Mockingbird Hill Cottage — Page 335 — Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Oil Painting and Sophie

September 19, 2021 at 8:45 am by Claudia

Finished!

This one took a long time. Between coaching and a slew of other things going on, there was a long period of time between the last time I worked on it and yesterday, when I finally finished. I don’t recommend it. I felt a little disconnected and had to work hard to get back in the ‘groove.’

This is number ten in the Pottery Portraits series. The pattern on this vase is Dahlrose.

I’m pretty pleased with the results.

Sophie was demanding a change of clothes, so I complied. After all, she’s fairly quiet most of the time, so I can hardly complain.

When she arrived in the mail, I soon thought of all my sheep and the fact that they might make a nice addition to a photo. I believe a reader of this blog suggested it, too. I started with this needle-felted lamb that I’ve had for a long time. The lamb, my teddy bear, and Maggie Rabbit always accompanied me on long stints in Hartford.

Sophie loves animals and is a vegetarian like her mom.

Good for you, Sophie!

The dress was made by an Etsy seller: Rose and Cacao. She also made those overalls Sophie wore with her Beatles t-shirt. The boots were made by Crafty by Cora, another Etsy seller.

This might be one of my favorite dresses.

Today, I have to run an errand, wash the sheets, unclog the bathtub drain (what fun) – that kind of thing. Don is already off running errands.

Tomorrow I coach Ben. We rescheduled this morning’s session because he has a whopper of a headache. Next Sunday, I take the train to NYC and then on to Queens, where I’ll be coaching Anastasia for two days. This Friday, I have to get the PCR Covid test; you’re supposed to get it 72 hours before starting work.

A busy time ahead, between Anastasia, private coaching, and preparing for 6 weeks in NYC.

My nephew updated us yesterday. Greta has a cyst and an abdominal blockage. She hasn’t eaten since Monday and she can’t keep anything down. We’re very worried. I can’t quite remember how old she is, but she’s around 8 or 9 years old. Too much for a little girl.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

Self-Care Saturday

September 18, 2021 at 9:29 am by Claudia

I love these misty fall mornings. Every day speaks of transition. As is fitting for this last weekend of summer, we’ll reach the low eighties today and that, my friends, looks like the last hurrah. The next ten days will bring temperatures in the seventies and sixties.

If you look in the upper left of the photo, you’ll see the bean pods hanging from the catalpa tree, otherwise known as the bean tree.

We are both very tired today. We’ve had lots going on and we’re ready for a day of rest. We’ve named today Self-care Saturday. Believe me, we need it.

I plan on finishing this post, paying a bill online, washing some towels, dressing Sophie in a new outfit, reading (I already did some reading early this morning), and, darn it, finishing that painting.

For the second or third summer in a row, my heavenly blue morning glories have yet to bloom. I was deleting a lot of photos the other day and I noticed that they used to start blooming in August. Now, I’m lucky if I get one bloom by the end of September. I can’t figure this one out. There are lots of leaves, lots of vines, but no buds. Last year, I saw one bloom before we had a frost that ended it all.

My plan is to enrich the soil next year and add in lots of compost. Any other advice? I don’t want to stop planting them, so I’m determined to figure this out.

Thanks for your lovely comments about Don’s venture. It means a great deal to us.

Edited to add: Just found out my nephew Jeff’s youngest daughter is in the hospital. She’s been there for several days with high fevers, a cyst in her abdomen and bowel problems. Jeff and his wife Raina are out of their minds with worry. Please pray for Greta. (Jeff is my brother’s child.)

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Smokin’ Fish Records

September 17, 2021 at 9:30 am by Claudia

A post today about my husband.

Though I didn’t know about it for a bit – he kept it secret until he was ready to reveal it to me – Don has been working hard on a new venture. He has started his own digital record label, which is called Smokin’ Fish Records. Some of you who follow him on Facebook or Instagram might already be aware of it.

His intention is to highlight talented singers/composers/musicians. Steve Jobs didn’t do musicians any favors when he started iTunes. Streaming music, while convenient, leaves the artists with very little money. The only way big artists can earn money nowadays is by touring. There’s very little money in streaming. That being said, we’ve also lost most of the radio stations that we all grew up with, the ones that played a variety of music, that welcomed an eclectic array of artists.

All of that makes it harder for an artist to get recognition, to get his/her music out there. And Don knows a lot of talented musicians. He’s also been scouting artists who are new to him. He’s doing all of this – and it’s been an enormous amount of work – in order to be of service. To help these artists get a wider audience.

Today marks a month since he started this venture. It’s the real deal; an LLC and everything.

This is Don’s post from today on Facebook:

He’d love it if you stopped by this weekend. Here is the link to follow (the one in Don’s post won’t work as it’s a screenshot.)

This guy even took his own music off the label as he doesn’t want this to be about him.

I admire him more than I can say. So stop by, if you have a moment, and listen to a few tracks. I know some of these artists personally. Others are new to me. They’re all enormously talented.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Oil Painting and Sophie

Self-Care Saturday

Smokin’ Fish Records

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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