Little Miss Helpful.......

When I went in to start working on the Clockwork Cottage this morning I found Tessie already hard at it. She was very contrite about stealing Balthazar's watch and fob yesterday afternoon. Hmmmmm......Suspicion seeping in......She said that she would return it post haste....I am never sure what that phrase means exactly. Post=after. Haste=fast. Does it really make any sense?

Anyway, she was busily clamping the frame to the kitchen door. She had seen me dry fitting it and assumed that was what I was going to do next. Thank goodness I had already trimmed the bottoms so that the floor would slide in under it. That way I don't have to trim the floor to fit around the sticking out parts. She had found the glue pot and a big stick(a bamboo skewer) to smear the glue onto the wood. She somehow managed to drag the big old binder clips that I use to hold the frames in place into the room.....That is one strong little witch! I can barely pinch them open wide enough to go around the three pieces of wood. By the time I got there, she had five of them in place. Remind me not to challenge her to an arm wrestling contest!

About that time Zar showed up. I was afraid that there was going to be a rematch from yesterday. Amazingly, she handed over the watch and fob without a word and went back to work. She just can't manage to add the apology to the actions. I think that Zar has figured out that it doesn't pay to argue. Lesson learned.

He stood behind her with his wrench, very quietly. I think that he was hoping that she would need rescuing. Nope. Tessie got the job done and turned around. When she saw him she shooed him out, saying"This is no job for a silly, wrench carrying man! This is witch's work!" He left without a word.

Shortly after, the glue was dry and I started to do the spackling. I did get the plaster in place before Tessie butted in once again. She told me firmly to go find Zar. "I will do the texturing. I am better at it than you. I can see closer up than you can." Who am I to argue? Let her do the work if she wants to. I am going to take a break and eat leftover Pineapple Cake from yesterday. I love having Wednesday Witches. I get to have leftovers the next day...

After my cake, I went back to see how she was doing. It was finished and ready for sanding and painting. Good going Tessie!

I don't think that I am going to be able to get into the kitchen to do any work for a while though. It seems that Tessie and Zar have made a tenuous pact to be friends for now......A picnic on the kitchen floor was in order.

Zar, gentleman that he is, spread out a zebra patterned rug on the floor and brought in pillows. Tessie insisted on the cappuccino machine and brought cookies and crackers. Both dogs are hoping for them to drop something. All is well at Clockwork Cottage, for now........

I think that I figured out why Tessie is being so helpful and nice. No. She's not taking the "Name Meaning Thingy" to heart. I believe that she has reasoned that the more she helps finish the Clockwork Cottage, the more inclined I will be to build her the Magnolia( A.K.A. Spiderwort Manor) I think I said it a couple of times this week....."Don't hold your breath, Tessie!"

See you tomorrow.