Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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On the Road

December 19, 2016 at 7:24 am by Claudia

Hi, everyone. Just a quick post today. Yesterday was long and tiring and I didn’t sleep well last night. A cough kept me from falling asleep – very frustrating – so I’m going on fumes today.

It rained a lot yesterday, especially when I was loading the car. The trip across New York and Connecticut was very foggy and there were several backups along the way. But I made it. The apartment is taking shape, though there have been some changes that, let’s just say, I’m not thrilled about. A big old faux-leather sofa that has no support, so my back is complaining loudly, and lots of black tables.

There is a much nicer television, however, and some more shelves on which I can store things, and the dining room table and chairs have been updated. I’ll try to take some photos later today, but I have a full day ahead of me and some prep work to do before I leave.

I managed to decorate my little tinsel tree (from Target) with some vintage Shiny Brites and battery operated lights that I found on Amazon. It’s awfully pretty!

And despite being in the apartment with a tiny tree, some bokeh for you!

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: Christmas, Hartford, On The Road 26 Comments

Snow. A Lot of It.

December 17, 2016 at 9:35 am by Claudia

Taken around 7:30 am this morning. It’s still coming down.

Well, I have been taken by surprise. Don informed me last night that snow was on the way. For some reason I hadn’t checked the weather for Saturday. I was more concerned about Sunday, the day I travel to Hartford. I could kick myself because there is some shopping that needs to be done and I could have done it yesterday.

Yesterday was a day that saw me lose it – finally – over the whole election and a feeling of hopelessness came over me that I couldn’t shake. I won’t go into it here except to say what I’ve just said. It hit Don, as well.

Today I have to pack and do some last minute work on some foreign language sections of the text of The Comedy of Errors. I had planned to grocery shop, but depending on when this now-going-on-6-inches of snow ends and on how long it takes us to dig out, I may end up doing that on my way to Hartford.

I took these photos when I went out in my flannel pajamas (and a coat and boots, of course) to see if the New York Times had been delivered. I’m not at all surprised that it wasn’t there – the roads hadn’t been plowed. Don came out to join me and take some pictures of his own.

We’re both getting sad that I’m leaving. We really do love being together. We like our life here in the cottage, our routines, the comfort that this place provides. But we also know we need to shake it up a bit and, as always, once I get to Hartford and get settled, I’ll adjust. And so will Don.

We’ll have to deal with this again in the spring. This time, not only will I be working at the theater again, Don will be journeying out to the LaJolla Playhouse in LaJolla, California (just up the road from San Diego) at the same time to work on a new musical. It features the music of Jimmy Buffett and it’s called Escape to Margaritaville. He auditioned last week, had a callback the next day, then another callback on this past Monday so that Jimmy Buffett could see and hear him. He thought he most likely wouldn’t be cast as they’d also auditioned actors in Los Angeles, but he got the job! It will be a lot of fun for him. And bonus for me – his run extends well beyond my time in Hartford, so I’ll be able to fly out and visit him. Huzzah!

Dear friends, tomorrow will be too crazy for me to post. So I will take the day off from posting and be back again on Monday morning. Okay?

Happy Saturday.

Filed Under: Don, Hartford, On The Road, snow 76 Comments

A Little Potpourri on Friday

December 16, 2016 at 9:19 am by Claudia

• Let’s start with last night’s sunset:

I was sitting in the living room and happened to catch that moment when the sun dropped below the horizon. Talk about beautiful!

• I think it’s interesting to note that the first rehearsal of The Comedy of Errors  is on December 19th, the day the Electoral College votes, and opening night is on January 20th, Inauguration Day. Thank heavens this is a comedy. As directed by Darko, it will be very funny, of that I am sure. Humor will be greatly needed and most definitely appreciated.

I wonder: is there a companion piece, The Tragedy of Errors, being performed somewhere? It would be most topical.

• Random shots of the cottage taken yesterday in the late afternoon. I tend to do this when I’m about to leave my little nest and travel to Hartford for a stay. I want to remember it.

• I’d take photos of the kitchen and the office, but there are bags of groceries and piles of things I need to pack taking up space in those two rooms, along with the bedroom. I’ll be doing more of that today and tomorrow. There are many practical and absolutely essential things I need to take with me, of course, but there are also all those items I need to take to make the apartment a home-away-from-home. That makes moving in a long process, especially in the rain that is forecast for Sunday, but it’s the way it has to be for me. I know the apartments very well, though, and that really helps. I know exactly what I need to take.

• Bokeh. I can’t help it.

And one more.

• Congratulations to my nephew, Meredith’s eldest son, who graduates from Ohio State University this weekend! Much love to all.

• It’s very, very cold here today. Wind chill, sub-zero temps; it’s become very cold and it isn’t even officially winter, yet. That doesn’t bode well. We were spoiled last year by very little snow and ice and warmer than usual temperatures. It was nice, but I do know we need the snow pack to replenish the water table. I think that’s going to happen this year.

Have to get moving – there’s lots to do before Sunday.

Happy Friday.

 

Filed Under: bokeh, Christmas, Hartford 22 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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Scout & Riley. Riley left us in 2012. Scout left us in February 2016. Dearest babies. Dearest friends.

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