Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for Don

Thoughts on a Tuesday Morning

November 28, 2017 at 10:25 am by Claudia

A little late getting this post up as I SLEPT IN!! I am a happy camper. The time zone changes I’ve been dealing with – while only an hour difference – have seriously screwed up my sleep. Now, thank goodness, I’ll be in the same time zone for the foreseeable future.

The UPS truck arrived in my driveway yesterday morning. The driver was bring my new iPhone to me! Did I absolutely need a new phone? No. But I’ve been looking at the larger sized phones and coveting them. While we were in Chicago, my nephew (Mere’s eldest) showed me his iPhone 7+ and I seriously began thinking about a new one. I also knew that I was eligible for an upgrade on November 23rd. Mere and I (and Don, for that matter) said we wanted a larger screen with larger fonts and bigger pictures. Yours truly used to say that I didn’t want or need a bigger phone. Oh yes, I was quite vocal about it. The photo below shows my ever-evolving thinking on that subject:

On the left, the iPhone 4. Middle: iPhone 6. Right: the newest phone, the iPhone 7+. I never buy the current iPhone; I always upgrade to a slightly older model to save money.

I love it, of course. Now I can’t imagine how I got by with a smaller one. Isn’t that always the case?

Oh, before I forget: Don got through the day yesterday. His voice was much better. My wonderful sister called to check on him in the morning and when we talked about steroids, she said he absolutely should take them, that they would really help, so I called him and passed that message along. He got 3 pills, two to take yesterday and one for this morning and then he’ll be done. He thinks they really helped. (They’re still recording and will do another stint in the recording studio today.) Thank you for all your positive thoughts and prayers! He sounds a lot better.

I put this maranta in my grocery cart on Sunday. I like to rescue plants from stores like Lowes and my local grocery store. This one needs humidity and it’s always dry in here during the winter, so she accompanies me into the bathroom when I take a shower.

My sansevieria is going to flower again this year! There’s another flower stalk on the side facing the window. Hey, Mom and Dad, your baby is thriving!

Still hanging in there despite freezing temperatures. Oh, pansies, I’m going to plant more of you in the spring.

The living room yesterday afternoon. The light that comes when the trees are bare is so bright. I love it.

I’ve been having some trouble with AOL lately. Judging by the complaints I’ve seen elsewhere, I’m not the only one. Anyway, I subscribe to the email version of this blog via three different email addresses: gmail, AOL, and Yahoo. I get the gmail and Yahoo posts like clockwork. But delivery to the AOL address has been all over the place; sometimes it comes on time, sometimes it comes 10 hours later and sometimes it doesn’t arrive at all (like yesterday). Hopefully, AOL will get its act together, because it’s my main email address and I don’t want to have to deal with changing to another one. So, if you subscribe via AOL and haven’t been receiving posts lately, that’s why.

If you don’t like political commentary, stop here. I’m currently careening back and forth between happiness at being home and despair about the country. Last night, despair won. When the people running the country defend a pedophile in order to keep power, we are in desperate trouble. When that sorry excuse for a man calls a sitting Senator “Pocahontas” (meant as a racial slur) in the middle of a ceremony honoring Native American heroes while standing in front of a portrait of Andrew Jackson (of Trail of Tears infamy) – there are no words. Well, there are words, but I can’t print them here. But don’t let that distract you from the battle over the tax bill and net neutrality. Make your calls. We’re in a battle between the 1% and the rest of us. And I’m pretty sure none of my readers are in the 1%.

Happy Tuesday.

Filed Under: Don, Donald Trump, houseplants, iPhone 48 Comments

And We’re Back to Reality

November 27, 2017 at 7:49 am by Claudia

A lovely day yesterday, starting with brunch at Doug and Rick’s place. Rick made french toast and I got to see what has happened with house decorating – it’s looking lovely inside. They’ve accomplished a lot outside, as well, a new driveway, new exterior paint, some trees taken down. A fire was lit in the fireplace – the perfect setting for food and lots of laughter. Doug’s daughter is simply lovely and I’m so glad I had the chance to talk with her.

Then – and don’t get too excited by my whirlwind of activity – I went to the grocery store.

Yep. That’s it.

And then I watched Gigi  on TCM. I love that movie.

Don contemplating Nighthawks.

Don said that he tested his voice in the shower yesterday and it was a bit better. The meds are kicking in and he’s feeling better. Today, he and his doctor will decide whether he needs a shot of steroids. Hopefully, not, but he’s got to be able to sing. At 1:00 central time, send positive energy his way.

In the meantime, we texted a lot and had one FaceTime where I asked ‘Yes and No’ questions.

I’m pondering whether to begin painting that last wall in the kitchen.

Pondering. Not doing anything. Just pondering.

Last night’s sunset was beautiful, but the sun went down at 4:15. Too early!

I just finished Michael Connelly’s newest (great, as always) and have now tucked into the new John Le Carré – A Legacy of Spies.

Today is about getting the mail from the post office, paying bills, and making calls about the Tax Scam. The latest realization: I would lose the tax deductions that are absolutely necessary for me to sustain my freelance work. There’s a long list of horrors in this bill – this is just one of them.

Resist.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: books, Don 22 Comments

Back at the Ranch

November 26, 2017 at 9:02 am by Claudia

Hello from the cottage.

A long day of travel yesterday, of course, with an Uber ride to O’Hare, the flight home, then the shlepping. That’s what I find the most tiring; I had two small rolling suitcases (Don currently has the large one) plus my handbag and a coat and I had to constantly start, stop, adjust my handbag, take my coat off, put it on, grab the suitcases by the handles to go up and down stairs, and maneuver through subway turnstiles to make my way back into the city. As it was unseasonably warm and I had layers on, I was uncomfortable and just wanted to get home.

But, I caught the 5:00 bus and my friends Rick and Doug picked me up from the bus station. And when I got home, my plants were in pretty good shape. The monstera (split-leaf philodendron) and the pilea were drooping quite a bit. Watering was my first priority and I’m happy to say that this morning, every plant looks revived and healthy. Two weeks away is okay in the winter. It would be more problematic in the spring and summer when plants require more water.

I’m glad to be home. I’m going over to Rick and Doug’s place for brunch this morning. Rick is making French Toast, one of my favorites. Doug’s daughter is visiting and it will be nice to get to know her.

Unfortunately, Don lost his voice on Friday during the matinee and, even though he planned to go on that night, the music director pulled him from the weekend shows because he has to be better for Monday’s recording of the cast album. Also unfortunately, my best friend and her family came to the show on Friday night, so I was texting and calling her at the last minute to tell her Don wouldn’t be appearing.

So, they didn’t get to see Don in the musical, which was the whole point of going. Laural is in the theater so she understood. But Don felt badly; he really wanted to do that performance for them.

The company manager found an ENT doctor and Don saw him yesterday morning. He has an upper respiratory infection and is on meds and isn’t talking for the whole weekend, so we’re texting and/or face-timing with me doing all the talking and Don nodding yes or no.

Say a prayer or two for him, okay? He has to be better for that recording tomorrow.

I have to run to the grocery store this morning to stock up on food. I’m ready to eat at home for a while. Dining out is fun but when it’s every day, I get tired of it.

What a blessing it has been to travel to New Orleans and Chicago and spend quality time in both places. Don will be home a week from tomorrow and we can settle in for the month of December.

That will be nice.

Closing with a shot of nighttime Chicago, taken my last night there.

Happy Sunday.

Filed Under: chicago, cottage, Don 34 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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