Christmas — Page 21

Day Two Hundred Sixty-Five

December 3, 2020 at 10:08 am by Claudia

We’re quite happy with this tree. We have low ceilings downstairs and we had to trim a bit off the top, but what a pretty shape it has! We’re going to decorate either today or tomorrow. (I’m pushing for today.)

Since we were on a roll, we hung three of the framed pieces of art we found in the shed. The poster I showed you before that we got in Lake Louise is at the bottom of the stairs. We’ll be adding to that wall over time, making it another gallery wall.

Then we went upstairs and hung two more pieces.

I found this reproduction poster in London many years ago and had it framed when I lived in California. We both love it.

The framed photograph on the floor is also one of my favorites. It will be hung at the bottom of the stairs – it exudes joy. (I had it on the wall in my apartment in Cambridge so I’ve had it for over 30 years.)

The other is one of my favorite things ever.

(Trying to take a picture full on is difficult as there is glare from the window.)

This is from a production of The Mikado at the Stratford Festival in Canada in 1982. I saw it and it was wonderful. I love the graphics. On a personal note, I love Gilbert & Sullivan and have performed in two of their creations, HMS Pinafore and….The Mikado, in which I played the character pictured here, Katisha. She was deliciously devious!

Growing up in the Detroit area, I was able to visit Stratford for many years as it was only four hours away. I haven’t been there for a while and I’d love to go back. But I was lucky enough to see many great actors perform there; William Hutt, Martha Henry, Nicholas Pennell (who I had the pleasure of coaching many years later,) Len Cariou, Brian Bedford, and Maggie Smith.

So this poster brings back all sorts of happy memories.

Interesting news, first sent to me by my longtime friend Donna. A class action lawsuit has been filed against the SAG/AFTRA Health Plan by, among others, Ed Asner. Among the complaints; “premiums have skyrocketed and medical coverage is being stripped from elderly guild members under the guise of a COVID-19-related restructuring, according to a complaint filed Tuesday in California federal court.” This is potentially good news. Here is the link to the article in The Hollywood Reporter (there was also an article in the New York Times.

I read it to Don and we felt a smidgen of hope, which is more than we had before. Read it, if you can, because you’ll understand the enormity of the whole thing.

Rain on the way tomorrow and Saturday – a lot of it. Now, with all the leaking, I fear rain.

But today is cold and sunny.

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

Discombobulated

January 3, 2020 at 10:41 am by Claudia

Gone.

That gorgeous Christmas Tree was so dry after having been here for over a month, that it had to come down yesterday. On top of running errands, we added the dismantling of the tree as one of our chores for the day. It took longer than I thought, but eventually, Don carried it out to the woods, propped it up against another tree and thanked it. We both said thank you repeatedly as we were taking down the ornaments. I do have qualms sometimes about trees – living things – being raised only to be chopped down for our temporary use during the holidays. I have to be honest and say that I go back and forth on that one, just as I do on a number of issues.

I missed seeing those lights when I came downstairs this morning. But I do like the clean look of the house.

Does this ever happen to you? You look everywhere to make sure you haven’t missed some decoration that needs to be packed away. You do it more than once, and finally, satisfied that you have corralled all of the Christmas stuff, you pack it away.

The next day, you notice something you missed. In my case, as I was sitting on the sofa having coffee with my husband this morning, I focused on Stella and saw the two bottlebrush trees that are sitting on her shelf. Whoops! I’ll have to find some place to put them until next year.

Did any of you notice that I closed yesterday’s post with “Happy Monday?” Yep. It wasn’t until we were in the car running errands that I realized it was Thursday, not Monday. The first thing I did when we came home was edit the post to the correct day. I swear, it seemed like a Monday! I’m discombobulated.

I’m working on Dove Cottage. I added some missing window sills and a window frame the other day. I’ll do a bit more today. And I’m deep into Jane Eyre, which is beautifully written, isn’t it? I have to finish it, then read the script for the play, then do some work on the dialects – all over the course of the next 4 or 5 days. I’m starting 2020 off with a work commitment and that makes me happy.

Happy Friday.

Stone Work

December 30, 2019 at 10:47 am by Claudia

The tree is still up. Do Christmas trees have a more intense scent as they begin to dry out? Because for the past few days, the scent has been much stronger. Anyway, we came downstairs this morning, turned on the tree lights and decided we would wait until New Year’s Day to take the tree down. We can’t quite say goodbye yet. I’ll miss seeing the tree from my chair in the den.

But we’ve had it up since December 1st, so January 1st seems like a good long run.

I spent about three hours up in the office working on the rescued dollhouse, Dove Cottage. The ‘stonework’ is slow going. Here is its current status:

I’ll try for a clearer picture today but it’s awfully dark out there as we’re into our second day of rain. I’m heartened by the fact that I was able to cut the stones to fit the curve of the doorway. I’m still not sure whether I like the whole thing, but I think when I paint the shingles, which might be sooner rather than later, and put the shutters up, the look of all that stone will be softened.

Dollhouses on the brain. That seems to be all I’m thinking about lately. That, and the high cost of living, which we have vowed to do something about this coming year. Budget. Budget. Budget. We’ve had a good couple of years, but it’s time to cut way back. We lost a lot of money this year with the changes to the tax laws. As you know, actors and performers and freelancers were royally screwed. We paid far more than either of us has ever paid in all our years of earning a living. Until the law is changed, that will be our reality and it’s a grim one. Cross your fingers for us; we both need to work more in 2020. And we’re ready, willing, and able!

I just might paint that roof today.

Happy Monday.

Day Two Hundred Sixty-Five

Discombobulated

Stone Work

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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