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My Latest Finds

July 9, 2014 at 8:09 am by Claudia

We had more thunderstorms last night. Wind, sheets of rain, the rumbling sound of thunder that went on and on. There was a time when Scout would have been going nuts. Border Collies have very sensitive ears and any sort of thunderstorm (or fireworks) made her incredibly agitated.

She doesn’t really hear them anymore. It makes things easier for us, but I confess it also makes me sad. She has cataracts. She doesn’t hear very well. She has arthritis.

But she remains the bright, precious spirit that she has always been. She still has a twinkle in her eye. I love my girl.

Do you remember when I went to the Country Living Fair? I mentioned in passing that I bought a little piece of miniature pottery on my first day there. What with the sudden offer of a job in Chautauqua and the flurry of packing that ensued, I never got around to showing it to you.

minipottery-newestfind

There it is. I rather like it.

miniature pottery on display

And here it is with its brothers and sisters. I think I’m going to have to find another display shelf….I’m running out of room!

I tend to collect lots of things. (That’s an understatement.) One collection has required no monetary investment, just a good eye. The items are found here and there, on the property or on the road. I don’t have room for a Cabinet of Curiosities, but I do have a Transferware Plate of Curiosities. And yes, I do curate it. I just did that the other day. I cleared out and cleaned up and here it is:

plate of curiosities

Next to the plate: two pieces of china that I unearthed in our woods the other day. Love the crazing.

On the plate, starting from left center and moving clockwise:

A piece of china I found on the shores of Chautauqua Lake. The edges have been smoothed by the water.

A polished agate that Don gave me.

A cicada wing.

A piece that Don found. It looks like some sort of nozzle. I love swirly design in the metal.

One half of a nutshell. Love the texture.

Part of a yellow eggshell that I found on the property last year. Still haven’t determined what sort of bird egg it is.

An acorn cap.

These pods fall from the trees in the park I frequent when I am working in Hartford.

A robin’s egg that I found this year on our property. You know how I feel about that particular shade of blue.

Two acorns.

A piece of glass that I found on the shore of Chautauqua Lake. I’d call it sea glass, but I suppose a more accurate term would be lake glass.

All of them live on the sideboard in the living room. I like to stop and look at them a few times a day. They make me happy.

I’m so glad you like the book blog, by the way. There’s another post up today. Just click on this link. Needless to say, with two blogs up and running, I’ve been busy!

Happy Wednesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: Chautauqua, china and pottery, collecting, nature, Scout 18 Comments

Book Review: Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey

July 8, 2014 at 7:48 am by Claudia

Elizabeth is Missing

Today I am reviewing Elizabeth is Missing for TLC Book Tours. As always, I am provided with a copy of the book in return for my honest review.

About the book (from the publisher): In this darkly riveting debut novel, a sophisticated psychological mystery, one woman will stop at nothing to find her best friend, who seems to have gone missing…

Despite Maud’s growing anxiety about Elizabeth’s welfare, no one takes her concerns seriously – not her frustrated daughter, not her caretakers, not the police, and especially not Elizabeth’s mercurial son – because Maud suffers from dementia. But even as her memory disintegrates and she becomes increasingly dependent on the trail of handwritten notes she leaves for herself in her pockets and around the house, Maud cannot forget her best friend. Armed with only an overwhelming feeling that Elizabeth needs her help, Maud resolves to discover the truth – no matter what it takes.

As this singular obsession forms a cornerstone of Maud’s rapidly dissolving present, the clues she uncovers lead her deeper into her past, to another unsolved disappearance: that of her sister, Sukey, who vanished shortly after World War II. As vivid memories of a tragedy that occurred more than fifty years ago come flooding back, Maud’s search for Elizabeth develops a frantic momentum. Whom can she trust? Can she trust herself?

A page-turning novel of suspense, Elizabeth is Missing also hauntingly reminds us that we are all at the mercy of our memory. Always compelling, often poignant, and at times even blackly witty, this is an absolutely unforgettable novel.

