Claudia — Page 1175

On V-Day

February 13, 2015 at 8:06 am by Claudia

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It’s February 13th and we are already in the midst of FRIGID in all caps. I was glancing at our local weather forecast and Sunday night? Wind chills of more than 20 below zero. Hello. So, if you’re expecting lots of photos of Brooklyn, you might want to let go of that idea. The weekend might go like this: tech rehearsals, dress rehearsals, preview, lots of note taking, grabbing some food to go and running back to the apartment. This will not be a sight-seeing weekend.

Although there is a bookstore nearby…

And of course, as often seems to be the case, Valentine’s Day will be spent apart from my husband. We had planned to attend an gig that Don is doing on that night, but the opportunity to work calls, so that isn’t happening.

Actually, we laugh at the whole V-Day thing, which was more of a big deal for us (if it ever was) when we were first dating, but is hardly on our radar nowadays and hasn’t been for years. I tend to balk at what I call Hallmark holidays and run in the opposite direction. No Valentine’s Day decorations here – but then again, I am sadly lacking in the special occasion decorating gene.

We are quite the romantic pair, as you must have gathered if you’ve read this blog for any length of time. We say “I love you” to each other several times a day, every day. We cuddle together on the sofa every evening. We really like each other. We never take each other for granted. We are more in love than ever.

So…dare I say that every day is Valentine’s Day here at the cottage? Or would that sound too sappy?

That being said, I wouldn’t mind some chocolate truffles.

Happy Friday.

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On the Road (but not quite): The SlickDrip

February 12, 2015 at 9:47 am by Claudia

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I like my homemade doily swag lamp. Sometimes I consider changing out the shade. However, when last I mentioned that idea to Don, he gave it a thumbs down. Turns out he likes the crocheted doilies because they allow him to see through the lamp to the window and beyond. There’s a lightness, an airiness to the whole thing. So it stays as is.

When I realized I’d be staying in Brooklyn off and on over the next week and a half (in an apartment close to the theater) I knew it was time to finally order my Kuissential SlickDrip.

What the heck is that, you ask?

You know I love my coffee. Since last summer, I’ve started making my coffee every morning using the single cup pour over method. Best coffee I’ve ever tasted. It involves using a filter holder that sits on top of a mug, a number 2 filter, a couple scoops of coffee and boiling water. Simple. Cheap. Just the cost of the coffee and the filters. Here at the house, we use a filter holder made by Melitta that we’ve had for years. But what to do when one of us is traveling?

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This. It is perfect for traveling. It’s made of silicone, and collapses for easy packing.

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Here it is, sans filter.

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And here it is in its neatly collapsed state.

I tried it out both yesterday and today and, maybe I’m crazy, but my coffee seems to taste better than ever.

I was turned onto the SlickDrip by my roommate this past summer in Chautauqua. Andrea is a costume designer and she travels a lot. She told me she had two needs on the road: portable speakers for her music/playlist and the SlickDrip. She likes a strong cup of coffee. Her enthusiasm for it was infectious. She insisted on making me a cup of Peets using the SlickDrip and I went into a swoon after tasting the coffee. I became a single cup pour over convert. When I came home, I dug out our Melitta filter holder and stopped using the coffeemaker. It’s now in the closet and I’ve never turned back.

I’m not being paid by Kuissential, they don’t know I exist. Oh, wait: they do know I exist because, after I purchased the SlickDrip via Amazon, they sent me a great email with all sorts of tips for making great coffee. I just wanted to share this with you because it’s such a neat idea.

Anyway, you know I love to talk about coffee and I know everyone has their preferred method of brewing coffee. It’s a highly personal thing! But, after years and years of coffee drinking, I feel like I’ve finally found the best way to make an excellent cup of coffee and it doesn’t involve the expense of a coffee maker. Who knew? We’ve happily kicked the coffee maker to the curb.

And just like making a good cup of tea, this takes a little time. I find the ritual of slowly adding water to the grounds very calming – a little ceremony, if you will. It’s a nice way to start my morning.

Tomorrow, when I take off for Manhattan/Brooklyn, I’ll have a bag of Peets, a few filters, and my collapsible coffee dripper.

And some books to read, of course. And my flannel pajamas.

New post up on Just Let Me Finish This Page. I want to know your thoughts on The Long Way Home by Louise Penny. I just finished it.

Happy Thursday.

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Snow, Galloping & The Quilt

February 11, 2015 at 8:52 am by Claudia

We managed to escape our little cabin-fever ridden cottage yesterday and took a short drive with Scout. She needed to get away, too. Nothing exciting, just some country roads. But at times, the view was breathtaking; acres and acres of white snow broken up by fences and barns and a house or two. It was a sunny day and there’s nothing more beautiful than sunlight on new-fallen snow.

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As in this shot of the big corral, taken late yesterday afternoon. You can see how much snow we have by looking at the fence posts.

We ended up in our little town, where Don ordered some lunch to go while Scout and I took a little gallop/walk at the library. She needed to move, that girl, and her mini-corral just doesn’t cut it (though we are oh, so grateful for it this winter).

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The view from our gallop. (Yes, I have to gallop, too.)

Don has to go into the city today. I have to go in on Friday. The temperatures are supposed to be frigid when I’m there, at least for this first visit. Oh, boy. Nothing like walking around the city in sub-zero temps!

Some of you asked to see the quilt I’m working on, so I’m going to share some pictures I took when I finished the quilt top. I was working in Hartford and my two colleagues, Mary and Robyn, held it up for me.

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The fabric is designed by the talented Camille Roskelley. I love the colors she uses in her designs. They are happy colors and the prints have a wonderfully retro feel to them. This is to be a wall hanging and eventually it will hang on the stairway wall. The pattern is also by Camille – a very, very simple, yet wonderfully graphic design.

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I pieced it with my featherweight, Mabel, who often accompanies me when I’m on the road.

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I’m hand quilting it with lots of interlocking circles of various sizes. I was just beginning to quilt when I took this picture. (You can also see a mini-history of my photo watermarks! Believe me, there are lots more out there.)

Now I have to get back into the rhythm of grabbing an hour or two every day to do some hand quilting. And that will have to wait until I finish this coaching job.

Happy Wednesday.

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On V-Day

On the Road (but not quite): The SlickDrip

Snow, Galloping & The Quilt

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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