Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for Don

Where Old Glasses Go to Die

February 4, 2012 at 9:57 am by Claudia

Sad, isn’t it? Broken side pieces. One pair taped with electrical tape, another with painter’s tape.

No more searching for the pair that works for television watching. Or the other pair that works for reading. Or driving at night. Or computer work. No more Where are my glasses….have you seen them? ten times a day. No more Which glasses? The black ones? The round ones? in response. No more shoving 2 or 3 pair in pockets in case they are needed at work.

Those days are over.

Just one pair now. And adult pair of glasses for a guy who never had a problem with his eyes until those years came along. You know, the years where you find yourself holding your book or menu or newspaper farther away so you can read it. Where watching television is frustrating because you can’t really see the large screen very well.

There.

I think he looks pretty cute.

Filed Under: Don, husband, life 29 Comments

My Boys are Under the Weather

January 29, 2012 at 11:01 am by Claudia

Sunny skies on this Sunday morning. Thank you Old Man Winter. You’ll see photos of this particular view fairly often on the blog. This is what I see when I stand in the kitchen doorway and look up. That’s a maple on the left, the catalpa in the middle and our sugar maple on the right, along with a cast of thousands. We have a lot of trees.

My boy Riley had a very bad night. I woke up to discover he’d had some elimination problems (no big deal, we’re used to that now) and he’d somehow managed to get wedged half-way under the kitchen island. I can only imagine he panicked and, since he has problems getting around anyway, somehow slipped on the wood floor and couldn’t get up. When I managed to get him up, he kept collapsing. I finally got him outside where he regained a little strength in his legs.

He’s exhausted. Life is hard for my dear boy and I try to reassure him when he’s distressed or worried. Because he does worry. At this point in his life, nothing is worth one second of his feeling bad or guilty.

We try to make getting around as easy as possible. We lift him up and down the stairs. We help him up when his body is stiff and sore. When we look outside and see a mass of mud on the path to the corral, Don runs to the Agway to get some hay.

We cover the mud and tamp it down, so he can get a solid footing. (We put a bit too much down this time!) I vacuum up bits of hay every day. But if it helps Mr. Riley, I’ll vacuum ten times a day.

Don has a cold. Both my boys are having a tough time of it.

Scout and I are fine. Right, Scout?

What are your plans for this Sunday? Is it sunny in your neck of the woods?

Filed Under: Don, Riley, trees 32 Comments

Cooking in the Cottage

January 2, 2012 at 10:37 am by Claudia

At the risk of looking like a total fool (and I often do) I’m posting this little video we made the other night while cooking dinner. It was cold and windy out, which is why the shades are pushed into the window openings, and we were playing a favorite tune. Hijinks like this are the norm in our little cottage.

Starring: Don, Claudia, Scout and Riley
Don: the chef; in baseball cap
Claudia: in old sweater, baggy jeans and no makeup
Scout: looking for crumbs
Riley: looking for crumbs
Filmed: with iPhone
Quality: going for an edgy, cinema verite feel; in other words, totally amateur
Fun level: high

(I have 2 posts up today, there’s one with actual pretty pictures right below.)

Filed Under: Don, Riley, Scout 52 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.

Thanks for stopping by.

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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

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