Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for anniversary

Twelve

February 17, 2020 at 10:52 am by Claudia

The river that is just across the street from the cottage. I took this picture because Don had ventured out for a ‘short walk’ and when, an hour and a half later, he still hadn’t returned, I got a bit concerned. He was going to visit the river and then take a short walk. The river is a steep drop from our neighbor’s property, so I went there first to see if I could find him.

No dice.

Then I debated whether I should get in the car and look for him. While I was debating – and I was only concerned because he didn’t have his phone with him and he could have fallen – I walked around our property and took this picture:

Winter milkweed.

Finally, I grabbed the car keys and pulled out of the driveway. I ventured about 500 feet down the road and there he was, walking stick in hand, headed back to the house.

New rule: Take your cell phone with you.

He lost track of the time. I’ve taken to calling him Huckleberry Finn. Or should it be Tom Sawyer?

Speaking of the cottage, and picture taking, and Don, and adventures, today is the 12th anniversary of this blog. I hit publish on this date in 2008. Who knew I would still be going all these years later? I’ve been writing this blog for more years than I’ve worked at any job, whether it was that stint in an office in Detroit (7 years) or grad school (3 years), or another office job while I was applying for teaching positions (2 years) or various temp office jobs, or teaching at Boston University (5 years) or teaching at the University of San Diego/Old Globe MFA program/coaching at the Old Globe (8 years). I’ve been freelancing for the past 19 years, but that involves a long, long list of all sorts of  jobs.

I haven’t been writing daily for all 12 years, but I’ve been doing it for at least 7, maybe 8, years. I’m proud of this blog, which began as an experiment and still is in a way, though I’ve settled in rather nicely.

I won’t belabor this anniversary by writing too much as I’ve written about it in the past. But I do want to thank you for being there, for visiting this little corner of the Internet. If you weren’t there, I’d just be writing for myself and that’s nearly as much fun as chatting with you.

Sending all sorts of love on this February 17th.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: anniversary, blog, Mockingbird Hill Cottage 86 Comments

On Sunday

October 13, 2019 at 10:01 am by Claudia

Thank you for all the lovely anniversary wishes yesterday!

Don was taking pictures for much of the day, but he had a special dinner up his sleeve which he proceeded to concoct as soon as he got home. It was lovely. We also opened a bottle of sparkling cider and toasted each other and our marriage. Lovely.

Today, we meet Rick and Doug late in the afternoon to celebrate Rick’s birthday, which is today.

But before that, Don is working at the Farmer’s Market.

I’m about 3/4 of the way through A Bitter Feast  by Deborah Crombie. Excellent. But then, every book she has written in her Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series is excellent.

Today, some chores, some celebration, and some rest – eventually.

Thank you again.

Happy Sunday.

 

Filed Under: anniversary, books, Don, friends 34 Comments

Anniversary

October 12, 2019 at 11:08 am by Claudia

21 years today.

I searched for recent photos of us together and there aren’t that many. Or there aren’t that many that I consider worthy of posting. But these two photos together, I believe, capture our happiness. The wedding photo captures our joy that day. The recent photo captures a quieter joy, the joy we find in each other, the joy in traveling this life of ours together.

Both of them capture who we are and who we were.

I never expected, or necessarily wanted, to be married. And I don’t think I could ever have made that commitment to anyone but Don. The fact that two people from completely different parts of the county came together 25 years ago is nothing less than a miracle.

That we loved each other enough to make this commitment is another miracle.

And that our marriage has always been solid and strong and loving – that love growing with each passing year – is yet another miracle.

We married 21 years ago today. It was Columbus Day. We were in Nevada City, CA where Don was doing his one-man show, Jeeves Take Charge (he was brilliant). Don and our friend Lynn planned the whole thing, really, because I was working in San Diego. Don’s brother and his wife were there. Our friends Claire and Phil were there as well. Phil was Artistic Director of the theater where Don was performing. We chose the 12th because it was a Monday and Don’s day off.

We wanted a small, meaningful wedding. We didn’t want to make our families, mine especially, fly across the country and incur that expense. We didn’t want the pressure of all of that. We just wanted to commit to each other in a small, intimate ceremony. We wanted to be present for every moment of it.

And that’s what we did. We remember every bit of that ceremony, a ceremony where I came down a flight of steps in a cast (I had broken my ankle in a fall,) leaning on my sister-in-law. Where, the minute I looked down the stairs and saw Don, I started crying and couldn’t stop, where Don saw me and started crying, and soon, everyone was crying. It was utterly beautiful in every way.

Afterward, we went for a horse-drawn carriage ride through the streets of Nevada City and then dined in a private dining room with our friends.

Perfect.

I love this man more than words can describe and I’m so grateful that he loves me.

Happy Saturday.

 

Filed Under: anniversary, Don 57 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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