Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for Don

A Field Trip

October 21, 2011 at 5:00 am by Claudia

Yesterday, Don and I took a drive up to the mountain ridge near our home. There is a spectacular lookout spot there – just 5 minutes away from MHC – where the world seems to expand and tensions leave. I thought I’d share a few photos with you.

The Hudson River is over by those hills in the distance.

We stopped to look at this 65 Thunderbird that was for sale for $4000.00. Let me tell you, if I was moderately wealthy and had a spare $4000.00, and we didn’t need a new furnace and a hot water heater – a minor detail – and if we had a garage to keep it in, I’d buy it. I’ve always loved this year and model. I miss whitewall tires. Need I say anything about the color?

Oh. my.  It’s calling my name.

Last, but certainly not least, someone wrote this graffiti on a rock at the lookout site. Pretty nifty graffiti.

Sound advice.

Filed Under: autumn, Don, On The Road 14 Comments

An Anniversary

October 12, 2011 at 12:01 am by Claudia

Happy Anniversary, sweetheart. It’s been 13 years since we tied the knot in the little town of Nevada City, California. The best day of my life.

Truly, we have a happy marriage. Oh, we can argue with the best of them, but we laugh even harder. We decided at the beginning of our relationship that we were going to break our previous destructive patterns and we did. And we knew that we had to have a strong and true trust in each other. And we do.

My friends, if you want to hear my favorite of all the songs Don has written, go over to my sidebar, scroll down until you see the Don Sparks at Reverb Nation widget and click on it. When you see the list of his songs, click on ‘see all 23 songs.’ Then scroll down until you get to the second to the last: I’d Sing You. Give it a listen. It will only take a few minutes. You’ll hear and experience the depth of feeling that this man is capable of expressing. And then, if you have the time, scroll up and listen to either I’ve Got a Love or Don’t Tell Me Heart.

You just may swoon. I know I do.

So Happy Anniversary, beloved. I’ve got your back.
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Don’t forget Reality Shot Thursday! I’ll have the post and links up at midnight.

You may have noticed my new banner. My blog designer is no longer in business, so I decided to design something myself. That way I have a bit more control over the design. Hope you like it.

Whoops! Now, I’ve also changed the background. See what happens when you’re home sick?

Filed Under: anniversary, Don, husband 24 Comments

Over the Weekend

October 3, 2011 at 4:56 pm by Claudia

Over the weekend:

I added some lace to the edge of the upper shelf in the studio cabinet. It will do for now, but I think it is too close to the color of the shelf – not enough contrast. Hello brides and grooms!

I found a place to hang the pretty embroidered guest towel from Jill:

I won that rustic hanger a while back from Jennifer at The Old Painted Cottage. Unable to decide where to hang it, I put it away until inspiration struck. It struck over the weekend. As long as Don doesn’t sleep walk out of the bathroom, which is just to the left of the cabinet, and dry his hands, it should be safe.

I looked at this and thought there must be a more attractive way to store my crocheted-throw-in-progress:

You were thinking I would follow with a photo of some beautiful container? Nope. Haven’t found one yet. Though it won’t make any design magazine spread, the box is right by my chair in the den and holds everything I need to work on this mammoth throw. Can’t use a basket – the yarn will snag. Any ideas?

I received a phone call from Don on Friday saying we were going on a ‘Mystery Date’ that night. He gave not a hint of where we were going. We ended up driving to a town that is right next to the wee hamlet we used to live in. I still had no idea what the heck was going on until we turned a corner and I saw the marquee: “Gordon Lightfoot tonight.” I was totally surprised and delighted.

I’ve been a fan for years – I saw him in concert at least 3 times when I was much younger and somehow wrangled my way backstage and got his autograph. Don saw him more recently when I was away working in California. This time we got to experience his artistry together. It was a magical evening and just what I needed.

Gordon Lightfoot and my mother were both born in the same town of Orillia, Ontario. I feel that makes him a sort of cousin. Gordon might not feel the same way.

Another scary photo of Scout. This one cracks me up.

The call of the wild.

Filed Under: crochet, Don, embroidery, Scout, studio 26 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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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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