Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Blog Business & I’m Home

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Yesterday, a reader who subscribes to the email version of my posts sent me a ‘reply’ to that post. She commented on my not responding to her previous replies. Sigh. After a long day of packing, loading up my car, driving home, unloading and unpacking, I confess it hit me the wrong way because I have taken the time to explain this very thing more than once. In fact, I deliberately mentioned it on the blog a couple of weeks ago when I received a reply from that same reader because I wanted her to know that I couldn’t respond to her. And I can’t respond to her now except here on the blog.

But I’ll do it one more time in case there are any of my readers who missed those posts and in case I wasn’t clear in my explanation. I’ll even give more details.

I cannot respond to your ‘replies’ to the email version of my posts. Period. They are sent via Feedburner. They are not sent by yours truly. A few years back, if you remember, there were problems all over blogland with readers not receiving posts via email. After lots of hours spent trying to fix the problem, we were told that email providers such as AOL, Gmail and Yahoo were often blocking what they saw as mass emails from one place. The solution was to create a more personal email address that would eliminate this problem – in the case of those of us who use a host/Wordpress, an address connected to our server. I consulted with my host and I did just that. That email address is connected to my server and it’s the one that Feedburner uses in the ‘From’ line. But I can’t respond using that email address. It was created only to make sure you receive my posts.

And frankly, an email of the post is not meant to be a two-way avenue of communication, it’s simply a courtesy version of that day’s post.

I am happy to provide the opportunity to read my posts via email. Personally? I don’t subscribe to any blogs via email because, for me, the visual experience on the blog itself is lost in an email. I post every day, so you know there will be a new post sometime in the morning. But I know a lot of you prefer getting them that way, if only to know the post is up. I understand.

If you want to leave a comment, please do it the way everyone else does; right here on the blog. Or you can tap on the envelope icon on my sidebar and send me a personal email. I am a rarity in the world of blogging; I take the time to respond to every comment on the blog. I also answer every personal email. So, please don’t take me to task for something I cannot do. Besides, why not be part of the conversation right here on the blog?

Okay. Sorry to go on, but I want to make sure I’m being clear about the whys and wherefores.

I have a mass of morning glories growing along the fence right outside the kitchen door. But there have been no flowers. I mentioned to Don last week that I was disappointed – a lot of leaves but that was it. Yesterday, when I arrived home, I saw four or five buds! Two of them looked ready to pop and, sure enough, there they were this morning. Thank you, morning glories! I’m sorry I didn’t have faith in you!

I finished unpacking around 5 pm. The whole day was exhausting. I’m glad to be home in our cottage. I wrote an email to the cast saying goodbye (I’m usually there for opening night.) But I have prep work to do and I have to send off our deductions to our accountant and all that has to be done today and tomorrow. Better to be home.

Don may take the bus home tomorrow night because it’s easier to grab the bus than go all the way back to Jersey City to get his car. I can pick him up at the station. Since I don’t have to be at Monday’s rehearsal until noon, I don’t need to get there the night before. Looks like we’ll both be taking the bus to the city on Monday morning – just at different times! Anyway, I can’t wait to see him. He’s missing our little cottage. I know the feeling.

This isn’t the clearest picture, but it’s been very hot and humid around here. Right before I could grab my phone, there were four  catbirds in the birdbath at the same time! I wish I’d managed to capture that sight! They clearly needed a refreshing dunk.

Happy Friday.

Headed West

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Another late afternoon view from the penthouse. That’s the Connecticut River off in the distance.

Well, my friends, it’s time to pack up the apartment and head home. I watched the show last night but I took only a few notes and, in the end, they are notes I’ve given before. There always comes a time, as a coach, when I have to let go. The actors will either make the change or they won’t. Sometimes, they don’t like the note. But more often than not, the actor is already locked into something and try as he/she might, it’s impossible to make the change.

