Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Back At It

January 31, 2025 at 8:47 am by Claudia

I’m back at it this morning after dealing with the car on Wednesday. Let’s see…they had to replace the rear brake pads and rotor, plug a slow leak in the right rear tire, replace the battery, and do an oil change. $730. Yikes. The work on the rear brake and the rotor was by far the most expensive part of the job, but it all had to be done. We need to have at least one vehicle that is dependable and safe to drive.

But it was stressful, as are most things that I used to consider fairly routine. I don’t handle stress and worry like I used to. I wish I did, but both Don and I have noticed this about ourselves. Things that we used to be able to handle easily aren’t so easy anymore.

Anyway, I’m glad it’s fixed. I have to come up with $730 to replace that amount of money in our savings account and I’m not getting any work, so I’ll have to put on my thinking cap. Remember that my car was my Dad’s car and it is a 2012 Honda Accord. It only has 40,000 miles on it. Dad didn’t drive much and when he did it was in his neighborhood. I don’t drive all that much, either. So it’s like a much a newer car.

Anyway, I ended up taking it to a local facility just down the road rather than the dealership. The brake was making too much noise and it was worrisome so I didn’t want to drive too far, plus the dealership is usually more expensive.

We finished watching all 3 seasons of Ted Lasso  on Apple+. I had sort of a love/hate relationship with it for a while, but it really grew on me. I think the final season was the best. It was such a wonderfully uplifting series. We are still mourning the fact that it’s over.

It’s a gray day today with freezing rain and maybe some snow flurries. Most of the snow has melted so the landscape looks bleak rather than white and pretty. January has been a pain in the tush, so I’ll be glad to see it go.

The puzzle is coming along nicely. For me, it’s the best form of meditation: calm, calm, calm. I can shut the world out, and let’s face it, so many of us need to do that right now. It’s just too painful.

Don has been sick all week long, but he began to feel a bit better yesterday. I suspect he’s on the mend and shall soon be fine.

My friend Jan has moved into hospice care within the complex in which she was living. She has a studio apartment and Joe has furnished it with some of her favorite pieces from her former apartment. He said she was in better spirits now that she was out of rehab. I’m going to try and reach her today.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

 

 

Filed Under: life 18 Comments

Things to Do

January 29, 2025 at 7:20 am by Claudia

Hey, everyone. I have to take my car in this morning. Money is tight, so I delayed doing anything about it over the holidays. I just didn’t drive it. But it needs a new tire (slow leak), probably brake pads, and an oil change. Time to get it checked out.

I am dropping it off early this morning, so I really don’t have the time to come up with a post.

Thanks for understanding!

See you Friday.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Filed Under: life 10 Comments

Monday Morning Catch Up

January 27, 2025 at 9:13 am by Claudia

A slightly cluttered corner of the den.

We finally went above freezing yesterday and I could hear the drip, drip, drip of snow on the roof all day long. The same goes for the next few days. So our lovely white snow will be melting. I’ll miss the sunlight bouncing off the white snow. The light streaming through our windows has been wonderful. There’s still snow on the ground today. I hope it sticks around a bit longer.

Don is sick and is feeling pretty miserable. He played that gig on Friday night and he was playing near the door to the street, which kept opening and closing while he was standing there – the temps were below zero at that point. The next morning, he felt miserable. It seems he caught a chill which blossomed into a big old cold. Bless his heart, he really doesn’t feel well at all.

The puzzle arrived. It’s a newish Laurence King puzzle – The World of Oscar Wilde. Wilde wrote what I consider the perfect play, and it’s one of my favorites: The Importance of Being Earnest. It looks like it will be fun. King’s puzzles are always beautifully designed.

Okay. I did another video tour – I had to take advantage of the winter light flowing into the the corner of the den where the girls live. It’s often a little dark there, which makes photography problematic. But the light that day was perfectl. It’s up on my YouTube channel, but you can watch it here.

Visit YouTube – my account: claudiathechroniccollector

My Blythe Doll Collection

I also named my channel. (Don’t worry, it will be a modest little channel.) The name? Claudia the Chronic Collector. Might as well get these collections on video while I still have them!

Hope you enjoy it.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, collecting, Don 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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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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Lambs Like to Party

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