Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Back at It

February 2, 2016 at 9:13 am by Claudia

Not particularly restful, my day off was full of ‘activity.’ Writing the blog post in the a.m., followed by a couple of hours spent on notes for the actors, a shower, then out the door to grab the car and go grocery shopping. I stopped at Whole Foods, simply because I haven’t been there since I arrived and the Hartford area has two of them.

I miss Whole Foods. We don’t have one anywhere near us, and by that I mean somewhere that I could reach in, say 45 minutes. I bought some fresh vegetables and two different kinds of toothpaste that are made by manufacturers who do not do animal testing. Goodbye, Colgate and Crest.

I’ve already determined that my eye makeup also passes my new test, now I just have to buy some foundation and blush. There was a Sephora at the mall, but I was feeling the pressure to get moving, so I’ll take care of that next week.

I actually bought a piece of clothing – just a casual top, but something from a store other than Target and/or Kohl’s! Then I promptly felt guilty.

2-2 purpleflowers

I went a little crazy on the flowers, forgetting that the yellow gold flowers on the coffee table are still hanging in there, two weeks after I bought them. (I can’t throw out flowers if they’re still doing well, I just can’t.) So I put these purple babies in a jar on the desk. And there’s a vase of dark pink alstroemeria on the counter. And these:

2-2 yellowflowers2

It’s looking a bit like a florist’s shop around here. By the way, I just discovered that I have been spelling ‘alstromeria’ this way, but it’s really spelled ‘alstroemeria.’  My apologies.

Then it was back home to tackle the laundry, a process that always takes a while as I hunt down a couple of free washers and dryers. Then there’s the inevitable up and down several times on the elevator and the also inevitable ‘the dang load isn’t dry yet!’ discovery. All done by dinnertime and then and only then did I sit down and relax. Except my laptop kept acting up.

No rest for the weary.

I stopped at Anthropologie in the mall – as far as I can tell, the greater Hartford area has two Anthropologies as well! – and brought a couple of smalls home with me.

2-2 mug

This mug, an ode to London. How could I resist?

The other side:

2-2 mug2

I also grabbed the two green latte bowls in the background. I bought two in the aqua color, oh, it must have been three years ago, and I thought we needed another shot of color back at the cottage. They’re pretty inexpensive, so I went for it.

I have another long day today, a couple of quick individual coaching sessions this morning, then a run-through of the play, then a lunch break, topped off by individual coaching sessions with young Romeo and young Juliet.

Have to get going, my friends!

Happy Tuesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

Filed Under: On The Road 38 Comments

On the Road: Day Off

February 1, 2016 at 8:16 am by Claudia

2-1 quilt

It’s Monday. My day off. No lolling around for me, though, I have to type up lots of notes for the actors after yesterday’s run-through of the play, I have to go grocery shopping, I have to do laundry, I have to pay bills and I have to go to the post office. Then it’s back at it tomorrow with another day of individual actor coaching and another run-though. We’ll be running the play almost every day now as we head toward the end of the week and the move onstage.

I made it through the day yesterday and, though I was fighting pure exhaustion after my night of too-little sleep, I went out to dinner with some old and new friends and had a wonderful time. I’m so glad I did. A truly lovely evening with lots of great conversation and lots of laughter. And you know I love to laugh.

I’m thinking, looking at the schedule, I’ll be able to get home for a couple of days this weekend. The actors move onstage on Saturday and the first day of tech is on Sunday. I usually stay away from the first day of tech simply because it’s not about me and my work. It’s about lights and costumes and sound and the set and all the new elements that are being added to the production. It’s not fair to the actors for me to be taking any notes on their speech and voice – they’re concentrating on other things.

But I’ll be there off and on for the second and third days of tech – that’s when I can start taking notes on the actor’s voices and how well they carry in the theater space, as well as how clearly they are articulating the text.

2-1 globe

I picked up this little globe at the Museum gift shop the other day. I love globes and this one is just the right size for the desk here in the apartment and the desk back home. It sits on a pretty wooden circle.

I have to get moving. Too many things to accomplish today!

Happy Monday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: coaching, On The Road, theater 20 Comments

Sunday. That’s the Best I Can Do for a Post Title.

January 31, 2016 at 7:42 am by Claudia

To say my sleep patterns have been erratic since I arrived in Hartford is putting it mildly.

Today I woke up at 5 am – too early for the long day that lies ahead.

Sigh.

It isn’t the bed, which is quite comfortable. It isn’t the noise because it’s fairly quiet here. All I know is that sometimes I wake up and it’s still dark, but I’m sure it’s later than it is – maybe around 6:30 – and my brain starts going or I get up to go to the bathroom and I look at the clock at it’s not even 5 yet.  I try to go back to sleep but it’s too late, usually, because I can’t turn off my brain.

So I get up and make some coffee.

I wish it would all even out, but I don’t think it will, so I simply have to go with it.

We start early today, working through some key scenes, and eventually do our first stumble-through of the entire play. A mutual friend of ours from the Old Globe days is in town and we’re all going to dinner after rehearsal.

I’m not going home on my day off because there’s really not enough time make it worthwhile and I’m tired. I think I’ll be able to grab a couple of days back at the cottage at the end of the week, when we move onstage.

1-31 hartfordlibrary

The Hartford Public Library, taken last Saturday, right before the snow arrived. If you look closely, you can see the café. I’ve never had the time to dine there, but maybe I will this time around.

1-31 hartfordlibary2

There’s a Jazz series every Sunday afternoon.

Oh, and I wanted to share my new favorite hand cream with you.

1-25 TJhandcream

Inexpensive and really lovely and smooth. And no animal testing. I really want to eliminate any products that are tested on animals from my life. It might take a while, but that’s my goal for 2016. I saw a photo recently of cats being tested and it sent a chill down to my very core. There’s no excuse for using a living being as a test subject. And I’m very firm on that one and no amount of debating will change my mind.

So I haven’t picked a ‘word’ for 2016, but I am vowing to do as much as I can to research the products I routinely use and throw them out if there is any animal testing involved. It’s time for me to step up.

That’s my goal.

I’m not preaching, except to myself.

Happy Sunday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

 

Filed Under: animals, On The Road 28 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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