Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

  • About MHC
    • Disclosure
  • Dollhouses/Minis
    • Hummingbird Cottage
    • The Studio (Formerly TSP)
    • Dove Cottage
    • The Lake House
    • The Folk Art Dollhouse
    • The Modern Dollhouse
    • The Beacon Hill Dollhouse
    • Dollhouse Source List, Information and Tutorials
  • On the Road
  • Collecting
    • Roseville Pottery
    • McCoy Pottery
    • Egg Cups
    • Bakelite
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / Archives for life

A Different Kind of “Reveal”

August 13, 2012 at 8:54 am by Claudia

Yesterday. Late afternoon. I’m sitting in my usual chair in the living room which is directly across from the front door, giving me a view of the front porch and one of my hanging plants.

I gaze upon this same view every day.

But this particular late afternoon, the sunlight was shining in just such a fashion as to reveal something previously hidden.

 

Beautiful, large, intricate spiderwebs.

Three of them, actually. One on either side of this post.

 

And one above the hanging plant.

I sat there, amazed. I made Don get up and look at this ‘reveal.’

Because that’s what it is, isn’t it? A reveal?

 

Something I looked at every day, something I assumed was one thing…was actually another thing entirely.

What appeared to be the total picture…simply wasn’t.

 

That’s a lesson, my friends, that I have to keep re-learning.

Back in my performing days,  I did a lot of Gilbert & Sullivan. One song title immediately comes to mind: “Things are Seldom What they Seem.” I can’t remember all the lyrics, but the next line was, “Skim milk masquerades as cream.”

I find this enormously comforting, especially now. There’s always something more to see. There’s always something more to be revealed – something that was always there, but remained hidden until just the right time. Until the “Reveal.”

Oh and, yes, I see that my porch posts need a good scrubbing. But you know what? It’s way, way down on my list of things I want to do. They look plenty white from a distance. I guess they have their own sort of reveal!

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: life, nature 14 Comments

Porch Perspectives

August 12, 2012 at 8:33 am by Claudia

Finally!  A sunny, humidity-free morning on the porch:

 

Have a lovely Sunday.

I’m linking to Elaine’s Sunny Simple Sunday.

 

Filed Under: flowers, life, porch, Scout 11 Comments

Looking Beyond the Surface

August 8, 2012 at 8:14 am by Claudia

I had a conversation with a dear friend yesterday about making judgments too quickly. About looking at a situation or a person and making a quick assumption about that person, that situation, without taking the time to look a little more deeply. Don and I have conversations about this sort of thing all the time. And it’s invariably sparked by one or both of us saying something like “I assumed this or that about X. I was so wrong.”

It’s a life lesson I keep learning.

For example, I looked at this beautiful coneflower and saw the flower:

Then, using the lens of my camera, I looked a little more closely and saw this:

There was much more going on than I originally thought.

A quick glance while watering showed me green leaves. Until I took the time to look a little more deeply.

And I saw this little guy, designed to blend in with the plants, but not really part of the plant. A new detail. More information. A change of thought about the picture I was seeing.

One of the ideas I hold dearest to my heart is this:

A miracle is a change in thought.

It’s that simple and that hard. But each time we suspend our assumptions, look a little more deeply and stop that impulse to judge, a little miracle occurs. Things shift. Ideas change. Clarity emerges. A door opens.
Just sharing some thoughts on this Wednesday morning.

Filed Under: flowers, garden, life 17 Comments

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 326
  • 327
  • 328
  • 329
  • 330
  • …
  • 371
  • Next Page »
  • Email
  • Instagram

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.

Thanks for stopping by.

Searching?

The Dogs

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.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

Thanks for visiting! Feel free to browse, read and enjoy. All content is my own; including photos and text. Please do not use anything on this site without permission.

Disclosure/Privacy Policy can be found in the Navigation Bar under ‘About MHC.’

Also, I love receiving comments! I do, however, reserve the right to delete any comment that is in poor taste, offensive or is verging on spam. It’s my blog. If you’re a bot or a troll you’ll be blocked. Thanks!

Archives

All Content © 2008 - 2026 Mockingbird Hill Cottage · Log in