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.
I know you will miss Don so much. Just happy you are feeling better so you can enjoy this last week before he heads out for Calif. That quilt is lovely and will help pass the evenings. I finally had a few minutes to work on a watercolor project last night and will work on it again today. It’s doing textures and quite detailed. Good practice. I have 3 days of Dr/Dentist appts for my Mom this week. Sending hugs.
It’s really going to be hard without him here. I find it gets harder, not easier.
Hi Claudia. Hope you are feeling much better soon my lovely. Is that Bonnie and Camille fabric??? Love from julie in sweltering hot Western Australia
Yes, it’s Bonnie and Camille fabric! Love their designs.
Oh, I find my way going back to Rachel, too. She is one smart person, isn’t she. It’s good we have choices on who we want to listen to on TV.
I wish I knew how to do things like quilt. It will be great to see the evolution of yours.
I’m glad you’re feeling a little better; keep your spirits up (easier said than done, I know).
Feeling a little better but frustrated by the length of this whole thing. Yuck!
You’ve reminded me of my unfinished quilt downstairs—which I still may not be ready to work on for this season! Some day. I’ll be glad to see the progress on yours. Love the colors! Haven’t heard Rachel Maddow’s take on things in a while, but I do like her show. I guess I’ve been sticking my head in the sand lately. Shame on me!
Well, we avoided all of that for a while, too. But it’s getting very scary, so we’re now tuning in. We weren’t ready to do that until just last week.
Your quilt is gorgeous! You do such fantastic work. I’ve never quilted at all. For some reason, it just never intriqued me to attempt. Glad you are feeling better. Stay in and rest as much as you can, there is so much stuff going around. Seems like you get over one thing and come down with another. Take care friend.
Judy
I will. Tomorrow I have to go out, but other than that, I’m hanging around here, Judy! xo
Your quilt sounds like the perfect project. I’d forgotten how pretty that quilt was! I’m glad you are feeling better, so you can enjoy these days before Don leaves. That’s got to be so hard for you. I was wondering…when you go out to see him, if you flew out to see the production, you could drive back together? Make a nice trip out of it…see some sites along the way perhaps? I had forgotten about Rachel….thanks for the reminder. Enjoy your day! ;)
We’ve already planned on doing that, Donnamae. I’ll fly out and we’ll drive back together. I want to finally get to see the Grand Canyon!
Terrific! ;)
xo
Now THAT sounds like an amazing road trip to anticipate! I think time away from our spouse or partner or whatever gets more difficult as we get older. At least for me that has been the case. When I was in my 30’s and 40’s and probably even 50’s,,,,,, it did not seem as difficult as it is now. It feels to be part of this whole “aging” thing, I guess ~ it infiltrates every aspect of our lives.
That is so funny as we finally had Rachel on our TV last week, too. The background she paints for every story is amazing. I realized just how much I have missed her incredible show. It makes me angry that the demonic monster pushed me to that point. I know it was the right thing to do for my health following the “election”, but am so happy to be listening and watching her show again. Well, I see “it” has signed a new travel ban. So sickening. I look forward to watching Rachel tonight and hearing her take on that, as well as the sickening tweety bird show he performed this weekend. Peace, my friend.
Yes. It’s definitely more difficult – I feel more vulnerable and so does Don.
Stay well to enjoy the next 8 days. They will be intense, as you and Don prepare for that very rare separation. The quilt is lovely, such softness to it. Try to get into a relaxed meditative state while quilting, or you might accidentally jab your finger instead of your quilt!
Oh, that will happen anyway!
Glad you’re continuing to feel better & that you have something to work on evenings while Don is away. My Irish-born great-grandmother was always saying how important it was to keep hands and mind occupied! She had a better way of saying it than I just did, but she was so right. Working on your quilt and listening to TV will definitely help take your mind off missing Don, and you’ll be productive at the same time! MSNBC is the default channel on my TV. Has been since I retired. Of course I watch other things during the day – Turner Classic Movies when there’s something I want to see, Andy Griffith reruns etc – but otherwise I’m tuned into MSNBC. And I feel like I’ve earned a BS in political science in that time. The evening lineup on MSNBC, particularly Rachel & Lawrence O’Donnell, have literally helped to keep me level & sane over the past year. Both are SO GOOD. And I read last week that Rachel’s ratings have doubled since Humpty was sworn in. A LOT of people are realizing how smart she is, and how important it is to stay informed. The real news of course, not blurbs posted by Joe Nobody on Facebook. Lawrence is also DA MAN – he has had, hands down, the best Trumpty zingers of anyone. Not even Keith Olbermann can top LO in the zinger department, and Keith is awesome. Keep on feeling better & be sure to get your rest in too. Peace.
#Resist
I forgot to say how much I love Lawrence O’Donnell. I just wish he was on earlier as I tend to need to go to bed by 10:00!
That quilt seems a perfect project; artistic with the fabric patterns and then the zen part with the constant rhythm of the quilting stitches. Always something wonderful when it’s all done and years of enjoyment ahead! Really a win win situation. Your plans for the return trip sound perfect; all the planning may help those final weeks go by.
Perhaps in the long run, we can find a saving grace in all this unsettling turmoil and the injustices that tear at our hearts and souls. I still don’t understand how supposedly caring people can ignore the lying and cruelty from the Orange group. If you dance with the devil in the pale moonlight, you are making a commitment and come morning, there will be a price to pay. There won’t be any excuses allowed. My trust and respect for a certain segment of this country is completely gone; cannot emphasize “completely” enough.
