Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Friday Potpourri

September 21, 2018 at 10:38 am by Claudia

• This gloriousness is down by our mailbox. I ran for the camera when I saw these big New England asters. They always show up in early fall, but these blossoms are particularly large. That purple and gold combination can’t be beat. Goldenrod in the background.

• Turns out, I was mixed up on the day for the mini show. It runs on Saturday and Sunday, not today. And Don isn’t going into the city today, so basically everything I told you yesterday was a lie. I’ll go to the show tomorrow morning.

• There has been a bit of improvement on the professional front. One of the situations has been slightly resolved, though it was handled badly and I remain disappointed in the overall lack of communication. But, there’s a crack where maybe some light can get in. (Paraphrasing Leonard Cohen.)

•  Second moonflower sighting this morning. More gloriousness. This one is high enough that I was able to breathe in the scent without contorting my body, as I had to do with the first flower.

• I urge you, really  urge you, to read this extensive reporting in today’s New York Times. It’s running as a special section in Friday’s edition. Title: The Plot to Subvert an Election, Unraveling the Russia Story So Far. You will be stunned. This is what Mueller will flesh out, I’m sure, along with much, much more.

• I love receiving a package in the mail! This one was from reader Kim, who wrote me to say she had two egg cups she wanted to send my way. Goodness, you are all so generous! The box contained these beauties:

Each of them is hand painted and each has Fanny and Farmer written on the base.

“Farmer” is on the other side. You might recall that I have two other Fanny Farmer egg cups. These were part of their Easter tradition. Each year, a new design would come out, filled with chocolate eggs. Kim thinks they were also included in boxes of Fanny Farmer chocolates.

My very first egg cup was a Fanny Farmer egg cup, given to me as a wee child by my godparents. I held on to it for many, many years (ahem! we won’t say how many.) When I saw an article about collecting egg cups in a 2002 Martha Stewart Living magazine, one of the cups pictured was the same as mine and then I had the lightbulb realization that I could collect them. One of the very first egg cups I added to my collection was also by Fanny Farmer, a rooster in yellow and red, coincidentally made by McCoy.

So I’m thrilled to add two more FF cups. They’re already in the cabinet, Kim. Thank you so, so much!

Off to do a bit of mowing – really, just a bit.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: egg cups, flowers, friends, gifts, Trump/Russia 18 Comments

Two New Members of the Egg Cup Club

September 14, 2018 at 10:35 am by Claudia

A couple of weeks ago, longtime reader Margaret from Galveston contacted me about a couple of egg cups. She was finally embarking on a kitchen remodel and had two egg cups that she wanted to send to me. Of course! I always welcome new egg cups!

They arrived yesterday.

They’re made by Homer Laughlin, the creators of Fiesta. They’re part of the Harlequin line, which was similar to Fiesta, but more angular.

They are double egg cups, meaning they can be flipped over. The smaller opening holds the egg, most likely hard-boiled. The larger opening holds a soft-boiled egg.

Flipped.

I already had one in turquoise, given to me by reader Linda. I decided that the three cups should be displayed together for more of a punch.

See?

I love them. Thank you, Margaret!

I’m searching for a better lamp shade for the turquoise lamp. I already purchased one that wasn’t right, drat! But I’ll find one. The lampshade being used was from another lamp and was never meant to be anything more than a place marker and here it is, still there, after several years. Sigh.

I’m happy to report that Sam loved the cottage; sniffing, exploring, almost immediately going upstairs to the bedroom, jumping on the bed for a quick test, and then sitting like a good dog on the loveseat between Don and Rick. There’s not a lot of room on that loveseat! Sam kept licking Don’s beard and my face and we love him so.

If he ever has to spend the night, he’ll already be familiar with the cottage and it will be much easier for him.

Our taxes are almost done, so we’ll be able to sign everything before we leave for Paris. That’s a relief!

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: egg cups, friends, gifts 43 Comments

Meet Maria

August 26, 2018 at 9:29 am by Claudia

First of all, Rest in Peace, John McCain. There are tributes pouring in and they are more eloquent than anything I could write. I’ll just say that though I often disagreed with him, I never for one moment doubted his integrity, his bravery, his love of country over party. And he proved that again and again. He was a true statesman, the last Republican (seemingly) willing to stand up for what is right and to call out wrong. That he had to leave this world knowing what was happening to his Party and to the Presidency makes me very sad. That he fought for us, saved the ACA, spoke out against torture, hand-carried the Steele Dossier to the FBI, and spoke out against Putin and Trump makes me very proud indeed to have witnessed his legacy.

The phlox is blooming in the big garden bed. Such a glorious scent!

I received a package in the mail yesterday from Tina-Marie, a reader of this blog. She had written to me to say that she found an egg cup she wanted to send to me. And she did.

I am crazy  about this egg cup!

Meet Maria (the name is written on the base).

She is by Sevi, an Italian maker of all sorts of things including wooden egg cups. She’s most likely from the 1950s. There’s a whole series of them that have ski caps.

Sans cap, ready for the egg of your choice. She is simply adorable.

I have one other wooden figural egg cup, the one that Don and Scout gave me several years ago, but that one is from England.

Here she is in her new home!

Thank you so much, Tina-Marie! Such a lovely, lovely gift.

Note the handwritten (in pencil) “John File” on the edge of the cubby. This piece is so interesting!

I must admit that I am still procrastinating as to deductions. We have until Friday, which is what I told myself when I was feeling a bit wonky from allergies yesterday and just didn’t feel like adding up lots of figures.

It will get done. I guess, in true procrastinator style, I figure 5 more days isn’t ‘down to the wire.’ I will also have to remind Don every day for the next 5 days that he has to figure out his deductions as well.

We have two procrastinators in this family.

Happy Sunday.

 

 

Filed Under: egg cups, gifts 25 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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The Dogs

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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Lambs Like to Party

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