Mockingbird Hill Cottage — Page 1043 — Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Computer Screens, Groundhogs, Flowers & Miniatures

August 13, 2015 at 8:53 am by Claudia

Now there’s an interesting post title, don’t you think?

The rain we had on Tuesday was very heavy – I’d use the word torrential. The ground and gardens and trees got a very good soaking, indeed. Now it’s sunny and quite lovely out there.

As you know, lately I’ve been reading first thing in the morning. I’m getting so much more accomplished in terms of my personal reading and the reading I must do for review books. And I feel more centered and calm as I start my day.

I am going to get my eyes examined, however, because lately my eyes feel very strained after working on the computer. Making the adjustment from screen to distance to book to whatever is not so easy as it used to be. So I’ve been limiting my time on the computer even more. And that’s a good thing anyway, isn’t it?

I bet there’s a whole new category of eye strain that is centered around looking at a computer screen for hours.

8-13 henry

Look who I saw the other evening. Henry. Or Henrietta. He spent a long time dining on the grass. I must admit it was good to see him again. I’m sure he’s suffering from Empty Nest Syndrome, since all the youngsters have gone off on their own.

8-13 big zinnia

A particularly lovely and larger zinnia from the chicken wire fence garden.

Don, Stop Here!

I did some more work on the Top Secret Project yesterday afternoon.

8-13 TSP siding

One side of the building has been board and battened (is there such a phrase?) and painted. But I’m out of the basswood strips I’m using for the batten, so that means another trip to Michael’s. I haven’t even touched the inside of the studio yet.

Can I have a life-sized version of this, please?

Happy Thursday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Book Review: The Reinvention of Albert Paugh by Jean Davies Okimoto

August 12, 2015 at 8:55 am by Claudia

41dqwnA1M6L._SX326_BO1,204,203,200_

Today I am reviewing The Reinvention of Albert Paugh by Jean Davies Okimoto 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): Dr. Albert Paugh is flunking retirement. After selling his Vashon Island veterinary practice, he soon finds himself not only lost without his work, but suddenly single. His efforts to carve out a new life, both as a bachelor and a retiree, only leave him feeling like his “golden years” are fast becoming “years of gloom.” His regrets pile up until he moves to Baker’s Beach where he gets to know a very special neighbor, learns that friends are the family you choose, and finds a new sense of purpose. The Reinvention of Albert Paugh is a sweet, funny love story about retirees that will delight readers (and dog lovers) of any age.

My review: Charming. Delightful. Heartwarming. This book is a treasure.

The author has created a wonderful character in Albert Paugh, a veterinarian who finds that life has thrown him some curves as he navigates his post-retirement years. Devoted to his practice, even more devoted to animals (especially his dog Bert,) he is now at sixes and sevens.

What do you do when the work that gave you sustenance and peace is now forbidden (due to a non-compete clause in the contract drawn up by the new owner of the veterinary practice)? What do you do when the not-very-exciting or even particularly peaceful marriage you’ve been in for over 25 years dissolves? That’s where we find Albert Paugh at the beginning of this story.

Okimoto has described Vashon Island in great detail, and its beaches and cottages and nooks and crannies are vividly realized. It is a character in itself. The supporting cast of characters are beautifully drawn, with Albert Paugh at their center. He’s a well loved citizen of the island, kind, compassionate, and utterly befuddled by this new experience of being on his own.

And what about those single ladies in his age group who have suddenly taken a special interest in him? What to do?

In many ways, he reminds me of Father Tim, the central character in Jan Karon’s series of novels. Good, kind, devoted to animals, wryly observant of the eccentricities of those around him, he is trying to find a sense of purpose in his life. Helped by those friends he holds dear and the devotion of Bert, Dr. Paugh’s quest for reinvention will have you cheering him on.

I really loved this book. I loved the cast of characters, the story, and Vashon Island. Like the best books detailing small town life, I found myself wanting to live in its pages. I want to know these dear people. Okimoto is a gifted and wonderful writer.

It’s refreshing to read about characters who are in the sixties (and even older) who are real and complex, and just as interesting and compelling as any thirty-year-old. Bravo for that! And the reminder that love and passion can knock on the door when you think you’re too old to ever experience it again is life-affirming in the best possible way.

The back of the book says that this is “the third book in Jean Davies Okimoto’s Island Trilogy, following The Love Ceiling and Walter’s Muse.” It’s clear that some of the characters are recurring in all three novels. You can bet I’m going to read them.

If you love Jan Karon’s novels, if you love dogs (and cats), if you love books about small towns filled with rich and sometimes eccentric characters, I think you’ll really enjoy this book. It’s absolutely delightful. I didn’t want it to end.

