You must remember this

This post contains NO spoilers, unless your fingers can't help but clicking the link to Lillie's blog.

Mister Carson and a whole mess of pretty eggs from some chicken pals of ours.  

So last week PBS pulled a fast one and aired TWO episodes of Downton Abbey. Which would be great, I'd watch them all back-to-back if given the chance, but Lillie and I had only written one recap.  (We write them ahead so they're ready to publish the night the episode airs, or the next day if we have to change anything).  Also last week was SUPER busy for Lillie and we didn't have much chance to work on it.  FINALLY, here is the recap for the NEXT TO THE LAST episode.  The "Christmas Special" ( for the UK, anyway) airs tonight and we may or may not be able to get the recap out to you as quickly as we'd like [because we haven't even started it yet].  And since it's the last episode until fall (or January for you law-abiding Americans!), we want to give it the attention it deserves.

One of my really old neighbors (it's that kind of neighborhood) had to move into a care home and Friday there was an estate sale at her house.  I had been looking for a basket to put afghans and yoga mats in to keep in the living room, and I found this one.

Lillie scored a perfect set of four original pink and white Pyrex nesting bowls.

Here's the basket after I vacuumed out all the dust and pine-cone crumbs.  Perfect!

I also found this little dresser and talked them down to $35 (including the basket)!  It's in quite good shape, only a few dings.  It's nice heavy solid wood with dovetailed joints.  At 33" high, it's ideal for a night stand on the far side of my bed--it's just a little taller  than the mattress.   I have an old cedar chest there (made FOR ME by a boyfriend when I was still a teenager) which, although I love it, is much too low and not convenient for storing things like clothes.  If I shift a few things (and have People of Progress come pick up the cruddy old loveseat and coffee table from the library) several items can relocate to new spaces.  I plan to live with this dresser in its current state while I decide how I want it to look.  My tentative plan is to paint it white (maybe staining the top dark like my taller dresser) and replace the federal style pulls with glass knobs.  At some point there may have been a single center knob on each drawer, which seems peculiar for a dresser this wide, but who knows? I still plan to drag the emigrated-from-Chicago head-and-footbard into my room, and they are handsome wood that I want to keep.  A kicky color would be fun but I already have that  bright pink nightstand on the other side, and also I can visualize this dresser moving out to the living area someday.  Anyway, when I do decide, I'll make a post with some "after" shots.

In the meantime, Lillie and I are hard at work [starting and] finishing the LAST recap of Downton Abbey Season Three.  We don't think we can get it up before Wednesday, but a little anticipation now is good practice for the YEAR you have to wait for next season.  Maybe we will get a better headstart on writing recaps for Season Four ahead of the US air dates!

We both hope you enjoy our latest recap and are looking forward to the last one.  Your enthusiasm has been the impetus that has made this project so much fun.  See you in a few days!