Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

  • About MHC
    • Disclosure
  • Dollhouses/Minis
    • Hummingbird Cottage
    • The Studio (Formerly TSP)
    • Dove Cottage
    • The Lake House
    • The Folk Art Dollhouse
    • The Modern Dollhouse
    • Dollhouse Source List, Information and Tutorials
  • On the Road
  • Collecting
    • Roseville Pottery
    • McCoy Pottery
    • Egg Cups
    • Bakelite
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / Archives for books

Life Around Here

July 11, 2014 at 7:11 am by Claudia

We had a tree fall in the back forty the day before yesterday. It had been dead for a while. Earlier this spring I mentioned to Don that it was really leaning at a sharp angle and I thought we might lose it this year.

Yep. I was right.

I was sitting in my blogging chair and heard a soft Whoosh. I heard that same sound a few years ago when another tree fell. Sure enough. There it was on the ground. And there it will sit until we can get someone to clear it. It’s not in the way of anything, thank goodness. It’s been awfully rainy and stormy here for about two weeks. I’m sure the saturation of the ground contributed to its demise.

yellow flowers on friday

The garden is doing well. The roses have finished their first bloom. And the Japanese Beetles are worse than ever! I can’t keep up with them. I don’t like Japanese Beetles, but then again, I don’t like killing them, either. And I don’t use pesticides. I feel very strongly about the use of pesticides. Pesticides have polluted our environment and our bodies for far too long. We have a well on this property. I am not about to pollute the ground water. I certainly don’t want to see birds and bees and bugs suffer from my use of pesticides. The end result is that some leaves have holes in them. The roses may not last in their flowery state as long as I would like. That’s okay.

coneflower on friday

So, you won’t always see photos of perfect flowers here. You’ll see some holes. But since I have never aimed for perfection on this blog, I think we’ll do just fine.

lantana on friday

There’s another blog post up today on Just Let Me Finish This Page. This new thing of having two blogs is rather tiring! My approach to each blog is very different. This blog has always been a journal of sorts, so I write each day’s post that day, never quite knowing what I’ll talk about. The book blog, on the other hand, involves some research, some information gathering and some fact-checking. So, I write those posts ahead of time. Either way, it seems I am always writing some sort of blog post and/or responding to comments.

I like it. A lot. It’s just a wee bit of an adjustment.

daylily on friday

Anyway, stop by Just Let Me Finish This Page. I love it when you visit.

Happy Friday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

Filed Under: books, garden, Just Let Me Finish This Page, trees 29 Comments

The Launch

July 7, 2014 at 7:44 am by Claudia

prettydaylily

Today marks the launch of my new book blog.

(I’m very excited!)

This love of mine for all things reading and books has been a part of this blog for a long time. Because reading is one of my passions, it couldn’t help but leap onto the virtual pages of Mockingbird Hill Cottage. And it will still be a presence here. In fact, I have a book review slated for tomorrow. But since this blog reflects my daily life, it is an eclectic mix of topics and no one topic can predominate.

That’s what got my brain percolating. Why not a blog devoted to the passion that I have had since I first learned to read as a little girl? I guess you can say that, in terms of passions or hobbies or things I love to do, reading has reigned the longest. Reading is the Queen of my life.

So I’ve designed and launched this new blog.

It’s called Just Let Me Finish This Page. (Click on the link.) I chose that title in honor of all the times I was late for dinner or for starting a chore because my head was buried in a book. When Mom called, “Dinner!” I would respond with, “Just let me finish this page!” A few minutes later, she would say it again, “Claudia, I said it’s time for dinner.” “Okay Mom, just let me finish this page…” And on it would go until she put her foot down and I had to put the book aside.

This is for you, Mom. I got my love of reading from you. Thank you. I miss you.

The new blog is just that. New. I haven’t added a navigation menu and won’t until I know more about the direction it will take. But since there’s only one post so far, I don’t think you need to navigate anything!

I’m proud of the look and feel of the blog.

I hope you like it, too. Please stop by and visit. You can subscribe via email. You can add it to your bookmarked sites. There is also a link to Just Let Me Finish This Page on this blog’s sidebar.

Come on over!

Happy Monday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: blog, blogging, books 32 Comments

A Birthday, A Beheading & A Book

July 3, 2014 at 8:54 am by Claudia

Today is Meredith’s birthday. Meredith, for those of you who don’t know, is my beloved little sister. She writes a very popular blog called Mereknits. She is the fiber wizard in our family – she knits, she crochets, she weaves, she sews.

She is a wonderful mother to her three boys.

She is the best sister in the world.

It’s a big birthday number for her, one that is hard to comprehend for this much older sister. How can that be?

Drop by her blog and wish her a very Happy Birthday for me, okay? She deserves all of the best the world has to offer.

a-new-dawn-for-a-rose

I love all my roses, but this one – the New Dawn – has my heart. The soft pink of those blooms is simply stunning. This one is currently arching over the porch railing, right behind the glider.

As you no doubt know, I have a lot of hostas in the gardens. A few years ago, I planted two of them in front of the shed, which is a distance from the house.

I discovered this yesterday.

beheaded-hosta

Yes, my hostas have been beheaded. I’m pretty sure the culprits are my friends, the deer.

The hostas in the other garden beds have emerged unscathed, most likely due to their proximity to the house. Time to spray some natural deer repellent. (No chemicals or pesticides are ever used here.)

We had a doozy of a thunderstorm yesterday. It went on for several hours. Booming cracks of thunder, torrential rain, streaks of lightning – what a show! I’m hoping the humidity will go away later today.

Please?

lavender

What are you reading at the moment?

I’m reading The Silkworm, a mystery by Robert Galbraith (who is really J.K. Rowling.) It’s the second in her series about a London private detective, Cormoran Strike.

Boy oh boy, that woman can write. I never read the Harry Potter books. I tried, but I just never got into them. (I know…you’re shocked.) So I am very happy that Rowling has moved into a new genre, the mystery/crime novel. I almost never do this, but after reading The Cuckoo’s Calling (the first book in the series) I purchased the second book months before it was due to come out.

The series is that good.

I’m thinking a lot about the new book blog. I’m gathering ideas. I’m pondering domain names. I’m very excited. It will probably take another week or two to launch. I’m still recovering from the long hours in the theater and subsequent lack of sleep during my last week in Chautauqua. But the ideas are percolating in my brain, rest assured.

Tomorrow is a special anniversary for Don and me. Stop by tomorrow and I’ll tell you a little story.

Happy Thursday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: birthday, books, Don, flowers, Meredith, reading 40 Comments

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 181
  • 182
  • 183
  • 184
  • 185
  • …
  • 206
  • Next Page »
  • Email
  • Instagram

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.

Thanks for stopping by.

Searching?

The Dogs

The Dogs

Scout & Riley. Riley left us in 2012. Scout left us in February 2016. Dearest babies. Dearest friends.

Winston - Our first dog. We miss you, sweetheart.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

Thanks for visiting! Feel free to browse, read and enjoy. All content is my own; including photos and text. Please do not use anything on this site without permission.

Disclosure/Privacy Policy can be found in the Navigation Bar under ‘About MHC.’

Also, I love receiving comments! I do, however, reserve the right to delete any comment that is in poor taste, offensive or is verging on spam. It’s my blog. If you’re a bot or a troll you’ll be blocked. Thanks!

Archives

All Content © 2008 - 2025 Mockingbird Hill Cottage · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT