birds — Page 43

Low-Key is Just Fine With Me

April 17, 2017 at 10:09 am by Claudia

A low-key day yesterday – just me, myself and I.

Since I was so pooped from the air conditioner/mowing saga on Saturday, I took the opportunity to relax. It was very, very warm outside and, as seems to be the case when it gets too warm too early, the winds picked up in the late afternoon, getting stronger and stronger until a storm finally came through.

Now it’s twenty degrees cooler.

I watched my man Fred Astaire in Easter Parade on TCM. I own the movie, but love it when I come upon it unexpectedly. Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Ann Miller, Peter Lawford – wonderful cast, beautiful Irving Berlin songs, “Steppin Out With My Baby” – what could be better?

The blue jay that kept squawking at the mourning doves. From his perch in this tree behind the kitchen, he had a perfect view of the birdbath.

The maples are budding.

I saw this bag at my local yarn shop. It’s made by the same company that made my new pencil bag – they’re out of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. I thought it would be perfect for Mabel the Featherweight. Even though I made a cover for Mabel, because of the way it’s made, dust creeps in at the sides of the cover. I don’t want to put Mabel back in her original case because, like most Featherweight cases, it is musty after years of being stowed in someone’s attic.

Isn’t it cute? I’d secretly love an aqua sewing machine, but I already have two sewing machines, so I think I have to let that idea go.

The bunny egg cozy so far:

Body and arms. I’m using tiny needles – number 2 – and have to keep looking up how to execute a stitch or an increase or a decrease because I haven’t knitted in a long time. My bunny will be white, simply because that’s what was available at Michael’s. I wasn’t about to use expensive yarn for this experiment!

Anastasia opens a week from today. Yesterday, while HGTV was on as background noise when I was knitting, I heard the opening notes to Journey to the Past and my head shot up. Yay! It was the commercial for Anastasia, which has just started airing. Christy’s glorious voice singing and very simple and powerful – I’m very proud to have been a small part of this show. And it is a small part, given how much goes into producing a big musical. I’ll be going to the opening and I think I’ll try to book a hotel room in the city for Monday night.

Speaking of HGTV, despite my unhappiness with most of the programming, I do have a fondness for Erin and Ben, the couple behind Home Town. I’ve read Erin’s blog for years, so I’ve been pulling for them as this opportunity came their way. They’re just so genuine – not an ounce of slickness or artifice – and I really like the fact that Erin’s decorating style honors the house they are rehabbing and isn’t something she imposes on the house, if you know what I mean.

Okay. At some point this week, I have to find shoes to wear for opening night and when you’re someone who lives in sneakers and hates heels, that is a challenge.

Happy Monday.

Spring: Fabric Eggs, Doves, Nancy Drew & Bunnies

April 15, 2017 at 9:36 am by Claudia

As sleep deprived as I was yesterday, I managed to put in a couple of hours work outside. The annual “raking of the driveway gravel which has ended up on the lawn back to the driveway” event took place and I must say it was far less involved than last year. I’m not sure why, because we sure got a heck of a lot of snow and Don was definitely using the snowblower. Oh wait, I know why: we have hardly any gravel left.

Someday, someday, we want to pave the driveway. But that is really expensive.

I raked out the front garden bed – where the boxwood and some rose bushes reside. And I cut back some of the plant stems that were left in place for the birds to munch on over the winter. Then I went back into the house and slept for a half hour while sitting in the chair in the office.

The grasses in the garden are growing by leaps and bounds!

The mail brought two packages I had been waiting for:

The Clue in the Jewel Box – Nancy Drew #20 – not my twentieth Nancy Drew, but number twenty in the series.

And these adorables:

Spun cotton bunny rabbits from Vintage by Crystal – the link to her Etsy shop is here. She has a huge following, but I must have been in some sort of fog because the first I learned of her was last week when Mary Engelbreit posted a couple of Crystal’s creations on Instagram. Off I hopped to the Etsy shop, where I was promptly lost in a land of pure whimsical delight. I see many more of her creations in my future because you know, dear readers, this kind of whimsey is right up my alley. And they’re small – these are about 4 inches tall. Perfect for a collector in a small cottage.

After this photo op, I moved them – temporarily – to the sideboard.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a long time, you might remember that my mom called me her “pink bunny” when I was a little girl. So, I had to buy the pink bunny and a companion, as well. (I have another wee pink bunny in the office.)

Then later in the day, I remembered my fabric eggs, which are usually stowed in the china cabinet in the den.

I made a slew of these – gosh, I think it was 8 years ago – when I was working in San Diego for six months. An old friend, who is a costume designer, loaned me her vintage Singer Featherweight while I was there and I proceeded to piece a quilt and make these. (Thanks, Ingrid! That loaner inspired me to buy my very own Featherweight several years later.)

One of the things I am going to do when I’m out in CA is visit my favorite quilt shop ever – Rosie’s Calico Cupboard. That’s where I got this fabric.

Even later in the day, I saw my favorite pair of birds.

While they were perched on the edge of the birdbath, a blue jay kept squawking at them. I’m sure he wanted them to move so he could have a drink.

They completely ignored him. Bravo!

Eventually, one jumped down to the ground and the other prepared to follow.

And then, to their perch on a catalpa branch.

They stayed there, gentle and peaceful, for about an hour.

This morning, birds were everywhere: Canada Geese flying overhead, red house finches, robins, wrens, a starling with the makings of a nest in his/her beak.

Goodness, I love this time of year.

I’m off to gather together the trash and recyclables for a trip to the town transfer station. And then, I think, a visit to a plant nursery that I like over in Rhinebeck.

Happy Saturday.