Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Clarifying Thoughts in my Cold-Ridden Brain on a Saturday

September 27, 2014 at 8:08 am by Claudia

That little cold/sinus thing became rather a big thing and I’ve been very much under the weather. I even had to miss the last day of table work yesterday. To be perfectly honest, I’d love to stay home today but I just can’t. Since I’m usually suffering from some sinus/allergy thing on a daily basis, when a cold arrives, it hits me smack upside the head and I go down for the count.

As I said on Facebook yesterday, being sick is crappy but being sick when you’re away from home is even crappier. I know that is not the most elegant use of language, but I feel far from elegant. I am grateful for a rather large suite here at the hotel. I think if I was in a small room, I would feel very confined and want to climb the walls, especially because I was room-bound yesterday. I wanted Don to be here and he couldn’t be here. I needed a cuddle.

You understand.

I’m supposed to drive home tomorrow night in order to spend Monday mowing the lawn, etc., but we’ll see about that. Right now, it’s the last thing I want to do.

thistle - fuzzy

A thistle turned silky.

I’ve been pondering something for a while now. I’m just going to say it: I’m really tired of decorating blogs. I find myself reading them less and less. Why is that? This is purely from my particular point of view, of course, and I’m sure many of you feel the exact opposite. And, let me hasten to assure you, I still read the blogs of my blogging friends – I don’t count them in this equation.

But in general? I’m over them.

Now, I’ve loved decorating from my childhood days of wallpapering my Barbie case to the present. I’ve spent who-knows-how-many dollars on decorating magazines over the course of my lifetime. I love to see unique and striking rooms. And I like decorating my little cottage. I’m a nester, for sure. So, it’s not as if I’m a person who just doesn’t care about that sort of thing.

I used to love reading them. But, there is such a glut of decorating/diy blogs now – so, so many that it makes my head spin. And quite frankly, there aren’t a whole lot of new ideas out there, just variations on the same theme. To be fair, I suppose that’s the way it is with most things, not just decorating.

Is this just a phase I’m in? Maybe. I do tend to do things in phases; for example, crochet. How many scarves and throws did I crochet? Over a hundred. And I haven’t picked up a crochet hook in about a year. Been there, done that. So, you see, I do tend to be that way about things.

But, further examination brings me to the realization that there is just too much out there in this virtual world. Too many decorating blogs, too many photos on Pinterest, too many faux animal heads, too many vignettes, too many, too many. I suppose I can be included in that: too many garden and flower photos. Maybe even too many decorating photos, though I haven’t really posted anything of that nature for a while now. I mean, you’ve seen my house. If something changes, I’ll share it with you, but in the meantime, nothing’s new. You may get a shot of the living room every once in a while, but that’s about it.

Your response to this might well be: “Well, Claudia, if you’re tired of all that, don’t visit those blogs. You have control over where you go on the Internet.”

And you’re right. I do have control and I haven’t been clicking on those sites lately. I’ve stayed away. I’d much rather read about a good book or a social issue or see someone blog from the heart or, if we are talking about decorating, see a room that has been decorated in such a purely individual and quirky way that it doesn’t look like anything else I’m seeing on the Web. That takes some digging, of course, but to me, it’s worth it.

Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I get bored too easily. Maybe writing the book blog has sent me in a new direction, has solidified what I am truly interested in. I’m not sure.

Anyway, when I’m wrestling with some realization, I generally try to put it in words in this online journal of mine. The process of writing about it always helps me come to terms with whatever change is on my particular horizon.

New post up on Just Let Me Finish This Page.

Happy Saturday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

 

Filed Under: blogging, decorating, life, On The Road 50 Comments

Muscling Through

August 7, 2014 at 8:47 am by Claudia

thursday limelight hydrangea

This process of writing a brand-spanking-new blog post every day is usually a true pleasure for me. Somehow, I always seem to find something to talk about, even when I think there is absolutely nothing that is even remotely interesting happening in my life. Every post is written by yours truly. I don’t pull photos from other sites or blogs and use them as the basis for a post. As tempting as that may be for those days when I could use some ‘filler,’ it just doesn’t feel right within the context of this personal blog of mine, which has always consisted of original content. There’s nothing wrong with that kind of thing, but I have to stay true to my vision.

So it’s all me, for better or for worse.

thursday zinnia

Some days I find myself thinking, “What can I possibly write about today?” Or I find myself looking into the future and wondering if I can even hope to keep this up and maintain a certain level of interesting and compelling writing. Because I couldn’t bear it if the content on this blog became boring. Or routine. And I’m only human. Some periods in my life are more exciting than others. Some days are rather humdrum.

