books — Page 186

Oh So Tired

February 18, 2014 at 8:30 am by Claudia

stairs

I’m tired. I’m about as tired as I ever remember being. When I trudge up these stairs at the end of the day I am ready to sink into that new bed of ours and stay there for a week.

This bout of weather, the storms, the sheer amount of snow we have on the ground and on the roof, has been out-of-the-ordinary and almost impossible to deal with on my own. I feel like all I have been doing is shoveling, chipping away at the ice, digging to free downspouts, salting and then doing the same thing the next day. And the next.

I’ll be honest. I’ve cried on the phone to Don more than a couple of times. He is frustrated because he can’t help. I seem to be able to say only one thing, “I wish you were here.”

Anyway, it’s snowing. Again. Yes, on top of everything already on the ground, we’re getting more today. To be perfectly honest, the thought of staying here for several more winters is losing its appeal. I hate to focus on age, but I’m getting too old for this. But then again, I think everyone around here, regardless of age, feels tired and sore and achy and sick to death of winter.

With mounds of snow everywhere, this property feels like a walled compound.

In Antarctica.

wallpocketwithscissors

My newest wall pocket has been moved up to the sewing table where it is holding my scissors and invisible markers. The question now is do I actually hang it on the wall or leave it sitting on the table? The jury is still out on that one.

I finished Sycamore Row by John Grisham. Finally. It’s a good book, but the pace is too slow and I figured out the plot twist at the end long before it actually happened. That’s not good. But I finished it, as I vowed to do, and I’m on to the next book.

I’ve been watching the Olympics like everyone else; not all the time, but here and there. I find I enjoy watching events in real time during the day much more than the primetime coverage, which seems to be carefully crafted to hype certain events and ‘rivalries.’ Why oh why does NBC need to keep doing that? Just show us the competition. Ah, well. I suppose it’s the nature of primetime programming, but I try to avoid it.

I think I love Ice Dancing the most. And short track speed skating, which is thrilling. Yesterday’s Ice Dancing final was simply superb with every team skating so skillfully and beautifully. I could watch it again and again. The American gold medal winners skated to music from Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov, one of my favorite pieces. I’ve listened to it since I was a young girl. I have it on CD and I’m going to play it on this snowy day – the perfect piece to take me to another place, another world. The perfect escape.

Thank you for your comments yesterday. On a day when I was so tired that I wanted to cry, your lovely words brought a big smile to my face. Thank you, thank you.

Happy Tuesday.

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Let’s Talk About Something Other Than Snow

February 16, 2014 at 8:51 am by Claudia

bedroom

Let’s talk about something other than snow, alright?

How about how pretty the bedroom looks when the sun floods in through the windows? I can’t get over how pretty the bed looks with that gold coverlet. And let me tell you, almost every muscle in my body has been aching the last couple of days and that bed….that bed….sinking into that plush pillow top mattress at the end of the day has been delicious. Thank you bed, so long waited for and well worth the wait.

Let’s talk about House of Cards, Season 2, now available on Netflix. I watched four episodes yesterday and once again, I am gobsmacked by the quality of this series; the acting, the writing, the direction…everything. Simply excellent. And very Shakespearean, I might add, with echoes of Macbeth and Richard III. My three favorite series right now are: Sherlock, House of Cards and The Newsroom. Everything else I’ve seen is okay (and sometimes not at all okay) but doesn’t come close to this level of excellence. Purely personal opinion, of course.

Two of my former students are in Episodes 1 – 4, Season 2 of House of Cards, doing wonderful work. That makes me happy.

I’ve not seen one episode of Downton Abbey. I suppose I’ll watch it someday. We have the first season on DVD but have yet to open the shrink rap and it’s been sitting around here for a year. That tells you something. It’s just not calling me at the moment and, as is usually the case with me, if everyone seems to watching something and I read endless articles and posts about it, I usually stay away. Go figure.

livingroom

I’m reading Sycamore Row by John Grisham and it is taking me forever to get through that book. Now, I’ve read Grisham’s books in the past and he is a good writer. No argument there. But this book, for some reason, is not grabbing me enough to keep me reading. It’s interesting, the characters are quirky, the plot promises to be compelling but the pace is way too slow for me. I’ve made a vow to finish it and I will, but boy oh boy, it’s taking me far too long to get through this sucker.

I forgot to mention something here though I did mention it on this blog’s Facebook page. Don won a San Diego Theatre Critics/Craig Noel Award for his performance as Doolittle in Pygmalion. The awards ceremony was last Monday evening and since Don couldn’t be there, Don’s brother Ron and his wife Suzie represented him. Ron got to go up to the stage and accept the award and they filmed the announcement with their phone, so we got to see it. I’m so proud of Don. Let me tell you, he was simply brilliant in that role. I’m still in awe of that performance and I’d give anything to see it again.

Craig Noel, who died a few years ago at the age of 94, was the man who shaped the Old Globe Theatre. It simply wouldn’t be here without him. He was Don’s mentor at a time when he desperately needed one. He helped Don find his way in the theater when he was still a teenager. I worked with Craig many times and simply adored him. He was that rare man who made a difference is countless lives, who made the world a better place. He was awarded the National Medal of the Arts for his work. We miss him so much.

