The morning view as we sip our second cup of coffee. The coffee table is generally Don’s bailiwick for his current reading material, journal, datebook, pens, etc. I have my space in the den. I move in with my cup of coffee, cell phone, earbuds (which I remove of course while chatting with him) and in this case, one of my planners because I wanted to read a quote that I’d jotted down there to Don. I tend to wear earbuds if I’m listening to anything because we both like our mornings to be relatively quiet.
In fact, I’ll share that quote with you. It’s from Rebecca Solnit and it’s about books and reading.
The object we call a book is not the real book, but its potential, like a musical score or seed. It exists fully only in the act of being read, and its real home is inside the head of the reader, where the symphony resounds, the seed germinates.
I love that.
We had some snow last night and it’s still snowing rather gently. Hardly any accumulation but watching the fat flakes float gently down to the ground is rather lovely on this Sunday morning. We’re due to get a bit more overnight; the usual rain/snow combo that seems to be the theme of this winter.
We watched Separate Tables on TCM last night. The night before we watched Interiors. I’d seen Interiors many years ago and sort of discounted it at the time because it wasn’t Woody Allen’s usual fare. I’m really glad we watched it again because it was an homage to Ingmar Bergman and quite good. I’d always known of Separate Tables, based on Terence Rattigan’s play of the same name, but hadn’t ever watched it. An excellent cast: David Niven, Deborah Kerr, Burt Lancaster, Rita Hayworth, Cathleen Nesbitt, Wendy Hiller, and Gladys Cooper. We liked it very much.
Today I have to water Rick’s plants one more time – I’m not sure when they’re getting back – and run a couple of errands. Don’s going to go along with me. Tonight, we settle in and watch the Oscars, because why not?
Happy Sunday.
Shanna says
I like that quote. Your snow storm sounds like the perfect kind for today.
Claudia says
Almost no evidence of it left at this point. Thanks, Shanna.
Vicki says
Feeling lukewarm about the Oscars wherein, when I was younger, I’d race home from work and not want to miss a thing. Like you’re saying, though, why not; something diff to watch on a Sunday night.
Your snow photo is bleak but beautiful!
Claudia says
It’s all gone now, but more is on the way (I think.) Thanks, Vicki!
Donnamae says
I quite like that quote. Did it spark conversation this morning during your second cup?
It is snowing quite heavily here. I love how snow muffles sound so well…at least until the snowblowers start up. Looks like we are in our way to at least 6 inches.
Don’t know if we are watching the Oscars this year. Did you and Don get to watch any of the movies? Enjoy the rest of your day! ;)
Claudia says
Oh yes. We talked about it for quite a while! We only saw Judy. You have to be up to date with dues to get screeners and since we aren’t (much harder to do without Margaritaville money) we are woefully behind! Thanks, Donnamae.
Donnamae says
Thank you for the explanation…I didn’t realize. ;)
Claudia says
We’ll catch up and, hopefully, next year we’ll watch the screeners.
Dee Dee says
Excellent quote, Claudia,thank you. We’re in the middle of Storm Ciara, supposedly a month’s rainfall in a day. It’s certainly wild out there and this morning I had to buy a new cooker (mine sort of blew up on Thursday) so if I wanted my son’s help, it had to be today or wait until next weekend.
We set off firstly to my brother’s house to borrow what my son refers to as his ‘Hannibal Lector’ trolley, just like the upright one in Silence of the Lambs upon which Anthony Hopkins is brought in. This meant we could fit the cooker in the back of the car and my son could install it.
Then as we drove towards the store we came across a huge area of street flooding which fortunately wasn’t high enough to get inside people’s homes. My son decided he was just going to drive through it! I was thinking I hope there’s no damage to the car! Anyway all seems well.
I have to pay to watch the Oscars, so instead I’m going to watch a new two part drama on the BBC. It’s Agatha Christie’s The Pale Horse, adapted by Sarah Phelps. She’s done others which I think are very, very good but they’re also very dark and a million miles away from the usual cosy murder mysteries. There’s also a new series of Endeavour (young Inspector Morse), set in Oxford in the late 60s beginning this evening too.
