Mockingbird Hill Cottage — Page 1180 — Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Early Sunday Morning

January 25, 2015 at 8:25 am by Claudia

1-25 windowsill

Another porch plant brought in for the winter, this one gracing us with delicate little purple flowers.

I sit here in the early morning lamplight – I seem to be waking up rather early these days – sipping coffee, while Don plays his guitar quietly in the living room, Scoutie sleeping by his side.

I’d say that’s a nice way to begin the day.

Speaking of coffee, our neighborhood market ran out of Peet’s French Roast and we were forced to try another brand until new stock came in. The brand, which shall be nameless, was okay. But just okay. When I went to Target on Friday, the very first thing I did was run for the coffee aisle and replenish my stock of Peet’s. Since it was on sale, I grabbed two.

I didn’t actually ‘run’ for the coffee aisle. A better description would be ‘walked briskly.’

There’s everything else and then there’s Peet’s.

We got about six inches of heavy, wet snow yesterday with big, fat flakes falling during the night and well into the day. Drum roll: Don got to use the snow blower. He was very happy. I shoveled Scout’s small corral and all the paths to the house and shed. All in all, I got some good exercise and, in terms of yesterday’s post, I felt better because of it. Just enough shoveling. But not shoveling to the point of exhaustion which would have been the case pre-snow blower.

Then we had some frozen pizza.

Then, to test out the effects of the snow blower on the long, uphill driveway, Don got in the car and went to the store to buy some Vitamin D, per your advice.

Then we watched Coal Miner’s Daughter on TCM. I hadn’t seen it since it first came out in 1980, so it was like watching it for the first time. Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones were wonderful. Last Sunday we watched To Kill a Mockingbird. Thursday we watched Singin’ In The Rain. All in all, a great week for movies on TCM. Do I even need to say that both Don and I cried when Scout said “Hey, Boo” in TKAM?

No, of course I don’t.

1-25 windowsill 2

I’m almost finished with John Connolly’s The Reapers. (Goodness, I love his books.) Then I have to take a break from all things Connolly and start reading some books scheduled for review.

Remember the quilt I pieced when I was working in Hartford a couple of years ago? I started hand quilting it at the time, then I lost interest and put it away. I hauled it downstairs the other day and it now sits on top of the basket across the room from me here in the den – taunting me. I do believe I’m going to get back into the hand quilting, which will take a long while to finish as I apparently decided to quilt overlapping circles that are dense and close together. That means the amount of quilting per square is on the heavy side. That also means that I have continue that pattern or it will look bizarre, so it will take a lot of time. This is the kind of project where I have to erase the enormity of the whole picture from my mind and truly do it ‘one day at a time.’

How is your Sunday shaping up? I hope you are having a relaxing, happy, wonderful day.

Happy Sunday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Winter-Me

January 24, 2015 at 8:46 am by Claudia

Pantel - Sunset

The last few days have brought a realization. The pieces of a puzzle have come together for me at this point in time.

Winter, after a lifetime of winters, is different for me now. I was raised in the Midwest, have lived in Boston and Philadelphia and New York State – all places that see their share of tough winters. I’ve only spent eight years of my life in a place that was sunny and warm in the winter. The conclusion being: I’m used to winter. I come from tough stock. I’ve braved all sorts of wintery experiences. I can handle it.

But I can’t. Starting with last year, which was admittedly an extreme year for winter in my neck of the woods, I have crossed a sort of divide. Winter brings a kind of depression to me. I feel down. I feel distant. I have to force myself to do something other than those routine daily chores that are done without thinking.

Almost as soon as January entered the picture, with all the holiday celebrations come and gone, I felt a change coming over me. I became a bit detached, for want of a better word. I couldn’t understand it at first, but as I put those puzzle pieces together, a pattern emerged. A bit of lethargy, more than a little testiness on my part, no feeling of get-up-and-go. Nothing seemed to hold my interest for very long.

I think, after years and years of winters, winters that had no effect on me other than the usual hassles of shoveling and inconvenience (cold temperatures have never really bothered me), I’ve entered a new phase. I get depressed in the winter.

This is not to be confused with clinical depression, which is an entirely different thing.

So maybe I’ll call it the Doldrums.

This is seasonal. It’s a mix of Seasonal Affective Disorder, feeling shut in, unable to work in the garden, endless gray skies and extreme weather, along with a lack of work that often comes in the winter. There’s probably more to it than that, but that’s a good start.

It’s such a strange change for me. Almost like I’m dealing with someone other than myself. Did reaching the 60 year mark also mark a mood change? I mentioned it to my dad yesterday and he immediately said, “It’s because you’re older.” He said it very firmly, with no hesitation. He’s been there, he said.

I know all about full spectrum lights and SAD. I need to get more exercise, force myself to take walks on a gray, wintry day, and my sister suggested some Vitamin D. I’m pretty sure I know what to do to combat this feeling. Nevertheless, it’s a wee bit bewildering and baffling. It’s a new Winter-Me. I can’t say I’m entirely comfortable with it and I suppose that goes with the territory.

Yesterday, I was determined to be cheery and I pulled it off, for the most part. Today, we’re being inundated with snow as a result of a Nor’easter. Another challenge. Being in the country is lovely most of the time, but in the winter it can be tough. Cities also bring challenges, but you’re out and about along with lots of other people, so there is less of a feeling of isolation. Isolation that I normally love and embrace.