My review: What sets this mystery apart from others is the dementia of the protagonist. What an amazing choice for this author to make! The standard mystery devices are all there: a missing person, clues, time, place, characters past and present, the need to solve the mystery. But filtering all of that through the mind of a woman who at one moment has a thought only to forget that thought completely a moment later changes everything. Healey writes beautifully and compassionately. She manages to take us on a journey seen through the eyes and thoughts of Maud; living on her own, coping with daily caregivers, writing notes to herself so she will not forget what to get at the store, or how to make tea, or what to say to the police. What Healey creates for her readers is a real sense of the frustration and embarrassment and fear that Maud (or anyone else with dementia) feels as she struggles to remember that one thought, that one clue, that one thing she must convey to others.

I confess to being completely blown away by this novel. My mother suffered from dementia in the months before her recent death. So did my grandmother. Maud’s struggles hit home in a way that is painful, but ultimately, so important.

So, not only do we have the mysteries of the human mind to contemplate, we also have the very real mystery of the missing Elizabeth, along with the disappearance of Maud’s beloved sister Sukey so many years before. Moving back and forth between the past and the present, Maud struggles to find some answers.

Healey writes so movingly about what it must be like to be elderly and forgetful; the embarrassed looks of others, the sense that no one takes Maud seriously, the ‘there, there’ kind of placating she receives, the pity, and the reality that no one really ‘sees’ her anymore. One of my favorite passages:

Everyone in the congregation is a bit dressed up. Or they’ve made some effort, anyway, winding silk scarves around their necks or sliding sparkly things into their hair. I feel rather drab and shy for a few minutes. But then I remember that I am old and nobody is looking at me.”

Breaks my heart.

I loved this book. Emma Healey is a wonderful writer and I guarantee you will be as moved as I was as you take this journey with Maud – a character that is drawn fully, completely and beautifully.

And one you will not soon forget.

Emma Healey photo credit Martin Figura

About the author: Emma Healey holds a degree in bookbinding and an MA in Creative Writing. Elizabeth is Missing is her first novel. She lives in the UK.

Good news: one of you will win a copy of Elizabeth is Missing. Just leave a comment on this post and you will be entered. I will pick a winner on Friday evening. Good luck!

Happy Tuesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

Filed Under: TLC Book Review 66 Comments

The Launch

July 7, 2014 at 7:44 am by Claudia

prettydaylily

Today marks the launch of my new book blog.

(I’m very excited!)

This love of mine for all things reading and books has been a part of this blog for a long time. Because reading is one of my passions, it couldn’t help but leap onto the virtual pages of Mockingbird Hill Cottage. And it will still be a presence here. In fact, I have a book review slated for tomorrow. But since this blog reflects my daily life, it is an eclectic mix of topics and no one topic can predominate.

That’s what got my brain percolating. Why not a blog devoted to the passion that I have had since I first learned to read as a little girl? I guess you can say that, in terms of passions or hobbies or things I love to do, reading has reigned the longest. Reading is the Queen of my life.

So I’ve designed and launched this new blog.

It’s called Just Let Me Finish This Page. (Click on the link.) I chose that title in honor of all the times I was late for dinner or for starting a chore because my head was buried in a book. When Mom called, “Dinner!” I would respond with, “Just let me finish this page!” A few minutes later, she would say it again, “Claudia, I said it’s time for dinner.” “Okay Mom, just let me finish this page…” And on it would go until she put her foot down and I had to put the book aside.

This is for you, Mom. I got my love of reading from you. Thank you. I miss you.

The new blog is just that. New. I haven’t added a navigation menu and won’t until I know more about the direction it will take. But since there’s only one post so far, I don’t think you need to navigate anything!

I’m proud of the look and feel of the blog.

I hope you like it, too. Please stop by and visit. You can subscribe via email. You can add it to your bookmarked sites. There is also a link to Just Let Me Finish This Page on this blog’s sidebar.

Come on over!

Happy Monday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: blog, blogging, books 32 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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