Sharing with kindred spirits brings light and hope to each day. Wishing you some comforting things coming your way today; there is still beauty that can touch our lives. Dianne
Yes, those who are complicit will pay. There’s no getting around it. I feel the same way about the loss of trust. I won’t forget.
Thank you, Dianne!
Lovely quilt! :)
Thank you, Aunt Lou!
Glad you are on the mend. This has been such a terrible year for sickness. I watch Rachel, too. She keeps me sane and keeps some of the nightmares away. Your quilt looks like a lovely project for when Don is away from home. xo Laura
She does keep us sane, Laura. Thanks for stopping by!
Ha-ha! I laughed out loud about the news watching and quilt jabbing. I’m so disgusted with everything that is happening that I just can’t watch anymore. I do love Rachel Maddow. She is smart, thorough and to the point. Enjoy your week.
She is so smart!
Wow, the quilt is just beautiful and what a reward for tedious and hard work at times! Claudia, it really is so pretty, and the fabric is feminine and restful.
Thank you for all you do.
I keep being happy I found you in blogland and it has made me all the better to deal with
what we all are dealing with: a commander in chief who is a bad man.
I agree with all; Rachel teaches and gives us a history lesson and man! she knows the score about that man.
I had a few of FB friends mad at me for saying” who in the world would have voted for him?” and added the folks I knew from across the nation from NY all the way to CA were so nice….well it got me in deep trouble…maybe they could feel guilty or maybe I should have not written it…but girls , I wanted to know!
“Me thinkest, (OK I know!) the people were from around here, (not my NY or CA friends,) who got mad!! oh dear.
I look forward to my next new read too!
and, so sorry Don is going away for a while..time flies, but not the missing someone.
Love to you~~
Katheryn
I’ve run up against a few Facebook friends, though the vast majority of them are of the same mind as me.
The divine (and divinely-articulate ) and whippet-smart Rachel has kept me sane throughout this mess, along with the sweetly-sonorous tones of Laurence O’Donnell. The way she connects the dots has always fascinated me, and I love following the thread of her stories to their end.
Another bastion of sanity for me has been my old movie favorites on TCM, and I was so sad to learn of the death of Robert Osborne. His enthusiasm for the movies I love was always a kind of valentine through time and space to me. I loved how he shared that enthusiasm with a motley group of guest hosts like Alec Baldwin and Drew Barrymore.
In these surreal times, we need all the anchors we can find! Enjoy your quilt project, rest and be well.
Peace,
Leslie P.
Oops…typing too fast again. I meant “whip-smart”, although I am sure that whippets are very smart, (as well as elegant).
xo
I love Lawrence O’Donnell. Love him. Last night’s Maddow show was fascinating!
I’m so sorry about Robert Osborne. I truly thought the world of him. It won’t be the same without him.
I’ve been alone now for 8 years so I’ve had to learn to stay busy in the evenings. I do lots of handwork & I, too, love Rachel. They say her ratings have skyrocketed. We also have a secret group on Fb so we’re able to vent in private if we want. Have you ever watched the old Gilmore Girls on Netflix? They saved my sanity after the election. Hope you’re feeling better!
I’ve never watched Gilmore Girls, so I may just do that, Jan!
I watch Rachel, Lawrence, and AM Joy. Did you see that Robert Osborne passed away in NYC today? He will be missed by so many.
So sad. Both Don and I loved him and were worried about him, so it wasn’t a surprise. Very, very sad loss.
If I don’t watch Rachel live, I record her show to watch the next day. I can’t imagine the amount of research and effort that goes into each show. I learn soooo much from her! She’s one smart lady.
I love your quilt…the colors are so cheerful!
I know! Every day – so many facts and figures and dots connected!
It’s Tuesday and listening to “Morning Joe and Mica, I have had my fill up to my throat about Trump. She shared yesterday that those in the media such as her own self were afraid, worried etc….
On that note Claudia, AND to totally cleanse the air,
You help actors be better at their craft; what led you into such a great way to help actors sound real, but also, make it your career? I love the stories of why people become who they become in work. Am I prying to ask you what degree or what got you going in this interesting direction?
I think it would be difficult and take many yrs to be so good at this, and hey, you are on Broadway so you must be great at helping an actor create the voice of whom they are being in the play, movie, show … I am a therapist (mental health). Trauma brought me to my profession.
I would love to hear your story.
Dear Claudia, and Don,I find my self quite sad,as this parting grows near.
after all you are my first example of a truly Loving, trusting, Husband and wife!
Stay strong you two, we got your back. Be Safe! -Judy A
Thank you, Judy!
Oops commented in wrong reply, I wanted to tell Katheryn, go back to Claudias profile pages and headings you will Love her story of why she is she. sorry about my mix up of comment replies :^{ -Judy A-
Thanks Judy! you are sweet!
There are posts about it around the blog, but maybe, when I’m more rested, I’ll write about it again.
I appreciate Rachel Maddow, too. She is brilliant at distilling a lot of information into a coherent, and riveting, story. As a mental health professional, I am so happy to see that Lawrence O’Donnell has had several highly respected psychologists and psychiatrists on The Last Word over the past week to discuss the current president’s (can’t say his name) serious mental health issues.
She sure is. Amazingly smart and clear about things that aren’t always so clear to the rest of us.
Lawrence O’Donnell and Rachel Maddow are saving my sanity at the moment, Sandra!