Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Rain, Endless Rain

May 1, 2023 at 8:55 am by Claudia

Forgive me while I whine. We had torrential rain all weekend long. And we are to have rain today (the only day that was supposed to be dry) and every day through Friday. I can’t do any work outside. By the time this ends, the lawn will be impossible to mow. Insert scream here.

I did pot some impatiens yesterday, but I ran out of potting soil. I’ll get more today. It’s also damp and cold, so I have to hold off planting the coleus that I pot for the Secret Garden. As the little sign at my local nursery says, “Warning! Coleus does NOT like cold!”

Don is doing better. He’s still dealing with post-surgery pain. I washed his hair again yesterday, but I think today is the day he can actually shower. I bet that will feel good! We’ll rig up a plastic bag to cover his bandage – though plastic bags are hard to come by now that NY has outlawed them.

With the terrible gun violence in our country, including the recent slaughter of a family in Texas, and the complete misinterpretation of the Second Amendment, handily leaving out the words “a well-regulated militia,” with the weapon being a musket, I’ve been remembering a conversation that Don had when we were last in Paris. That would have been October 2019. We used to buy vegan hot dogs from a little shop just down the street from the Luxembourg Gardens. One day, while we were watching a game of pétanque, Don went to the shop to get some take-out hot dogs. He was chatting with the young owner about America and the young man said: “Oh, I would never go to the United States! It’s too violent!” That was four years ago. It’s only gotten worse since then. Between gun violence and the rise of fascism and ultra-right “Christians,” I wouldn’t visit here, either.

I try to stay positive these days, but I must have been willfully naive: I never thought our country would come to this. Anyway, that’s what I’m thinking this morning.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: Don, gun control 35 Comments

The Patient

April 30, 2023 at 8:55 am by Claudia

Full-time caregiver, here. I’m making light of it but I do know many of you have been serious full-time care givers and it’s much more than I’m dealing with.

It’s also cold and rainy and we’re trying not to turn on the heat at this late date because we have very little oil left and ordering some right now is an expense we don’t need. So, it’s dreary and damp and we have a lot more rain coming later today and throughout the week.

Don’s in a bit more pain today than he was yesterday. We’re still icing the hand every half hour and no showers until tomorrow. I washed his hair in the kitchen sink yesterday. It brings back memories of my childhood, when I routinely washed my hair in the kitchen until I began to take showers. Clean hair and a sponge bath and the day seems better.

I’m cooking at night, with Don’s guidance. It isn’t that I don’t know how to cook, I just don’t like it one bit and, I admit, I’ve been spoiled by Don taking over the cooking. Hang in there, Don, it’s only for about 5 more days. Actually, last night’s dinner turned out pretty good!

What else? I have to do some grocery shopping today (another thing that Don usually does because he likes it) and I really want to get the impatiens I bought 3 days ago in some pots, especially before it begins to rain heavily this afternoon.

Anyway, my sweetie is hanging in there. He gave himself a research task to do online – he’s exploring a certain genre of music – and it’s keeping him occupied.

No time for photos, so here’s a recent one of Holly – from last week:

You’d better tie those shoelaces, Holly.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, Don 23 Comments

Lilacs and a Don Update

April 29, 2023 at 8:34 am by Claudia

I managed a quick check-in with the lilacs yesterday.

It’s going to rain all day today and tomorrow so no work outside, but I will most likely pot up the impatiens I purchased the other day from the relative dryness of the porch.

Yesterday. I woke up at 4 am and couldn’t get back to sleep. Don woke up about a half hour later. We didn’t have to be awake that early, but there you go. We had to be at the surgery to check in by 8:15. Don has told me how massive this Orthopedic practice is and it sure is. It’s huge! There’s the main practice and then there’s a physical therapy practice and a separate surgery center. They are incredibly organized, as well.

We checked in at the Surgery Center and shortly after that Don was whisked away to the OR. I got text updates throughout. I knew when he entered pre-op, when he was actually having the surgery, and when he was in post-op. Then I got a call from a nurse who told me when to drive to a separate entrance to pick him up. He had decided he didn’t want to go fully under and was just going to have a local, but a discussion with the anesthesiologist changed his mind and he went for a light kind of twilight. As they were having him change beds to be rolled into surgery, he went under and stayed under until he woke up in recovery.

I, of course, had envisioned him sitting on the end of an examination table as the doctor did a relatively quick bit of surgery and I couldn’t have been more wrong! But it went well. We drove back home, stopping at the grocery store to pick up a few things including extra-strength Tylenol. The pain killer they prescribed can be addictive, and Don doesn’t want to take that.

He hadn’t been able to eat or drink since midnight and was starving. I made him coffee and breakfast when we got back home and he proceeded to eat all day long like someone who had been deprived of food for days.

Anyway, his thumb was numb for most of the day. But late last night, the pain kicked in, so he’s taking that Tylenol. This morning, he seems okay. Not a lot of pain yet and since he’s used to enduring pain in that hand, he has a high tolerance for it.

Now, he has to take it easy for a week or so and we’ll see how this progresses.

All in all, a long day, but we’re so glad the surgery is over. Now, healing begins.

I expressed my worries about Deb in Phoenix and Brenda. I wrote to both of them the other day. I heard back from Deb and her comment is on Thursday’s post. So glad to hear from her. I have not heard from Brenda, which isn’t like her. Let’s keep sending positive thoughts her way and hopefully, at some point, I’ll get an update.

Thanks for all of your positive thoughts and prayers. We’re going to take it easy this weekend. Last night, Don said, “It will be a couple of days before I can drive.” I looked at him and said, “You cannot drive for a week.” He looked stunned. Then he said “Well, I can ride along, right?”

“Yes.”

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

 

Filed Under: Don, flowers 48 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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