Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Back at the Ranch

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Back home. I was really tired yesterday and getting packed, hauling everything to the bus station and the ride back home took all my remaining energy. I was very happy to see the cottage, where the snow, though still evident, has melted a lot since I left last Tuesday. It’s a rainy and gray day here and I’m told it will be that way all week long.

Yuck.

Of course, I came home to a cottage that was empty and the fact that Don is gone really hit me. His absence is felt, believe me – as he tells me when I’m away, the house just isn’t the same without him. As far as Don’s journey, he’s in California today and will arrive in LaJolla in the afternoon. First rehearsal is tomorrow.

When a new musical or play is in previews, it’s still in rehearsal. So, while public performances are going on at night, the afternoon is for rehearsing, rewriting, restaging. I know that some of that is on the agenda for Anastasia, so I will no doubt be back in NYC at some point. But for now, I have some time off.

Today is for mundane things; buying some groceries, picking up the mail, sorting through tax stuff so we can file an extension – that sort of thing.

And for reading. I took two books along to the city but I was so busy that I hardly read at all.

These are the two pieces I got at Fish’s Eddy. I said they were vintage, but I now know they were made within the last twenty years. This is a part of the Restaurant Ware line –  made by Homer Laughlin (creator of Fiesta.) Homer Laughlin is still going strong today. I looked up the marks on the back of the saucer and it looks like it was made in 1999. I love this pattern – though there were only a few pieces left.

Awfully pretty restaurant ware, don’t you think? Since I really don’t need or have room for any new china, these two pieces are all I allowed myself.

Now…where to put them?

Missing Don, missing Anastasia, but happy to be home.

The winner of a copy of Garden Design  is Melissa! Melissa, I’ve sent you an email. I need your mailing address.

I have one more book to share with you and I’ll do that sometime this week.

Happy Monday.

Fish’s Eddy

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Another preview – another great audience. And simply incredible performances by the cast. I love this musical.

Two more performances to go today and then I’m on my way home tomorrow. As always seems to be the case with me, I’m looking forward to getting back to the cottage, but sad at the thought of leaving this lovely cast and creative staff. I’ll be back to check in, of course, but I feel like I’m leaving my children and I’m not entirely comfortable relinquishing control for a week or so!

Yesterday, I traveled to Union Square and then made my way to one of my favorite shops, Fish’s Eddy. Fish’s Eddy is located on the corner of Broadway and 19th – it’s been there for years. The store is all about dishes and glassware, new and vintage, with a dash of activism and humor.

You know how much I love china.

The activism I mentioned is evident in one of their display windows (if you follow Fish’s Eddy on Instagram, you’ll see more of their activism.)

They recently held a book launch for the new book Why We March. All proceeds, by the way, go to Planned Parenthood. I bought a copy.

The entrance. Don’t you just love the tile?

There’s a lot of treasure here.

Mugs galore.

Gorgeous dishtowels.

New designs like these cardinal glasses. Yes, I wanted some, but I have absolutely no room for them.

Vintage restaurant china. Be still my heart.

I did buy two pieces of vintage china (like I need them!) I’ll show them to you when I get back home. Right now, they’re wrapped up in paper and I want to keep them that way as I have to transport them home via the bus.

I could have gone crazy but I held back.

I remember coming here over 20 years ago when I was living in San Diego. Every year, my colleague and I would go on an ‘audition tour’ to audition students for the MFA program. New York, Chicago, San Francisco. If I had a big enough break in the day, I would dash down to Fish’s Eddy.

Since I’m usually in and out of NYC in one day, I rarely have time to visit favorite shops. This was a treat.

Small world story: This morning, I ran around the corner to the coffee shop to get some coffee to go. There was one other young woman waiting in line behind me. Suddenly, I heard, “Excuse me…are you the dialect coach for Hartford Stage?” Stunned, I turned and answered “Yes!”  It turns out she is Olivia, one of the students from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford and she was in one of the Shakespeare productions…Romeo and Juliet? I’m not sure., but it was recent. But as soon as she said her name, I remembered her. What are the odds?? And, she just moved to NYC yesterday!  We had a nice chat.

I’m continually amazed at what a small world it is – even in the Big Apple.

Okay. I’m off to get ready for two performances of Anastasia today.

Happy Saturday.

 

 

 

Leaves Gone, Book Sorting & The Glad Game

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10-24-stool

It’s a cloudy, gray morning. Here’s hoping the sun will make an appearance later in the day. This industrial stool has made an appearance in countless photos on this blog. I will often use it to stage a photo of a new piece of pottery. I suppose I love the combination of the worn wood and the bricks on the chimney.

Right now, with the move of the loveseat into the middle of the room, it’s functioning as a side table. The pottery is Russel Wright, the wood block print is vintage. I can’t remember where we found it, but we’ve had it for many years.

10-24-mccoyandbakelite

A familiar sight around these parts: McCoy pottery and bakelite.

I was sitting in the den this morning talking to Don and I noticed that one of the braces for the bookshelves was askew. After investigating, Don and I realized that the wood shelf is slightly bowed. That happens with pine, with any wood, actually. So we took the books off that shelf and rearranged things so the distribution of weight was more even.

And then I started sorting through the books. Which, after I’m finished with this post, will lead me into the bedroom, where I will continue to sort books and put aside any that I don’t need. I was wondering what I would do with the day – now I know.

Yesterday was unbelievably windy – all day long. And now the leaves are off most of the trees. It’s shocking. Yes, there are trees around here that are still in full color mode, but many are bare. In our case, our sugar maples seem to shed their leaves first, and the catalpa leaves shrivel up when we have frost of any kind, the trees surrounding the house are now bare. Sob.

I really, really, really hate to say goodbye to the leaves. The positive is that we have very little to rake at this point and we won’t need to clean out the gutters.

My feeble attempt at The Glad Game. Remember Pollyanna? I think I’m going to be on the lookout for a vintage copy of Pollyanna. I love that story.

Happy Monday.

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Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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