Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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On a Monday

May 6, 2013 at 9:37 am by Claudia

Between long days in the rehearsal rooms and my out-of-control allergies, I am whipped. The fact that my allergies leave me feeling very tired and slightly foggy doesn’t help. The glorious trees filled with blossoms around here are a feast for the eyes and a pain in the tush.

Why am I the only one of the four children in my family to suffer from allergies?

I ask you, why?

I also suffered from acne as a teenager. Did my sisters? No. My brother struggled with it, though. To this day, I can’t really talk about it because it was so traumatic. Thank goodness today’s teens have a wealth of products to help them control that scourge. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I still have the occasional blemish and I’m friggin’ 60 years old! What the heck?

coffeetable

I didn’t like the look of the quilt on the coffee table. I love quilts, I do, but I like them in certain places: on a bed, on the back of a sofa or on the wall. I like them used sparingly because I think it makes for a stronger visual impression. For some reason, I don’t like patchwork pillows. Go figure. Anyway, I also didn’t like the way the quilt draped on the table, so I pulled out this piece of barkcloth that I brought with me and tossed it on the table. It makes for a nice splash of red.

I could easily amass a huge collection of barkcloth. I love it. Love the texture, the vivid retro patterns – the whole thing.

livingroom

The living room needs some color, don’t you think? Between the dark gray carpeting, the darkish green slipcover and the dark finish on the furniture….oy. Where’s my paint?

desktop

In this apartment, I have to sit at the desk to use the laptop. At home, it sits on my lap. So I spend a lot of my time sitting at this Ikea desk, drinking my morning coffee. Peet’s French Roast – brought from home. My essential. I also write up my notes for the actors here.

Life on the road rehearsing a play is interesting. The actors quickly work to form a bond, creating a sort of family in this home away from home. As they must. The rest of us; stage managers, coaches, assistants, exist on the periphery of the acting company. We are a part of the process but we are, for lack of a better word, in positions of authority. Authority isn’t quite right, but it will do for now. I was an actress for many years and I know very well the bond that exists between cast members. You create that bond very quickly, for you need each other. And if you’re away from home, you need each other even more. Now that I am a coach/teacher, I find that I miss that connection a bit. And yet, I’m solitary and like my privacy. Push-pull, as often happens in my life.

view

The view out my window. This used to be an office building that was built for the telephone company. There is now a new AT&T building next door. That red building you see is an old hotel, which is empty at the moment. That makes me sad. Just imagine what that space looks like inside – I’d love to get in there and explore!

I like old buildings the best.

Today is my brother’s birthday. He would have been 66 years old. Happy Birthday, Dave. You are missed.

Happy Monday.

signature2

Filed Under: On The Road 37 Comments

On the Road: Fresh Flowers

May 5, 2013 at 8:15 am by Claudia

alstrobud

My number one rule for an extended stay out of town: Buy some fresh flowers for your hotel room or apartment.

If I’m out of town for more than a few days, this rule goes into effect. Let’s face it, housing can be fairly nondescript and impersonal. Hotels do their best to make you feel welcome, but they’ve been designed for mass appeal; likewise, this guest artist housing here in Hartford. All the necessary items are provided: dishes, pans, desk, television, sofa, coffee maker, bed, dresser. The bathroom is nice and large. I can hook up to the internet. I’m grateful for all that has been provided.

But it ain’t home. I can, however, do my best to make it cozier. You’ve seen my quilts and books and sewing machine and of course, Wayfrum, Little Lamb and Maggie Rabbit. These little touches from home put my stamp on an impersonal apartment.

tulips

Flowers? Number one necessity. On Friday morning, I grabbed the car that three of us are sharing and drove to Trader Joe’s. I needed some food and I needed some flowers. TJ’s prices can’t be beat, so I treated myself to two bouquets. These yellow tulips provide a wonderful, cheery splash of color. I have yellow tulips in the ground at home that will bloom while I am away (again) so I thought these were an appropriate choice. I’m getting my tulips one way or another!

tulipsinvase

I brought my pink hobnail vase with me but the wonderful thing about actor housing is that there are always vases around. Actors get flowers for opening night. They keep them in the dressing room or their apartment. When they leave town, they usually don’t want to transport a glass vase. Hence, the 3 or 4 vases I found here in the apartment.

Lucky me!

pinkvasewithflowers

I had to grab some alstromeria while I was at Trader Joe’s. I love alstromeria because it lasts a long time, so I get lots of bang for my buck.

Ah. I can’t tell you how happy I was to get fresh flowers for this space. Happier than I was buying the groceries I needed. Flowers make all the difference in the world.

We’ve had some long days of rehearsal lately. The show has been blocked and I’ve finished my one-on-one sessions with the actors for the time being. Now, Darko is working through each act of the play, fine-tuning the movements of the actors, making sure they are clear about what is happening in each moment and that the speaking of the text supports that. I am by his side, ready to jump up if needed and clarify what needs to happen from my point-of-view. At the end of the day yesterday, we ran Act Two. At the end of the day today, we will run Act One. I take lots of notes and then come home and write up each actor’s notes on a separate piece of paper, which I then, in turn, pass out to them at the next day’s rehearsal.

Next week there will be lots of run-throughs and at the end of that week, we move onstage. I can’t believe how quickly the rehearsal process is going!

Happy Sunday.

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Filed Under: flowers, On The Road 17 Comments

A Favorite Thing #35

May 3, 2013 at 8:00 pm by Claudia

afavoritething

Welcome to A Favorite Thing #35! I hope you’ve had a wonderful week. I have a very heavy rehearsal schedule this weekend and I have a lot of notes to write up as well, so it may be a few days before I can visit you.

Let’s look at some highlights from last week:

icecream1

Nancy, of A Rural Journal, shared some advice with us about ice cream and wine. Very wise, indeed.

SAM_0215

Missy of This N That, shared this glorious photo of a sunrise. Oh my!

020-copy1

Veronica Roth shared these gorgeous bluebells with us. Apparently her neighbors think they are a nuisance and are digging them up. How could they? Veronica is saving them! Aren’t these lovely?

Thanks to all of you for sharing your own particular favorite things.

sunjumpingjacks

This week I’m sharing my husband’s collection of Jumping Jacks. We started this collection a few years back when we bought a newish jumping jack from a Christmas shop. It’s the second one from the right at the top. That got Don started and most of these have been found on eBay or have been given to him as gifts. I love their whimsey.

I made that set of hooks for them a couple of years ago. They hang under our chalkboard right beside the kitchen door. They never fail to make me smile. I’m a big advocate of adding some whimsey to your decorating. I dare you to walk by without pulling on one.

Now it’s your turn!

You can link up anytime from this evening through Sunday. Make sure you enter the URL of your post. If you’re unsure how to do that, just click on your post title after you’ve published it and copy the information in your browser address window. Come back here, paste the URL into your link entry and there you go! If you have any problems, drop me an email and I’ll help you out. Please link back to this blog on your post. That way, those that read your post and are interested in reading more can do so.

One of my concerns about link parties is that the very reason for them has somewhat gone by the wayside. They’ve become so big and there are so many of them that many bloggers don’t take the time to visit any of the other participants. Link parties are a way to meet new bloggers and share with each other and the only way to do that is to visit each other. So, please, take some time to visit everyone over the next few days. No rush. Stop by, introduce yourself, and leave a comment. It’s the neighborly thing to do. It’s also nice if you leave a comment here, as well.

 



Filed Under: A favorite thing 19 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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