Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Sunday Morning

November 27, 2016 at 9:26 am by Claudia

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I read quite a bit of Night School  this morning – Lee Child’s latest – and I’m finally getting into it. That’s good news. It took a while, but now I’m immersed in the part of the book where things are ramping up. In fact, I had to force myself to put it down in order to write this post.

I’ve took some pictures in the late afternoon yesterday, when the sun pours in the front of the house. Instead of trying to avoid a reflection on the glass in a picture frame, I went with it.

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You can see the windows and the blue ice cream maker that holds the dried hydrangeas reflected on the glass.

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Same here – the reflection of the window, and yes, that’s a crack in the window that we haven’t yet repaired. I love this Norman Rockwell print. We got it years ago up in the Berkshires.

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More of that golden glow from the sun, which, by the way, never showed itself until very late in the afternoon.

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The big pots filled with impatiens came inside with me the other day. They were budding and in pretty good shape, so, being someone who can’t abandon anything, I brought them in. There’s a little pot on the kitchen windowsill, one on my dresser, and one in the office. They need a little pinching back, but so far, so good.

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Of course, this means more watering for Don when I’m in Hartford, but what the heck? It gives him  something to do! See? I’m always thinking of him.

Today seems to be a day for reading; finishing the Lee Child, reading the New York Times, starting another book (to be determined.) And doing the crossword puzzle, of course.

On the docket for the week ahead: Starting my text research on Comedy of Errors. 

Happy Sunday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: flowers, reading, Wallace Nutting 22 Comments

A Little Bit of Everything

November 26, 2016 at 9:43 am by Claudia

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On our second gloomy day in a row, I thought a sunny picture would be in order. Hard to believe, but I just took this about 3 days ago.

Low-key is a perfect description for life here in the cottage these days. After my spurt of energy sorting and purging the closet on Thanksgiving, I have reverted to my inclination to be lazy. I did rouse myself to drive to our local jeweler yesterday to get the battery in my watch replaced – a favorite watch that I had lost track of, but found – you guessed it – in the midst of my cleaning and sorting on Thursday.

And, on high alert, I stopped at the grocery store to get some more Peet’s French Roast. I’m not exaggerating when I say we go into a mild panic at the thought of running out and finding that our closest store is also out.  And that has happened, my friends. It isn’t pretty. We’ve tried just about every other French Roast out there, most often when we have no other choice, and while some are okay, none equal Peet’s.

Don’t you think Peet’s should hire me as a ‘brand ambassador?’

I’ve been reading the latest Lee Child, but – and I’m going to be frank here – I’m just not that into it. That is the first and only time I have ever said that about one of his thrillers. This one takes place in the past, when Reacher was still an enlisted man, and the premise is intriguing, but for some reason this one just seems too formulaic. Maybe it’s my mood, maybe because I’ve read all of the Reacher series, but I’m having to force myself to finish. I will finish, if only because I bought the darned book, but it is definitely not my favorite.

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The latest SquintBox, which arrived in yesterday’s mail. The theme is ‘Good Cheer.’ Christmas presents, holiday cards, a shopping bag and box from Paris, a Plum Pudding Cake, and a glass bowl of holiday candies. My stash is growing monthly due to this neat subscription service!

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Mini Pottery collection update. I’ve had to move some of the pieces to the top of this shadow box because I’m running out of room! (I’m not complaining.)

We watched Top Hat  on TCM yesterday. As the world’s biggest Fred Astaire fan – really, I am! – I’ve seen this movie many, many times. But I never tire of it. I’ve been an Astaire fan since I was a kid. There’s not much I don’t know about him. My dorm room and student apartments were dominated by a huge poster of Fred and Ginger dancing Cheek to Cheek, Ginger’s infamous feather dress looking gorgeous (and somewhat dangerous for Fred, as feathers flew everywhere.)

In times of stress and worry, which, let’s face it, this particular time is, a Fred and Ginger movie is the perfect prescription. There’s a reason their movies were such a hit during a time when the country reeled from The Depression.

Another movie that makes me happy? Tootsie. And that’s on TCM tonight at 8.

