Summer Comes.....

 

Solstice....

Did you notice, Dear Readers, the fireflies flirting in the hedges while the lightning streaked the sky and the crickets tuned their legbows for their evening serenade? The full moon was just rising over the horizon beyond the Mysterious Wood and the catbird called to no-one in particular as the setting sun faded from view and Summer stole into the meadows with her Fairy escort leading the way. Really, it was impossible to miss, but I am not sure Will and Gabrielle were paying attention. They had come out to sit on the Folly Porch to enjoy the evening air. The day had been stiflingly hot and humid and thunderstorms hovered near but never seemed to arrive. They needed rain, but for now, just the cooling air was a blessed relief. 

"I don't think it ever got this hot back home...." said Gabrielle suddenly.

"Really...?" said Will, surprised. He hadn't given it any thought.

"I suppose you're right," he added, thoughtfully.

(they had both grown up in northern Europe)

"But Paris was always hot in the Summer," he said.

Paris always made him think of...

No, he was not going to spoil a lovely evening  with old history.

And yet, he suddenly felt an alarming sense of deja-vu...

It had been just such a night, and in just this spot

 that Daphne had revealed to him her secret.

 

That she'd had a baby out of wedlock, 

and had given up her child.

And that she could never love him as he deserved.

He'd been devastated, of course.

But, ironically, that was how he had met Gabrielle.....

Wasn't life sometimes impossible to understand?

And really, when he thought about it... 

he shared so much more with Gabrielle

 than he'd ever shared with Daphne!

He'd never really known Daphne...

Now he couldn't imagine a life without Gabrielle...!

He reached over and put his arm around her.

"Hey, you" he said, "have I told you how glad I am you're here?"

"No..." she replied, ever honest.

"But I am happy to be here..." she added, smiling.

"It is so beautiful here..." she said.

"My Grandmother always called these nights 'Fairy Nights'...

when Summer comes..." she added dreamily.

"and in the morning they've left their blankets spread in the grass...."

Will was enchanted... and he hadn't even realized it!

And not very far away at all the Fairies were indeed

 preparing for their Night of Revels....

As the full moon rose higher in the sky

 and the fireflies winked from the bushes....

Summer stole into the Meadow to the serenade of crickets.

Did You notice, Dear Readers,

The Solstice?

Lilacs And Love....

Late Bloomers....

You might be surprised to learn, Dear Readers, that our local lilacs are just Now coming into bloom! It is a very very late Spring in this part of the World, but not All of us mind! It is still just as Beautiful as can be with the sun shining and the birds singing. Will and Gabrielle are enjoying the early morning in the sunshine beneath the Blossoming Lilac. Yes, it was time at last to bring it out of the storage box for its brief reign of beauty! This also required a certain amount of shuffling the Houses around, even though it is still too early to move the house plants outdoors which signals the true start of Summer at my house and the rest of the dollhouse seasonal shuffle takes place.

I hope you don't mind if we revel in the lilacs for a minute or two!

 In case you did not remember that it took well over a year

 to construct the lilac shrub, I think it deserves

 a minute or two at least of admiration!

Will and Gabrielle are smitten...

and not just with the lilac!

It is difficult to get good pictures.... 

the sun is either too little or too much...

But, Oh we love it so!

It was one of those weekends when

 there was not much time for minis.

But I did make a Start on the next window

 for the Lord's Council Chamber.

The opening front has one window.

I started by making the paper pattern for the opening.

And cutting the outer framework from 1/8th inch thick plywood.

I must be getting practiced at this.... 

it fits better than the last one!

Yes, I am going to make the bottom section open with hinges again! 

This requires building two separate frames for each half of the window.

Here I am making sure the bottom half

 will fit right with the upper half. 

And you can see the inner side of the opening door

 has been painted to resemble the stone walls.

Both the frames have been fitted,

 now they will be painted while I make the glass panes....

Once again, I have stained the bottom opening section

 as it would not have been made of stone like the upper frame.

You might recall that I had found two panes of glass in my scrap pile

 that were Exactly the right size for the windows.... 

I decided to only use one on the first window

 since I needed to shape the top pane anyway.... 

which means I still had a ready made pane for this window!

What you see here is the top pane which I did have to cut to fit....

 prepped for the lead lines painting.

There are guide lines on the paper

 for the exact size of the window opening 

and the placing of the lead lines.  

Here you see both panes "leaded".

As usual, the lead paint is hard to control 

and my lines are too blobby and badly spaced.

I will be able to do some cleaning it up once it is dry.

And in case you were wondering if I had made up my mind

 about the grouted floor in the Lord's Council Chamber...

Even though it is impossible to get the perfect

 bright sunny morning pictures...

I Absolutely Love it!

 

 

And though the Lilacs are blooming so late, Dear Readers, 

They take my breath away with their beauty!

I Love them still!

The Nativity.....

Oh! The Nativities....!

I Hope you will Understand, Dear Readers, when I tell you that I almost forgot to set up the Nativities in the mini houses! It has been that sort of Year... Season.... Month....Week....Not enough time for everything on the list! But I hurried around and Found the little pieces and reminded Pollyanna, because she really likes to set up the creche in the Lovely Old Dollhouse. She thinks the pieces are all where they belong...and as usual, she can't remember if the Camel goes on this side or that..., but no matter which it looks lovely and always inspires that deep feeling of Reverence. There is the Baby in his manger..... (I know he seems to have arrived a day too early!)... but there he is! And the Angel is singing Gloria! And the shepherd is looking on...

Oh, and Arthur has come to look too....!

"Isn't it lovely...?" asks Pollyanna.

"Very lovely," he says, not even looking at the Creche...

(Because he thinks his Wife is lovely...)

"Oh, you mean the creche...?" he adds with a smile.

"I think the sheep is too far back... " he adds

 as he pulled the sheep forward.

"There. Like that!"

 

"That does look better" agrees Pollyanna, smiling back.

Meanwhile, over at The Folly, 

Will has set up the tiny Nativity in the window.

It is getting dark and is really hard to see...

The lights are not on in The Folly....

But there.... the light is shining on the baby in his manger...!

And the Angel is singing Allelulia!

I am afraid Will and Gabrielle are not paying attention.... 

to anything but each other.

(They might be a match made in Heaven...!)

 

Back at The Lovely Old Dollhouse

Victor and Joanna are getting out the cookies...

And the Gingerbread too!

"Do we have to share the Gingerbread....?" asks Victor.

(His Wife is thinking the same thing...!)

Helen and Charles have been enjoying the Setting up of the Nativity....

Every year it is different... but the same...

 which gives them Great comfort.

"It looks perfect from here..." says Helen.

"I lost track of Time...." explains Pollyanna.

"I almost forgot to set them up in time!"

"But now we're ready!" she declared.

Well, Dear Readers, I hope you are ready....

 it is almost Time!

May you all have a Wonderful Holiday.... 

and may you Not forget the Nativity!