Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Day Three Hundred Forty-Seven

February 23, 2021 at 10:09 am by Claudia

A different view. This was taken just inside the kitchen. The pantry is on my left and next to that, the kitchen door. As is, of course – Don’s laptop and headphones on the coffee table. I don’t usually highlight the clock that I bought 10 or 11 years ago, but I do love it. It’s mounted on the side of the pantry and the antique marionette plates that we bought in Paris are right below it.

Of course, I bought it because of the style and that Jadeite green color. It’s two-sided, so you can see the time from the living room and the kitchen.

Did some work on the puzzle yesterday but my lower back has been bothersome of late and leaning over the table aggravates it, so today I’m going to take it easy. I finished Mrs. Tim Carries On  this morning. I’m definitely going to read more by D. E. Stevenson. For those of you who love British books and books in general, I thought I’d mention an account I follow on Instagram that I’m sure you’d like. Her name is Miranda Mills and she frequently writes about books and reading. She also records a lot of videos, which I love. Her mother joins in on some of them, talking about books and baking. Until last year they lived in London, but they moved to Yorkshire, so you get to see a lot of the Yorkshire countryside, as well. She has two accounts: Miranda’s Bookcase, and Miranda’s Notebook. I was just watching her most recent vlog this morning, this one centering on humorous books. She is the person who turned me on to the Mrs. Tim books and many others.

And we watched The Dig  last night. We’re a little late coming to it. I have heard nothing but raves about this movie, as has Don, so we carved out some time to watch it. Simply stunning. Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan are superb, as is the rest of the cast. We’re going to watch it again in a few days. As far as I’m concerned Ralph Fiennes can do no wrong. He is a superb actor – one of my favorites. If you haven’t seen it, it’s on Netflix.

Don is out shoveling. We got about 2 inches of heavy, wet snow, so for now, it looks like a winter wonderland with snow on all the branches. That will change as the day goes on and the temps reach 39.

I can appreciate it, and I do, but I’m pretty much over winter. I have to force myself to acknowledge its charms.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

Filed Under: books, living room, reading, snow 30 Comments

Day Three Hundred Forty-Six

February 22, 2021 at 10:32 am by Claudia

Yesterday morning we had a nice long chat with this boy:

Oh, talking to Little Z is good for our souls! He is maturing and changing and so smart. He always teaches us something. He’s into Teslas and electric cars and we got to introduce the word ‘hybrid’ to him. Meredith added an office chair to her workspace that spins and Z has advised us that we should invest in a spinning chair – we’d really enjoy it. (I have one, but somehow it doesn’t seem as fun as the one he’s using. )

He’s so beautiful, my nephew.

Then I got to chat with my beloved sister. I haven’t seen her in person in three years or almost three years (time seems somewhat foggy to me these days.) She came to see Escape to Margaritaville  in NYC right before it closed. We miss hugging each other.

Anyway, that conversation, along with a wonderful conversation about spirituality that I had with my husband earlier in the morning, made for a great day. Today? Wet snow. Yuck. “But only 1-3 inches!” she said, looking out the window at the over 30 inches already on the ground.

I also worked on the puzzle.

I’m working from the bottom up, for some reason. Usually, I fill in the letters for The New Yorker  first.

We’re still trying to get an appointment for the vaccine. Get this: if we want to get it through our county, we’ll have to wait until JULY. Are you kidding me? I know there’s a shortage of vaccines but really, New York, you haven’t done a good job on this roll out. We’re very frustrated.

It’s another week in lockdown with snow. Then rain. I long for Spring. But puzzles and chores and books await and thank goodness for them!

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: jigsaw puzzles, Little Z, Meredith 39 Comments

Day Three Hundred Forty-Five

February 21, 2021 at 10:11 am by Claudia

In 20 more days, we will have reached the one year mark in this strange pandemic-land. It’s hard to believe, but then again, it’s not.

Puzzle Central. I worked on the puzzle yesterday, but only a little. Sometimes I need to rest my back and yesterday was one of them. I’ll do a bit more today.

It’s sunny and cold, but the sun should shine all day today, unlike yesterday. I’m grateful.

Thanks for all the positive comments on Don’s latest song. He’s so talented, that guy. I was happy to assist with some background vocals in which I used the higher part of my range and sang with a light touch, because it was not about me. It was about enhancing the story and Don’s voice. I’m actually an alto/mezzo soprano and I’ve got a big voice. I started out in musicals, so I’m perfectly capable of belting out a song, sans microphone. This kind of thing, doing a light background vocal, is something new to me and it was fun.

Speaking of voices, there is no voice that makes me happier than my husband’s. I love hearing him speak first thing in the morning and I love hearing him sing. His voice is deep and resonant and soothing. Since my career is all about the voice, that’s high praise indeed. I’m a lucky girl.

We watched Nomadland  the other night, the new Frances McDormand movie. It’s excellent. It’s in theaters and on Hulu. We don’t subscribe to Hulu, but we did a free trial just so we could see it. It’s a bit annoying, this trial, because it pauses for what would be commercials (the least expensive version of Hulu.) Rather than wait out that break, I hit “back” and and resume the video. But it was free, so I’m not complaining. The movie is based on a book of the same name, which I now want to read, and the cast consists of actors and non-actors and it’s fascinating. My love for McDormand’s work just gets stronger. She is fearless. She doesn’t have to fill every moment with ‘something.’ She can just be. And she has stayed true to who she is – no plastic surgery, no fillers. She embraces her age. We’re going to watch it again this week.

Last night we watched The King’s Speech  again. We’ve seen it several times and we love it. We were both feeling a bit tired and under the weather, and for us, it’s a comfort movie.

Back to Mrs. Tim Carries On, which is delightful. I’m now a D.E. Stevenson fan and plan to read more of this series, as well as her other books.

A bit more snow tomorrow then, fingers crossed, warmer weather. And by warmer, I mean in the 40s, which is positively balmy compared to the deep freeze of the past few weeks.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

Filed Under: books, Don, movies, reading 25 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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