Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Checking in on the Garden

March 31, 2016 at 8:22 am by Claudia

Oh Spring, you are wonderful. However, the havoc you wreak on my allergies is not  wonderful. I’m not a happy camper.

This is the time of year in the Northeast when every gardener checks the garden beds once or twice a day to see what is emerging after the long winter. I am no different; I walk outside and peek under leaves, each new green shoot duly noted in the unofficial garden notebook that is floating around in my head.

It’s only March 31st – too early for this gardener to remove all the leaves that are currently covering each bed. Especially since I saw, to my horror, that we might get 3 inches of snow on Monday/Tuesday.

What? Ever hopeful, I am trusting that the forecast will change.

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Trustworthy Sedum Autumn Joy, planted here before we took up residence.

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Leaves are emerging on all the rose bushes. Last year at this time, there was nothing, which led me to worry that the brutal winter had killed them off. Do you remember that the tulip and hyacinth never really appeared last spring? Well, the hyacinth leaves  appeared – with absolutely no flowers. This year, I see one tulip leaf already emerging from the ground, as well as healthy looking hyacinth leaves.

Thank goodness for the relatively sane winter we just went through. Oh – did you know that Don never used the snow blower this year? Not once.

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Lilac check-in: I see baby flowers!

The truth is, I am longing to get out there and do some massive garden clean-up. I have to stop and remind myself that it is too darned early. There are certainly other areas of the yard that need some work and I think I’ll start in on that when I’m taking a break from research for Anastasia and taking care of Don, who has something wrong with his ankle. We ended up going to our local urgent care yesterday to get X-rays. No break. It’s all rather strange – the doctor said it’s either a sprain or a skin infection. Since Don doesn’t remember doing anything to the ankle, we’re wondering whether it’s the latter. He is now on antibiotics, is wearing a splint and has crutches.

What’s with the Hill/Sparks clan and their ankles?

Needless to say, it’s been my turn to wait on Don and take care of him. Meals aren’t nearly as exciting as they are when Don is cooking. But he’s getting fed, I promise.

The whole thing is very frustrating and a bit mysterious and we are – officially – over the whole ankle thing.

Don’t forget to leave a comment on yesterday’s book review if you’re interested in a chance to win a copy of the book. You have until tomorrow evening.

Happy Thursday.

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Filed Under: Don, garden, gardening 36 Comments

Book Review: Beneath Still Waters by Cynthia Graham

March 30, 2016 at 8:46 am by Claudia

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Today I am reviewing Beneath Still Waters by Cynthia A. Graham for TLC Book Tours. As always, I am provided with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

About the book (from the publisher): The swamps and bayous around Cherokee Crossing, Arkansas have always been dark and mysterious, but on this summer day two boys stumble across the remains of a baby girl, headless and badly decomposed. Hick Blackburn, a reluctant sheriff with a troubled past, is called to the scene. With nothing to go on but the baby’s race and sex, the task of discovering who she is and how she died challenges all of Hick’s investigative skills. But Hick faces a deeper challenge. The vision of the infant has left him shattered, a reminder of a war crime he has tried to lock away, a crime that has begun to eat away at the edges of his life, destroying him one relationship at a time.

Set in the wake of World War II, Beneath Still Waters  is a lyrical and haunting tale about the loss of innocence, the resilience of love, and the lengths to which people will go to survive.

My review: I really loved this gem of a novel. I was hooked from the first page and, at 215 pages, it turned out to be a fairly fast read. That was because I was riveted by the story, by the town of Cherokee Crossing and by the characters that came to life on the page.

It’s set in the years immediately following Word War II, and that placement in time is pivotal to the plot. Hick, the young sheriff, has recently returned from the war after enlisting at the age of 18. The Hick who comes back to Arkansas is not the same young man who left and the haunting memories he has of the war are taking over his life.

Graham has given us two parallel storylines; the war and the mark it has left on Hick, as well as the case he is investigating. She quite skillfully weaves these stories together. All of the supporting characters are strongly realized and Hick, the protagonist, is beautifully and heartbreakingly written.

In terms of setting, Graham has vividly created the world of a small and poor southern town in the years after the war. Cherokee Crossing is a character in and of itself. Her descriptions of place and time, land and water, are rich and eloquent. I felt I was there. I could see it all.

That doesn’t always happen in a novel.

Can Hick fight the demons and dreams that are haunting him? Can the mysterious death of a baby girl be solved?

I often think of my dad and the young men like him who enlisted at the young age of 18. So young, so innocent, so unprepared for the horrors of war. I think that’s why I found the character of Hick to be so compelling. Graham has written a powerful story of loss and sorrow and love and the need for redemption.

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About the author: Cynthia A. Graham has a B.A. in English from the Pierre Laclede Honors College of the University of Missouri in St. Louis. She was the winner of several writing awards during her academic career and her short stories have appeared in both university and national literary publications. Cynthia is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the St. Louis Writer’s Guild, the Missouri Writer’s Guild, and Sisters in Crime. Beneath Still Waters  is her first novel.

Unfortunately, there was no book giveaway in conjunction with this review, so I’m going to give away my copy of the book. I really want one of you to get the chance to read it. Don’t worry! My copy is in good condition!

Just leave a comment on this post before 9 pm on Friday, April 1st and I will choose the winner.

Happy Wednesday.

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Tagged With: Beneath Still Waters, book reviewFiled Under: TLC Book Review 41 Comments

Tiptoe Through the Tulips

March 29, 2016 at 8:20 am by Claudia

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No wonder tulips are the subject of so many paintings. They’re rather perfect. I love the touch of white on the edges of the pink petals.

We’re in the middle of a wind ‘event.’ Do not like. I used to love the wind, but since we moved here, to this property with oh-so-many trees, I get nervous and edgy. It started around 5:00 pm yesterday and it’s still going on. I can never truly relax when this sort of thing is happening. Perhaps some coloring should be on the docket for today?

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I’m in the midst of some research for my next coaching job. Darko is bringing me in on his next production: Anastasia, a musical. It starts rehearsals next week. I’m going to be there off and on during the rehearsal period because there are lots of Russian and French names that have to be pronounced correctly. I read the script yesterday, wrote down all the names, and now I have to figure out the pronunciations and transcribe them phonetically.

I think they’re aiming to eventually produce this on Broadway – fingers crossed.

I’ve also got a day or two consulting on some projects being produced by an old friend of mine – sometime in early April.

It’s always good for a freelancer like me to have some work on the horizon.

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I’ve got a book review scheduled for tomorrow – it’s been a while, hasn’t it? It’s a very good book and I’ll tell you more about it then. I’ve been neglectful of my book blog and I want to start posting more regularly, but this period starting when my father died on October 29th has taken its toll in many ways, one of which is blogging about books. I’m reading. I love books. But writing about them has been difficult. I promise to do better very soon.

Happy Tuesday.

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Filed Under: blogging, flowers, theater 30 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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