Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

  • About MHC
    • Disclosure
  • Dollhouses/Minis
    • Hummingbird Cottage
    • The Studio (Formerly TSP)
    • Dove Cottage
    • The Lake House
    • The Folk Art Dollhouse
    • The Modern Dollhouse
    • The Beacon Hill Dollhouse
    • Dollhouse Source List, Information and Tutorials
  • On the Road
  • Collecting
    • Roseville Pottery
    • McCoy Pottery
    • Egg Cups
    • Bakelite
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy

Potpourri on Monday

January 15, 2018 at 10:22 am by Claudia

• In terms of blog photos, I alway feel limited at this time of year. I can’t run out to the garden and take lots of flower photos. I’m not traveling at the moment and the landscape around me is rather bleak. So I do what a lot of bloggers do and focus on the inside of the house.

But you’ve seen a lot of this before. Nevertheless, I remind myself that some newer readers haven’t and the idea is to find a new angle, a new take. Sometimes I’m successful. Sometimes I’m not.

The challenges of blogging every day.

• It’s Monday, it’s a holiday (drat! no mail!) and it’s friggin’ cold! Next Monday, Don will be back in rehearsals for Escape to Margaritaville. Our plan at the moment, once we find out when he can move into the apartment, is for me to accompany him and spend a few days there as we make his/our (he insists I call it ‘our’) apartment a home. That will be fun! I think I can be there at least 3 or 4 days until I have to return home to deal with snow and the subsequent shoveling required.

Hello, sweet Monty!

• Two big events are coming up in February. On February 16th, the Broadway Cast Album of Escape to Margaritaville  will be released. Oh my goodness! And on February 17th, I’ll be celebrating TEN years of blogging. What??? How can that be?

And Don will start previews in February at the Marquis Theater on Broadway.

So I was wrong. That makes three  big events.

• Real life here at the cottage. Two ukuleles. Pillows askew, laptop, headphones, sweatshirt draped on the sofa. I am documenting it because soon all of this stuff will be in Manhattan.

Sob.

Actually, I’ll miss him a lot, but I know he’s only a bus ride away and when it’s hard for him to get home – actors only get one day off – I’ll try to get into the city. Weather permitting, of course; it’s winter on the East Coast with snow and ice a distinct possibility on any given day.

• I managed to get my car out of the ice in which the two front tires were encased. First, I tried chopping the ice with our ice chopper. But every time I tried to do the old “put it in drive, then reverse, drive, then reverse” to get it out, nothing happened except the smell of burning rubber. Then I remembered that my dear father had covered the floor of the trunk with indoor outdoor rugs from Target, so I grabbed them, put them behind the tires, and I backed the car out. Smooth as silk. Of course, I then had to bring the rugs in and wash them. They’re still drying.

But I’m out. So I think I’ll run an errand or two today – just to do  something.

• We watched Dunkirk  last night, which wasn’t one of our screeners, but was available on pay-per-view. Since The Darkest Hour  takes place at that time, with Churchill trying to find a way to rescue over 300,000 British soldiers stranded at Dunkirk, we thought Dunkirk  would be the perfect companion piece. Both were released in 2017. Dunkirk  is really wonderful. I was so tense during the movie – even knowing how successful it ended up being – and that’s a tribute to the direction, acting and screenplay. Beautifully shot. Beautifully conceived. Loved it.

Happy Monday.

 

 

Filed Under: blogging, Don, Escape to Margaritaville, movies, winter 34 Comments

On Sunday

January 14, 2018 at 10:13 am by Claudia

Good morning. I’m moving slowly because I slept in. It seems that the older I get, the more a change in my normal routine seems to throw me ever-so-slightly off for the rest of the day. Grateful to have caught up on some sleep, of course, but I’m just a wee bit behind.

It’s turned very cold again here and will be for the next 3 days or so.

But it’s sunny! Yesterday’s dire predictions for ice and a wintry mix changed around noon and the sun came out. Immediately, my mood lifted. The sun makes an enormous difference, especially when you feel a bit housebound.

I just noticed how tall the new growth on this ZZ plant has become. Goodness! I love these hardy houseplants – any plant that survives in the shadows of the den is a winner in my book. I’m going to buy one more for my office.

A closer look at the top of the new shoot. I love the glossy, thick leaves.

We watched The Darkest Hour  last night. It’s the story of a few weeks in 1940 when Winston Churchill became Prime Minister. Riveting. Gary Oldman is brilliant as Churchill. I learned a lot, as there was much I didn’t know about that particular time and its challenges for Churchill and Great Britain. I recommend it highly.

In a rare instance for us, we watched about 20 minutes of Mudbound  before we turned to each other and said, “Let’s stop.” There were too many directorial ‘devices’ and screenplay problems that didn’t work and were annoying. Every time yet another character became a narrator, we groaned. So we moved on. I’m sure some of you have seen it and liked it and that’s great. And I’m sure there’s solid acting. But we weren’t in the mood to put up with the rest of it to get there. It just wasn’t our cup of tea.

So far, our favorites are The Shape of Water, The Darkest Hour,  and Get Out; each of them completely different, but all of them brilliant and inspired.

Oh! Forgot to add –  we enjoyed I, Tonya, as well. It’s darkly funny and very well done by all. Allison Janney is wonderful.

Today? I might get out there and do something, but only if we can get rid of the ice surrounding my car. The warm weather melted a lot of snow and ice and then the sudden very cold weather promptly froze it all.

Happy Sunday.

Filed Under: houseplants, movies, winter 28 Comments

A Slow Saturday

January 13, 2018 at 9:14 am by Claudia

We’re due for a yucky day today: rain which will turn into ice and a bit of snow. There are winter weather advisories up.

Can I just go back to bed?

The snow on the ground that you can see through the window is gone now, due to higher temperatures and a heck of a lot of rain yesterday. Fear not, we’re due for more mid-week. Note to self: take price tag off pot.

This is what happens when you bring your big old porch plant inside for the winter. I’ve forgotten what this is – a dracaena? an unknown grass? – but I’ve had it in this pot for several years and I bring it inside every winter. It’s become so big that I can no longer just stash it on the floor in the office. So it’s in the hallway. There are self-seeded impatiens surrounding it at the base. Hopefully, they’ll bloom at some point this winter.

The contents of the cupboard in the office. There’s some Roseville, some McCoy, an old candy box which holds letters sent to my grandmother by her adored little sister, who died in the flu epidemic of 1918. (She lost another sister as well.) Let’s see, what else? Some glove boxes, some little pieces of pottery, a mug given to me by Christy, aka Anastasia, a putz sheep and two spun cotton bunnies made by Vintage by Crystal. Oh, and some crystal bunnies and a puff made by a former blogger who does beautiful work.

I took this yesterday as I sat at the desk for a spell, due to a desire to change it up a bit. The den seems to be my home lately, but too much familiarity can breed contempt, you know? Anyway, I hung the newest Nutting up in the office – I’ll take a picture of it today – and I putzed around that space, listening to the Kenny Rankin channel on Pandora.

Happy Saturday.

Filed Under: houseplants, McCoy pottery, office, Roseville pottery 29 Comments

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 833
  • 834
  • 835
  • 836
  • 837
  • …
  • 1850
  • Next Page »
  • Email
  • Instagram

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.

Searching?

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!

Archives

All Content © 2008 - 2026 Mockingbird Hill Cottage · Log in