Claudia — Page 1044

Coloring

March 26, 2016 at 9:05 am by Claudia

It was so warm yesterday that I was able to run errands in jeans and a t-shirt. Oh, joy! It’s sunny today. You know there’s nothing I love more than seeing the sun pour through the many windows of the cottage. It’s good for my soul.

I’ve been coloring.

Frankly, I can’t remember whether I loved coloring or not when I was a child. I remember doing it, and like everyone else, I loved a new box of crayons, preferably the Crayola box of 64 crayons with the built-in sharpener. I suppose I liked coloring as much as the next kid. Unlike most kids, I didn’t particularly care for cartoons. I still don’t!

When we were down in Florida, Mere gave an adult coloring book and colored pencils to Don. She had originally purchased it for her husband – I was with her, so it must have been in August – but he had no interest in it. Don took a stab at it, coloring while sitting out on the lanai near the pool.

I thought I had absolutely no interest in coloring, but I succumbed the other day at Barnes & Noble. After looking at many adult coloring books (I wish they’d find a different term; it sounds vaguely smutty!) I chose Johanna Basford’s Enchanted Forest. The drawings are incredibly detailed and perfect for a nature lover like me.

3-26 coloring

This is what I’ve done so far. Yesterday morning found both Don and me coloring – he, in his chair in the living room, me, in my chair in the den. I did a bit more around dinner time.

3-26 coloredpencils

I didn’t feel that I had enough variety in the colors available, especially in the shades of green, so I went to our local art supply store and purchased a few more colored pencils. They’re made by Prismacolor.

Don has his own set of pencils, though we’re not averse to raiding each other’s stash.

It’s a meditative thing to do. I put it in my own personal category of things that help me relax: reading, doing a crossword puzzle, crocheting, working on miniatures, and now this – coloring.

I know that many of you have been doing this for a while. Do you have a favorite coloring book? (I stayed away from the ones that have thick black outlines, but that’s just my personal preference.) The best sharpener? If you have one, please share!

I hope you’re having a lovely weekend.

Happy Saturday.

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Greenery, Crocheting & Remembering

March 25, 2016 at 8:59 am by Claudia

3-24 Chineseevergreen

My trip to a local nursery resulted in this: a Chinese Evergreen that doesn’t need a lot of light and is therefore perfect for the den. The den has been sadly lacking in greenery. I just plopped the pot inside the McCoy jardiniere.

It’s sitting on the floor in front of the dollhouse.

3-24 Chineseevergreen2

Lovely.

I love the way the various shades of green pop against the creamy McCoy.

3-24 scarfinprogress

I’m crocheting one last scarf for my friend, Lynn. Lynn worked at the Old Globe for years and when she asked me if I could make her a scarf from one of her favorite skeins of wool, I said yes. It’s taken me a good long while to get round to it and for that I apologize, Lynn! I had to let my hands rest after crocheting more scarves than I can count last Fall.

Cindy, if you’re reading this, I finished the other scarf you ordered and it’s listed on Etsy.

We are mourning the death of two colleagues and friends who have recently passed away. Larry Drake, a wonderfully fine actor, passed away last week at the age of 66. Larry had a long career on the stage, but you probably know him best as the character Benny on L.A. Law. I was fortunate to coach him on two different occasions; in a play at the Old Globe and in another play in NYC. He was such a kind and lovely man and he died much too soon.

And now we are reeling at the news that Garry Shandling has passed away. Garry was a friend of Don’s. They first met when Garry was a writer working on the short-lived The Harvey Korman Show. Don was a member of the cast of that show, recruited by Harvey himself. A few years later, after Garry had started working as a comedian, Don was on It’s Garry Shandling’s Show. Though many years had passed, their connection remained. Not all that long ago, Garry and Don were chatting online about their memories of the work they did together. Garry was brilliant and his shows were groundbreaking.

Don tells me that Garry was a truly nice person. Gone at 66.

Both actors were extremely gifted; both have left us much too soon.

May they rest in peace.

My mom used to make us sit quietly between the hours of 12 and 3 on Good Friday. We couldn’t go outside or talk loudly. I think this happened more to my brother and I than to my two sisters. As often seems to be the case, my parents were much more relaxed in bringing up my younger sisters than they were with the two oldest.

So, it seems strange to say Happy Friday on Good Friday, but Happy Friday nonetheless.

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The Words of Pat Conroy, Coloring & My Dad’s Hat

March 24, 2016 at 9:45 am by Claudia

3-24 southofbroad

Pardon me while I dry my tears, pull myself together, and close the cover of South of Broad by Pat Conroy. At over 500 pages, it’s a wonderfully long read; a read to take your time with, to stop and reread a sentence or two (in my case, many times) simply because you want to acknowledge the sheer beauty of his writing.

That man was a writer. One of the best. I want to stay in those pages, to never leave, to live with those characters that Conroy drew with the finest of brush strokes. I want to linger on the streets of Charleston, a city Conroy adored. Some of the story takes place in the very towns we drove through on our trip to Florida and back. That was timely!

Oh, my heavens.

I have Beach Music waiting in my queue, but I have to read a book that I am to review next week before I can allow myself the treat of more Conroy.

A glorious writer – no spareness for him, no Hemingway-esque sparse sentences. No sir, he wrote with gusto, with a love for words and the endless possibilities there were for putting them together. He’s spoiled me, I’m afraid. Gone too soon: he had a lot more stories to tell, thousands upon thousands of words to share with us.

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This is the coloring book I chose. I haven’t started yet, and I’m curious to see how long it will take me to dig in. I think it might prove to be meditative and calming and I sure could use some of that.

3-21 starrynightpot

Here’s a closeup of the Florida Faience pot that is clearly inspired by Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Do I want it?

Yes, indeed I do.

3-24 dad's hat

I brought my dad’s golf hat back from Florida. I refrained from bringing it back in November because I was flying home and I didn’t want to crush it. It’s hanging on the door that leads to our shared office/studio space.

I have a hat from my brother as well – sort of an Indiana Jones style fedora. I think I’ll pull that out and hang it, too.

Hats from my two dear ones.

Today is sunny and the temperature will be almost 60 degrees. I’ve been opening the windows for a few days now. It’s also time to open the front door, lower the screen on the screen door – just a bit – and soak up even more sunshine in our living room.

Maybe some houseplant shopping today? We’ll see.

Happy Thursday.

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Coloring

Greenery, Crocheting & Remembering

The Words of Pat Conroy, Coloring & My Dad’s Hat

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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