Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Potpourri on Thursday

April 27, 2017 at 9:13 am by Claudia

•  Shot through the kitchen window on a rainy day – here is the bird I wrote about last week. Definitely a thrasher. A pair of them are usually together on the property. The other half had just hopped into the bushes when I took this picture. He has such a lovely tawny brown color and the spots/stripes are striking.

Will the sun ever make an appearance? It’s been so rainy and gray! Thankfully, it isn’t raining today and the sun may emerge (fingers crossed) later this morning.

•  I watched three episodes of Escape to the Country, a BBC series that is airing on Netflix. I only know about it because one of you recommended it. Sigh of happiness! The English countryside is so exquisitely beautiful. For those of you who don’t know of it, it’s rather like House Hunters  here, but done in much more sophisticated and, let’s face it, classy manner. The people that are longing to escape to the country have a list of requirements, the show scouts three houses, and at the end, unlike the American counterpart, we learn which house is their favorite, but we don’t know what they end up choosing. In other words, the house chosen isn’t pre-picked and approved and then presented as a “choice” along with two other homes, but is a genuine possibility. That’s all.

How refreshing! Also missing are the usual American consumer demands of a granite countertop, stainless steel, big walk-in closets, a master suite, a man cave, a she shed, etc. May I say that I intensely dislike the phrases “man cave” and “she shed?” Obviously a marketing ploy. When I hear people using those words all the time, I know that the ploy worked. I’m sure they are also encouraged to use those words by the producers. I’m never big on male vs. female categorizing.

Let me further add that I have never lived in a home with an “en suite.” Never. I get up and walk out into the hall and enter the bathroom. And I’m just fine with that. Cripes, our rental cottage that we lived in when we first moved here had one bathroom. It was downstairs at the back of the cottage. The bedroom was upstairs. Going to the bathroom involved a trek down the stairs, through the living room, dining room and kitchen until I reached the bathroom. Then the same thing all over again as I went back to bed.

Growing up, six of us shared one  bathroom. I wouldn’t know what to do with an en suite.

Anyway, I like this series! Thank you to the reader who suggested it.

•  The crabapple on the other side of the property has begun to bloom. It’s so beautiful. After I made my way over there to get a good shot, I came back in the house and noticed a wood tick on my jeans. I escorted him out of the house and told him to go back to the woods.

The ants are still winning, but I’m fighting the good fight. I will prevail. Thank you for all your suggestions!

•  Don’s in the middle of tech rehearsals, so we have even less time available to talk! He’s doing well. Techs require lots of patience as cues are started and stopped and started again, as lighting and sound and set design and costumes and music cues are tweaked and adjusted.

Since this is a musical based in “Margaritaville” you might well imagine that Don’s costume is very laid back and comfortable. You’d be right. He said it’s the most comfortable costume he’s ever worn.

Happy Thursday.

Filed Under: birds, Don, media, trees 58 Comments

The Day After The Day After

April 26, 2017 at 9:51 am by Claudia

I have no photos to show you of the past two days. Sorry.

It was a whirlwind and there was lots of activity from the moment I arrived until the moment I left.

Luckily, I was able to check into the hotel a bit earlier than the standard 4 pm so I could relax and then get ready for the 6:30 curtain (opening night curtains tend to be early, in order to take press photos and allow time for the party afterwards – especially when it’s on a weeknight as this was.)

Lots and lots and lots of people there. Don had mentioned to me that something might be delivered to me at the theater and, while lovely news, this made me wonder what the heck I was going to do with it. Do I stash it at the theater? At the party? But when I entered the stage door before the show, there was nothing with my name on it in the immediate vicinity. Okay, I told the guard, I’ll try again after the show.

I ran into lots of people I know and/or have worked with before. There were many celebrities, to be expected, and the curtain was late going up because getting them all inside was a mammoth undertaking.

The show was glorious. The actors were so ready to finally open the show! It was wonderful, but then again, I knew it would be. There was a long curtain call, with the director, playwright, composer and lyricist coming onstage, as well.

I went back through the stage door. No flowers. Hmmm.

The party was at the Marriott Marquis, up several escalators to the eighth floor (this took forever!) in a huge area that encompassed two floors. I’m not exaggerating when I say there were hundreds and hundreds of people there. Too many for this girl who likes quiet! But I ran into several friends and had some lovely conversations, all while waiting for the actors to come out of the press room (yes, another press room.) That took a couple of hours. I didn’t want to leave without hugging them and saying my goodbyes, so I didn’t leave the party until almost midnight.

While at the party, the choreographer and a couple of other people said “Hey, you’ve got flowers and gifts backstage!”

What??

Turns out they were four floors up in the room where the young Anastasias are tutored. Since I never go up there, thank goodness they told me about it. It was too late to get them at that point, but at least I was saved having to tell Don that the flowers never came, and yesterday morning I walked over to the theater (their day off) and persuaded the guard to let me go up there and retrieve my things. Don sent lovely flowers (you can see them on IG) and there were several gifts and thank you notes, along with a framed Anastasia  poster that included the words: Opening Night, April 24, 2017.

Sleep was almost impossible because I was on sensory overload. In the end, I think I got about 3 or 4 hours of sleep. So when I got home yesterday, I found myself nodding off in my chair for two hours. Except for retrieving my gifts and getting home, I accomplished exactly nothing yesterday.

What a wonderful experience and I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with the talented cast and crew and creatives! Darko was happy. We were happy.

My contract stipulates that I’ll work with future replacement cast members and on the national tour, which should happen sometime next year.

So, it’s a temporary goodbye to Anastasia. Watching the young cast members who were making their Broadway debuts and/or debuts in a starring role was gratifying.

It’s a big deal.

I don’t read reviews of shows I’ve worked on. I made that decision many, many years ago. It’s only one person’s opinion, therefore it’s subjective, and I usually have too much of an emotional investment in the show to want to read a review – good or bad. I know what it is for me, and that’s all that matters.

So don’t quote any reviews, okay?

I’m going to slowly get back into things. Currently, I’m battling an ant invasion in the kitchen and it’s driving me mad. I’ve put out baits. I’ve sprinkled cinnamon, which I’m told is a good deterrent. Not working. Any ideas or tips?

Happy Wednesday.

Filed Under: Anastasia 52 Comments

The Bitter and the Sweet

April 24, 2017 at 8:15 am by Claudia

Starting to open.

I did a lot of yard work yesterday. And then, hearing that rain would be here on Tuesday and Wednesday, I mowed the entire front lawn. If I had let it go until Thursday, it would have been way too long.

At the end of that little job, I was exhausted.

My friends, Noble and Tina, stopped by yesterday to give me an Opening Night present:

A beautiful azalea to plant in my garden, along with this McCoy pot. I’m thrilled to say that I didn’t have this particular piece of McCoy. I do now! Thank you, Noble and Tina. This was presented in a box decorated by Tina with the ‘Romanov’ crest – entirely appropriate for Anastasia.

As often happens in life, this is a day of highs and lows. Anastasia is opening tonight. That’s the high.

Three years ago, on this date, my mother passed away.

I miss her every day.

The bitter and the sweet.

I’m off to get ready to catch the bus to the city. If I decide to take my laptop along, I’ll try to post tomorrow. If I don’t, you’ll see a post on Wednesday.

Happy Monday.

 

 

Filed Under: Anastasia, gifts, McCoy pottery 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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