Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Mother Nature, Cell Phones, and Lucy

March 3, 2023 at 8:43 am by Claudia

Friday.

We have another ‘event’ coming this evening, but the guidance from various weather forecasters is wildly different. Yesterday: 8-12 inches with sleet and ice. Then 5-8 inches with sleet and ice. The National Weather Service says 1 -3 inches with sleet and ice. And our local guys now say 1- 3 inches. Obviously, when you factor in ice, I much prefer 1 -3 inches. Yesterday, we had a high of 53 degrees, so much of the snow from Monday night has melted.

Right now, it’s sunny. The calm before the storm.

Thank you, Mother Nature, for giving us an entire winter in one week.

Grateful for the snow for our water table. But very ready for spring.

I ended up running to the library yesterday to pick up two more books. I have to read 3 books in 3 weeks time. I can do it! Yes, I can!

A story from yesterday. Don went to the store to stock up on things. While he was gone, I vacuumed, swiffered, sorted through things, straightened up, etc. So I was fairly busy. When I was finished, I sat down in my chair. Couldn’t find my cell phone. Okay. Got up, looked everywhere. No cell phone. I’d been in the house all day, so it couldn’t be in my car (I had yet to go to the library.) Looked everywhere again. Then I thought, I’ll have Don call my number so I can hear the phone ring. Ummm…no. Don isn’t here and you no longer have a landline, so you can’t call him. I had no way of communicating with him! Such a strange feeling. I finally came to the conclusion that Don  must have it.

I sat down and checked to see if I had a message from Don via email. Sure enough, he had reached into one of his pockets and found my cell phone. He told me later that he just stood there in the grocery store staring at the phone trying to figure out why he had two phones with him. Thank goodness, I wasn’t expecting an important call!

I finally gave up waiting for him to get home and went to the library.

Let’s close with this photo of Monty, Lucy, and a carrot.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, Lucy, winter 26 Comments

Books, Puzzles, and Weather

March 2, 2023 at 9:12 am by Claudia

The Deborah Crombie arrived at my local library yesterday, so off I went to pick it up.

Current reading pile – and I am  reading all three at once.

Oooh, how lovely! Three excellent books and I get to read them. I’m close to finishing Underland  and I can’t say enough about how wonderful it is. Of course, three hours after I went to the library, I received an email saying that two books I had also reserved had arrived. I think I’ll wait to pick them up tomorrow, so the two weeks we get for ‘new’ books starts a day later – giving me some wiggle room.

Also, Galaxy Puzzles (based in my old neighborhood in Michigan) is the online company I used to order my very first jigsaw puzzle at the start of lockdown. The owner is closing down because it’s been so successful that it’s become too much for her to handle. So she’s going out on a positive note.  She’s discounting all the stock in her warehouse. I ordered 3 puzzles.  I think they were discounted at 20-30% off. She ships quickly. I ordered on the weekend and I received them yesterday.

Anyway, the discounts are even deeper now; most, I think, at 40% – just in case you’re interested. I saved some money and I have some on hand.

Sophie:

It’s a rainy morning here with another storm headed our way tomorrow night. There is some disagreement on the actual forecast and my favorite local weather guys say it’s too “fluid” at the moment. So, something’s coming, we just don’t know exactly how much. Unlike the pretty snow of earlier this week, this one will have some sleet and ice in the mix. Not good.

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

 

 

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, books, jigsaw puzzles, libraries 18 Comments

An Ongoing Crush

March 1, 2023 at 8:38 am by Claudia

The other day, while waiting for the repairman to arrive, I snapped this photo of Don. He was supposed to be looking at the camera, but in that split second, he looked down. It’s turned out to be one of my favorite photos of him.

Heavens, I still have a crush on him.

That landscape is now covered in snow. And we’re due for another storm on Friday and I’m hoping the forecast is wrong because I just read 8 – 12 inches.

I see. We’re getting the entire winter in one week. I could insert some curse words here, but I try to refrain from that on this blog. In person? Another story.

Today, I have to do some laundry. I will be keeping an eagle eye on that first load, that’s for sure. I’m still waiting for the newest Deborah Crombie, but it turns out our local library branch was closed yesterday because of the snow. This is the longest time any book I’ve ordered has been ‘in transit’ between library branches. But we’re in the middle of winter and we live in the Hudson Valley and Mother Nature has her own ideas.

Lord, this puzzle is slow going! And the hardest part is yet to come; the areas of deep blue and the patterned edges. Oh, and all the leaves – it’s virtually impossible to differentiate between them. I’m just about finished with all the flowers. After abandoning this puzzle once before, I’m determined to finish it.

And that’s about it. Happy March. It is definitely coming in ‘like a lion’ in my neck of the woods.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday (which I keep thinking is Sunday)

Filed Under: Don, jigsaw puzzles, snow, winter 28 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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Scout & Riley. Riley left us in 2012. Scout left us in February 2016. Dearest babies. Dearest friends.

Winston - Our first dog. We miss you, sweetheart.

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