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You are here: Home / Archives for books

Sisters, Sweaters, and Snow

December 11, 2022 at 8:53 am by Claudia

I just can’t.

I’ve captioned this “Sisters in Sweaters.”

You can see the difference in body size in this photo. Holly has the standard body that comes with Blythes and Mei as an OB22 body. OB22s are more flexible, and much lighter in weight. That’s the body she came with. I have a mix of bodies on my girls, simply because I usually am fine with whatever body they have. There are plusses and minuses with both sizes. The only body I may change out someday is Olivia’s. It’s a licca body, which makes it even tinier than Mei’s. What drives me nuts about it is the fact that the legs don’t bend, so I’m limited when it comes to posing her.

But otherwise, I like the variety in height. It somehow makes them more realistic.

Okay.

Snow today. It’s already started falling but just barely. We woke up to a light dusting on the cars and the roof. We’ll get anywhere from 3 – 6 inches. I’m betting on 5 inches. We’re actually looking forward to watching it fall during the day. A little Christmas music in the background and some apple pie baking in the oven? Perfect.

Plus, the snowblower is working beautifully and I cleared off the rest of the porch yesterday. There were several pots I needed to empty and I stored them in the shed – which is so organized it makes me smile.. The cushions were brought inside, as well as my two stone doves. The Adirondack chairs were folded and stored in the shed. All of the chairs we use in the secret garden and on the funky patio are now on the porch. Don helped carry the two remaining vintage pots that were in the secret garden (they’re quite heavy and my back was complaining) onto the porch. Bags of salt leftover from last year are at the ready.

Now, we can sit back and enjoy the snow, knowing we don’t have to be anywhere today.

I’ve started the new Anthony Horowitz and I reserved the most recent Mick Herron from our library system. Miraculously, there was no one in the queue so I should received it next week sometime. Suddenly, I have a few books that have actual due dates, so I’d better get cracking.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

 

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, books, snow 34 Comments

Simple Pleasures

December 10, 2022 at 9:20 am by Claudia

Saturday. It’s turned very cold, so our mild – for the season – temperatures are now gone. We are due for snow tomorrow; 1-3 inches during the day and 1-3 inches overnight. We have our snowblower again so that’s great. Very nice people repaired it and returned it to us, but Don is having trouble removing the gas cap. So he’s got to figure that out today.

As always with early snowfalls, I’m all in. That will change, of course. But I’d love to see some snow on the ground for Christmas.

I just finished Slough House  this morning and that darned Mick Herron has ended it in a real cliffhanger! What am I going to do? The most recent book in the series, Bad Actors, is out in hardback, but a quick google search has told me that my worries about the status of one of the characters will not be resolved in that book. Oh well, patience is a virtue – so they say.

In the meantime, I have the newest Anthony Horowitz at the ready. And Louise Penny, of course, but you know I always delay that pleasure.

And a new puzzle has arrived, thank goodness.

And Don is going to make an apple pie.

Simple pleasures. That’s all I need.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Filed Under: books, reading, snow 23 Comments

Books and Puzzles

December 8, 2022 at 9:17 am by Claudia

Finished. The puzzle is from Lawrence King and the title is The World of the Harlem Renaissance. Loved every bit of time spent working on it. Of course, a couple of hours later, I realized I needed another puzzle, so I ordered one that was on sale and that could be delivered today. I am not kidding when I say that I HAVE to have a puzzle in the works. They keep me calm when my mind is full of worry or fear – and let’s face it, for most of us, that’s a lot of the time. Last year and the year before, it was a wintertime thing. Now, it’s an all-the-time thing.

I tried to take photos of the dollhouse interiors/Christmas trees yesterday but it was so dark outside and inside that the photos were depressing, which is not what we want at Christmas time, is it? I’ll try again today. It will be partly cloudy but it’s much lighter outside. If not today, tomorrow.

I’m almost finished with Slough House, part of Mick Herron’s brilliant series about British Spies – Slough House being the place where spies who have screwed up are sent. This is one of the best series I have ever read. Herron writes beautifully and the books are a wonderful combination of humor, irony, and can’t-put-it-down action. I’ve read, I believe, seven of them and there’s one more that was published this year. It’s still in hardcover. I am a big, big fan.

The library informed me that my copy of the new Anthony Horowitz, The Twist of a Knife, has come in, so I’ll head on over there today to pick it up.

So happy to hear that Brittney Griner has been released by Russia and is on her way home. Prayers that Paul Whelan is eventually allowed to come home, as well.

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

 

Filed Under: books, jigsaw puzzles 14 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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