Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Blessed

September 30, 2015 at 9:16 am by Claudia

Thank you, my friends. Thank you for reading, for wise counsel, for sharing your own stories with all of us. I debated writing about my worries yesterday. Actually, I wasn’t going to do it, but as sometimes happens, I started writing about the horses and my grandfather and somehow that tied in to other people in my life and, eventually, brought me around to our situation. When that happens, it’s as if the post is writing itself. I just step back and let it happen.

I’ve repeatedly witnessed what happens with that sort of post. It resonates in a way I hadn’t expected. And that’s exactly what happened yesterday. The discussion we had in the comments section was simply wonderful; honest and brave. Knowing we are not alone is a huge comfort. It also puts things into perspective and keeps us from playing the victim card. Everyone is dealing with change and struggle and, sometimes, fear. I’ve said it before on this blog: I refuse to be a victim. But that doesn’t make my struggles any less real. Or yours. We take responsibility, we acknowledge the ways of our current world, and we do our best.

So, thank you again. I’m blessed by your presence in my life.

9-30 don petting scout

I looked up the other day and saw this.

After my heart had melted, I grabbed the camera. Wouldn’t you?

He’s petting his girl. I’ve seen this a few times since – always in the late afternoon – and it always fills my heart to overflowing.

Scout is very thin these days. It wasn’t that long ago that the vet told us she was overweight. Now, I can pick her up easily – she’s like a feather. She struggles when moving about the house. Her hips and back legs are weak. But she’s still our girl. She eats heartily. She is demanding (thank goodness!) She’s hanging in there.

But day by day, we tick off things she doesn’t do anymore. She doesn’t jump up on the loveseat anymore. That’s happened within the past few weeks. She doesn’t pounce. Though she still ‘gallops’ she doesn’t do it as much as she used to.

And we miss all of it.

She’ll be seventeen in early January. She remains the light of our lives. We’ve been extraordinarily blessed by her magical, wondrous being.

Okay. Let’s look at a pretty flower.

9-30 zinnia

It rained heavily overnight and it looks like we’re going to have rain nearly every day for the next week. How I wish I could send some to my friends who live in drought-stricken states! We’re going to be getting too much rain. You would give anything for some moisture.

Hopefully, the advent of El Nino will help to ease some of the drought conditions. I so hope that is the case for all of you.

Happy Wednesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: life 52 Comments

Tuesday Thoughts

September 29, 2015 at 9:31 am by Claudia

On our trail walk yesterday, almost hidden under a canopy of trees on the side of the path:

9-29 horses

These beautiful creatures.

The iPhone didn’t particularly like me shooting into a darkish area, so this is the best I could do. There was the smell of horses and hay and manure, instantly taking me back to my childhood – to the days when my grandparents lived on four acres and had horses. Pa (with a short a, as in pat – that’s what we called my grandfather) usually had two horses living in the barn and occasionally boarded other horses. I was pretty young in those days. I rode the horses, but always with an adult at my side.

My sisters never knew that property, for by the time they came along, my grandparents had moved to a more populated town. The upkeep of the property in the country had become too much for Pa. He sold the property and the horses.

Now that I write about it, I realize how hard that must have been for Pa, a Canadian guy with the nickname ‘Slim’ who drove racing sulkies when he was a young man, and was truly a cowboy at heart. He wore Stetsons. He loved bolo ties. He subscribed to American Horseman magazine. He loved everything about his horses and all horses. He went to horse sales every Friday night. He had a collection of horse bits from all over the world.

How heartbreaking it must have been to reach an age where his leg was acting up, emphysema was starting to take its toll, where the upkeep of four acres was too much, where he had to sell the property and the horses.

What was there for a guy like that to do, after all those chores were no longer necessary?

9-29 orange zinnia

Life can be very tough, especially when getting older means having to leave behind a long-held passion. Or, in my parents’ case, leaving their beloved northern Michigan behind to move to Florida in order to have one of the children nearby. Or facing the reality that you can no longer handle driving a car with any degree of confidence anymore.

As we are in our early sixties now, I feel more and more compassion and empathy for those decisions that had to be made in the face of a shifting reality. We are feeling the stress of the shifting financial realities that seem to be a constant in the life of two freelancers. Unless I win the lottery, or some stranger leaves me a large sum of money, we’ll eventually have to sell our beloved Mockingbird Hill Cottage. The mortgage is too high, the upkeep will get increasingly tougher for us to handle, we’ll never have any cushion if we’re forced to keep up those mortgage payments – and what way is that to live as we get older?

I’ve been thinking about that a lot for the past few days.

Then I turn it over to God/a Higher Being/Divine Intelligence, because I have no idea at times how we’ll get through any given month, but somehow we do. And I have to trust that the answers will be provided; a gentle nudge here, an opportunity there, a door opening (hopefully) that was previously closed.

But, boy oh boy, can I be swallowed up in fear just like that. In a flash. In a millisecond.

Deep breath. Affirm truth. Trust. Move forward.

My watchwords for the day.

I hope your day is peaceful and happy. That’s what I’m aiming for.

New post up on Just Let Me Finish This Page.

Happy Tuesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

 

 

Filed Under: aging, animals, Mockingbird Hill Cottage 69 Comments

Trails and Evening Skies

September 28, 2015 at 9:22 am by Claudia

Don walks on our rail trail almost every day. He’s getting very disciplined about it. I, unfortunately, am not so disciplined, but I’m trying to change that.

9-28 trail walk

We live about a mile from the rail trail, which runs right through the middle of our town. At any given time, you’ll see walkers, cyclists, joggers, and riders on horseback. It’s very popular and it’s beautiful.

Yesterday afternoon, I suggested we take a walk together and it was lovely. It felt good – a reminder reminder that I always feel better and more relaxed after a nice, long walk.

On this particular stretch of the rail trail, you can see horses in paddocks, farms, and the beautiful mountain ridge that we can also see from our front yard.

Lovely.

Then there was this view, seen as I let Scout outside early in the evening.

9-28 last night's sky

I took this picture, left the camera on the table, reminding myself to go back once more and get a shot of the sunset – but I got distracted. In the blink of an eye, it was too late.

Ah, well.

I’m feeling much better, but the cough is lingering on. It’s annoying, to say the least.

Today is my dad’s 92nd birthday. When I spoke to him yesterday, I mentioned that I would be calling him again today. He said, grudgingly, that it was no big deal that he’d made it to 92. I responded that ‘making it to 92’ was cause for celebration.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy Monday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: life 26 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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The Dogs

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Scout & Riley. Riley left us in 2012. Scout left us in February 2016. Dearest babies. Dearest friends.

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