter what household disasters may occur, I'll know the dollhouse will be tidy and never changing...that little piece of perfection to hang onto in the midst of chaos.