Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for Don

Saturday

May 27, 2023 at 8:43 am by Claudia

Another night with not enough sleep, courtesy of my snoring husband. I woke up and never got back to sleep. No, he doesn’t have sleep apnea. He has sinus problems (maybe even allergies;) it happens when his nose is too dry or too stuffed up. I’m not a happy camper this morning. He’s just gone to the drug store (is that considered an old-fashioned name for it nowadays?) to get some of those strips.

We’ll see.

I do have things to do today and I’m going to do my best to tackle them. It helps if I stay busy, but right now I feel incapable of moving. Although I did move to run outside and take a picture, so that’s hopeful.

It’s a gorgeous day out there, abundant sunshine and green, green, green everywhere.

Don finally planted his little experimental vegetable garden yesterday. It’s been delayed due to hand surgery and recovery and weather. He is basically doing it for fun, so he has no real stake in the outcome. Maybe we’ll get some fresh vegetables out of it!

One of our bunnies, the one who hangs out near the shed and the funky patio, seems to be drawn to our porch. I’ve now seen him/her on the porch twice. That’s never happened before! He hops on on the porch and sort of hangs out near the bench just to the left of the entrance – he’s curious. I find this so adorable. Hopefully, the next time I see this, I will have a camera with me.

We told him he is welcome to hang out on the porch.

Weed whacking today, as well as some bathroom cleaning. I have a business related phone call in the morning, and maybe I’ll attempt to start a new puzzle.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Filed Under: Don, secret garden 20 Comments

Life

May 17, 2023 at 8:59 am by Claudia

I just mowed this about 4 days ago. Now it looks like it’s been neglected. The grass grows so quickly! Lots of wildflowers are emerging on the property and in the secret garden specifically. I love this particular time of year in this little hideaway because there will be all sorts of flowers and color for the next few weeks.

Speaking of flowers, we have a freeze warning for tonight. Are you kidding me? What the heck? So Don and I will have to bring in all the pots for the night, including these heavy vintage pots. Coleus does not like cold and they’ll die if frost hits. Big old sigh.

It’s actually been a trying 24 hours or so. Don found out his high school friend died a week ago. They hung out a lot together with another guy, Don’s friend Joe – who is in his early seventies and battling Alzheimers. So, one friend has passed away and the other is slowly fading away and it is very upsetting for my husband.

Then we found out our mortgage payment is going up because of some escrow screw up. We need to find out more and I’ve asked Don to call them tomorrow. But I’m already panicked.

Then, Don remarked casually, “Well, the babies have obviously fledged.”

“What??? I just saw them yesterday!”

“I took a picture and they aren’t there.”

So I went outside to see for myself and the nest is empty.

I had been staying away from the nest, which is quite deep, so when I actually peeked at it the day before yesterday and saw the very top of their heads, I assumed they were little babies.

Obviously, they weren’t.

So now I feel sad that I didn’t have any idea they were about to leave the nest. It’s quiet around here. No mom and dad scolding us, no babies. I just wasn’t prepared for it.

And a freeze tonight.

Insert lots of sighs here.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Filed Under: bird nest, birds, Don, secret garden 25 Comments

Rain, Endless Rain

May 1, 2023 at 8:55 am by Claudia

Forgive me while I whine. We had torrential rain all weekend long. And we are to have rain today (the only day that was supposed to be dry) and every day through Friday. I can’t do any work outside. By the time this ends, the lawn will be impossible to mow. Insert scream here.

I did pot some impatiens yesterday, but I ran out of potting soil. I’ll get more today. It’s also damp and cold, so I have to hold off planting the coleus that I pot for the Secret Garden. As the little sign at my local nursery says, “Warning! Coleus does NOT like cold!”

Don is doing better. He’s still dealing with post-surgery pain. I washed his hair again yesterday, but I think today is the day he can actually shower. I bet that will feel good! We’ll rig up a plastic bag to cover his bandage – though plastic bags are hard to come by now that NY has outlawed them.

With the terrible gun violence in our country, including the recent slaughter of a family in Texas, and the complete misinterpretation of the Second Amendment, handily leaving out the words “a well-regulated militia,” with the weapon being a musket, I’ve been remembering a conversation that Don had when we were last in Paris. That would have been October 2019. We used to buy vegan hot dogs from a little shop just down the street from the Luxembourg Gardens. One day, while we were watching a game of pétanque, Don went to the shop to get some take-out hot dogs. He was chatting with the young owner about America and the young man said: “Oh, I would never go to the United States! It’s too violent!” That was four years ago. It’s only gotten worse since then. Between gun violence and the rise of fascism and ultra-right “Christians,” I wouldn’t visit here, either.

I try to stay positive these days, but I must have been willfully naive: I never thought our country would come to this. Anyway, that’s what I’m thinking this morning.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: Don, gun control 35 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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The Dogs

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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.

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