books — Page 80

A Wee Bit of Snow

February 9, 2020 at 11:01 am by Claudia

The morning view as we sip our second cup of coffee. The coffee table is generally Don’s bailiwick for his current reading material, journal, datebook, pens, etc. I have my space in the den. I move in with my cup of coffee, cell phone, earbuds (which I remove of course while chatting with him) and in this case, one of my planners because I wanted to read a quote that I’d jotted down there to Don. I tend to wear earbuds if I’m listening to anything because we both like our mornings to be relatively quiet.

In fact, I’ll share that quote with you. It’s from Rebecca Solnit and it’s about books and reading.

The object we call a book is not the real book, but its potential, like a musical score or seed. It exists fully only in the act of being read, and its real home is inside the head of the reader, where the symphony resounds, the seed germinates.

I love that.

We had some snow last night and it’s still snowing rather gently. Hardly any accumulation but watching the fat flakes float gently down to the ground is rather lovely on this Sunday morning. We’re due to get a bit more overnight; the usual rain/snow combo that seems to be the theme of this winter.

We watched Separate Tables on TCM last night. The night before we watched Interiors. I’d seen Interiors many years ago and sort of discounted it at the time because it wasn’t Woody Allen’s usual fare. I’m really glad we watched it again because it was an homage to Ingmar Bergman and quite good. I’d always known of Separate Tables, based on Terence Rattigan’s play of the same name, but hadn’t ever watched it. An excellent cast: David Niven, Deborah Kerr, Burt Lancaster, Rita Hayworth, Cathleen Nesbitt, Wendy Hiller, and Gladys Cooper. We liked it very much.

Today I have to water Rick’s plants one more time – I’m not sure when they’re getting back – and run a couple of errands. Don’s going to go along with me. Tonight, we settle in and watch the Oscars, because why not?

Happy Sunday.

Four Years

February 8, 2020 at 10:08 am by Claudia

Turns out I didn’t need to buy a copy of Jane Eyre; Caroline had a copy all along. I could have borrowed hers. That’s Anne of Green Gables (the very same edition my mom had that is now on my shelf) to the right of Jane Eyre.

It’s very cold out there today but it’s sunny! We’ve had so much rain and wind and dark skies this past week that I’m going to enjoy the sun today. From what I’ve read, there might not be much of it this next week. We had high winds yesterday (this is becoming a broken record) and they went on into the night. It’s still quite breezy but much better than last night.

I finished Transcription last night and I quite enjoyed it, though not as much as Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie series. It’s about WWII Britain and MI5, spies, and all of that sort of thing. There’s an interesting twist at the end. Atkinson is a wonderful writer. There’s always a great deal of dry humor in her books, even when the subject matter is quite serious.

I am moving on to The Snowman by Jo Nesbø, which I started this morning.

Other than that, I’m taking it easy this weekend. Even though I threaten not to watch the Oscars, I’m sure we will. It’s too much fun, even if it’s maddening. We’re cheering for Renée Zellweger and Brad Pitt. Did you know that Don worked with Brad when he was very young and just starting out? It was on a television show called Freddy’s Nightmares. I’ve seen a recording of it. Brad looks like he’s about 16. Anyway, Brad, according to Don, is a very nice guy. That’s not the reason I’m cheering him on, necessarily, but it doesn’t hurt. He’s a very good actor and he’s often underrated because of his looks. It would be nice to see him acknowledged. Other than those two, I have no favorites. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Today? Cleaning the bathroom, something you know I do not like. But it must be done. Maybe some work on the dollhouse, though I seem to have a problem getting motivated lately. Definitely reading.

We lost this magical creature on this date 4 years ago. I was working in Hartford at the time. We made the decision while I was home on my day off. I could see that she was failing and that it was time. Don, who had been taking care of her, had a harder time seeing it because he was right in the middle of it all. I had a little distance because I’d been away. But Don knew in his heart of hearts that it was time.

We miss her so. There’s less magic and joy around here nowadays. It’s there, but not as strongly as when my girl was alive. She taught us so much. She loved adventure. She was always joyful. She scolded us when she wanted something. She was smart as a whip. She made everyone she met happy. She was our magic girl.

We miss you, Scoutie. We miss you, Winston and Riley.

And no, it’s not time for us to adopt a dog yet. We’ll know when it’s time.

Happy Saturday.

Back Home

February 7, 2020 at 10:52 am by Claudia

Late start this morning. I slept in until 8 am – a true rarity. After the past two days of very little sleep and the intensity of the trip to Hartford and back yesterday, I was well and truly wiped out.

The weather was a huge factor in my drive yesterday. On the way to Hartford, it was foggy and hard to see. On the way home, at night, it was raining heavily and I could barely see the white lane markers on the highway. I was so tired and tense from the journey that my muscles ached when I got home. But I did get home and boy, was I happy to see my husband open the door when he heard my car in the driveway. It really feels as if I ran a race yesterday. The actual work, watching the run-through, taking notes, and talking to the actors, was relatively easy. The show is in good shape and the cast is doing terrific work. It was just the other stuff that was hard; trying to find a moment to eat something, the terrible weather, the long drive.

It’s done and I did it all on my own, despite an offer from Don to come with me. So I’m giving myself a little pat on the back. But just a little one.

I arrived home and Don shared the news that a friend of ours, Mike Kruglinski, had died. Mike lived in our town, was very active in politics (which is how we met him) and was one of the kindest men I’ve ever had the privilege to meet. His spirit was so joyful and positive. He had been fighting cancer. Mike’s wife, Diane, sometimes reads this blog. My heart goes out to his family. He will be sorely missed. Last year, we lost another member of our Democrat Committee, Barbara Sides. Too much loss.

Another of Don’s friends here in town is battling cancer. Another, back in California, has serious heart problems.

It’s all too much sometimes. Our prayers and thoughts are with all who suffer loss and who are faced with illness.

Don is reading Walden and he really loves it. I should read it again because I read it in high school, when it was an assignment, and I know I would get much more out of it at this point in my life. We spent this morning talking about books and the power of reading, the intimacy that comes with reading the words on a page – just you and the book and your reaction to those words. It’s such a blessing, reading. Especially in these times.

I’m almost done with Transcription and then I’ll move on to The Snowman by Jo Nesbø. Come to think of it, except for some small chores that need to be done, that’s how I’m going to spend my day.

Happy Friday.

A Wee Bit of Snow

Four Years

Back Home

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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