Claudia — Page 866

Morning Glories, Cooler Weather, MiPad

September 29, 2017 at 9:45 am by Claudia

It’s a good twenty degrees cooler this morning! I didn’t get up until 7:30 and it was only 45 degrees. I think it will reach 70 today and it’s sunny, so that makes it a perfect day.

There are about twenty morning glory buds ready to pop, but unlike during the heat wave, they weren’t open when I got up. They’re opening slowly this morning.

I just took this picture. Candy-striped beauty.

Yesterday, I was fascinated by the big, fat bumblebees diving into the center of the morning glories.

It’s almost as if he’s lit by a spotlight.

They’re determined. If they can’t fly directly into the center of the flower, they climb up the fragile petal.

I raked some leaves yesterday and mowed part of the property. Don wants me to leave the back forty for him to do on Sunday. That’s fine with me. I think doing something outdoors is refreshing for him after being in a rehearsal room for 6 days in a row.

The additional MiPad floor arrived yesterday. I assembled it in about 15 minutes and then carted it upstairs to the studio/office.

It’s the lower floor – it has a huge front door. Not sure what I’m going to do with that yet, but it needs a big old handle, that’s for sure! The door section is hinged, so that you can pull it away from the house to gain access. Yes, it looks like a coffee cup is suspended in mid-air over there to the right, but it’s really on an acrylic table.

I’m full of ideas and not so full of ideas. I’m loathe to disturb the pristine white and airy feeling of the house, but time will tell. Splashes of color everywhere, yes, but do I cover the floors? Do I put up any wallpaper? I need a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen as well as the living room. How do I fit it all in? Do I – I can’t believe I’m saying this, I’ve gone mad – buy another floor? These are the things that are whirling around my brain this morning.

For those of you who have been asking, Don has one more week of rehearsals in NYC. The last rehearsal is on October 7th and they fly to New Orleans on October 8th. Then they’ll tech the show and preview before opening on October 20th. I’ve yet to make plane reservations – I’m working on that today – but I’m thinking I’ll fly down on the 19th and stay for a week. New Orleans! It will be such fun!

Happy Friday.

Cooler, Anastasia, Louise Penny and Dad

September 28, 2017 at 8:59 am by Claudia

It’s cooler today – I’d say a good 10 or 15 degrees cooler. Thank heavens! It’s been so hot that I couldn’t mow or rake or anything and today I will be able to do all of the above.

Don saw Anastasia last night and loved it. I’m so glad he could finally get there. Christy emailed me during the show saying she was going to put him on the list to get backstage, but he never saw my texts, so that didn’t work out. As it was, he had to catch his bus to NJ and it was late. He has a full day of rehearsal today and a press event at the end of the day. His text to me at intermission about Christy: I can’t figure out if she’s the best singer I’ve ever heard or the best actress! Maybe both.

Yes, she’s extraordinary. That spurred me to listen to her singing Journey to the Past on my iPhone after I’d retired upstairs for bed. She gives me chills.

Speaking of chills, I finished the Louise Penny yesterday and, once again, sat here clutching the book to my chest, tears streaming down my face. The same thing happened last year. There is no one better at weaving together the complex strands of a mystery while at the same time writing about the human condition, the fight between good and evil, the love that connects us all. I love her.

As I said on Instagram, it’s not fair to start another mystery right after reading Louise Penny because it will pale in comparison, so I’ve started the latest (just out) Jan Karon, To Be Where You Are.

My order of the main floor of the MiPad is due to arrive today. It just left London on Monday! Anyway, I’m excited to see it and start dreaming of what I’m going to do with the whole thing.

Finally, today is my dad’s birthday. He would have been 94. I miss you, Dad. I think about you every day. Happy Birthday!

Happy Thursday.

Blooming and Reading

September 27, 2017 at 9:00 am by Claudia

In the early evening, I sometimes stand just inside the kitchen door and look at the buds on the morning glory, trying to figure out how many are far enough along to bloom the next morning. Last night, I think I came up with twelve.

There are fifteen flowers this morning.

It’s a foggy morning, so this is the best I can do. All that loveliness!

And the other planting, in the chicken wire fence garden, has a bloom.

And a lot of buds.

Then there’s the other batch of morning glories, the petite version, that have been blooming all summer and continue to do so.

And the ever wonderful zinnias, late summer/early fall beauties.

As all of these flowers happen to be planted in the memorial garden and chicken wire fence garden – right outside the kitchen window – I am blessed with their beauty throughout the day.

I’ve been so scattered lately, what with working in Hartford and driving home on my days off, going into NYC here and there to coach, along with Don being away and coming home on his days off. It’s been hard to concentrate on any one thing, including the latest Louise Penny, which I’ve been reading in bits and pieces.

This morning, I said, “Enough!”

This is one of my very favorite authors, as you well know. She deserves more of my time. So I’ve been reading since 6:30 am. I finally took a break to write this post, only because I don’t want to be getting close to the ending only to have to stop to take care of business.

She’s a stunningly talented writer, which is an understatement. More on that later. I’m going to close now and get back to the book and the rest of my coffee.

Don is going to finally get to see the Broadway version of Anastasia tonight. Yay!

Happy Wednesday.

Morning Glories, Cooler Weather, MiPad

Cooler, Anastasia, Louise Penny and Dad

Blooming and Reading

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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