Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Life in our little cottage in the country

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Ta Dah!

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My first bunny sighting – shot through the kitchen window screen. This is a little guy! I love, love seeing the bunnies on the property – they have a home in our woods. I also saw one of the groundhogs/woodchucks who live under our shed. He was dining on our grass – they are vegetarians, did you know? Just like me.

I finished the last 3 squares last night:


Left to right: an egg cup with an egg, McCoy pottery with yellow roses and forsythia, and my initials and the year.

Here’s the whole 39 (really 40) Squares project:


I’m going to try and get a better photo but this will do for now. What fun this was – I’m already thinking of stitching one with Don in mind. I’m also doing Teresa McFayden’s Freestyle Embroidery EZine, but I will hold off working on that until I am in San Diego. Yes, embroidery floss and sewing basket will be packed up and shipped to San Diego. I have to have something to work on and I think these little embroidery projects are the perfect creative outlet.

I think I will take my 39 Squares project with me. It reminds me of home and everything I love. Perhaps I can find a frame at one of my favorite shops.

Some of you have asked why I will be away so long and why San Diego. I will be the Voice/Speech/Dialect coach for the Shakespeare Summer Repertory at the Old Globe for the third year in a row. I will be out in San Diego for 10 weeks. A long time – but not as long as last year, when I also taught for a semester – that involved a six month stay. Don and I used to live in San Diego – I worked at the Globe for eight years. I have many friends there, as well as Don’s family. Nevertheless, I still don’t want to leave Don, Scout, Riley and MHC.

I will be blogging from what I call MHC West – sharing some of my favorite antique stores and barn sales. Oh, there is so much eye candy out there!

I’m off to pack some boxes for shipping to San Diego.

Hyacinths & Squares 35, 36 & 37

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Such a pretty hyacinth! And the scent is heavenly. Thank you so very much for your lovely, supportive comments on our recent losses. It has been a tough time for us, as well as for many others who loved these wonderful men. Don has lost the 3 most important men in his life in the last year. It sometimes doesn’t seem real…I suspect this is a natural coping mechanism. One can only process so much at a time.

I hope your Easter was happy. The weather here has been absolutely gorgeous. I’ve been working out in the yard, trying to get everything ready before I leave for San Diego on April 17th. Then I have to leave my gardens just as everything gets ready to bloom. I’ve decided that this will be the last time I leave for such a long time in the Spring. Gardening is one of my greatest pleasures and I waited many years to have my own garden. This will be the 3rd year in a row that I’ve been gone at this time of year. By the time I return in July, many of the spring flowers will be gone.

I played catch-up on the 39 squares project this morning. I’m actually stitching 40 squares so I did three this morning. Two of them are combined.


In honor of Spring – my favorite Spring flower, the tulip.


Home = Heart. Only three more to go!

Have a wonderful Monday.

Garden, Egg Cups, Squares 33 & 34

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In the garden:


These daffodils were planted by some previous owner of the cottage. They are right on the edge of our woods and the splash of color is always a delightful surprise.


A sweet grape hyacinth that didn’t bloom the first two years we lived here. I’m so glad it has decided to perform for us!

More egg cups:


Left to right: an egg cup made by Carlton Ware in England – the series is called Walking Ware – each cup has feet with different colored socks and shoes; a rooster made for Fanny Farmer – in fact, you can see Fanny Farmer inscribed along the bottom; a pig with a glass egg inside the cup; a dog egg cup; a little cowboy egg cup; a cute little girl with bunny ears, and a scottie egg cup.

Yes, there are more. They are more traditional and are not figural – maybe I’ll post a photo tomorrow.

Square #33 and #34:


#33 – my MacBook (I love it so) and ‘Blog’ because, you guessed it, I love blogging.
#34- music notes – much of my life has revolved around music – in choirs, as a professional singer (many years ago), on stage, at the piano. My husband is a singer/songwriter, as well.

I have 6 more squares to go!

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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