THE CAT HOUSE

To take my mind off all the Covid and political ugliness, I ordered a dollhouse kit from Ikea in August 2020.

Like I needed a third dollhouse.

But the long story made short: I decided to build this dollhouse for my sister’s birthday.

(BTW, she’s crazy about cats, thus the name of the house.) And she LOVED the bathroom!

By now, I was a real pro at making furniture, wall art, rugs, flat-screen televisions, remote controls, cell phones, magazines, bookends, bath bubbles, and even face masks.

Right around Labor Day 2020, I was finished with all three dollhouses and still super anxious and distressed about life in the real world.

My indoor life felt safe enough, but outside? Not so much.

I tried to convince myself things were getting better.

But then Ruth Bader-Ginsberg died, quickly followed by an Amy Coney-Barrett super-spreader Rose Garden celebration, followed by a disastrous presidential debate, followed by a corona-virus-infected White House.

The news cycle was still on steroids, but now, so was President Trump!

On October 5, I ventured out of my house for the first time since March 7 of the prior year—for an anxiety-ridden trip to CVS to get a flu shot.

My experience was so unpleasant that once I got back to the safety and confines of my home sweet home, I vowed NOT to leave it again until spring 2021 and only if there was a vaccine by then.

Fast forward to May 4, 2021, and not much has changed.

I did get the vaccine, but I have yet to venture to a supermarket or a restaurant.  And I haven’t filled up my car with gas since February 2020!

And since I’m still ordering everything I need or want online, I decided to purchase yet another dollhouse from Ikea, which ultimately morphed into THE VICTORIA.