Racketty Revelry

 I can't imagine a better choice for my August book than Frances Hodgson Burnett's Racketty-Packetty House. It's a charming romp behind the scenes of a young child's nursery, complete with fairies, mice, and even a real life princess. Content, however, played second fiddle to the title for me as our house has begun to take on quite the "racketty-packetty" air this month. 

 

 Don't get me wrong, work on project "Cottage Quest"

is still very much under way what with the painting of...

 

 this...

 

to that...

 

 and the other.

 

 It's just that in addition we've had to add in quite a bit of back to school shopping...

 

 and college bound doings into the mix as well.

The end result, now as August draws to a close, is I'm afraid nothing to write home about. In fact, if anything, our day to day living environment is even farther away from "summer cottage living" than it was a month ago.

 

But, and I remind myself of this daily, when I took this on I knew it was not going to be a quick fix. I also knew there would be many steps involved and that they would more than likely follow the 3 forward one back pattern. What I forgot, however, was to take time to enjoy some of my favorite things along the way.

 

 So I grabbed a cuppa (thanks mom for the new mug with the oh so appropriate message!)

 

 I welcomed a new friend into my world (thanks to MOJO and it's wonderful supply of Budkins, an amazing kissing cousin line of dolls to the Woodettes!)

 

 And I refreshed myself in the joys of making French knots.

 

 All combined it made for a lovely tea time that restored

my energy,

my enthusiasm,

and

my faith in happy endings. 

 

So now perhaps on second thought, the content of Racketty-Packetty House is important...especially the part where the princess says,

"Your house shall be mended and papered and painted and made as lovely as ever."

And it was!!!

 

 

 



Time To Paint

 This has been my week.

 

 Project "Cottage Quest" is officially underway.

It was decided that the kids rooms would be the first to tackle. All three of our not-so-wee ones wanted to swap rooms. For several years now dear daughter had been envious of the boys' walk in closet while the boys often dreamed of creating some very cool Comic-Con inspired displays on the built in shelves dear daughter's room hosted. Considering, however, dear daughter had previously employed these same shelves as her personal doodle canvas it was definitely time to paint!

   

 The first step in the process seemed easy enough, I simply told the kiddos,
"Pack up your stuff!"

Dear daughter seemed to grasp the concept well enough but the boys.....

 

 ...NOT SO MUCH!!!

 

 We persevered however and eventually.....

 

 .....cleared enough wiggle room to proceed to the next steps.
Thank goodness our resident bichon was on hand to assist!

 

 We removed the carpets and all those pesky little staples they use to tack down the padding.

 

 We spackled.

We sanded.

We vacuumed.

And of course......

 

 WE PAINTED!!!

 

We painted the walls, the floors, the trim, and the bookshelves in colors dubbed things like "Flowering Herbs" and "Summer Festival."

 

And then, when all was said and done guess what I did?

I swept the floor.

It was the greatest feeling.

  Remember I had thought cottage housekeeping would involve no more than the sweep of a broom or the swipe of an apron's edge?  It seems I'm headed in the right direction!
 

Now I just need to bring that reality to the rest of the house...


 

A Sigh of Relief

For 20 years this thing has followed me around.

 

 How it did so is beyond me considering its tremendous weight and cumbersome build!

All in all it wasn't a bad looking piece.

 

 Although on most days its virtues were obscured by whatever superhero/transformer/alien Child #3 was currently obsessed with. On top of that the poor thing was squished in a corner and its keys rarely saw the light of day. 

 

Combine that with my new found desire to clear the clutter and dust from our home and it was time for that dear old piano to go on to greener pastures.

 

 

Enter Mario, a musician by trade but also an expert piano mover of sorts.

Yesterday as I stood on the porch and watched the two of them drive off together I had myself a huge sigh of relief. Not only were musician and instrument delighted to have found each other but I myself had found tremendous joy in the act of letting go.

 

Granted this is only a first step of many to come but it was a huge one and one that makes my new so-called "Cottage Quest" a reality. Yes I want to live in a cottage. More specifically, a summer cottage. You know the ones where possessions are bare bones, natural light is in abundance, and there is always time for a game of cards. In such a humble abode housekeeping would involve no more than the sweep of a broom or the swipe of an apron's edge and meals would revolve around the seasonal offerings at the local market.

 

Now, considering the basic architecture of our home is in that of the garrison style, it actually looks nothing like a summer cottage. But guess what? I don't care. I will do the best with what I've got and in the process hopefully experience some of the joys I imagine summer cottage living bestows on its inhabitants. 

 

So get ready....there's clearing and carting ahead along with a good deal of prying, parting, and painting. Who knows how long it will take? Who cares?

