Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for flowers

Sunday Morning

November 27, 2016 at 9:26 am by Claudia

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I read quite a bit of Night School  this morning – Lee Child’s latest – and I’m finally getting into it. That’s good news. It took a while, but now I’m immersed in the part of the book where things are ramping up. In fact, I had to force myself to put it down in order to write this post.

I’ve took some pictures in the late afternoon yesterday, when the sun pours in the front of the house. Instead of trying to avoid a reflection on the glass in a picture frame, I went with it.

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You can see the windows and the blue ice cream maker that holds the dried hydrangeas reflected on the glass.

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Same here – the reflection of the window, and yes, that’s a crack in the window that we haven’t yet repaired. I love this Norman Rockwell print. We got it years ago up in the Berkshires.

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More of that golden glow from the sun, which, by the way, never showed itself until very late in the afternoon.

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The big pots filled with impatiens came inside with me the other day. They were budding and in pretty good shape, so, being someone who can’t abandon anything, I brought them in. There’s a little pot on the kitchen windowsill, one on my dresser, and one in the office. They need a little pinching back, but so far, so good.

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Of course, this means more watering for Don when I’m in Hartford, but what the heck? It gives him  something to do! See? I’m always thinking of him.

Today seems to be a day for reading; finishing the Lee Child, reading the New York Times, starting another book (to be determined.) And doing the crossword puzzle, of course.

On the docket for the week ahead: Starting my text research on Comedy of Errors. 

Happy Sunday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: flowers, reading, Wallace Nutting 22 Comments

Patina, Flowers, Light & Nasty Women

November 1, 2016 at 9:28 am by Claudia

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Late afternoon still life.

I am still taken by surprise when I see that table and its patina. What a treasure we found!

This is the scene in the cottage this morning:

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And they go all the way to the front door. It was to go below freezing last night and as I obsessively scan the Weather Channel app on my phone, I look ahead 15 days or so to see if it’s worth trying to save the plants. And it is.

At some point, I’ll give up. In fact, I forgot to cover the geraniums that live in the barrels last night. I could kick myself. They may be gone. I’m afraid to look.

But these beauties are still budding and blooming, so in true tag-team fashion, Don and I bring them inside around 6:00 and they’ll go back outside later this morning.

By the way, I straighten that little red lampshade about ten times a day. Oy.

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Frost is covering everything this morning, but the sunlight is warming up the living room, slowly but surely. One of my favorite things in any house I’ve lived in, but especially in this many-windowed cottage, is watching the play of light on the walls and floors and furniture. I think that’s what keeps me sane in the winter. That bright winter sun.

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For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved reading the Sunday New York Times. When I returned to my parents’ house to live for a couple of years after college, I would look forward to Sunday morning, when I could buy a copy of the Times and read it while sitting in my dad’s recliner. Since then, wherever I’ve lived, east coast or west coast, I’ve tried to keep that habit going. There have been times when I couldn’t get a copy or was just too busy to find the time to buy one. But lately, we’ve been grabbing a copy every Sunday.

Happiness is the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle.

I read the latest edition of Louise Penny’s newsletter this morning. She wrote about Michael. I cried.

Those of you who are friends on Facebook have already seen this photo. I want to share it with all of you today because I love this t-shirt (it came in the mail yesterday) and we had such fun taking this picture:

nastywomenbest

Oh yes, we do.

Vote. Nasty woman or otherwise.

Happy Tuesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: decorating, flowers, garden, living room, presidential election 56 Comments

What? It’s Only October and Other News

October 28, 2016 at 9:10 am by Claudia

Hello again! It’s me, emerging from a day off, of sorts. A day in which my husband wrote an insightful post and all I had to do was hit ‘publish.’ By the way, he is taking his time with his responses to your comments, and very much enjoying the process. I think he’s about halfway through. He’ll finish up today.

Of course, in the midst of my day off, I looked out the window of my office/studio and did the proverbial double take. Then I shouted to Don to “Look out the window!!”

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I used Instagram as my posting medium yesterday. After all, Don had the blog all tied up (thank you, Don.) Anyway, look at this! I had no idea it was coming so I was completely and utterly shocked.

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We’ve certainly had surprise snow events in October before. I wasn’t ready for this one, though, especially since I had just taken these photos the day before:

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Some phlox still blooming in the big garden bed.

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Roses still in bloom.

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And one lone coneflower, still hanging on to its petals.

Whether these little gems have remained in this state is yet to be determined. I’ll have to investigate later today. The snow eventually turned to sleet, which then turned to rain and it rained for the rest of the day and all night long. We need it, of course. But it was a messy, strange-weather day.

A couple of interesting bits of news:

• There is an article in this month’s AARP magazine written by Louise Penny; a first-person account of becoming the caregiver for her late husband Michael as he slowly succumbed to dementia. The title is “The Last Promise” and, as you might suspect, it’s beautifully written. I had tears in my eyes.

Thanks to my readers who tipped me off about the piece. We get the magazine but I never read it. (Maybe I’m in denial!) But as soon as it arrived in my mailbox on Wednesday, I searched for the article and I’ve since torn it out to save.

• When I wrote about Flea Market Style  magazine the other day, Shanna said that she’d heard it was going to be published again. I was skeptical, as last year there was a reprint of an old issue that appeared on the stands, so I suspected the same thing might be happening.

But then I heard from both Olivia and Debbie that no, it wasn’t a reprint, the magazine is starting up again and the first issue will be on the stands on November 15th! Huzzah! I’m thrilled. I’ll most likely get it at my bookstore, but there are pre-orders available on this site, Margo’s Junkin Journal. It’s being spearheaded by Ki Nassauer and Celeste Shaw (who I got to meet in NYC a few years back.)

Sigh of happiness.

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I knew it was going to go down to 29 degrees on Wednesday night, so I went outside to clip some more limelight hydrangeas. I brought them inside and walked around the house, looking for some sort of vessel to put them in other than a standard vase. Downstairs? Nothing. Upstairs? Wait a minute. What about Scoutie’s water dish? Yes. (I planted succulents in one of Riley’s dishes. It’s on the kitchen table.)

So here it is. It makes us happy, seeing beautiful flowers in Scout’s dish. I miss her a lot. Lately, I seem to be overwhelmed by how much I miss her. What I wouldn’t give to have her in my ‘tunnel’ again. She was the best company, the best girl ever. Add to that the fact that a year ago today I was making a last minute plane reservation to rush to my dad’s bedside, and I think you’ll understand some of my melancholy. I’ll write about Dad tomorrow, on the anniversary of his death.

One more night of freezing temps and I can take the porch plants back outside.

Happy Friday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

Filed Under: Dad, Don, flowers, Scout, snow 38 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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