Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for Don

Scrubbing, Cleaning: Time for Spring

April 21, 2018 at 8:53 am by Claudia

Well, that was a resounding success, don’t you think? The conversation is still going on as I write this new post and I couldn’t be happier! I have thoroughly enjoyed reading about where you are from, about your individual journeys. And I have loved seeing the dialogue that has taken over the comment page. I figured I would just sit back and enjoy.

Connection. We all need to connect.

Thank you, Judy, for the idea, and thank you all for taking part. Much love to all of you.

And now to the mundane.

I worked like the dickens yesterday, if I do say so myself!

I cleaned the porch railing and the individual spindles and everything. Since our outside hose connection is not working at the moment, this involved hauling buckets of water from the kitchen to the porch. Over and over. But it looks so much better!

This is a chore that is not on my favorites list, which is why I ignored it for a few years.

Then I started to clean up the porch – still in progress as I write this – sorting through the accumulation of crap that built up over the autumn and winter. I drove the now 17 year old CR-V to the storage facility, retrieved the adirondack chairs and a few other things. Then I cleaned the glider and the chairs. I stopped for the day around 4 pm, so I haven’t added the cushions to the furniture. That will happen today.

It just felt good to start making the porch into our extra room for the spring and summer and fall. No potted plants yet – too early – but that will come. Today it will be sunny and reach 60 degrees, so I’ll be out there again working on the porch and the garden beds.

It’s slowly getting there. Slowly.

Don informed me that he wants to come home for his day off. He’s homesick. So I won’t go in, obviously. I’m just as happy to have him here. And it will be sunny – no rain! I’ll go in next week as we have tickets to listen to one the guys in the cast perform at a club on Sunday evening. By the way, Don signed up for access to a community garden around the block from the apartment. It looks lovely. There are benches to sit on, flowers blooming, birds singing, plants thriving. I’ll be sure to take photos when I see it next weekend.

Happy Saturday.

 

Filed Under: Don, garden, porch 40 Comments

Errands, Treasures & Maybe a Primal Scream

April 19, 2018 at 10:08 am by Claudia

Yesterday: I went to the dump, recycled boxes from the cable company, drove to the cable company and turned in three pieces of equipment, ran errands at Lowes and Target, came home, vacuumed, and then had dinner with Rick and Doug.

A rather efficient day for someone who has been feeling not-at-all-efficient lately.

Today: Frosty precipitation on the ground, freezing temps overnight and it’s April 19th. Every conversation I have with a fellow resident of the Hudson Valley revolves around “When the heck is Spring coming?” I don’t remember it taking this long. We might be three weeks behind rather than two weeks.

So frustrating!

Valiantly trying to open despite the freezing temperatures.

In my never-ending quest to find more pieces of that antique red transferware plate, I frequently walk through the part of the corral where I found them. No red transferware as of yet, but I did find this pottery shard yesterday:

It has moved to my little found treasure dish.

The seashells were obviously found elsewhere, but the green cup handle, the old hose nozzle, pieces of pottery, robin’s egg shell, pod and feather were found on the property. This is actually a lovely brown aesthetic transferware plate, but I’ve covered up most of the design!

Rick and Doug are in that wonderful first stage of home ownership where they have no idea what was planted where on the property and they’re discovering crocus and lots of daffodils and all kinds of early bulbs. Each new season brings new wonders.

Don has started an Escape to Margaritaville Ukulele Orchestra. Everyone who has signed up will procure a ukulele and Don’s teaching them chords and they’ll eventually play together – maybe even a flash mob kind of thing.

He’s so darned cute, that guy. They’re on Instagram: @e2mukuleleorchestra.

If you have a hankering to learn some chords, Don and fellow cast member Matt have provided some videos to help you.

And that’s all for today. Rainy, cold, blah, blah, blah. I am about ready to do a primal scream.

Happy Thursday.

Filed Under: Don, flowers, friends, pottery 49 Comments

Wednesday Thoughts

April 11, 2018 at 9:09 am by Claudia

Morning light from the east. A still life.

Though I can see frost on the car window and ice in the birdbath, this is the last day (I hope) that we will be dealing with colder than usual temperatures. I feel some hope and a little twinge of excitement.

I was looking through some photos from last year at this time and we were so much further along in terms of green grass, buds on the trees, the signs of spring. I’d say we’re about two weeks behind this year. I’m keeping a long list of things I have to do floating around in my head (in addition to painting the one remaining unpainted wall in the kitchen) and that list needs to be written down today so I can make some sense of it and prioritize my chores.

I’m currently reading a book I bought at that wonderful bookstore in New Orleans, Faulkner House Books. (Oh, if I could only whisk myself there for an afternoon of browsing!) It’s Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life  by Marta McDowell. Beautifully done in every way, with photographs and drawings, many of them Potter’s illustrations and sketches.

Nonfiction seems to be my thing at the moment. I can’t quite lose myself in a fictional story – my guess is that what’s happening on a daily basis in Washington D.C. is far more shocking and twisted than any mystery or spy novel out there. Especially these past few days, right? I’ve been glued to the television and Twitter.

Just wanted to clarify that even though Don is tired at the end of a long week of shows, he is having the time of his life. He really loves it. Right now, every show on Broadway is collecting donations for Broadway Cares: Equity Fights Aids. They pass around a bucket after the show and auction off backstage tours. Don was out in the lobby the other day, meeting the audience and collecting for this charity. If someone wants a photo with a cast member, they contribute ten dollars, I think it is, and the actor poses with them for a picture. It’s a lot of fun. Don had a great time. Last night, there were 3 separate groups who had paid for a backstage tour. Don took one of the groups around the theater.

Can you see the bunny? I took this through the kitchen window yesterday. I saw him hop into the brush (everything is still so brown around here) where he found the perfect place to eat a bit, groom himself, nap and generally hang out. I’m not kidding. Several hours later, he was still there.

He was completely camouflaged, even more so than this picture indicates because I edited it so you could see him. Smart bunny.

Happy Wednesday.

Filed Under: bunnies, Don, houseplants 43 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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