Like weaning a child, I ‘wean’ the actors. It is what it is. This group of actors is very talented and they are doing a bang-up job. They are terrific in every way. The notes I have at this point are so minor that they’re not even going to be noticed by the audience. So…all done.

I’m drinking my second cup of coffee and then it will be time to take a shower and pack. Then the drive home and unpacking. I did a lot of work on our taxes yesterday – we always file an extension – and I’m nearly done. Once I’m home, I have to do some prep work for a coaching job that I start on Monday. It’s only a few days, here and there, of dialect coaching. Not a big commitment.

Thank you Hartford Stage (my home away from home) and everyone involved in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Thank you, Darko for being who you are. You inspire me every day.

I’ve never not been at an opening night here but I feel the need to get home and check on the house and do my prep work there. I don’t want to sit here in the apartment for two days when I could be back home getting organized.

Don will come home on Saturday night for his day off on Sunday. We will most likely travel back to NYC together on Sunday night – I’ll stay there so I can get to rehearsal on Monday morning.

It helps having a little pied à terre near the city.

Happy Thursday.

 

 

 

Escaping is Good

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I took my plants back home with me last weekend, hoping to lighten the load that I’ll be dealing with later this week when I move back home. This shefflera was in the aqua McCoy pot – which I loved – but I thought it looked pretty in this Guy Wolff pot. And somehow it needed to be on the French bistro table in the living room.

Done.

I drove back to Hartford yesterday afternoon and watched the show last night. For a Tuesday night audience, this group was wild! They laughed and laughed and had such a good time. I think that, especially in this time of political upheaval, hurricanes and earthquakes, people need an escape. Theater offers an escape. For 2 or 3 hours, one can be transported to another time and place. When that production is just plain funny, what a joy it is to have the opportunity to release in laughter. It is for me, and I know this production very well. Escape to Margaritaville  will be much the same. An escape for those who need one. I’m proud that both Don and I are part of productions that provide that. Laughter helps to heal. In our own way, we’re part of a temporary solution.

Speaking of Don, he’s settled in and is now managing the trip from Jersey City to Manhattan quite handily. He catches a bus a block from his apartment. It gets him to the Port Authority Bus Terminal (the same terminal we use when we take the bus from our neighboring town) in twenty minutes. Rehearsals are a block from the terminal. All good. They worked on music on Monday. Yesterday was what we call the Meet & Greet. When you’re doing a big Broadway musical, the Meet and Greet involves literally hundreds and hundreds of people; producers, publicists, agents, investors, cast, crew, writers, etc. Jimmy was there, as well. Now they’re doing table work. There are script changes and song changes and new cast members to bring into the fold.

That hollyhock is still blooming. In fact, when I left yesterday, there were even more blooms.

I might be leaving tomorrow but all of that depends on Darko and his assessment of the show. If he ‘freezes’ it, that means no more notes from him to the actors and I will freeze my notes as well. We’ll see. He’s rehearsing some sections this afternoon and we’ll see how it goes tonight. It’s a wonderful production, wildly funny and touching and beautiful and magical. As it should be. Once again, Darko has outdone himself. He’s amazing.

Last Saturday, there was a historical preservation tour going on in Hartford and the building I’m in was on the tour. There is a penthouse apartment that sits on the top of the building – all glass – and I’ve always been curious about it. It turns out it’s two apartments and since one is empty at the moment, we were allowed to see it. I’ve always been curious about it so I grabbed the chance. Unfortunately, you take an elevator to the twelfth floor and then you have to climb up three flights of stairs (and there are a lot of stairs) to get there.

In other words, in order to live there you have to be young and in great physical shape.

Nevertheless, I arrived – panting –  and viewed the apartment. It was smallish, same floors as I have here, same sort of kitchen, but the light and the windows and the views! Goodness.

From one of the windows – this view of the Capitol and part of Bushnell Park. Imagine watching the fireworks from here! You can see all the way to the Connecticut River from the other side of the apartment. Beautiful.

Okay. Have to go and send some notes to the actors.

Happy Wednesday.

 

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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