Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

A Project

at by

A sunset for you. Friday night? I think so, though life has been rather unfocused lately. The past three weeks have been a blur and, though some of it has been lovely, much of it has not  been lovely. I’m trying to stay in the now for the next 8 days before Don leaves. I’m a bit resentful of this virus and the fact that it ‘took me away’ from Don. Of course, it really didn’t, as he was here and taking care of me. I guess I mean that I wish I hadn’t felt so god-awful so we could have had lighter, happier days. Ah, well. There’s no replay allowed, so we’ll move forward and enjoy the next week together.

I do have to go into the city tomorrow for a run through and then I’m done for about a week and a half or so, until final dress rehearsals begin.

Perhaps because I read that lovely new quarterly magazine, QuiltFolk, perhaps because I know my evenings will soon be something other than a time to cuddle with my husband – whatever the reason, I brought out this work in progress:

I pieced this together a few years ago while working in Hartford. It’s meant to hang on a wall, though it would also work nicely as a throw. (The wall it was meant to hang on is now our ‘gallery wall’ by the stairs.) I started hand quilting it back then and I’ve pulled it out a few times, but it hasn’t been touched in a while. Hand quilting – which is the only way I quilt – is slow going and I have to be motivated to do it.

I’m feeling motivated. I think it will be the perfect thing to do as I pass the time ‘of an evening.’ Nothing is quite as fun to watch alone as it is with Don. I’ll probably end up watching MSNBC, cursing repeatedly, and jabbing my needle into the quilt.

We’ve started watching Rachel Maddow again after having stayed away from the news after that man was elected. Maddow is brilliant, of course, and she manages to weave information together into something coherent. She does the hard work for us and like the teacher she is, leaves us knowing more than we did by the end of her show. A lot more. We find we’re clinging to her nightly show because we need to connect the dots and that’s something she does better than anyone else.

The winner of a copy of Wilde Lake  by Laura Lippman is Katheryn! Congratulations. I’ll send you an email, Katheryn.

Happy Monday.

 

 

 

Broadway Musicals, It’s COLD & Insane Tweets

at by

A photo of the skyline as we left the city last night. I figured I could post this since my fellow passengers are in silhouette and not identifiable.

Spent the day in the city and took notes on our second run through of Anastasia. It’s a gem. There were lots of ‘guests’ in the room; producers, people that work for the producers, designers, etc. I’ve worked on Broadway once before – also on a musical – and in both cases, I was/am aware that I am just a small piece of the whole puzzle. Broadway musicals are huge juggernauts, unlike anything else I’ve every worked on. There are at least three producers (maybe more) on this one. One of them knows me and took the time to introduce himself in Hartford, hugs me when he sees me etc. The others? They have no idea what I do, nor do they care. That’s not a criticism at all. It’s just an acknowledgement of how huge the whole thing is! There are so many elements for them to worry about, far more than when Anastasia  premiered in Hartford.

So I just do my thing, stay in contact with the actors and the writers and Darko, working quietly behind the scenes. In truth, I don’t know if I would ever want more responsibility than that! I like to maintain a quiet profile.

More from the bus.

It is friggin’ cold here today. It’s 8:30 am and the temperature is 8 degrees. I saw buds on my lilacs the other day and I’m praying they aren’t damaged. Enough with the bizarre weather! Each time we have a major change, as we’ve had more than a few times in the past couple of weeks, I get all congested again and this bug I’ve been fighting ramps up. Yesterday, as I was leaving the house, I felt sick. By the afternoon, I felt better. And so it goes.

Today I’m feeling better. I’m definitely through the worst of it and I’m very grateful I don’t have to work every day. I’ve got two days now to rest and relax and then one more run through on Tuesday. Then a break until the week of March 20th, when I stay in the city through dress rehearsals and the first four previews.

The man in the Oval Office is insane. I woke up yesterday to those tweets about “wire tapps” – his spelling, not mine, and he kept putting the words in quotes. The level of paranoia is ramping up and he’s losing it. Captain Queeg in his very own version of the Caine Mutiny. I was thinking of one of my very favorite movies, Doctor Strangelove, and how its brilliantly satiric look at the insanity of those in power doesn’t look so outrageous anymore. How can satire top what we’re witnessing now?

And yet, there are still those who believe everything he says. Ignorance is not bliss. And willful ignorance is choosing to remain uninformed, to drink the kool-aid, to blindly follow.

God gave me a brain and I’m going to use it.

Happy Sunday.

 

On Saturday

at by

View from the kitchen into the living room.

Boy, is it cold here! I hope my newly emerging daylilies can hang in there. It’s going down to the single digits tonight. What the ??? The weather has been so wildly inconsistent lately. 70 degrees one day, winds and freezing temps the next, and now this. Within another day or so the temps will be back up in the fifties during the day.

We even had a little snow squall yesterday.

I have to journey into Manhattan again today for a run through of Anastasia. There will be at least one more run through next week and then on Thursday, the whole production moves into the theater. As they start tech rehearsals, I’ll stay away for a bit and then I’ll be back in Manhattan (and staying there) as final dress rehearsals and previews start.

Don’s car is all tuned up. We had to make some repairs (the driver’s side window wasn’t working) and one of the wheels was locked. The timing belt needed to be replaced. But our beloved CR-V is now ready to roll.

______________________________

My longtime blogging friend, Tracie Truran of My Petite Maison, lost her husband this week. It was sudden and shocking and heartbreaking. Tracie and her husband, Shayne, lived in California for many years. They made a big change last year when they found a house in Nebraska, a short sale, and moved there in order to finally realize their dream of owning a home. And now Shayne is gone.

If you know Tracie, you know that, in addition to her exquisite taste and decorating skills, she has the biggest and kindest heart. Her love for animals is deep and profound. Her beloved Great Pyrenees, Bechet, is a beautiful boy.  She has always been there for me, especially as I navigated the last years of Riley and Scout. Tracie is one of the first people I met through blogging and my heart is breaking for her.

I know that most of you probably don’t know Tracie, but some of you who have been around a while might. If you know Tracie, her daughter has started a GoFundMe campaign to help with funeral expenses and bills, to help ease the pressures on Tracie as she navigates this heartbreaking journey. Here’s the link.

Tracie blogged for years and now focuses on Instagram and Facebook. You can find her on IG here. How I wish I could wrap my arms around her right now. Rest in peace, Shayne.

Too much sadness now. Everywhere.

Happy Saturday.

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