Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Still Life While Sipping

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still-life

Still Life On The Dining Room Table. I ran out to get a few things yesterday at the usual places: Target and Trader Joe’s. The alstromeria I bought when I first came to Harford finally bit the dust yesterday (it lasted three weeks!) I wanted to buy some more flowers and though the bright orange plastic pitcher I had been using for the flowers on the dining room table was an interesting choice, it had lost its allure. Looking for a cheap vase that I could reuse at home, I came across a large canning jar at Target – $1.99. Hello! You’re coming home with me.

I have another bouquet on the kitchen peninsula.

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This vase was purchased when I first arrived – $3.99. I can always use vases back home.

Oh, you’re wondering about that tin?

Would you like to see a close-up?

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As a well-known hot chocolate aficionado, you can imagine my delight when my eyes zeroed in on this tin when I was shopping at Trader Joe’s.

Sipping Chocolate. Well, I wondered, how is that different than hot cocoa?

I felt it my duty to read TJ’s description:

Not quite a hot cocoa. Hardly chocolate milk. Oh no. This is a chocolate experience meant to be sipped and savored…a European delight. One taste of our Trader Joe’s Sipping Chocolate and you may feel like you’ve been whisked away to a sidewalk bistro in Rome or Barcelona. This decadent chocolate elixir has been crafted in the European style using only the finest ingredients. Immerse your taste buds in this rich bittersweet chocolate. Simply add milk or water to enjoy this velvety smooth sipping chocolate at home.

You’re coming home with me.

Verdict: It’s really, really good. And it does have a wonderful bittersweet taste, which I really like. $3.99, if I remember correctly. I’m going to make some for Don when he comes to visit. Update: We’re delaying until next week. Don doesn’t have enough time off and we have realized it would be next to impossible to pull it off.

Sad.

After being pretty much exhausted all day long, Scoutie rallied and did her running thing in the park last night. Oh, that girl! She simply amazes me. It’s truly magical. I had to run to keep up with her during last night’s adventure. Imagine!

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This is the view out my window this morning. Not one, not two, but three cranes.

Try not to be jealous.

Thank you for all the wonderful anniversary wishes. We truly appreciate them, my friends.

New post up on Just Let Me Finish This Page about my professional work with actors, words, and Shakespeare.

Happy Monday.

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We Are Sixteen, Going On Seventeen

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Sixteen years ago today, I married the love of my life.

Gosh, we look young here! This photo was taken the morning after our wedding by my sister-in-law, Suzie.

We’ve grown older. We’ve been together twenty years and have been married for sixteen. Our small, very private ceremony took place in Nevada City, CA, where Don was doing a one-man show, Jeeves Takes Charge. It was Monday, Don’s day off and, coincidentally, Columbus Day. The ceremony was beautiful. We both cried all the way through it. I had a cast on my left ankle, which had been broken in August. We exchanged single white roses. Afterward, we took a horse-drawn carriage ride through the autumnal streets of Nevada City and since it was a holiday there were a lot of people around. They smiled and waved and it was beautiful.

I once thought I would never marry; indeed, had absolutely no desire to be married. Thank goodness I waited. Thank goodness I was happy enough with myself that I never felt I needed a relationship to feel fulfilled. But when, in my forties, I was ready to open the door to that possibility, Don walked into my life and the girl who didn’t want to marry suddenly wanted very much to be married. But only to this man.

What an amazing ride it has been! Thank you, dearest love, for everything. Thank you for understanding my eccentricities and neuroses, for making me laugh so hard that I can barely contain myself or my bladder, for your compassion and love for your fellow man, for your everyday kindness to everyone, for your wisdom, for your intelligence, for your cooking skills, for your wonderful craziness, for your infinite patience, for your back rubs, for being as silly as me – if not more so, for loving to cuddle on the sofa, for sharing the adventure that is our life together. And for being such a good dad to our dogs.

See you tomorrow, my love. Happy Anniversary.

P.S. Scout did it again last night! Running and running in the lamplit park. Amazing.

Happy Sunday.

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Joy, Pure Joy

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I had the most amazing experience with Scout last night. You all know she has arthritis, right? And she hops on her right front leg, which can make getting around a little tough. And getting up and down is difficult.

But this girl, this incredible girl, doesn’t let it stop her.

Especially here. She takes delight in all the people, the activity, the smells, and the park. She seems to have blossomed here, which tells me her life at home is secure but maybe a little boring. She’s used to it. The stimulation of this new place has been really good for her.

So, at about 9:45 last night, I took her out to take care of business. We ended up in the park, which was lit by lights that border the sidewalks. Sort of dreamy and wonderful. She did her thing and then she proceeded to lope around and around the lawn. She was on a leash, so I let her take the lead while I followed. On and on she loped, even galloped at times, no matter that she had to hop. She circled and loped and ran, her eyes were bright and she was joyous and she wouldn’t stop. I laughed out loud, so full of happiness in that moment that I thought I would burst.

She has had a lot of excess energy when I’ve arrived home the last two evenings and I guess she had to get that out. I can’t tell you how amazing and wondrous the whole experience was. My 15½ year old girl was carefree, happy, filled with joy. As we traveled back to the apartment on the sidewalk, I actually had to jog to keep up with her! I texted Don immediately (he was onstage) and told him about it.

Such a gift. This time in Hartford with her has been hard at times, but I realize now that she has needed this stimulation. This is an adventure and my girl loves an adventure. Daddy and I promise to give you more adventures when we get back home, dear one.

I am deeply grateful this morning. My heart is full. How lucky I am that our work situation required Scout’s presence here in Hartford. To see her this excited about a new experience at this stage in her life has been worth it.

I love my girl, this girl we call our ‘magic dog.’ She is an angel who blesses everyone she meets.

On the other side of the coin, it’s the Hartford Marathon today and I’m sitting here with earplugs in my ears trying to mute the incredibly loud rock music coming from the park. It started at 7:30 am. I’m sure the actors in the company were not real happy about that. So I have the Singers and Swing channel going on the television, earplugs in as well, while Scout is in the tunnel sleeping through the whole thing. But I’m so happy about our experience last night that even the blaring music can’t bring me down.

If you missed it, I wrote a review of Personal by Lee Child yesterday. It’s on Just Let Me Finish This Page.

Happy Saturday.

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Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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