Claudia — Page 391

Snow, Puzzle, and a Movie Recommendation

January 7, 2022 at 9:01 am by Claudia

First real snow of the year. I think we might have an inch and a half so far. It’s still snowing, but it will be tapering off soon. Don is out there shoveling as I write this. We have an oil delivery coming today and we want the drive to be clear for the truck. (There’s a story about this delivery and our soon-to-be-former oil company that I’ll share another time. Or not. Let’s just say it was a stressful afternoon yesterday.)

We did get out to the grocery store and then took a long walk, so I got some exercise in before the snow came.

And this morning, I put the last few pieces in place.

The World of Jane Austen. Very satisfying!

If you can, please watch Mass, a new movie that is streaming at the moment. It’s brilliant, unbelievably gut-wrenching, and superbly done. It stars Ann Dowd, Reed Birney, Jason Isaacs, and Martha Plimpton. It’s about a meeting between two sets of parents who have lost children to gun violence. I won’t say more because what I love about this movie is the slow, thoughtful pace. No rush to reveal plot points. All of that is rolled out slowly and realistically. (I want you to have that experience, too.) The performances are superb, the best I’ve seen in years. Don and I sat together on the sofa, neither of us moving an inch throughout the movie, completely riveted. It’s brave work on the part of every person involved. Bravo.

It’s the best thing I’ve seen in years.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Moving Things Around

January 6, 2022 at 10:27 am by Claudia

It’s sunny today! I don’t think it will last, but I’m happy to see it. We’re supposed to get some snow overnight – maybe an inch or two. Since it will be our first real snowfall, we’re looking forward to it. That will change come February, of course.

I moved some things around yesterday because trying to display the girls and my turquoise/aqua McCoy 0n the same small surface had become problematic. As you well know, display space of any kind is limited here and it’s all in use.

But then, I came up with this idea:

Since it was late in the day and darkish when I put them there, I wasn’t sure it was such a good idea. But this morning, I think it’s perfect. It adds some color to this area of wood floor and wooden pew. And nestled under the pew, they’re safe.

The girls are now displayed here:

I grabbed an old sewing machine drawer and placed it on its side to make a platform. This also provides a bit more space for another girl. Ahem.

I asked Don to come look at both this and the McCoy under the pew and he enthusiastically gave it all a thumbs up. Then he stared at the girls and said “They’re works of art.” He especially likes Pip.

How thankful I am that he gets it.

Thank you for all your supportive comments about the girls. It’s good to know that you enjoy seeing them.

In that vein, here’s Imogen in another outfit from LenaLittleDress that arrived while I was away in NYC.

With the yellow shoes!

She looks rather pleased with the ensemble.

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

Clothes for the Girls

January 5, 2022 at 10:01 am by Claudia

Last night’s sunset. We’ve had only one sunny day – yesterday – in a sea of gray skies and rain or sleet. As I write this, it’s sleeting again.

So we’re going to stay in our cozy cottage today. Thankfully, we don’t have to be anywhere.

I’m working on the Jane Austen puzzle which was designed by the same people who did the Shakespeare puzzle. So there are lot of tiny buildings and a river and little people and it’s very complex. Good! A challenge!

It’s been difficult for me to concentrate on reading. I’m not sure why. So I’m going to force myself to sit down and read a chunk of Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr this afternoon. (I seem to be easily distracted these days.)

I try to limit my posts about the girls just in case you’re completely uninterested in them. I didn’t post anything about them yesterday. So, my friends, today you will see both Olivia and Maeve in some new clothing that arrived during the past few weeks.

Olivia in a an outfit from LenaLittleDress (IG handle.) I have ordered several outfits from her over the past 4 months. Her work is impeccable. She, like so many other creators, is from Russia. Her packages are always beautifully presented. In her case, the outfits are posted on Instagram and you must be lucky enough to be on IG at the moment, because they go very quickly. This came in a package that included a dress and when it arrived I didn’t remember ordering it! I had to check my Direct Messages to confirm that it wasn’t sent to me in error. Oh boy.

Maeve in a dress from RoseandCacao. This creator is from Portugal but lives in London. She makes charming and whimsical dresses. I have several or, rather, the girls have several. When new outfits are available, she will post them at a certain time. I managed to order this dress while down on the subway platform waiting for a train. How I pulled it off, I’m not sure! But there are limited numbers of any new outfit and I wanted this one.

Meanwhile, I ordered two thermal t-shirts from Old Navy to add to the 6 or 7 I already have. Could I be any more boring? The thing is, when I taught for a living, I was younger and was quite the clothes horse. But now that we live the lifestyle we do, I don’t much care about clothes. I buy new jeans and t-shirts, the occasional sweater, or thermal top, and COMFORTABLE shoes. That’s it.

When I was younger, I loved to go clothes shopping. Now? I detest it.

But the girls are another situation entirely!

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Snow, Puzzle, and a Movie Recommendation

Moving Things Around

Clothes for the Girls

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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