Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Coneflowers, the Porch & Scout

July 15, 2019 at 10:03 am by Claudia

From my seat on the porch this morning. I slept longer than usual and Don had to leave early to catch the bus to NYC for an audition, so all we had time for was hello and goodbye. Normally, we sit in the Adirondack chairs for our second cup of coffee, but I chose the glider this morning.

I took it easy yesterday, turned the A/C on by mid-morning and, though it was hard for me to stay indoors, I did. I listened to one of my favorite radio programs, read, putzed around the house, checked Instagram, read some more, and had lunch. I’m thinking I’ll do the same today, after I finish watering the seedlings, which I had to do twice yesterday because it’s so damn hot!

Grace’s beautiful capture of Scout arrived in the mail last week. We will be framing this eventually, but it’s currently propped up on the piano’s music rack. (It has a protective covering at the moment, which is why it’s a bit blurry.) This Scout is ‘old Scout’ and we love that because it captures her at a time when she was starting to have real trouble getting around, but could still run from the back of the corral, down the little hill and, with a big jump, land on the elevated threshold of the house.

Gosh, we miss her. Thank you so much, Grace!

The coneflowers – mostly purple, but we also have white and yellow coneflowers – are popping out everywhere in the gardens. I think they may be my favorite flowers. I love peonies, of course, but they’re short lived. Coneflowers last a long time in the garden.

Thank you for all of the incredibly supportive comments on yesterday’s post. I am so grateful for all of you.

Have to go over to Rick and Doug’s mid-afternoon, to let Sam out. They’re gone for the day and won’t be back until this evening. I love that boy, so I’m looking forward to it.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: flowers, garden, porch, Scout 31 Comments

Blogging & Life

July 14, 2019 at 10:11 am by Claudia

I thought the spent hollyhock blooms that have fallen to the ground deserved a little tribute. They really are quite beautiful. As is everything in the garden, no matter what stage of life. (Except whiteflies.)

I’m taking the day off today as my allergies have left me feeling sickish. I just turned on the A/C and I will water everything as soon as I finish this post, but that’s it for outside chores for today. Don is portraiting at the farmers market and, as he left for the day, he told me to STAY IN THE HOUSE. NO GARDENING. REST.

Okay, Okay!

I have titled this photo “Nothing Happening.” And there isn’t anything happening with this project at the moment. I think about it. But I don’t do anything. That’s because the outdoors calls to me and at this time of year, the gardens and the porch are my priority. I’ll get back to it.

I am going to take the occasional day off from posting. And I stress occasional, as in ‘rare.’ Sometimes I’ll take a day off simply because there isn’t very much going on here. But I love writing my posts and taking photographs. I also need the ad income. So it won’t be very often. All this is to say that if I don’t post one day, don’t worry!

For a couple of years there, we were very busy; traveling to La Jolla, driving across the country, visiting New Orleans and Chicago, and then six months in NYC with Margaritaville, plus a trip to Europe. A rare and wonderful and exciting time, which was fun to blog about. Now, it’s back to reality and our reality is a simple one, much the same from day to day. Although, we’re craving some adventure; a road trip, another trip to Paris. That’s for the future, hopefully. Right now, we can’t afford to travel.

So, I hope you don’t mind little snippets from the garden or the cottage. That’s life at MHC right now.

Happy Sunday.

 

 

Filed Under: blogging, dollhouse, flowers, garden 50 Comments

Saturday Morning

July 13, 2019 at 10:04 am by Claudia

Pretty porch views from this very morning.

It’s a lovely day. Right now, it’s about 72 degrees which would be a perfect high for the day. But it’s going to be about 88 degrees, so there you go. Nevertheless, it wasn’t nearly as humid this morning as it was yesterday morning. As we sat on the porch for our second cup of coffee we were greeted with birds singing, sunlight, and a slight breeze.

Both of us were outside yesterday spraying water on the whiteflies. Don insisted on helping me, which was much appreciated. He also mowed the lilac side of the lawn. We did a lot outside and by the end of the day we were so tuckered out that we deliberately watched a movie that we knew was going to be laughably bad: The Brain that Wouldn’t Die   found on TCM On Demand.

Oh my heavens. It really was one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. I won’t even go into the plot, what little there was. It was so amateurish – and that’s not being fair to most amateur filmmakers who would do a much, much better job of it – that we were laughing out loud for most of the movie.

Also from this morning: a spotlight on the hydrangeas.

I finished When Will There Be Good News?  this morning. Kate Atkinson is such  a good writer! And now I’m starting on the next, Started Early, Took My Dog (perhaps my favorite book title ever.) I put a hold on two others through our inter-county library system; her first Jackson Brodie mystery, Case Histories, and her newest, Big Sky, which was just published.

Don’s off to take some portraits. I’m going to do a little gardening and weed whacking. But not too much, as my allergies continue to be a pain in the tush.

I hope all is well with you.

Happy Saturday.

 

Filed Under: books, flowers, garden, movies, porch 21 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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The Dogs

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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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