JeanDaviesOkimoto-241x300-241x300

About the author: Jean Davies Okimoto is an author and playwright whose books and short stories have been translated into Japanese, Italian, Chinese, German, Danish, Korean and Hebrew. She is the recipient of numerous awards including Smithsonian Notable Book, the American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults, the Washington Governor’s Award, and the International Reading Association Readers Choice Award. Her picture book, Blumpoe the Grumpoe Meets Arnold the Cat was adapted by Shelly Duvall for the HBO and Showtime series “Bedtime Stories.” Her debut novel for adults, The Love Ceiling was a season’s pick by the King County Library System, named to the ABA Indie Next Reading Group List and ebook Fiction Winner in the 2009 Indie Next Generation Awards. She has appeared on CNN, Oprah and the Today Show. Jeanie, who is also a retired psychotherapist, began writing for adults when she and her husband Joe retired to Vashon Island in 2004, where they (and their dogs Bert and Willie) are visited by deer families and their six grandchildren.

Good news! One of you will be the lucky winner of a copy of this book. Leave a comment on this post and I will draw a winner on Saturday evening. Good luck!

Happy Wednesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

To Those Incapable of Shutting Off Their Cellphones: Don’t Go to the Theater

August 11, 2015 at 9:02 am by Claudia

We’re in the middle of a drenching, heavy rain. It’s been going on all night and this morning was one of those mornings when, despite it being 7:30, the darkness of the sky made it seem as if it was the middle of the night. We really need the rain. It’s been very dry here for quite a while. The rivers are down, plants are wilting, and there are brown patches in the grass. I’m not complaining, as I know what we’re temporarily going through is nothing like the drought out west. Nevertheless, it’s really good to see a steady and heavy rain.

My gardens thank you. And I thank you, as I get a break from hand watering everything.

8-11 zinnias

Have you been reading about Benedict Cumberbatch? He’s doing Hamlet in London – a sold-out run – and they’ve just started previews. He actually had to go outside and explain to theatergoers why they shouldn’t be texting, filming, and/or doing anything with their cell phones during the performance. And a few weeks back, Patti Lupone had to stop a performance to admonish an audience member about the same sort of thing. I applaud them for taking a stand. I am saddened that it’s become a pervasive issue in the theater. I hear about it all the time. I’ve witnessed it.

What have we come to? I cannot tell you how many times I have been watching a performance of a play I’m working on, only to see the glow coming from the screen of a cell phone, while audience members check their email or their text messages. I am ruthless about that sort of thing and I will get up from my seat, go down the aisle, and explain that actors can SEE that. They see the glow of a screen. They see any sort of light emanating from the audience. They find it distracting. And it’s RUDE. Hell, if I see it from my vantage point at the back of the house, of course the actors can see it. People think they’re artfully concealing the whole thing, but they’re not. Or, they simply don’t care because they are tethered to their cell phones and cannot stop.

If that is the case, I beg of you, don’t go to the theater. Don’t go to any live event where the performers are acting or singing or playing their hearts out for you. When you pull out your phone, even for a millisecond, you are disconnecting from the live experience. You are losing the thread. You are saying that your little life that is encapsulated in the tiny screen of your cell phone is more important than a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical performance. A performance, by the way, that you paid a hefty sum to see.

Oh, and by the way, don’t do it in a movie theater, either. Because, if I’m sitting there and can see it, I become distracted. I get angry. And then I have to ask you to turn off your phone. Or, better yet, get an usher to make the request. Edited to add: Please read Martha’s comment and her note of caution as to directly confronting someone, especially in what might be a dicey situation.

I know I’m speaking to the choir here, so the ‘you’ I mention is that ‘you’ that seems completely oblivious to the whole thing, the ‘you’ that is in his/her own little cellular world.

There is a huge and ever widening group of people who are addicted to their phones. It’s as if a cellphone has suddenly come to symbolize a full, rich life. A falsehood, to be sure, but one that a lot of people buy into.

I love the convenience of my smart phone and, being on the road rather frequently, I need it. So I am not one to rant about cellphones in general. I need one. But I am not tethered to it. I shut it off when I’m in rehearsal. I shut it off when I’m in a theater or a concert hall. Heck, half the time, I forget to turn it on when I’m not on the road.

What I’m really talking about is etiquette. There is a time and a place for checking your messages, for making a call, for taking pictures, or shooting a video. That place is not during a performance. It’s rude. It’s disrespectful. And in the case of video and photos, it’s illegal.

Okay. I am now stepping off the soapbox.

But, I have to tell you, this kind of thing can really set me off. And it seems to be getting worse all the time.

8-11 hollyhocks

The hollyhocks – check out the blossom to the left. What do you see?

8-11 hollyhocks & spider

If you answered a spider, you’re right. He’s been hanging around that flower for a couple of days.

Oh, and Don saw Henry/Henrietta yesterday. Sightings are rare these days, however.

Happy Tuesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Computer Screens, Groundhogs, Flowers & Miniatures

Book Review: The Reinvention of Albert Paugh by Jean Davies Okimoto

To Those Incapable of Shutting Off Their Cellphones: Don’t Go to the Theater

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

Archives