Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for Claudia

Beauty and Birds

May 24, 2023 at 9:10 am by Claudia

Despite very little sleep, I pressed on yesterday. Did some yanking of poison ivy, which seems to be worse than ever this year. I wear an old flannel shirt for this, as well as special gloves, and I use a pruner that is only for poison ivy. It’s all kept in a box in the former kitchen island.

Then I mowed 2/3 of the front lawn. Don mowed the rest, as well as the secret garden.

It felt good to do something, rather than just sit here moaning about how tired I was. (Though I did a bit of that, too.)

Later in the day, we sat on the glider and listened to all of the birds singing. I love the amount of bird sound at this time of year. And, we looked at our property and gave thanks for it. Almost nothing makes me happier than sitting on the glider, holding my husband’s hand, and gazing at our pretty porch, the big maple, and the green grass and trees off in the distance.

I did sleep in a bit this morning, which is a rarity. So I’m feeling better today.

Today? A day of rest. Don’s lower back is sore. I’ve encouraged him to rest for the next couple of days.

I gave up on the science fiction book I was reading. It was a very interesting premise, but it was too long and science fiction really isn’t my thing. Plus, the writing was clumsy. Now, I’m reading Night Hawks  by Elly Griffith, which I started right before I moved to Brooklyn to work on the movie. I was so busy that I never got back to it and it’s been sitting here in the den on my TBR pile. Since I’d only read about 20 pages, I didn’t have to get reacquainted with the plot.

Speaking of hawks and birds of prey. I know there’s another robin couple on our property tending to their nest. I’m not sure where the nest is, but it’s definitely somewhere closer to our porch. Right before dinner last night, I heard the warning cheep that a robin makes when there is a threat. We’re quite familiar with it around here. I looked out at the big maple and there he was sitting on a branch, facing the road. A steady barrage of cheep and then a tut-tut-tut which involved the tail feathers. I was watching the robin rather than the road, but I suddenly sensed  the flight of a big bird with some white feathers as it took off over my neighbor’s house. Don assumes it was sitting on the wire across the street that stretched between phone poles. I only sensed it for a brief second, so I don’t know what kind of bird it was. That robin was relentless. It didn’t stop the warnings until the other bird left. Then our feisty little robin flew down to a lower branch to make sure the enemy had left.

Truly amazing.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

 

Filed Under: birds, garden 22 Comments

Wildflowers

May 23, 2023 at 7:31 am by Claudia

Dame rocket or wild phlox is one of my favorite wildflowers and it has, seemingly overnight, cropped up everywhere on the property. There’s a clump in front of the big garden bed,  in the secret garden, on the edge of the woods, and in the woods. It’s in white and a soft lavender and it’s quite tall. My favorite time of the late spring is when rocket and fleabane and wild mustard have made their presence known. The woods look magical, there is color in places that are usually just green. The birdbath is surrounded by fleabane, as is the funky patio – wildflowers are everywhere. I feel like I live in a wildflower meadow at this time of year.

I had a somewhat sleepless night with lots on my mind. So I’m running on about one cylinder. Nevertheless, I’m going to do some more work outside today, simply to keep myself busy. I finally sowed the zinnia seeds yesterday – about three weeks later than usual. I did some pruning. I cleaned up the memorial garden bed. Today, I may mow and I need to clear out some particularly pesky poison ivy.

Keep busy, keep busy – I do some of my best work when I’ve haven’t had enough sleep.

I’m nearly done with the Klimt puzzle, but I’m dealing with what I consider the most difficult section; various shades of brown for the woman’s hair and various shades of skin tone for her neck and chest. Everything else is pretty much finished. I’m a huge fan of Klimt and this puzzle has been a pleasure to work on.

Okay. I need more coffee.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

 

Filed Under: jigsaw puzzles, wildflowers 11 Comments

A Little Story

May 22, 2023 at 7:48 am by Claudia

Wild mustard growing down by the road. I know it’s considered a weed, but like most flowering weeds, I change that to ‘wildflower.’ There’s a beautiful clump in the secret garden.

I managed to get Microsoft Word back on my computer after signing in to my Microsoft account. Under my account information, I found my purchase history which gave me the option of downloading the version from 2016 – which is really all I need. Hurrah!

Then I tried printing something from my laptop and discovered I really didn’t need the software for the printer. And then I went on Canon’s site and put in my printer model and there was the software for the ‘scan’ option on the printer, so I downloaded that. I scanned the Italian dialect notes that I need for my coaching session today. Success.

So I think I’ve, at least temporarily, solved my problem. I’m not downloading a bunch of photos and documents that I really don’t miss from my backup drive. I’m keeping it spare. Just what I need.

A quick story for you. My dear friend Jan, who lives in my hometown, is 79 years old.  She, like my friend Joe and my best friend Laural, was adopted. Joe gave her a DNA kit from Ancestry for Christmas and she did the test and submitted the information. Ancestry contacted her with a DNA match saying she had  a cousin or sibling.  She has recently been contacted by her half-brother and half sister! At the age of 79!

She knew that her mother was from Boston and came to Detroit to have her baby. And her adoptive mother showed her the birth certificate. But she never had any inclination to find her birth mother. She was raised in a loving family and her father was a Methodist minister. Her half-siblings didn’t know until later in life about their older sister. Their mom had married a man several years after giving birth to Jan and though he knew about the baby she gave up for adoption, they didn’t. When they found out, they started searching for their sister. They’ve been searching for years. And now, this miracle! Her brother contacted her right away and they’ve been communicating. Last week, she had a zoom session with her siblings. And next month her brother – a Unitarian minister – will be traveling to Detroit to meet her.

Isn’t that amazing? She sounds so surprised and happy and I couldn’t be more thrilled for her.

There you go, Some good news today.

Have to go prep for my session today.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

 

Filed Under: wildflowers 29 Comments

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Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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