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You are here: Home / Archives for Claudia

Thank You & the Living Room

September 14, 2010 at 12:42 pm by Claudia

Thank you. For being my friends. Your loving, supportive, caring comments mean the world to me. Please know that I carry each and every one of you in my heart.

Yesterday, we had a big, sudden thunderstorm in the late afternoon. I heard something hitting the house and realized it was hail. We ran out to the porch and watched the little perfectly round pieces of ice hit the ground all around us. The storm was short-lived but tempestuous. I love a sudden storm.

I thought I’d share the other end of the living room with you:

We bought the tiger oak sideboard when we moved into our first place together in San Diego. It’s heavy. The large cupboard was one of my favorite auction finds ever.  It has lots of shelves inside that store all kinds of supplies, phone books, receipts, wrapping paper. At the moment they are a tad messy. That’s green McCoy pottery on top. What else would it be? The two paintings by the front door are very special. The one on top is of Mockingbird Hill Cottage and was painted by my father. The one below is of my grandmother’s childhood home in Canada and was painted by my great-aunt Ruth.

The french doors lead two steps down into our den. That’s where we watch television and where I usually sit with my laptop (which you can see if you look closely.) And there’s the piano on the right. Snug quarters, that’s for sure. I didn’t do any staging for this photo – what you see is what I saw. Thank goodness there were no piles of folded laundry on the chairs, as is quite often the case.

Jill from Little Nest Studio sent me a note about a Vintage Spode pattern named Claudia. Oh no. I love it. That spells trouble, if you know what a pottery and china lover I am. And now the hunt begins.

Filed Under: china and pottery, Mockingbird Hill Cottage 34 Comments

My Reflection

September 13, 2010 at 10:26 am by Claudia

I look like my mother. I have my father’s brown eyes, my aunt’s freckles…but my face and my walk are my mother’s.  Our faces are heart-shaped. Our noses have the same bump, courtesy of my grandfather. Same eyebrows, same cheekbones, same chin, same mouth, same jawline, same widow’s peak.

When someone who knows my mother meets me for the first time, the response is invariably, ‘You look just like your mother!’ I find that as I get older, I see it even more. I cock my head in the same way she does. When I’m thinking about something, I sometimes find myself covering my mouth with my hand in the same way she always has. Don will sometimes say that I sound just like my mother – usually when I say something in a slightly disapproving manner.

I reflect on all this as I try to cope somehow with a mom who doesn’t seem to want to get better.  A mom who is the same, yet different – who doesn’t seem to feel any joy in life anymore. She doesn’t have a disease. She is simply fading away. My sister tells me there is a term used in her work as an OT – failure to thrive. That is the best way to describe what’s going on. How do you make someone care? I speak to her everyday. She just wants to go home. But she can’t until she’s stronger and she can’t get stronger unless she works at it.  We discovered that some medications she takes daily had been left off the list when she transferred to the Rehab facility. Once we got that ironed out, we had a day or two of mom acting a bit more like herself. But that was temporary.

I am a funny person and I could always make my mom laugh. Nowadays, if I can get a little chuckle out of her, my heart soars. But that is rare. Meredith took her dog Max (mom adores him) to the facility yesterday. Mom was taken outside to see him and not even the hint of a smile came to her face.

I look like my mother. As I look in the mirror and see her face reflected in mine, I want to will her better, to send all of my energy to her, to grab her and hold her and tell her to stop all this foolishness and fight.

That is the state of things, my friends. A sort of limbo where we see no improvement and which, try as we might, we have no power to change.

Filed Under: mom 48 Comments

Sweet Faces & Some News

September 11, 2010 at 5:09 pm by Claudia

Sometimes I get so used to the objects around me that I no longer see them anymore. Then something happens – like dusting and cleaning – and suddenly I get reacquainted with a treasure or two. Like these little china pieces, made in Japan, with such sweet faces.

Don’t these vintage figurines have a lovely look to them? Sort of like a photo of a baby from the 1920’s – or of a flapper. Lillian Gish-ish.

In other news, I won a giveaway at The Gardener’s Cottage. Janet graciously offered the chance to win a piece of Julie LoRusso’s gorgeous jewelry. I chose her signature bracelet – pearls with chalcedony. And Julie also sent a pink agate (for healing) pendant for my Mom. I am in love with this bracelet- I’m wearing it now. Thank you, Janet and Julie!

Finally, I’ve started another blog – just for photos. I am posting one photo a day with a caption. That’s all. I’d love for you to stop by. It is called Through a Lens Daily. There is also a link to it on my sidebar. I’ve only done 2 posts so far. I love photography and this gives me the chance to experiment and play.

Filed Under: china and pottery, giveaway 18 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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