Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Butterflies and Fawns

July 29, 2022 at 9:04 am by Claudia

Two eastern swallowtails. There were three – I saw them from the bedroom window – but by the time I got downstairs, one had departed. It’s rare for me to see more than one at a time.

Yesterday, I saw a monarch laying eggs on the milkweed. I tried to get a picture, but that butterfly was on a mission and moved very quickly.

I also saw another fawn outside the kitchen window. He/she was alone, so I gently urged him to go back to the woods, not down toward the street. The mission was successful until I went out on the porch about ten minutes later and saw him running across my neighbors front yard (very near the street) toward their pond. Maybe Mom was over there?

The humidity is back and it’s so oppressive. I have to limit my time outside because a) I hate humidity, it makes my brain feel foggy, and b) I’m allergic to molds and mildew and humidity is not my friend. I must admit, I’ve always hated humid weather. I could never live in the South.

Don asked me to send him a copy of the butterfly and bee that I posted yesterday. Later in the day, he ran some errands. When he got home, he gave me this:

I love seeing it enlarged and frame. Love you, husband.

Also yesterday; I couldn’t stand my long hair one more minute, so I enlisted Don in z “I HAVE to have a haircut!” venture. We took at least 4 inches off! Heaven.

Meredith still feels absolutely miserable and she was running a fever yesterday. Little Z is getting more computer and tv time than he is usually allowed. Mom needs rest.

Okay, my friends.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: butterfly, deer 27 Comments

Bees, Butterflies, Blythes & BJDs

July 28, 2022 at 9:27 am by Claudia

I was focusing on the butterfly – a Pearl Crescent – and didn’t notice the bee flying in until this morning.

Happy surprises.

Dolls today – first up:

Beautiful Mei in a new dress.

And my new BJD, from a creator called “eatzongzi” who also created Wren.

The doll as named by the creator, is Mengmeng. Her new name is Lily. She has teeth.

She’s a little taller than Wren. I’m struggling to find shoes that fit her as her feet are bigger than Blythe feet. But we’ll get there.

I love her sweet face.

Watching me start a new puzzle.

Wren is so happy to have a big sister who doesn’t tower over her.

I think some hair brushing is in order. (They’ve been playing.)

Every new girl is settling in. A moratorium on more dolls has been issued from the home office. The display space on the music cabinet is full up with Blythes. The BJD girls, Wren and Lily, are now hanging out on the porch of the dollhouse. But everyone seems happy.

Meredith feels pretty awful. Covid has hit her hard. Little Z, on the other hand, was sick for less than a day and then he was back to normal. I told Mere it was the Universe’s way of telling her to slow down. She needs rest and she’s getting it. xo

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

 

Filed Under: bees, bjd dolls, Blythe dolls, flowers 22 Comments

Outside

July 27, 2022 at 8:27 am by Claudia

Yesterday was the first day without excess heat and humidity in a long time, so we took advantage of it by mowing the front lawn and the secret garden. Short-lived, since the heat and humidity will be back all too soon. But boy, was it a beautiful day!

That umbrella is new. Don purchased the umbrella/stand to protect him from the sun when he works at the Farmer’s Market. The market is in a parking lot and there is no shelter or shade. It took us a while to realize we could use it at home, too!

It’s on the funky patio.

Don loves to sit out there and play his guitar, so the addition of the umbrella is perfect for him. I love the way it looks from the street.

We sat on the porch after mowing and felt gratitude for our house and our beautiful property. The bones were there, but the gardens and the patio are all us. Basically, everything that is blooming, filling the borders, defining spaces – that’s our work over 16 years of actively gardening here. It’s very satisfying.

Then we took a nap. Of course.

We’re going to start in on emptying our storage space. We’ll put on our ‘ruthless’ hats and start to take anything we don’t want to the recycling center/dump. They’ve raised our rental by $40/month again – what a rip off! Anyway, that’s it. Time to get rid of everything. It will begin today.

I received my other bjd doll – a companion for Wren – and I’ll share her with you tomorrow. I try to refrain from overwhelming you with dolls, as I know this is a relatively new addition to the blog and not everyone gets it.

Edited to add: Mere also tested positive for Covid.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

 

Filed Under: cottage, garden 32 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.

Thanks for stopping by.

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The Dogs

The Dogs

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.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

Thanks for visiting! Feel free to browse, read and enjoy. All content is my own; including photos and text. Please do not use anything on this site without permission.

Disclosure/Privacy Policy can be found in the Navigation Bar under ‘About MHC.’

Also, I love receiving comments! I do, however, reserve the right to delete any comment that is in poor taste, offensive or is verging on spam. It’s my blog. If you’re a bot or a troll you’ll be blocked. Thanks!

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