Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for nature

Ladybugs, Cupcakes & Baseball

October 19, 2012 at 9:37 am by Claudia

Yesterday was sunny and warm and beautiful. Today? Rainy and dark. Guess which one I prefer.

And before you ask, I have yet to shred.

I’ve read about this happening but this is my first experience with it. Swarming ladybugs. I took Scout for a walk around the yard yesterday and I kept getting dive-bombed by ladybugs! They are everywhere right now.

They seem to congregate by the kitchen door and along the front porch posts and railings.

I love ladybugs so I was delighted and fascinated. Enter Google. Apparently they do this in the fall as they are looking for a warm place to park themselves for the winter. Time to hibernate, my little ladybugs. Go ahead, use my porch, you can stay for free. They get in the house, of course, and while I love seeing them, they will die if they stay here, so I try to rescue them and put them back outside.

And just when I thought my plants had stopped blooming, look what I discovered:

A lovely little Clematis flower. That was a delightful surprise.

Don was in NYC yesterday and I knew he would be near Lincoln Center. That means he was near a favorite place of mine.

Sorry for the quality. It was dark outside. Yes, he brought me 3 Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes!

I may have twisted his arm a little.

I ate number one last night as we watched baseball. By the way, congratulations to my hometown team, the Detroit Tigers! Couldn’t be happier. Well, if the Red Sox were going to the World Series, I would be happier, but I’m pretty happy about the Tigers.

I’ll be back at 8:00 pm EST for A Favorite Thing.

I’ve listed a new scarf in the Etsy Shop. For those of you who have a problem with wool, this one is made from Silk and Bamboo yarn and, believe me, it is incredibly soft and silky on your skin.

Update: Sold. I’m starting a new scarf as I write this!

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: crochet, etsy, garden, nature, New York City 41 Comments

Leaves, Rocks, Moss, Acorns and an Anniversary

October 12, 2012 at 8:15 am by Claudia

Yesterday, we visited a favorite spot. The car climbed up the mountain ridge to this view (The Hudson River is way off on the horizon):

In about a week, the colors should be at their peak. There’s a trail up there, where we gathered acorns and pods and heart-shaped rocks.

Don found a puzzle rock.

Oh, by the way, see that wedding ring?

It’s our 14th wedding anniversary today. (Look at that pocket bulging with acorns and rocks!)

Anyway, back to the anniversary. I’m off to spend the day with my beloved husband.

I’ll be back at 8:00 pm EST for A Favorite Thing.

Happy Friday.

P.S. The winner of  a copy of Things Your Dog Doesn’t Want You to Know is Jennifer. Congratulations!

P.P.S. Just listed another scarf on Etsy:

Filed Under: anniversary, Don, nature 34 Comments

Leaf Love

October 7, 2012 at 10:07 am by Claudia

This little leaf somehow recognized another ‘leaf’ and thought it would stay awhile. Do you see Scout?

At this time of year, the theme around here seems to be: Leaves. Whether they are on the ground (and they are – everywhere) or in the gutters or in the birdbath, we are surrounded by leaves.

Here’s Don on the roof, clearing out the gutters. We have to do this a lot in the fall, especially when rain is in the forecast.

Our maple has suddenly lost almost all of its uppermost leaves.

How did that happen?

You notice that Don is on the roof, not me. That’s as it should be. I hold the ladder. I hand up tools, like brooms and rakes.  I’m a wee bit afraid of heights. If I had to, I’d do it, but Don is willing, so I happily let him go up there.

So much raking ahead. Every time we start in on it, it begins to rain and we have to stop. Or my arms get tired. That happens frequently.

This is my favorite. No amount of tweaking or styling could arrange these leaves more spectacularly than my friend, Mother Nature, has done. For free.

Happy Sunday.

Linking to my friend, Elaine’s Sunny Simple Sunday.

MHC now has a Facebook Page. If you’d like to, drop by and say hello! Maybe you could click on ‘like?’

Filed Under: autumn, Don, nature 48 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.

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