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You are here: Home / Archives for Claudia

Saturday

July 28, 2018 at 9:07 am by Claudia

We have reached our sixth day in a row of high humidity, storms and torrential rains. Every time I think I might be able to weed or mow or weed whack, I am faced with a wall of humidity or a sudden storm. Everything is waterlogged. More rain today, then a break for two days, then more rain.

We’re not used to it being this humid all summer long. We usually get a day or two here and there and August always tends to be humid, but from the get-go this summer we’ve been dealing with a lot of high temps and humidity. I can see the effects of it on my potted impatiens on the porch – the leaves on some of the plants are discolored and look mildewy.

The only plant that really likes it is the big fern that sits on the former kitchen island on the porch. He’s digging it, for sure.

We have had a few sunny breaks, like the one we had the other day when we were out and about. And I’m very grateful for them.

Speaking of that trip:

This is the little chair that I bought. It’s quite heavy. As Don said to me when he saw it, “The color!” He knows this is a favorite color of mine. Actually, it’s one of his favorite colors, as well.

It almost looks Mexican with its chunky, boxy design, but no, it has a fleur-de-lis.

Perhaps a plant of some sort should adorn the chair?

It will definitely come indoors for the winter.

It’s been a frustrating week for Don in terms of photography, simply because conditions have not photo or camera friendly. We finally got outside yesterday for a little session, which was eventually halted because of inclement weather. But he did really well, figuring out F-stops, apertures, and all of that stuff that I should have a command of but don’t. I’m real proud of his progress.

This was shot on the porch:

(I’d been pulling weeds and you can see the dirt under my fingernails!)

This is tricky work. It’s a very heavy camera with a polaroid back. Everything is manual. Nothing can be easily deleted as with a digital camera or phone. The viewfinder isn’t aligned with the lens, giving a parallax view, so framing a shot is also very tricky. Much adjusting has to be done. Eventually, all of it will have to be done rather quickly, but now is the time for figuring out what works and what doesn’t. He did a real good job on this one.

The zinnias (grown from seed) are really taking off this year and are the healthiest bunch I’ve had in a long time. Cheery zinnias are one of Don’s favorite flowers. Mine, too.

I’ll share photos from Milne Antiques tomorrow and some photos of the vintage suitcases. It’s a little too dark in the house right now to get a good photo of them.

Happy Saturday.

Filed Under: camera, Crown Graphic Press Camera, flowers, houseplants, vintage 36 Comments

Please Put The Book Back

July 27, 2018 at 9:45 am by Claudia

I’m loving this wide angle lens.

We got out of the house yesterday and paid a visit to our friends at Milne Antiques. I felt like I’d been sprung from prison. As we drove there…the sun came out! It was still very humid, but I can’t tell you what a difference that sunshine made in our outlook.

Don was looking for a vintage suitcase, as he wants to use one to display his photos when he starts the street photography thing ‘officially.’ He messaged Rebekah late last week to ask her if she had any and she responded that she just so happened to be visiting the house of John Burroughs, the famous naturalist, the following Monday and she knew some vintage suitcases were part of the lot. (I had no idea that John Burroughs lived and worked in this area, but he did.) His granddaughter was clearing some of the belongings in his house, which is part of a family compound. More on the suitcases tomorrow.

As happens every time I visit Milne, we ended up bringing home more than the one item we were looking for. I bought a child’s chair in turquoise that I’ll share with you tomorrow – I haven’t taken a photo yet. My real find, which I zoomed in on and fell in love with immediately, was this:

Are you kidding me? I had to have it. I love graphics, I love books, I love libraries.

Rebekah told me it came from a former library in New Hampshire. It was first a house, than it was purchased by the town and turned into a library, now it’s been purchased by someone who is converting it back to a home. (I hope the town still has a library.)

As you know, I love quirky things that I am not going to see anywhere else – nothing mass produced or made to look old. I am confident that I won’t see this treasure anywhere else, but more importantly, it speaks to my love of books and reading. And, like the sign on our stair landing that says “Use Other Stairs” where there are no other stairs here to use, there’s a little joke involved. Whoever took the book hasn’t followed directions and the book hasn’t been put back.

I wouldn’t put one there anyway because I love the graphics too much.

I’m crazy about it. I can’t stop staring at it.

As I sit here in my chair, I keep looking at it and smiling.

The sun is out this morning, so we took the opportunity to sit and sip our second cup of coffee in the Secret Garden. The cicadas were loud and I could hear the bullfrog, as well.

Sort of perfect.

More tomorrow on our other finds and also pictures of the shop.

Happy Friday.

 

 

Filed Under: antiques, books, libraries, reading, vintage 30 Comments

For The Rain It Raineth Every Day

July 26, 2018 at 8:34 am by Claudia

Shakespeare. Twelfth Night.

He understood.

It’s dark and gloomy here.

Cue someone who has been begging for rain now complaining about too much rain.

And that someone is me.

We are on our 5th or 6th day in a row of torrential rain. It isn’t raining all of the time, but when it does rain, it comes down hard. It’s also unbearably humid.

Don can’t go outside and use his camera. I can’t work in the gardens. I’m going a bit stir-crazy. So is Don. This will last through tomorrow and there’s more on the docket for next week. As you might expect, we have flood watches all around the Hudson Valley.

We haven’t been able to sit in the Secret Garden since last Saturday.

Waaah!

Okay, I’ll stop complaining.

The rudbeckia is in bloom everywhere and thank goodness for it! Those splashes of yellow are so needed on these dark days. It’s such a cheery flower!

We’re going to do something this afternoon. I’m not sure what, but we definitely need a distraction. If it’s at all interesting, I’ll take pictures.

I know this is short, but that’s truly all I have for you today. Nothing Is Happening.

Happy Thursday.

Filed Under: rain, Shakespeare 37 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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