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27 years

July 4, 2021 at 9:03 am by Claudia

Fourth, Schmourth – there’s only one event on we celebrate here; we met each other on this date 27 years ago. We’ve been together 27 years! For many of you, that’s nothing, but considering the fact that we were both in our early forties, it’s a big deal.

Our first conversation was all about our disbelief that we were in our forties! Fast forward to today and we realize once again that we were young  then. I’m now older than my mother was on July 4, 1994. She was about to turn 66.

Anyway, you’ve heard the story before. We were smitten, we flirted, Rick was there and observed some of that first interaction, at the end of the day we did indeed “see fireworks” when we watched them on the beach. I went home that night thinking of Don. He says he was feeling highly attracted to me, or to use his word: lust.

I had no idea, of course, that he would turn out to be the love of my life. I just knew I wanted to run into him again at the theater. And in true high school girl fashion, I engineered more than a few “how nice to bump into you!” meetings. Eventually, when our schedules opened up a bit, we had our first date – at the beach. Before that, though, there was the time he drove me home from an opening night party (where my wallet had been stolen) and kissed me on the steps to my apartment.

Oh boy. I was a goner.

We consider this day to be our most important anniversary. Four years later, on the Fourth of July, Don proposed.

Lucky me!

Have a Happy Fourth of July.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

Filed Under: anniversary, Don 26 Comments

A Rainy Day

July 3, 2021 at 9:07 am by Claudia

In process. Much more to go. After I’m finished for the day, I like letting it sit on the easel overnight so I can look at it occasionally from the living room. I already see elements I need to tweak. This, by the way, is one of my favorite pieces of Roseville. The pattern is Ixia, a flower I hadn’t heard of. It’s also known as Corn Lily. When I get around to adding them, you’ll see that the flowers themselves are on the smaller side. I’m sure you know by now that I love Art Deco and this particular vase’s design is definitely Art Deco. I have another Ixia piece as well. This shade of green is also one of my favorites and I think I’ve mixed the right color, which is not always so easy to do when trying to match the glaze on a Roseville piece.

All in all, a satisfying painting session yesterday.

It continues to rain here, which will make for a quiet day today, perfect for painting. Though I woke up way too early today, so there’s that.

Painting, a bit of cleaning, and reading.

This rain will continue through the Fourth of July. Monday will be rainless. I’m not sure when fireworks are happening. Around here, during the holiday weekend, there are usually fireworks every day in one of the neighboring towns or the campground. In the days when we had Scoutie it was a nightmare. Most dogs don’t like fireworks, but collies, especially, are known for very sensitive hearing. And she was a border collie. There was nothing we could do to calm her. I don’t know how well they work, but we saw a commercial for a thunder shirt last night. They weren’t around back then, but I sure would have loved that option for our girl. It might have relieved much of her stress.

My beloved sister’s birthday is today. How thankful I am for her! She is an extraordinary person in every way and I love her dearly. Happy Birthday, Meredith!

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Filed Under: life, Meredith, oil painting, Roseville pottery 19 Comments

Hollyhocks

July 2, 2021 at 9:05 am by Claudia

Yippee! The hollyhocks have started to bloom. It’s very rainy here today and it looks like it will be rainy for the next few days. Actually, I love taking pictures of the flowers with water droplets on them.

The guy from the alarm company is here right now upgrading the system and he’s a bit chatty…I’m trying to write this post and he keeps asking us questions about what we do for a living, how long have we lived here, etc. – all very nice and friendly, but I can’t concentrate!

I was completely out of it yesterday, still suffering the after effects from the crazy weather. It really does a number on my sinuses and allergies. I’m feeling a bit more with it today, as I got a lot of sleep last night. The technician, by the way, is wearing a mask, as are we. This is the first time we’ve had any service person in the house since before the pandemic. I’m going to go around and spray everything he’s touched when he leaves…just out of an overabundance of caution!

I’m going to paint today. I wasn’t in the mood to tackle it yesterday but, thankfully, I am today.

I heard a Carolina wren singing this morning, very close to where I was sitting in the den. I knew he had to be on the porch. Sure enough, he was hopping from plants to the porch floor to the picnic table, singing his heart out. How I’ve missed that beautiful song! Is he planning on trying to build a nest on the porch? No can do, buddy. I didn’t see him near the trailer, though I kept hoping he’d fly up to his perch on the tree. I’ll keep an eye on things, but what a lovely way to start the day!

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

 

Filed Under: flowers, life 28 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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