Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Friday Thoughts

May 10, 2024 at 8:09 am by Claudia

Color-coordinated.

This might be one of my favorite photos. I took it a week or so ago and forgot to post it here.

It’s a rainy day today. We’re both tired as we did a lot of chores outside yesterday. And Don took care of some things I couldn’t handle because of my sprained hand. Very satisfying! But allergies are sure to follow at this time of year, so today I’m feeling stuffed up and my eyes are irritated.

I managed to wash the bedding and then make up the bed with one hand. Don had offered to help but I wanted to see if I could do it. I did! It’s the little things.

We have only a few things left to do outside, besides ongoing maintenance. We have to clear a couple of beds so we can sow some zinnia seeds. I’m going to try some morning glories again, but they haven’t done too well the last couple of years. And we have to grab the porch cushions from under the stairs, which involves moving the egg cup cubby.

I’m looking out the window towards the shed and, suddenly, there’s a dense and green forest out there! It’s amazing how quickly all the trees are filling out. What we long for over the long winter months is finally here.

So, because I’m feeling slightly irritable – a small gratitude list:

Green leaves, green grass, daffodils, wild mustard, newly planted pots in the secret garden, a gentle rain, a husband who has been a gem during this hand adventure, old movies to watch in the evenings, great spy thrillers to read, bunnies hopping around the property, birds singing every morning when I wake up, eagles, gardens, spring, and the apple pie Don is going to make this afternoon.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

 

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, Don, gratitude 25 Comments

Rain, Filming, and a Puzzle

April 5, 2024 at 7:52 am by Claudia

Wednesday was a day of torrential rain. It never stopped. I even heard thunder, which is rare this time of year. Don left the house at 5 am and returned around 10:15. His work day was 12 hours, routine for filming (the same hours I worked on Spoiler Alert.) But when you add in the 90 minute commute to Yonkers, where they filmed, you work a very long day. Don had a good time on that set, he loved the director and the cast. He was more than a bit stressed heading into Wednesday as he hadn’t worked in so long. But once he got there, it was all very familiar.

I’m proud of him. And, he has two more episodes in a month or so. He forgot to tell me that! “Didn’t I tell you??” No. You did not. It’s so good to see him working again in a profession he has been a part of for over 50 years.

I started this puzzle, which was the cheapest 1000 piece puzzle I could find on Amazon, most likely because it has an autumn theme. It kept me sane while the rain was pounding on the roof.

It’s cold again and will be for the next couple of nights. Next week will be warmer. Finally!

I’m reading Daniel Silva books like crazy. I read many of his spy thrillers in the past but somehow stopped reading them around 9 years ago. This time around, I started with his newest and I’m working my way backwards to where I left off. Though I’m not certain exactly where I left off. He’s such a good writer, the kind of writer who writes so well that I become completely immersed in the plot and can’t put it down. I’m grateful for having found him again.

I hope to get outside today to do some more work. There is much to be done!

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: Don, jigsaw puzzles, rain 24 Comments

Rain, Sleep Deprived, & Egg Cups

April 3, 2024 at 7:52 am by Claudia

Rain. Rain. Rain.

And a not-so-restful night as both Don and I kept waking up all night long, knowing he had the alarm set for 4:30ish this morning. That always seems to happen. Your body anticipates an early wake-up call and your mind worries you’ll somehow not hear the alarm. I felt okay when I first got up, but now, after being up for 2 ½ hours, the lack of sleep is hitting me. Don went into the city on Monday for a fitting and it turns out  he worked with one of the guys who will be in the scene with him on Rescue Me, so they had a chance to catch up.

As it’s so rainy, I haven’t had a chance to do much outside, though I did start digging up an invasive plant that has taken hold in the poor and gravelly soil near the house. I have much more to go, but that will have to wait until the weekend.

New York’s Presidential Primary was yesterday, so we voted – of course. I even have the sticker to prove it.

Lily and Pru. They hang out together on the edge of the shelf.

I haven’t been able to get hold of the woman from France who collects the egg cups that I love, so I’m just going to post a partial photo. She goes by the name, Ch Baralle. I want to make sure she gets photo credit.

Photo Credit: Ch Baralle

You can see several diabolo egg cups here, as well as traditional double and single egg cups. I love this kind of design, seen frequently on the French version of ironstone and china.

I want them all. But they’re not easy to find and I’d probably have to order from France, which involves a sometimes heavy shipping fee. I love the way she has displayed them – in tea boxes. She’s removed the lids.

I feel that little tingle I get when I’m about to dive down the rabbit hole. I know it far too well.

All right. Maybe I’ll start a puzzle, as my brain is sleep deprived and needs something simple to do, like finding the edge pieces.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, Don, egg cups 16 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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