Happy Sunday
Claudia says
That storm looks awful! I’ve been seeing pictures of it on IG. Stay safe!
Sorry you have to pay to see the Oscars. That doesn’t seem fair. Enjoy the Christie, Dee Dee!
Miche says
I recommend Endeavour. It is one of our favourites. We are looking forward to Pale Horse when it comes to Australia. Happy Sunday.
Claudia says
We’ve watched nearly all of Endeavour. We haven’t seen the latest episodes, though.
Laura Walker says
Love that quote. xo Laura
Claudia says
Thank you, Laura.
kathy in iowa says
lovely quote. thanks for sharing it (among many other inspirational things).
nice of you to help your friends with their plants. glad you have some good books, tv shows, coffee and don to go with the snow.
i don’t usually watch award shows, but do tend to watch the first and last few minutes of the academy awards to see who won the “best supporting actor and actress”, “best actor and actress” and “best picture” awards. will see. need to do some chores around here, but am taking a break (obviously).
hope you have a nice night.
kathy in iowa
Claudia says
Yes, good idea! The best awards are at the top of the show and at the end. Now…if I can only stay awake long enough to see the awards at the end of the night! Thanks, Kathy.
Marilyn says
What a lovely quote. it is so true.
Marilyn
Claudia says
Thank you, Marilyn!
.Melanie says
The snow just stopped here. Looks like we only got about 2-3″. A nuisance amount. It did look pretty as it was falling though.
I’m a quote lover and really like the one you shared with us.
Won’t be watching the Oscars tonight. I’m not a fan of these types of shows.
Claudia says
Oh, but it’s the Oscars! There are way too many awards shows, but the Oscars have been around the longest. That’s the one awards show I always watch. Thanks, Melanie.
Siobhan says
That quote is just perfect Claudia.
I have shared it with my daughter, who is at Hamburg airport, with a cancelled flight due to the storms in Europe. She’s been told the next available flight to London is on Thursday. This news was not received well.
I too may watch a little of the Oscars / rooting for Joachim
Enjoy the show
Siobhan
Claudia says
Those storms sound terrible, Siobhan! And yay for Joachim! Thank you.
jeanie says
What a lovely quote and beautiful scene in your home. Yes, we woke up to several inches yesterday and more coming down today. But it’s awfully pretty! Enjoy the Oscars; I am!
Claudia says
4 inches fell last night, Jeanie. It’s heavy and wet!
Nora in CT says
Love the quote about books. I love books so much I even read books about books!! And I love to know what people are reading, what famous people read, what other writers read (if they have time). I really thank my mom for instilling a love of books and reading into all four of us kids. In fact, my baby brother became a librarian! Good job, mom. And my husband reads a chapter or two every night before sleep, usually his cat joins him in the most uncomfortable position possible on his lap, part of the ritual. He reads “real” books so it’s an awkward but beloved situation, as opposed to my NOOK habit which is so much easier to handle in bed with 2 cats wanting space. One of the things I love about your blog (and there are many) is that you and Don are bibliophiles and that you talk about your books and bookstores and use the library and buy books on your trips and collect Mockingbirds and so on. A delight for me was a visit to the Library of Congress which is fascinating and beautiful and has a great gift shop, as you can imagine. If you and Don get a chance to do D.C. for a weekend I’d highly recommend it and the Museum of Women in the Arts (don’t think that’s the right name, bad on me). And last but not least, HOORAY for Brad Pitt whose performance was truly Oscar-worthy. I really wanted the film to win best film and Tarrantino to get best director, but I won’t quibble with the Academy because Pitt was the best choice by far. Woke up to some snow here, so I’m sure you have more, maybe shovel able. Careful if it’s slippery.
Claudia says
I love reading books about books. I have many of them here on my shelves. I’ve been to the Library of Congress, though it was a couple of decades ago. So happy with Brad Pitt’s win, Nora. We have four inches of wet snow on the ground here this morning. Thank you!