So, the fact that this award was named for Craig Noel is particularly poignant and powerful.

Three cheers for Don!

Note: Nora, I want to take you up on your offer of Miniology mags, but when I sent an email to your Yahoo address it came back to me. Said it was not valid. Can you email me with a valid address? Thanks so much!

Happy Sunday.

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I Confess

January 21, 2014 at 9:18 am by Claudia

I have a confession to make. I’ve been keeping a secret from you. No, not the exciting kind of “I’ve got a book deal!” or “I’ve won the lottery!” secret. How I wish! No, this secret is a little more mundane. Nevertheless, since I’m always honest with you on this blog, it’s time to ‘fess up.

kindle1

I got a Kindle Paperwhite for Christmas.

I know. You’re thinking, “Ummm….Claudia? Haven’t you written many posts about books – the three-dimensional kind – and the need for libraries and bookstores? I seem to remember you saying that you don’t like eReaders. You were very clear on the subject.”

And you would be right.

Let me assure you. A book that I can hold in my hands, where I can turn the actual page, not a virtual page, will always be my preference. I love the look and feel of three-dimensional books. I love them too much to abandon them. I will always support my local independent bookstore and my local library.

Don’t worry.

Let me give you the back story. When I had just returned from Hartford at the end of September, Don said that he thought he would like a Kindle Paperwhite. I was surprised, as Don isn’t a habitual reader like I am. But we talked about it and I filed it away as a Christmas idea. As Christmas grew near, I started a little research on the Paperwhite and liked what I read about it. I asked Don about it once more. Did he really want one? (I did this because Don is known for going hot and then cold on gift ideas.) Together, we read all about the Kindle and in the end, he said yes. It would be perfect for him, not only at home, but especially on the road. Since we both travel for our jobs, lugging a lot of books along isn’t an option.

Much to my surprise, I started to think I would like one. I pondered. I felt a bit guilty. Then I took a deep breath and told Don that I would like one as my Christmas present. He was delighted.

So we gave each other Kindles.

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I have to say that I really love mine. The idea behind the Paperwhite is that it is simply an e-Reader. It’s not a device that allows you to go online or surf the web or anything like that (although you do use Wi-Fi to connect with Amazon in order to download your purchase.) We weren’t interested in that. We both have laptops. I have a Nook that my dear sister gave me about 5 years ago, so that I could have the accessibility of books to read available to me when I was on the road, but it wasn’t easy to read and I never really embraced it. However, the technology has greatly improved since my Nook came out. The Paperwhite is so clear and readable and it’s much more lightweight and easily held in your hand.

Don is crazy about his. More often than not lately, he is reading his Kindle. I’ve never seen him read this much and that makes me very happy. His taste runs to non-fiction; biographies, memoirs and history. He loves the dictionary option, where he can touch a word and the definition for that word will pop up on the screen. I cannot tell you how many times he has said, “This was the best present ever.”

As for me, I have stacks and stacks of books around here. I have them stored away in the shed. I just donated over 50 books to my local library. I only have so much space in this little cottage. And as you know, I sometimes have to work in another city for a chunk of time. I also review a lot of books. Almost always there is an option to get the book in the mail or on an eReader. I’ve always chosen the mail, but that means a lot of books stack up around here and I have nowhere to put them.

The fact is, there are just certain books that I would love to read on the Kindle but not necessarily buy in the bookstore. It gives me options. For example, I’m reading the new biography of one of my favorite actresses, Barbara Stanwyck. It’s over 900 pages long. It retails for well over $30. I can’t spend that kind of money, it’s not in my budget. If I got on the waiting list at the library and was finally able to check it out, I would be under pressure to read it all in a certain amount of time. Did I say that it’s 900 pages long? Since my taste runs to fiction, biographies are a rarer read for me and having it on the Kindle gives me the freedom to read bits and pieces of it whenever I want to. And I got it for $11.99.

I also just read the next book I am going to review on the Kindle. It is only available as an eBook. I wouldn’t have been able to experience it – and I liked it very much – if I didn’t have the Kindle. I’ve also been able to get some books for $1.99 – one by Mary Kay Andrews and another by Dennis Lehane. Can’t beat it.

So, an old dog can indeed learn new tricks. My name is Claudia and I actually like my Kindle. Who would have thought?

But to keep this in perspective, I’ve got an idea for the bookshelves I’ve been wanting in the den. I think I can do it myself; in fact, I know I can. And I will love nothing more than being able to have more of my non-virtual books here in the house instead of in the shed, to hold, to thumb through, to re-read, to treasure. Nothing will ever be better or more powerful than that.

I’m already plotting how to save up for some of Penguin’s editions of Jane Austen with their beautiful covers and lovely typefaces.

We’ve got a winter storm on the way. Oh boy. Batten down the hatches!

(By the way, this isn’t a promotion of any kind for Kindle or Amazon and I receive no compensation from Amazon.)

Happy Tuesday.

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Oh So Tired

Let’s Talk About Something Other Than Snow

I Confess

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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