Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Back At It

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Flowers. And more flowers. And a plant.

I made a quick stop yesterday at Trader Joe’s for more flowers. These will be the last of my away-from-home bouquets, as I’m only here for another 8 days or so. I arrived in a rainy Hartford. As I walked home from the dress rehearsal last night, my umbrella proved slightly inadequate for the rain that was teeming down. I was doing my best to protect my notes and my book and my phone, so I figured wet sneakers and jeans were an acceptable part of the collateral damage.

This is the transition from daytime rehearsals to night duty and I always have a bit of trouble adjusting. It will take a few days. I’m up much later than normal. And I’m missing Rachel! (Yes, I know she repeats at midnight, but I need to be getting sleepy at that point and that might not be the best show to watch in order to accomplish that.)

The show looks great. It starts preview performances tonight. There are still things to iron out and tweak and that’s what previews are for. During this time period, rehearsals go on in the afternoon with performances at night.

As I made dinner on the electric stove in this apartment – a stove that is wildly irregular in terms of temperature settings – I said a little thank you for Stella and told her I missed her. I can’t wait until I’m home for good and Stella and I can have some quality time together.

Don leaves on Sunday for NYC. I will be home later that evening after I watch the afternoon preview. I’m sure I’ll be mowing the lawn on my day off (we will have had a lot of rain) and attending to a few other things, and then I’ll head back on Tuesday for three more days. Since I have a small coaching job starting the Monday after opening, I might skip the actual opening night and head home on Friday. I have a lot to do prep-wise.

Wildfires, hurricanes; so much devastation. And all of it is frightening and very dangerous. Stay safe. Evacuate if necessary. Nothing is worth your life.

Happy Thursday.

Heading Back

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There are splashes of yellow all over the property. Goldenrod, a staple of late summer, is blooming. How can I not smile when I see this cheery yellow?

However, today is a dark and rainy day here. We had storms last night. Not necessarily the best weather in which to travel back to Hartford, but there you go. We’re going to go out for breakfast before I head back to CT.

It’s been so lovely being home that I feel like I have to force myself to get in the car and turn it toward points east. I don’t want to leave. Don and I are feeling the sadness that impending separation brings. I figured it out yesterday: by the end of the year we will have spent 9 months apart. Nine months. That, my friends, is a hazard of our profession. But it’s easier to handle when you’re young and eager and ready to go anywhere to work. It’s much tougher at this point in our lives.

Anyway.

Stella is a dream. She cooks evenly. I know it will sound silly, but the baked potatoes we had (twice) were the most evenly baked we’d ever had. The texture was smooth as silk and they were delicious. As were the biscuits. As were all the entrees Don cooked on the stovetop. Oh my goodness. What a difference gas makes! And what a difference Stella makes.

This morning I walked over to her and hugged her. I love her. I love her in our home. I never get tired of looking at her. I never will. I have absolutely no regrets. Investing in Stella was the best thing we’ve done in a long time.

Another sign of impending autumn – Sedum Autumn Joy.

Hurricane Irma is a juggernaut and we are worried about her impact on so many island dwellers and the state of Florida, where so many are in her path, including my sister and her family. Please stay safe. I know many of my readers live in Florida and I urge you to evacuate if you are told to.

Happy Wednesday.

 

Fading & Changing

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It’s still summer. But the signs of autumn are definitely here in the Hudson Valley. Leaves are turning color on the maple. The light is different. The mornings and evenings are cooler. The school bus came today to pick up the kids across the road.

The apple orchards have their signs everywhere. We will soon be seeing weekends full of leaf-peepers. Sigh.

I’m not ready to say goodbye to summer and I won’t, officially, until September 22nd.

Nevertheless, I walked around the gardens yesterday to see what flowers are fading and/or changing.

The brown-eyed susans are still going strong.

The coneflowers are fading. But I find this stage equally beautiful.

Goodness, this hollyhock is blooming like crazy! Stunning.

The limelight hydrangea is turning pink. There’s a little spider to the left of center that I didn’t see at the time I took this picture.

I did see this stick bug, however. These guys fascinate me. Remember the pair that I found mating last year on my front porch gate?

Today, some errands. Some more laundry. Some time with my husband before I have to leave tomorrow and he has to leave on Sunday. Another sigh. Changes are on the horizon, and quite frankly, we don’t like changes that involve us being apart. We like and are grateful for the work, but the separation part of it is not at all easy.

Happy Tuesday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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