Another happy thing: our new weekend home delivery of the New York Times. I signed up for it at the beginning of the week. We now get the Friday – Sunday editions delivered to our little cottage. And they’re out there on the driveway early! We get up around 5:30 or 6 and the paper is already there.

I’m making good on my promise to subscribe to a newspaper or two as well as magazines that feature investigative journalism. Supporting a free press is imperative.

Happy Saturday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: books, coffee, collecting, media, miniatures, movies, pottery 33 Comments

Cleaning, Sorting & Eating

November 25, 2016 at 9:34 am by Claudia

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As the temperatures started to go well below freezing at night earlier this week, I grabbed a few of the potted impatiens to bring inside. Some might make it through the winter. Others? Time will tell. I figure I have nothing to lose. This little pot is doing rather nicely on the kitchen window sill. I plopped it in Don’s vintage metal Ponderosa Ranch mug.

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Even though we said we were not doing anything special for dinner yesterday, Don, while out and about, succumbed to the holiday atmosphere and ended up preparing a yummy vegetarian holiday meal. “Chicken” strips and sauteed green beans and onions, steamed green beans, mashed potatoes and veggie gravy, squash, jellied cranberry slices, salad, and stuffed mushrooms. I didn’t make biscuits – the only thing that was missing – but I’ll make them at Christmas.

And pumpkin pie, but we were too full to have any last night, so we’ll most definitely have some today.

While husband was foraging in the supermarket, I took on a task that I have been threatening to do for months. Sorting and purging in the craft/crap closet in the office. My one regret is that I didn’t get a ‘before’ shot. Believe me when I tell you that every available space on the shelves and on the floor was stacked high with STUFF. It was like those closets in cartoons where opening the door threatens to bring everything crashing to the floor.

In process:

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The contents of the closet were everywhere: in the hallway, in the bedroom, to the left of this shot and in front of the desk. Six trash bags were put outside near the shed. At least 4 bags of things to donate are now living in front of the sideboard downstairs.

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All of this is going to our storage space today; a big bin packed with things I want to save, an old computer that I don’t know what to do with (yes I know I can donate it, but it’s well and truly fried) and empty plastic storage boxes and wire bins. I cleared so much out of the closet that I don’t even need the storage boxes!

Huzzah!

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I understand that this doesn’t look all that exciting, but it is to me! Do you see that long box on the top wire shelf? That’s the box holding the parts for the Fairfield dollhouse: sheets of wood, templates, instructions, etc. That has been sitting on the floor in front of my china cabinet for months. Every – and I mean every – time I scooted my desk chair away from the desk, I would hit that darned box. It was making me crazy. It now has a home on that shelf, along with the pieces I’ve already assembled.

On top of it is the wrapping paper used on my birthday presents. The dragonfly design is so pretty that I’m saving it.

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I also had a minor creative burst. I figured out how to store this vintage lampshade that I got from Christie Repasy’s shop several years ago. It used to be on the floor lamp in the living room, but that lamp bit the dust. I realized I could tie it to the rod. That way it would be up off the floor and the fringe wouldn’t be smashed. Bingo!

Silly, I know, but this has been looming over me for a while, so getting it done is a big deal. I still have to tackle three other closets, but this one might be the only one I get done before I have to start my research and eventually leave for Hartford.

The desktop got a cleaning, as well as my craft worktop.

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You most likely can’t see the difference, but I can.

I listened to great singers, past and present, singing the American Songbook on Jonathan Schwartz’s radio show via my Bose/bluetooth speaker and I was a happy camper.

Little Z is doing much, much better. He was, according to Meredith, at about 90% by yesterday afternoon. Bless his heart, that boy went through so much. Best Thanksgiving present there could be – Z’s homecoming. Did I ever tell you I was very ill when I was newly born? I turned blue and had complications that kept me in the hospital. I was born the week before Thanksgiving and I wasn’t released until Thanksgiving Day. For years and years, my father would say the blessing at the Thanksgiving table and would always add a thank you for my homecoming.

Don and I kept thinking about that as Little Z was released in time for Thanksgiving with his family.

Happy Friday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

Filed Under: life 42 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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