Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

You are here: Home / Archives for On The Road

Home

at by

2-21 home

Home. Masses of packing yesterday morning. Masses of unpacking yesterday afternoon. Thank goodness, Don was in Hartford, too – he took a load of things home in his car. I stayed a  bit longer to pack up my car and do some last minute cleaning in the apartment.

We had a lovely time together in Hartford. On Friday, we stopped at Blue State Coffee for some coffee for Don and hot chocolate for me. We spent a couple of hours at the Wadsworth Atheneum. Don loved it there, as I knew he would. We wandered back to the apartment and donned our opening night duds. We had dinner at Salute, an Italian restaurant with great food and service, and then went to the theater. The show was wonderful. I, of course, have seen it a lot, and watching Don watching it was a huge treat. The Opening Night Party took place right after the show. Don got to meet everyone, though he already knew Darko and Kandis (our friend who plays the Nurse.)

A long, but wonderful, day.

I’m proud of my work on Romeo and Juliet. And it’s awfully rewarding to see that work show in the growth of the actors onstage. To see it pay off. It’s also very rewarding to hear them express their appreciation and thanks. It makes it all worth it.

I know I love seeing Don with his colleagues when I get to see him onstage. I love seeing him through their eyes, watching him interact with them, seeing the respect and admiration they feel for him. He feels the same way about me, and he was definitely the proud husband on Friday night.

He gets it.

Now, we’re back home…recovering.

And of course, being back home is bittersweet for me. Everywhere I go, I see emptiness where Scout should be. This morning I automatically started to look for her water dish to make sure it had enough water in it. I looked for her when I came downstairs this morning. I looked for her when I unlocked the door yesterday afternoon. I’m experiencing what Don has already experienced over the past two weeks, a cottage without our girl.

There is a quiet in the house that is filled with her absence. We’ve lived here for ten years and she has always been here with us. I broke down last night and cried. I miss her so much and I still can’t believe she’s gone. I would give anything to have her back. To be her mom again.

Her ashes are waiting for us at the animal hospital. We’re not quite ready for that experience yet. When we’re ready, we’ll go together and bring them home.

Oh, Scoutie, you are missed by your mom and dad. You are missed.

Happy Sunday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

 

Opening Night

at by

2-19 favorite guy

This guy got fed up with being alone at the cottage and drove to Hartford on Wednesday night.

It’s very nice having him here, as you can imagine.

One of the perks of working on this production has been the chance to reunite with some actors that I worked with at the Old Globe. And when I say ‘worked with,’ I mean several times. In the case of our friend Kandis, many, many times. She and Don have known each other since they were in their teens. Imagine!

So the three of us went to lunch together yesterday afternoon and talked the way old friends do and it was lovely. Don and I spent the rest of the day in the apartment. We’re both exhausted. Grieving is draining, tiring, and overwhelming.

I haven’t been buying any more food since I’m moving back home tomorrow, but we managed to whip up an omelet and some steamed vegetables and somehow it seemed to be the perfect dinner. Today, we’re going to go to the Wadsworth Atheneum. And I’m going to start packing.

2-19 opening night

Tonight is opening night.

It’s been a joy working on this production. I’ve worked with old friends and made new friends. My Hartford Stage ‘family’ has been, as ever, fun and hard-working and supportive – especially when they heard about Scout. I’ve come to think of this theater as a second home. Romeo and Juliet marks my ninth show here at Hartford Stage. I did at least four more with Darko at the Old Globe, and one in NYC, so our collaborations together now number fourteen.

What an honor it is to work with him.

So, it’s Opening Night here in Hartford. And then…home.

Edited to add: I just saw the news that Harper Lee has passed away. More on her legacy later. Thank you, Harper Lee. Thank you for profoundly influencing my life. Rest in peace.

Happy Friday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

 

A Weekend at the Cottage

at by

2-6 afterthesnow

The snow stopped falling by mid-afternoon. It was a heavy, wet mess – pretty – but a mess.

We had our last run-through in the rehearsal room and today, the actors move onstage. This day will be for what is called ‘spacing’ – getting used to the levels on the stage, to trap doors, to movements on and off stage, going through the entire play to adjust to the set. Tomorrow, tech rehearsals will begin and will continue through Wednesday. Thursday will be the first Preview performance.

I don’t need to be there for Spacing or for the first Tech day, so I’m going home for a couple of days and I’ll come back on Monday so that I can check into tech rehearsal on Tuesday to see how the actors are doing and get a sense of the way their voices are working in the space.

I just finished The Kill  by Jane Casey and now I’m all caught up. I started that series with the most recent book, After the Fire, which I reviewed on Just Let Me Finish This Page. I was so taken with Casey’s writing that I did what I often do: I went back and read all of the previous books in the series in order. She’s that good. Now, I’m left waiting for her next book to come out, whenever that will be.

Now, I’m headed back into the Susan Hill Simon Serrailler series, picking up where I left off. The Shadows in the Street  will be accompanying me on my trip home.

Scout’s had a bit of a tough week and, consequently, so has Don. I hope to take some of the responsibility for our girl off of Don’s shoulders while I’m home. Every day we assess our girl’s quality of life. That’s where we are right now. I know you understand.

Okay. Have to get moving. Have to dig the car out. Have to get on the road.

Happy Saturday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

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