Or I worry about what I will take pictures of when the gardens have faded. How many times can I show you my living room? What happens when I finish my dollhouse? Then I remind myself to stay in the present and take it one day at a time.

This week has been a little tougher than others as I’ve been under the weather battling something that we are now pretty sure is Lyme Disease. We’re very familiar with it around here. Don has had it. Both dogs had it. (I was the last holdout.) Most everyone in these parts has one or more family members who have had it. I would go so far as to say it’s commonplace in our neck of the woods. Anyway, on Monday, I finally connected the dots between a few things that have happened – starting with that 24 hour fever and virus thing I had about 3 weeks ago. So off I went to the doctor and he drew some blood and prescribed Doxycycline, which I started taking right away. I’m improving for sure, though I’m awfully tired.

So I’ve found myself struggling to write interesting posts this week. And what do I do when that seems to be a problem? I’m honest with you and I ‘fess up. And then, what do you know? I have a post.

thursday pink phlox

Don’s been taking care of me and I’m feeling much better. When taking Doxycycline, you are supposed to stay out of the direct sun or your skin can be affected. Not everyone who takes it suffers that side effect but I have very fair and sensitive skin, so I have to be careful. That’s a drag for this gardener and lawn mower. And wouldn’t you know it, we just got those passes to hike the trails in the mountains. Frustrating.

Ah well. It is what it is.

Back to the blog posts. I’m stubborn about them, you know. I won’t recycle an older post. I won’t use photos from other sites and comment on them. I won’t take the day off, unless I have to and I tell you about it ahead of time. I power through, because writing is cathartic for me and muscling through that ‘roadblock’ always takes me to the other side where I discover something to write about. And I feel better for it. The daily challenge of crafting new material is a good discipline for me.

So there you have it. Dear friends, don’t worry about me. And, as well-meaning as I know you mean to be, please don’t tell me stories about others who have had Lyme Disease. I believe in staying positive and eliminating anything negative from my consciousness, especially when dealing with sickness. Believe me, we’ve been through it before and it’s under control and it’s not a big deal and I caught it early and all is well.

thursday zinnia 2

Let’s close with this photo. Remember the zinnia bud I showed you on Monday? Here it is this morning. Little miracles happen every day.

Happy Thursday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: blogging, life 72 Comments

It’s Personal

July 23, 2014 at 8:44 am by Claudia

I’d like an order of hot and humid, please.

Oh, wait, what was I thinking? Please cancel that order!

It’s too late?

Drat.

Yep. We’re in the middle of a hot and humid stretch that is causing this girl who hates humidity to stay inside. The activity level in the birdbath was at an all time high yesterday, which necessitated several trips to replenish the water supply.

The birds are feeling it, too.

rudbeckia beginning

The rudbeckia is just about to open.

coneflower beginning

And so are more coneflowers.

I edited a few of my comments on yesterday’s post. I did it simply because I feel protective about my father’s issues and don’t want to discuss too much in this very public place. He’s confused and scared and, yes, extremely difficult to deal with lately, but I want to make sure I draw the line at how much I reveal. I’ve said before that maybe someday I’ll speak in more depth about those issues in terms of how they have impacted me, but I won’t do it until he’s gone.

He’s my dad and I love him, and he’s troubled and complicated and insecure and lots of other things that make dealing with him very hard indeed. But he’s also a good man who is devoted to his family and kind to others. He has a big heart.

So, there you have it. Writing a personal blog involves constant decisions as to just what I choose to reveal and what I choose to keep private. I know you understand.

maroon & yellow daylilies

Did you notice those four words in the sentence I just wrote? “Writing a personal blog…?”

There are times when I have to tick a box as to what kind of blog I write. Often those choices include Decorating and DIY or Lifestyle or Food – that kind of thing. I’ve never felt comfortable choosing “Lifestyle” which is often the only option that might fit. Here’s why: I don’t prescribe any sort of Lifestyle for my readers. I’m not Martha Stewart. I don’t write about how you should do things or what you should do. There’s an occasional tutorial, though come to think of it, I can’t remember the last time I wrote a tutorial.

So the other day I was reading about something, somewhere, and saw the term Personal Blog.

And I smacked myself upside the head.

I know this might very well seem like a “Duh!” moment to you, but I, on the other hand, said “Of course! I have a Personal Blog.” I write about my life and my adventures and my cottage and…my lifestyle. But not your lifestyle or what I think you might want your lifestyle to be.

I know. Seems obvious, doesn’t it? But I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wrestled with how to describe this blog when pursuing advertising opportunities or filling out surveys.

I have a personal blog. And a book blog, which has new post up today, by the way. It’s all about one of my favorite authors. Stop by.

Happy Wednesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: blogging, Dad, flowers 42 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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