Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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The Porch and the Laptop

May 14, 2023 at 8:51 am by Claudia

Early morning shot of the porch. Nothing new here in terms of plants; I love my design plan and tend to stick with it every year. Impatiens are inexpensive and I love the calibrachoa in the vintage plant stand and the planter. They’re dependable. I know they’ll last all season long. I can’t afford to replace the contents of hanging pots or any pots as the season changes into summer, so I stick with my ‘dependables.’

Well. Yesterday was stressful for yours truly. I started the set up of my new laptop. Unfortunately, I couldn’t add the data from my backup because my rather old device doesn’t have the right connections to fit the newest Apple technology. That was frustrating. I’ve written to the maker to ask what kind of adapter I should use because I don’t want to drive all the way to the Apple Store (an hour from our house) if I don’t have to. So. I set it up without the addition of my ‘stuff.’ But it took me all day long. I had to find a way to reload my photo editing software. I had to find and sign into sites that I use a lot. I couldn’t remember the name of the font I use for the watermarks on these photos. There were just so many things to search for and find and set up – like the photo editing software. But I can use it now, as I am doing for this post. And a couple of hours later, the name of the font came to me and I found out how to add it to the software. But, EVERYTHING involved research.

Two things I am dealing with: First, the thought that keeps creeping into my brain – maybe I should just start fresh and not add the information from the backup. I remember when Don’s phone was stolen in Paris and he hadn’t backed it up. When he got the new phone, it was a blank state. And he liked that. Same thing when we were cleaning out the shed; I just dumped things. It felt freeing. I’ll see how I feel about this as the week goes on. As far as photos go, the ones I love the most are here on the blog, so I could pull them off the page and add them to photos on this laptop.

Second: I was depressed at the end of the day because anything like this – a stressful process – is much harder for me these days. Not to figure out, I can do that. It’s the stress of it that stays with me, exhausts me, and it takes me a long time to recover from it. One of the signs that I’m getting older. I simply don’t handle stress as well as I did. Don and I had a long talk about it last night. I feel older these days. It takes me longer to recover from those outdoor tasks, as well. He feels the same way.

I just sighed as I wrote this.

Anyway, back to the laptop. It’s much lighter than my circa 2015 laptop. And there is a bar at the top of the keyboard that lights up and has information or tools for whatever current task you’re doing. Right now, as I write this, it’s giving me word choices like an iPad or iPhone does. That is great! Just yesterday, when I was writing the post on my iPad, I was thinking how handy it was to have that option and it was too bad it wasn’t available on Apple computers. Well, it is. There are fewer ports on the sides of the laptop and they are all the same kind of opening. So I thank Wendy for the hint about buying a dongle, a device that has other ports which you can plug into the computer. They’re very inexpensive and I was able to get one from Amazon within a day. So I was able to transfer these photos from my big girl cameras, because there is no more slot for SD cards. 📸  See? Not that I’ll do it a lot, but there’s the camera icon that popped up on my toolbar.

Thankfully, I’m able to write more in a post with the laptop now available. It’s just plain difficult to write a long post when I’m pecking at the iPad on screen keyboard.

This morning I watched a bunny, a chipmunk, and the daddy robin conducting their business right outside my door. Oh, and a catbird taking a bath in the birdbath. Yesterday, some finches took a bath.

Mere sent me photos and video from the graduation. My nephew looked so happy, as did my sister.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

Filed Under: animals, birds, bunnies, porch 32 Comments

My Nephew

May 13, 2023 at 8:38 am by Claudia


I took this photo last week with my telephoto lens. It’s the prop plane that flies over our house several times a day. It’s from the well known sky diving facility in our town. After they’ve jumped, the pilot flies over our neighborhood as he starts to circle back to the “Ranch.” Sometimes we run into a jumper who landed in an unexpected place. Last year, Don gave one of those jumpers a ride back to the ranch.

I mowed about 2/3 of the front lawn yesterday and Don mowed the rest. It was in the eighties, so we were both quite tired when we finished. I also did some pruning.

The laptop arrived and I’ll spend the weekend figuring it out.

Today, I want to honor my nephew, Meredith’s second oldest child. Today, he is graduating from law school. Not only that, he will take the bar exam in July and the start his new job with the District Attorney’s office in August!

If you knew the very tough time he went through as a teenager, the struggles, the pain, you would feel the same way Don and I do: this is a triumph, a victory that seemed impossible a number of years ago. At that time, my sister’s fierce devotion to him, getting him the help he needed, never giving up, helped him through to the other side. And everything that has happened since has been a testament to his inner strength, to his commitment and goodness. I am so proud of him.

God bless you, dear one, as you begin this new journey. And God bless my sister, who is the best mother there could ever be.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Filed Under: life 34 Comments

Friday

May 12, 2023 at 8:28 am by Claudia


This is a – what would you call it? – a leaf pod from one of our shag hickories. This is what first emerges in the spring. It’s just beginning to open.

Once the pod opens, the leaves appear.

I think they’re so beautiful, like perfect little sculptures.

I’ve been using my big girl camera a bit more lately and I’m really enjoying it.

I slept in a bit today, which really helped. It’s another beautiful day out there with abundant sunshine. I have to sow my zinnia seeds today, which is later than I normally do, but everything is slightly delayed this year.

I had a long talk with Don yesterday and we agreed that I had to order a new laptop. That left me feeling stressed for much of the day. I felt guilty for my boneheaded move that ended up spilling water all over my laptop. And now I have to use money that I’d planned to add to our savings account. But, in the end, there’s nothing I can do. Don tells me to let go of the guilt and I’m working on it.

Anyway. I ordered it from Apple and it will arrive sometime today, most likely late in the day because it’s coming via UPS and that’s when they deliver here.

New puzzle barely started – this one is a painting by Klimt.

Today: more mowing.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: life 22 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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