Blogging helps because it forces me to write something every day. It helps me to see the beauty of daily life – even in the winter.

Ah well. Do any of you suffer from this winter malady? Do you find yourself with a case of the blues during these days of less daylight and more weather challenges?

Do you get a case of the Doldrums?

(You may occasionally see an ad on one of the photos in a post. I’m experimenting with avenues for more ad income, which has been very low as of late. Just giving you a heads up.)

Happy Saturday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Scenes From The Cottage: The Studio

January 23, 2015 at 8:54 am by Claudia

For those of you who are new to the blog, this is a little space I carved out of the upstairs hallway. I use it for my sewing machine and a cupboard that holds supplies and favorite things. I used to call it my studio. In fact there was an article published about this space that used that very word.

However, ‘Studio’ is another term I’m trying to phase out – purely in terms of my personal space. Because I don’t feel entirely comfortable with that word. Don insists that I’m an artist. And I am. But do I earn my living from the things I create in this space? No. So, studio? I’m not so sure.

So….what word to use?

Craft room? It’s not really a room, is it? Craft space? No. I’m also tired of ‘craft’ and ‘crafting.’ Creative space? That might be a possibility, although my creative space is not limited to this hallway. If I could get away with it, I’d use the word ‘atelier’ because it conjures up spaces with skylights tucked in the attics or garrets of a French building. And I have a skylight and this space is located in the former attic of this cottage.

Atelier, though bordering on pretentious, might be sort of fun. What do you think?

I’ve chronicled this space a lot on this blog and it has gone through various incarnations. To tell you the truth, I haven’t been using it much lately and I’ve felt sort of ‘meh’ about it. I think it has nothing to do with the space, but more to do with where my head is at lately.

Corners-studio 2

Letitia, my vintage dress form, and the cabinet I got on Craig’s List for $75. I repainted it at the same time I was going crazy painting the bedroom furniture.

Corners-studio 3

The girls: my mom’s Shirley Temple doll on the left, Tressa (who has two left feet, so of course I had to rescue her) is in the center, and Emma (also a rescue) is on the right. Party hat made by my friend Tina, who also gave me the tiara.

studioupdate4a

Egg cups on a vintage mantel that’s been hung on the wall. I found the flower print in San Diego, the shadowbox holds a program from the Broadway play, Claudia, along with a little tiny bride and groom cake topper. The program was given to my by my friend Suzanne. That burlap and lace ribbon says Mockingbird Hill Cottage. The fireplace screen on the floor was found in my friend Heidi’s now defunct shop. I love it. The pink sewing box was found in Wisconsin when I was coaching there. It holds all the letters Don sent to me when we were courting. (Lamb Chop has recently moved to the top of the sewing machine. She gets around.) The sewing basket (which has recently moved to a closet in my effort to clean up this space) was found in a local shop – embellishments added by me. It holds all my embroidery supplies.

studioupdate11

Inside the cabinet: threads, ribbons, buttons, some McCoy, fabric covered boxes, a piece of Roseville Pottery, a koala bear bank from my friend Becky, and my bride and groom cake toppers.

studioupdate16

The putz sheep that my friend Lori (who is the owner of Vignettes in San Diego) had a friend embellish and decorate for me is on the right. I treasure it so much! I miss Vignettes, which is my favorite shop ever. The putz sheep on the left was given to me by my dear friend Judy. The Claudia covered matchbook was made by another dear blogging friend, Elyse.

studio8b

If you look at the frame on the right at the top, you can see the original colors of the cabinet.

Corners-studio

My Ranarp lamp from IKEA. And more overwintering impatiens. The pin cushion was made by Debbie of Happy Little Cottage. I found the little blue pitcher with the letters CH on it in a little antique shop. My initials, of course, so I had to have it.

There was a lovely old shelf on the wall behind the sewing machine but it fell off the wall one day. I’m still trying to figure out if I want to repair it or just put something else there.

Corners-studio 4

A favorite chair. If you look closely, you can see where I stepped through the cane on the chair back. Yes, my friends, I did. I was standing on the chair in the bedroom trying to get to a leak in the ceiling and the chair fell over, causing my foot to go through the cane. I was extremely ticked off at my foolishness. Much cursing and swearing ensued.

lamb chop 1

Lamb Chop and Baby Lamb Chop sit on top of the sewing machine, which is covered by a vintage embroidered doily roll that I found in an antique shop a few years back.

Corners-studio 8

The baby mug with the C was made by Emma Bridgewater. I got it many years ago while I was in London at her shop in Marylebone, which I think is no longer there. I found the wall pocket in a local vintage shop.

Corners-studio 7

A vintage kitchen spice shelf hangs on the wall. That’s the original Lamb with the Party Hat. Yes, indeed! And a doggie toothpick holder, some vintage miniature clothespins and a Paris/Eiffel Tower medal I got at Vignettes in San Diego.

There are other tours of the ~~studio~~, ahem, atelier, on the blog. It’s had many looks, and lots more ‘stuff’ along the way; I cleaned a lot of that up about a year ago because I was in the mood for a less cluttered look.

That’s it, my friends. No bathroom tours and definitely no tour of the guest bedroom/office/studio which is currently a mishmash of furniture and guitars and amps. Maybe someday.

Happy Friday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Early Sunday Morning

Winter-Me

Scenes From The Cottage: The Studio

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

Archives