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You are here: Home / Archives for Don

Potpourri on Thursday

April 27, 2017 at 9:13 am by Claudia

•  Shot through the kitchen window on a rainy day – here is the bird I wrote about last week. Definitely a thrasher. A pair of them are usually together on the property. The other half had just hopped into the bushes when I took this picture. He has such a lovely tawny brown color and the spots/stripes are striking.

Will the sun ever make an appearance? It’s been so rainy and gray! Thankfully, it isn’t raining today and the sun may emerge (fingers crossed) later this morning.

•  I watched three episodes of Escape to the Country, a BBC series that is airing on Netflix. I only know about it because one of you recommended it. Sigh of happiness! The English countryside is so exquisitely beautiful. For those of you who don’t know of it, it’s rather like House Hunters  here, but done in much more sophisticated and, let’s face it, classy manner. The people that are longing to escape to the country have a list of requirements, the show scouts three houses, and at the end, unlike the American counterpart, we learn which house is their favorite, but we don’t know what they end up choosing. In other words, the house chosen isn’t pre-picked and approved and then presented as a “choice” along with two other homes, but is a genuine possibility. That’s all.

How refreshing! Also missing are the usual American consumer demands of a granite countertop, stainless steel, big walk-in closets, a master suite, a man cave, a she shed, etc. May I say that I intensely dislike the phrases “man cave” and “she shed?” Obviously a marketing ploy. When I hear people using those words all the time, I know that the ploy worked. I’m sure they are also encouraged to use those words by the producers. I’m never big on male vs. female categorizing.

Let me further add that I have never lived in a home with an “en suite.” Never. I get up and walk out into the hall and enter the bathroom. And I’m just fine with that. Cripes, our rental cottage that we lived in when we first moved here had one bathroom. It was downstairs at the back of the cottage. The bedroom was upstairs. Going to the bathroom involved a trek down the stairs, through the living room, dining room and kitchen until I reached the bathroom. Then the same thing all over again as I went back to bed.

Growing up, six of us shared one  bathroom. I wouldn’t know what to do with an en suite.

Anyway, I like this series! Thank you to the reader who suggested it.

•  The crabapple on the other side of the property has begun to bloom. It’s so beautiful. After I made my way over there to get a good shot, I came back in the house and noticed a wood tick on my jeans. I escorted him out of the house and told him to go back to the woods.

The ants are still winning, but I’m fighting the good fight. I will prevail. Thank you for all your suggestions!

•  Don’s in the middle of tech rehearsals, so we have even less time available to talk! He’s doing well. Techs require lots of patience as cues are started and stopped and started again, as lighting and sound and set design and costumes and music cues are tweaked and adjusted.

Since this is a musical based in “Margaritaville” you might well imagine that Don’s costume is very laid back and comfortable. You’d be right. He said it’s the most comfortable costume he’s ever worn.

Happy Thursday.

Filed Under: birds, Don, media, trees 58 Comments

Impressions, Pie, Bunnies of the Knitted Variety & Sleeplessness

April 14, 2017 at 7:59 am by Claudia

I can’t be the only person who is having trouble sleeping, right? Amidst the joys of spring, we have the threat of nuclear winter, with two unstable leaders rattling their sabres. I woke up at 4 am today and got up to use the bathroom. That did it. I couldn’t turn my thoughts off and I finally gave up and got up around 4:45.

Insanity. With billions of lives in the balance. The FBI is coming for you and your henchmen no matter what you do, so why don’t you spare us this ongoing fear and resign? That will give you time to prep for prison. Orange is the new black and all that sort of thing.

Okay. Enough of that and on to happier things.

Some shots of the house because Spring brings out my nester instincts and I look at the house with fresh eyes. All done with the iPhone because I was lazy at that moment. We’ll call the photos “Impressions.”

 

Those of you who follow along on Instagram already know this story, but for those of you who don’t, here it is. Yesterday morning, Fed Ex pulled up in our driveway. Since I wasn’t expecting anything, I was surprised. The Fed Ex guy was carrying a largish box and handed it to me. It was from the Julian Pie Company in Julian, CA. Oh my goodness. Julian apple pies are the best apple pies I have ever tasted and I knew immediately who was behind this surprise.

Sure enough, the message inside said “Sweets for the Sweet, love Don.” That stinker stopped by Julian on his way home from the desert last Monday and arranged to have a pie shipped to me. We used to treat ourselves to a Julian Pie quite often when we lived in San Diego.

Isn’t he the best?

I managed to wait until late afternoon until I cut a slice and then I happily indulged in the taste sensation of a Julian apple pie.

Best crust ever.

Sigh of happiness.

And, though I haven’t knitted in years, I started in on this little project:

We’ll see if it looks remotely presentable once I have finished. If you don’t see a picture, well, you’ll know.

Pie for breakfast.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: cottage, Don, Donald Trump 70 Comments

Chatty on a Tuesday

April 11, 2017 at 9:29 am by Claudia

Greetings from the land of abnormally warm temperatures! 77° yesterday, over 80° today. I’ve been cleaning out the garden beds (I’ll be glad when I’m through with all the raking!) I ran to Lowe’s yesterday for new garden gloves and also picked up a paver. Why? Because I’m tired of the bird bath being on a slant (the ground at the top of the drive slants downward) and thought I might be able to get it a bit more level if it was placed on a paver rather than the ground. Mission accomplished, with the help of two stone ‘shims.’

Later in the day, I stopped and visited some friends:

Hello, Emby! The sweetest horse in the world. I fed him lots of carrots, told him that his Uncle Don missed him very much and that I would be visiting him at least once a week. He gave me two kisses. I’m very honored.

That’s Sissy in the shed eating her hay. When she has fresh hay, she has absolutely no interest in carrots. She lifted her head and gave me a look when I called out to her and then went right back to her supper. I messaged these photos to Don and, as I suspected, they made him very happy.

Hello, new Nancy Drew! This (#19 in the series) arrived in the mail yesterday (I have two more on the way.) Nancy is rocking a 40’s hairdo. Love the map, the piano, the globe, the fireplace…all of it.

More egg cups. Walking ware, some California Pottery with the original sticker, Harlequin by Homer Laughlin, a bunny, lustre ware, a chick emerging from an egg and your basic green and white egg cup. The ceramic egg was a gift from my mom. The painted egg may have been, too – I’m not sure.

I have some more that are scattered throughout the house. I’ll gather them together today and take a picture.

My Peet’s is tasting especially good this morning.

Don drove to the desert yesterday on his day off to see the tail end of the wildflower bloom there. But he’s very tired. These are long days in rehearsal and 6 long days a week with only one day off takes its toll. I find I always have to get back ‘in shape’ when I start rehearsals again after a period of time away from them. Don hasn’t done a play in a long time, so it’s a big change for him. And this is a new musical, to boot, with songs, dances, re-writes…everything.

We’re both suffering from a big old case of the ‘misses’, as in “I miss you so much.” It really hit him yesterday. It’s lonely being on the road, even if you’re in the midst of rehearsals with a lot of people. At the end of the day, you go back to your apartment and you’re all alone. I understand, believe me. I’m going to try and get out there in May. We need some time together.

The Anastasia cast album has been recorded and will be available in June. Huzzah!

Happy Tuesday.

 

 

Filed Under: Anastasia, Don, egg cups, horses, Nancy Drew 19 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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