Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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On Tuesday

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It takes a bit longer each morning for the light to sneak its way into the kitchen and living room. It’s colder, too, and I grab my shawl when I come downstairs. It’s that time in the fall when the mornings are cold (yes, I caved and turned on the heat) and the afternoons are warm and sunny. The seasonal change has definitely made its presence known here.

I deliberately stayed away from the TV news yesterday until the evening news came on. One must be informed, of course, but I also have to find moments and pockets of peace in my day. But, oh, my heart breaks for those who are suffering in this senseless tragedy, those who have lost loved ones, those whose lives will never be the same.

And, I don’t want to hear another politician who gets money from the NRA issue a statement about ‘love and prayers.’ If you ‘love,’ then show us that love by taking action.

I spent a lot of time working on the blog yesterday. Some plugins weren’t performing well – still aren’t, but I’m trying to remedy that. Because of a php update (don’t ask me to explain – I can’t) some of the plugins I use stopped working correctly. One of those was the plugin I use for Comment Replies. Many of you were trying to leave a comment and getting a message that it wasn’t working. It was, but who wants to go through that every time? I was getting the same message when I tried to reply to your comments. Plugins are the way in which WordPress sites can be modified and enhanced. The problem with them is that some developers stop updating them and they no longer work as they should. For some reason, comment reply plugins seem to suffer from this more than others. I finally found a new one that works, but if you’re use to seeing your name and email already there when you go to make a comment, you’ll have to re-enter it. More work being done today and I then I hope that’s it for a while.

Sometimes maintaining this blog is a pain in the tush.

Impressionistic early morning morning glory.

Happy Tuesday.

A Foggy Saturday Morning

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Good morning!

It’s another deliciously foggy morning. I love the mystery of fog, the soft edges. I guess it’s not at all surprising that I love mysteries, is it?

Taken just a couple of minutes ago: the living room in the early morning light. I love the different wood finishes, the textures, the color of that blue table and chartreuse piece of Russel Wright pottery, the Roseville and the Guy Wolff pottery, and a splash of green in the shefflera. Oh, and the dried hydrangea in the corner.

Shadows and light.

I finished totaling and sorting through all our receipts, typed up the deductions, and sent them off to our accountant in Los Angeles. Sigh of relief.

Today I will study the script for Shadowlands. I’m doing some dialect coaching on a production in New York and that starts (for me) on Monday. As soon as this post is finished, I plan to make my second cup of coffee and sit on the porch. I must take advantage of it while I can!

Don smelled gas in his apartment yesterday and sure enough, there is a leak. So they turned off the gas. It will take a couple of days to fix – luckily he’s coming home for a day. The furniture was temporarily rented by the management company and, except for the bed, it’s ridiculously uncomfortable. The sofa is the kind you might find in a dorm room – in fact, only someone 18 or younger could lounge on it without his/her back going out. Don had a discussion with management and they agreed to find replacements. Yesterday, they brought a different chair which is definitely more comfortable (update: Nope. It’s not, per Don), but for some reason, they attempted to replace the sofa with a sofa bed (???) and it was so awkward and big that they couldn’t get it up the stairs. Why a sofa bed when he has a bed already, I don’t know. There’s been a lot of traffic in and out of his apartment this week – I know he’s looking forward to some peace and quiet.

Thought for the day – As a baked potato lover – truly, it’s one of my favorite foods – I’m going to say it: A potato baked in Stella’s oven puts all others to shame. It’s changed my potato-eating-life.

I’ve reached nirvana.

Happy Saturday.

Heading Back

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There are splashes of yellow all over the property. Goldenrod, a staple of late summer, is blooming. How can I not smile when I see this cheery yellow?

However, today is a dark and rainy day here. We had storms last night. Not necessarily the best weather in which to travel back to Hartford, but there you go. We’re going to go out for breakfast before I head back to CT.

It’s been so lovely being home that I feel like I have to force myself to get in the car and turn it toward points east. I don’t want to leave. Don and I are feeling the sadness that impending separation brings. I figured it out yesterday: by the end of the year we will have spent 9 months apart. Nine months. That, my friends, is a hazard of our profession. But it’s easier to handle when you’re young and eager and ready to go anywhere to work. It’s much tougher at this point in our lives.

Anyway.

Stella is a dream. She cooks evenly. I know it will sound silly, but the baked potatoes we had (twice) were the most evenly baked we’d ever had. The texture was smooth as silk and they were delicious. As were the biscuits. As were all the entrees Don cooked on the stovetop. Oh my goodness. What a difference gas makes! And what a difference Stella makes.

This morning I walked over to her and hugged her. I love her. I love her in our home. I never get tired of looking at her. I never will. I have absolutely no regrets. Investing in Stella was the best thing we’ve done in a long time.

Another sign of impending autumn – Sedum Autumn Joy.

Hurricane Irma is a juggernaut and we are worried about her impact on so many island dwellers and the state of Florida, where so many are in her path, including my sister and her family. Please stay safe. I know many of my readers live in Florida and I urge you to evacuate if you are told to.

Happy Wednesday.

 

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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