Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Life in our little cottage in the country

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Creature Love

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I’m feeling more energetic this morning and for that I’m grateful. It’s a beautiful autumn day and  the sun is shining and I just found out we don’t owe anything on our taxes and that we are getting a modest refund and my morning FaceTime with my husband was great and my Peet’s is making me happy and it’s all good.

How’s that for a run-on sentence?

Lately, I’ve seen Henry chomping down on the grass right by the Funky Patio, which is pretty close to the house. Brave for that timid boy!  I saw him yesterday and because the windows were closed, he couldn’t hear the click of my camera and run away as he usually does.

There he is, that sweet boy.

Then, to make it even more perfect (can you have degrees of perfect?) my lonesome dove landed on the birdbath.

And then, in the ultra degree of perfect, the monarch butterfly that I saw the day of my dental work (I took that as a good sign) appeared over in the chicken wire fence garden.

For a brief moment, all three creatures were within a few feet of each other. Then Henry heard something and ran back to his lair. But for that moment, my Creature Love boxes were all ticked.

Happy Claudia.

It’s such a lovely day today, that I might take a little drive northwards. We’ll see. Or I might go to our local antique barn. Hmmm. What to do?

Happy Friday.

 

A Very Good Week

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The first peony bloom of the season – from the bush that didn’t bloom at all last year. I have to move it in the fall because the tree that is next to it is overwhelming it with shade. But, for some reason, it was able to produce one big beautiful flower this year. I’m grateful.

The catmint is nectar central for all the bees. Honeybees, bumble bees – they’re all there. The constant buzz (literally) of activity is the best movie in town.

And later in the day, I saw this:

Henry lurking in the shadows. Was he watching the catbird? Or was he contemplating life?

I grabbed my camera and took some photos. Right after that, he turned toward the entrance to his den and disappeared. I think it might have been due to this guy on the edge of the back forty.

I think he lives under our next door neighbors’ shed.

But enough about all that. Let’s get to the meat of this post.

I have to go into the city on Saturday. Why?

Because I have a ticket to the matinee of Hamilton!!!!

Oh my goodness, I am beyond excited about this! Here’s how it happened. One of the guys working on the music for Escape to Margaritaville  also worked on Hamilton  for several years and continues to work on the tours. He and Don got to talking about that one day and Don mentioned that I really, really, really wanted to see it. He said that he has access to House Seats and did I want him to put me on the list?

YES. YES. YES. He asked me to pick three dates in June. I chose three matinee days. He submitted my name and our credit card info. Saturday turned out to be the day the box office thought might work best, but I was still on a waiting list and as this week went by, I began to give up hope. I mean, it’s Hamilton  and getting a ticket is nigh to impossible.

Yesterday, I asked Don whether he had heard anything yet from his friend who had told us that he would hear something the week of the performance. Don said he’d call him. Coincidentally, his friend was emailing him the confirmation at the same time Don was calling.

I’m in!

House seats aren’t free – they’re still pricey, but less expensive than the cost of seats being sold to the general public. I learned my lesson when I turned down the opportunity to buy a house seat to see the original cast when it was at the Public Theater. I grabbed this chance.

Whoo hoo!

A good week: the celebration of my dear friend Rick, Comey is testifying today, the Original Broadway Cast album of Anastasia  is being released tomorrow, and I’m seeing Hamilton  on Saturday!

Happy Thursday.

Henry, Rain, & Nancy Drew

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Endless rain.

That’s all I’ll say about that.

Another Henry sighting yesterday. (Side note: my climbing hydrangea is starting to bloom. If the sun would come out and stay  out, it would be in full bloom.)

Don and I have decided that Henry (and this is  Henry) is like a crotchety old guy who looks around and grumbles. Here, he’s looking toward the street.

“Damn traffic!

“Tell these birds to get off my lawn!”

Though this cropped version is somewhat blurry, I wanted you to see the claws on his feet.

Eventually, he looked even more disgusted and went back to his little home under the shed.

In yesterday’s mail:

Not one, but two Nancy Drews! This is the very first book in the series, The Secret of the Old Clock. I’ve been trying to nab a copy of this one for a long time. Love, love her cloche hat, the jaunty scarf, the dress and the shoes.

And this, The Secret of Red Gate Farm. It’s number six in the series. I’ve never read this one and I’m intrigued by the spooky hijinks that Nancy is secretly observing. A cult? People dressed up like ghosts? Ku Klux Klan?

This one is in as-good-as-it-gets condition. Excellent.

The titles I’m seeking now, including these two, seem to be the hardest to find. If they’re in good condition, they often go for a lot of money. Heck, I’ve seen tattered covers which still sell well.  So I have to be patient and snag one when I see a good deal. Only five more to go before I have my complete set of Russell H. Tandy covers.

Some of them, like The Secret of Red Gate Farm, have mylar covers, which protect the book jacket. I’m going to buy some of them from a supplier and cover all of the uncovered Nancy Drews, as well as the dust jacket for my autographed copy of To Kill a Mockingbird. They’re pretty inexpensive, and the books are worth it.

Rain or no rain, I have to recycle today.

Vicki, a reader of this blog, was rear ended by a hit-and-run driver the other day. Her car is totaled and she appears to have a neck injury. Understandably, she is very shaken up. Despite the shock, she managed to memorize most of the license plate number on the other driver’s car. The police are involved. If you read yesterday’s comments, you’ll see Vicki’s story. Let’s keep her in our thoughts and prayers.

Happy Wednesday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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