Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for social distancing

Day One Hundred Forty-Two

August 2, 2020 at 9:50 am by Claudia

I have to say, having written this blog for well over 12 years, my decision to do a day count of lockdown/social distancing as the post title has been a welcome break from having to come up with something new every day. I want this virus to be gone, of course, but I’ll miss the ease of my current post titles.

Do you remember the other day when I predicted we wouldn’t get the rain that was forecast for that day? I was right. Nothing. Today, however, we supposedly have 100% chance of rain and thunderstorms, with a few inches of rain expected. I hope that is so because our rivers are the lowest I’ve ever seen. We really need rain. It’s very humid and cloudy out there, so fingers crossed!

I just finished Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee. Excellent. Excellent. It’s non-fiction that reads like a novel and by that I don’t mean like historical fiction which involves a lot of guessing and supposition (I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a fan and I know that many of you are, so we’ll agree to disagree!) No, I mean the ease with which Casey Cep writes, the way in which she weaves the various elements of this true story together. Far from dry, it’s completely compelling. The case is fascinating, the people involved fascinating, and as someone who has read everything there is to read about Harper Lee, I learned so much more about her. I recommend it highly.

Yesterday, I went outside to walk around the big garden bed and I noticed a hummingbird moth. Then I noticed another. And another. Turns out there were four hummingbird moths buzzing around my phlox. I’ve never seen more than one at a time. I had my phone with me, thank goodness, and I just kept snapping away. Here are some photos:

I did my best to capture two of them at the same time. It was hard, because they move around so quickly.

Hummingbird Moths have a long curled proboscis that they extend to dine on a flower. You can see it curled up in this photo.

Uncurled and extended.

And here is a close up. Their wings move so fast – like a hummingbird’s – that clear photos are a wee bit tricky.

I saw one later in the day, as well.

Timing is everything, isn’t it?

I’m off to figure out what I’m reading next, to wash the bedding, to keep my eyes peeled for rain. Please, Mother Nature?

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

 

Filed Under: books, flowers, garden, insects, social distancing 45 Comments

Day One Hundred Thirty-Seven

July 28, 2020 at 7:56 am by Claudia

Hello, first zinnia! I look forward to many more of these happy little flowers.

Yesterday was unbearable. I watered twice. And today? Still awful. Unlike some of you, our too-hot weather looks like it will continue for the next few days. Meanwhile, I need to mow. However, it’s supposed to storm today so I’ll be holding off. The thing about this summer: it’s been like August for most of June and July. Is this our future? I hope not.

We have to run a few errands today. Don has to have his blood taken for a Lyme test. We’re about as sure as you can be that he had Lyme, but it needs to be confirmed. I have to mail some bills. And we have to pick up some stuff at the grocery store. Luckily, we have new masks that I ordered from a seller on Etsy. I made the mistake of putting one of my masks in the dryer and, though it still works, I wanted something that fit better. I guess masks are the new fashion accessory. I need new clothes in general, but since we’re hanging out at home, who cares, right? Instead, we buy new masks. What strange times we live in!

The garden is in full bloom. I wish I could find some magical way to keep it just as it is right now. Phlox, coneflowers, brown-eyed susans, hydrangeas, day lilies, and now, zinnias, everywhere. I love it so much. I’ve seen all sorts of butterflies everywhere; swallowtails, monarchs, great spangled frittilaries. One eastern swallowtail was missing fully half a wing, but it didn’t seem to stop her. So beautiful!

I hope you enjoyed yesterday’s video. I’m off to make our second cup of coffee and get myself together.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

 

Filed Under: flowers, social distancing 29 Comments

Day One Hundred Thirty-Three

July 24, 2020 at 9:46 am by Claudia

We got a lot of rain yesterday that lasted most of the day. I’m so happy about that, though it means that I can’t mow today and will have to wait until tomorrow. Our plants are happy, our trees and grass and birds and critters are happy – and we’re happy. It’s still quite muggy and we have two days coming up of temps in the nineties, so tomorrow has to be my day to get out there and mow what I can before I run out of energy. I’m not letting Don do it yet.

He took another walk on the property this morning. He’s sleeping better and I moved back upstairs last night. I counted up the nights I spent down here on the sofa – nine. Oh boy, did our mattress feel good last night! We’re slowly getting back into our daily routines and we realize more than ever how important a routine is, especially during these days of staying home and self-isolating. We’re used to the need to create structure/a routine each day as we’ve been freelancers for years. When I was teaching and coaching full-time, my days and evenings were so full that I craved the one day I got during the week with no  structure. But it’s been flipped these past 19 years, so now we create and need our daily routines.

I finished both the Diane Keaton book and Weather  by Jenny Offill this morning. Both were excellent. Jenny’s book, written in a ‘pointillist style’ as one of the blurbs stated, was fascinating, compelling and incredibly timely. However, that very style kept me from totally engaging with the main character. It created a distance that had me observing the words, rather than living in the pages. But I liked it and I’m glad I read it. Next up is Furious Hours – Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee  by Casey Cep. It concerns the trial of a serial killer in Alabama and the book that Harper Lee was writing about it. I’ve wanted to read this since it was first published and this is a signed copy that I got at Shakespeare and Company in Paris. It’s finally time.

What else? I’m constantly, or so it seems, thinking about the interior of the dollhouse and what I’m going to do with it – right now, the open living space on the first floor. I’ll leave the bathroom until last because it’s the room that interests me the least. (Just as our bathrooms interest me the least!) I’ve ordered a pretty substantial piece from an Etsy seller – she makes the most wonderful furniture. She is making it especially for me because the piece that was listed was a bit too tall for the rooms in my dollhouse. She lives in Italy. I’m narrowing down my choice for wallpaper in that room. I’m trying to figure out the window situation. This is what’s going on in my head at any given moment during the day.

Thanks for being there for us during this worrisome time. Don is getting stronger by the day and we are so grateful.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: bees, dollhouse, Don, flowers, miniatures, social distancing 35 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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