books — Page 138

Some Notes and Some Minis

January 24, 2017 at 10:08 am by Claudia

Two quick notes:

• My host has been having a bit of trouble with the server. Yesterday, for example, it was down for about an hour or so. It’s maddening, but it happens. So if you tried to visit and couldn’t, that’s why. It’s out of my control.

• I’ve likened this blog to my cottage. It’s the online version of my home. Most everyone is welcome, but I expect visitors to behave with maturity and respect. If someone came to my home only to try to have an incendiary conversation, I would ask them to leave. Not acceptable. The same holds for the blog.

Yes, I often talk about the state of our nation nowadays. But, far more often, I don’t. That means that most of the conversations here are about something other than politics. If the only reason you come here is to agitate or be rude, never having participated in any other constructive way, then you are what is called a troll and you are not welcome. You will be blocked.

I haven’t visited any blog where the writer has a different political viewpoint than mine and left a comment when I’ve never commented in the past or had some sort of give-and-take relationship with the author. I may be disappointed, I may disagree; however, I simply move on.

This isn’t the Op-Ed page or a place on the web where anyone can leave a comment, no matter what is said, and it isn’t Twitter. This is my home.

Over and out.

• Okay. On to something entirely different.

Every time I think I might stop my subscription to the monthly SquintBox (simply because I want to save some money) it arrives in the mail and I’m charmed all over again.

This month’s box arrived yesterday. The theme for February is A Little Romance. This was a fun one, with actual packages to open! (Photos taken with iPhone, late in the day.)

This little package had a perfume bottle inside.

A plate of cookies and a terrarium with a butterfly on top. (Cookies from Sharon Harbison. Terrarium from Judy at Butterly Nature.)

This little case was sealed (I had just opened it when I took the photo.)

Inside: Jewelry! (Made by Jen from MiniMakes.)

This box had lovely wrapping paper and ribbon. Inside:

Something wrapped in tissue paper with a flower embellishment.

Inside the tissue paper, this lovely handmade book, which opens to:

A designer stationary kit. Isn’t this amazing? It’s made by María de Hoces, a miniaturist and bookbinder.

Darrin, who created SquintBox, does such a lovely job of coming up with a theme and sourcing wonderful miniatures. Thanks to Darrin and the miniaturists who created these treasures.

• I will have a book review up on Just Let Me Finish This Page today. It’s for Robert Dugoni’s latest – The Trapped Girl. I’ve reviewed his books in the past – he’s a wonderful writer. I’m off to write it now, so stop by, if you can. Here’s the link.

Happy Tuesday.

Flowers, Reading & Run-Throughs

January 6, 2017 at 9:54 am by Claudia

The afternoon sunlight was casting its glow on the flowers yesterday. Very photo-worthy. The flowers, by the way, that were purchased nearly three weeks ago and are still going strong. Alstroemeria: more bang for your buck, and very little in terms of bucks if you buy them at Trader Joe’s, than any other cut flower I can think of.

I woke up with a very stuffy head this morning. I’m not sure why. It did start to snow overnight, but very little has fallen. At 5:30 am some sort of heavy machinery woke me up (one of the drawbacks when you live downtown) and because I can’t always tell what time it is by the light that enters the apartment, I got up, looked at the clock in the kitchen, and promptly climbed back in bed. It took about an hour, but I finally went back to sleep, whereupon I was jolted from sleep at 8 am by a police siren. Ah, the joys of urban living!

Today is the very last day in the rehearsal room. We had a run-through yesterday and will have another one today. The Bollywood number is simply delightful. I was laughing and clapping and completely under its spell. My friend Peggy is the choreographer and she is simply amazing. So: another run-through today and then everyone and everything moves to the theater. Tomorrow will be what is called a spacing rehearsal, where the director goes through each scene and adjusts the positions of the actors on the set. This set, as do most, has levels – and buildings and doorways and docks and boats…so all of that has to be dealt with. On Sunday, tech will start.

Since I’m not needed tomorrow or even Sunday, I’ll go home tomorrow morning for a couple of days. I’ll return for Tuesday’s rehearsal, which will be a continuation of Sunday’s tech, starting wherever they left off on Sunday.

I’ve reached the halfway point in Believing the Lie. That means I’m 300 pages in. It’s quite engrossing and I’m most definitely hooked. She’s a very, very good writer. I also pre-ordered (something I never do) the upcoming new release from Deborah Crombie, Garden of Lamentations, which comes out next month. I had a very modest credit with Amazon, so I applied it to the book and I only had to pay half of the hardcover price.

It’s Friday. My head is stuffy. I’m drinking my second cup of coffee. I’m writing to you. Soon, some oatmeal and then a shower, where I’m hoping the steam will clear out my congestion. Fingers crossed.

Happy Friday.

Be (Reading) Prepared

January 2, 2017 at 9:05 am by Claudia

What day is it? With the holidays and rehearsals and rehearsals on holidays and then Monday holidays, I hardly know which way is which. I’m over it. I’m ready to get back on a regular schedule, please.

Sherlock is back. I knew it was airing last night on PBS, though I had to remind Don about it yesterday. Shocking, full of twists and turns and incredibly well done. I still have some questions about yesterday’s episode and I feel the need to watch it one more time to hear those little underplayed lines that are almost tossed away but are oh-so-important. I can’t stop thinking about it this morning which makes it quite successful, doesn’t it?

One thing about a large coffee table: you can stash lots of current and future reading matter there. From the upper left: several sections of the Sunday New York Times (not yesterday’s, but a week ago) that I have yet to read; Upstream by Mary Oliver, my favorite poet – though this book consists of essays; a special issue of The Nation centering on The Obama Years (oh, how I’ll miss him!); underneath that is an issue that you can’t see of Mother Jones with the cover story, “Rise Up”, and you can bet I will; Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George, which I bought as a remainder a year or so ago and started yesterday, as I have once again realized how gifted George is – it clocks in at 608 pages; All the Light We Cannot See, which I still haven’t started, but will, I promise; underneath that book is A Lowcountry Life by the late, great Pat Conroy, subtitled Reflections on a Writing Life; and underneath that is Junk Gypsy by the Sikes sisters, which I read bits of at a time. And next to that is the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle. There are also two books under the turquoise lamp in order to give it some height, and two more books of a spiritual nature on the bedside table.

Oh, I forgot to add the Kindle to that list. It’s also here. In fact, I just finished an eGalley housed within its depths.

I come prepared.

Because heaven forbid I am anywhere, anytime, without reading matter. As long as I can remember, that has been a top priority. Carrying a book with me while I run errands, or sit in a waiting room. Packing enough books for a trip. Always having some sort of book to read because you never know when you might have some unexpected reading time, somewhere, somehow.

Today, after I go to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s and stop in at Target and the bookstore, I’ll come back to the apartment, put everything away, and reply to your comments. Then, on this day off, I’ll treat myself to some hot chocolate (using soy milk) and read.

Sounds like a good way to start the New Year.

Happy Monday.

Some Notes and Some Minis

Flowers, Reading & Run-Throughs

Be (Reading) Prepared

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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