 In fact, do they even keep track of time in a cottage?

I know I won't.

When the sun rises it'll be time to get up. When the sun sets it'll be time to go to bed. And anything in between I shall consider time for fun! 

Care to join me....

 



Slippery Slope

It starts innocently enough...a book here and a cuppa there. No biggie right?

But soon enough a clothespin, a clipboard, and some paper scraps show up and join the party. 

Before you know it surfaces disappear, piles grow to record heights, and dust bunnies start to breed.

This has been my July

and

I seem to be stuck.

 

Case in point, my book of the month is once again by Elizabeth Orton Jones. I did everything I could to push myself forward in another direction but honestly this book so perfectly illustrated my current situation I felt it was important for me to include it here. Bear with me if you will while I explain....

   

Big Susan is the story of a family of dolls that live their day to day by the hands and imagination of their child owner, Susan. All is well when they receive their  daily dose of attention from her.    But...when Susan's world keeps her otherwise occupied things start to fall apart. Aside from a few magical hours on Christmas Eve when the Doll family comes to life they are totally dependent on Susan. Without her they cannot walk or talk, they cannot eat or sleep, and they cannot keep house.

They are stuck.

 

In the book six long weeks of neglect pass.

Susan is nowhere to be found and by the time Christmas Eve arrives the dollhouse is a jumble of clutter and dust. 

 

Their initial tears and distress over Susan's disappearance soon fade however and are replaced with inspiration. Rather than continue waiting for Susan to do for them they decide to use their few hours of life to do for her and tidy up the house as a Christmas surprise.

 

Clutter, dust, neglect, distress....

Just like the Doll family I've had enough of them.

No "Big Susan" is coming my way to set things right and Christmas Eve is a ways away but I see no reason why I can't find a few magical hours in my daily life to remedy the situation. And perhaps even a few more daily moments to track my progress along the way.

 

Once Upon A Path....

Once upon a time there was a girl named Natalie Jo who loved to read storybooks and often imagined herself as a character within the pages she held in hand. Never, however, in her wildest dreams, did she imagine that a sign from those same pages could lead her down a path where fairy tales come true. But, if you make your way to Mason, New Hampshire you'll find just that!

  



At first you too must look for the signs....don't worry they're aplenty in these parts!

 



In no time at all,

 



you'll find yourself headed down a familiar sun dabbled path.

 



Keep to the path, don't talk to strangers,

 

and before you know it

 

a storybook cottage will appear right before your very eyes!

 



Not just any storybook cottage mind you.....this one belongs to Grandmother!

 



Imagine what fun it is to enter the same door through which little Red Riding Hood, the wolf, and (thank goodness) the wood cutter did all those years ago.

And for this we can thank none other than....

 



  Elizabeth Orton Jones, the illustrator extraordinaire from last month's book 

Prayer For a Child.

 

Enchanted by the beauty of New Hampshire during a business trip in the 1940's, Jones followed her own path to Mason and soon became a resident. In 1948 she used this neighboring cottage as inspiration for her illustrations in a Golden Book version of Little Red Riding Hood.

  

Today the location is known as Pickity Place and is infused with delights at every turn.

My favorite is the museum room.

 



It's filled with numerous edition of Little Red Riding Hood,

 



a sweet collection of dolls in red capes,

 



and of course.....

 



...that dratted wolf!!!

Have no fear however, as it seems the woodcutter has already had at this one and left

only his silly bonneted head behind.

 

In fact the most vicious thing we saw all day was of the feline variety and quite too hot and tired to bother with us in the least.

 

The gardens are numerous and filled with trails to encourage exploration.

 

   The kitchen and culinary gardens are a special treat in that
the herbs and edible flowers grown there....   

 



.....are sure to be found on your plate should you partake of the gourmet luncheons offered.

 



If your lucky I imagine you might even catch a glimmer of Little Red

gathering up a bunch of flowers for grandma,

 

and rounding out the bouquet with and abundance of Queen Anne's lace

 



and lavender sprigs.

 



Another lazy kitty was to our benefit...

 



as it gave free reign to the red feathered friend we saw so like the one...

 



featured in another of the book's illustrations!

 

I truly can't imagine a more realistic storybook setting than can be found at Pickity Place.

  

Nor can I imagine a better companion doll to Jones' Golden Book version of Little Red Riding Hood than this lovie. 

She is a Nancy Ann Storybook Doll and plastic versions such as this one were first produced in 1948, the same year Jones' Golden Book was published. Quite a coincidence! 

 

Cape wearing weather it may not be but this little lot are good spirits about it....

 



....as they perpetually greet me with their cheery faces and seem ever so happily ever after!