Don — Page 124

Tuesday Thoughts

June 7, 2016 at 10:01 am by Claudia

• An insane amount of mowing took place yesterday, along with digging out a garden bed for the memorial garden, which led to yanking more weeds here and there, which led to two really tired gardeners at the end of the day.

And then I had a sleepless night. Well, not entirely sleepless, I did go to sleep in the wee hours of the morning, but I’m running on empty and two cups of Peets French Roast this morning.

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• This morning finds me pondering how there can be a candidate for the highest office in the land who embodies everything I was taught not to do, everything my parents (and my church) said was morally wrong. Gordon and Shirley Hill raised me with a strong sense of what is right and wrong; you must respect others, bullying is wrong, there will be no name-calling, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, making fun of anyone is wrong, lying is wrong, judging someone as less-than because they have a disability is wrong, racism and prejudice are wrong, misogyny is wrong, xenophobia is wrong. I cannot help but think of my father right now. We talked politics a lot in his last years and he was appalled by what was going on. Oh, Dad, if only you knew just how much worse it’s become.

That we have a candidate who continuously and flagrantly says and does what, to me, is simply immoral and cruel and dangerous, yet somehow gets away with it, is a frightening commentary on our society. As Don said: Everything I grew up believing was right and kind and good and loving has been turned upside down and what I believe is morally wrong is being applauded.

For heaven’s sake, making fun of someone with a disability would have knocked him out of the race in any other year. He would been called out for that and his Presidential aspirations would have been dead in the water. Why was his obvious mocking of a reporter with a disability okay? Why do so many excuse that behavior? My nephew is disabled. Is his case different because he’s four years old and cute?

And what about the rest of it? The insulting tweets, the disparaging comments on women, the marginalization of anyone who is different, who believes differently?

Shame on everyone who turns a blind eye to that behavior. Shame, shame.

Though I respect different points of view, I’ll admit to having a very hard time with those who look away and excuse his comments with “He’s telling it like it is.” Really? That’s not the way it is in my world, nor the world of those I know and love, nor will it ever be that way in my world. So while I will continue to do my best to be respectful in the face of everything I despise and abhor – because my parents taught me that was the right way to behave – I will not like it. I will not tolerate it. I will not support it.

And in case you’re about to say you don’t want to read political commentary on my blog, it really isn’t political commentary. It’s a moral imperative. If I muzzled my very real fear of what we are becoming, I wouldn’t be honest with you, and most importantly, with myself. To not speak out is wrong. Gordon and Shirley didn’t raise me that way.

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• Since they’ll be gone very quickly, let’s look at some peony and catalpa buds.

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Between the peonies, the wild roses and the catalpa flowers, we are in Heady Scent territory right now and we love it.

6-7 hollyhock

• Check out the hollyhock! It’s already huge. I wonder how tall it will eventually get? The brown stem to the right is where last year’s flowers ended. It’s already taller than that and we haven’t even seen the beginning of the flowers. This self-seeder is a blessing.

6-7 fairfieldbox

• I dug this out of the closet the other day. My next project. It’s 1:24, or half scale, so it will take up less room in our tiny cottage. I’m doing my research by reading all about other Fairfield builds, all the while thinking that I’ve never done anything like this before.

But I’m excited and eager to start in on a new project as soon as I’ve handed over the TSP to Don. June 24th, my friends. A big birthday for my husband and a big birthday for my nephew, Little Z. Yes, they share the same birthday! Isn’t that lovely?

Happy Tuesday.

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On a Windy Sunday

May 15, 2016 at 8:36 am by Claudia

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The spirea bush that is down by the road is blooming. Big, fluffy tufts of white. I have always assumed this is a bridal veil spirea, but I could be wrong. I sure love it – it’s one of the early spring delights around here.

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So pretty, so delicate. Today, that bush is being blown every which way as a cold front comes through here. The temperatures have dropped but will start to climb back up tomorrow.

I caught Henry investigating the top of the garden bed. I opened the front door and said “Hey, no garden for you.” He took off like a shot. I actually didn’t need to say a word; just opening the door is enough to send him back to his lair.

It’s so windy today that my parents’ wind chimes are constantly making beautiful sounds. Hi Mom and Dad.

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These are the albums that dear Linda sent my way. Don loves all of these artists, so they are perfect for the TSP.

Coincidentally, some albums I ordered arrived yesterday.

5-15 albums

Also in this particular group that arrived in yesterday’s mail? The exact same albums that Linda sent to me! Great minds think alike. They are from the Etsy shop, Petals and Brims. Again – all albums Don would love to have, including Earth Wind & Fire, though I must confess that they are a particular favorite of mine. I’m the big Earth Wind & Fire fan around here.

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We’re slowly getting there.

We watched one of our favorite movies last night, The Awful Truth. It’s a very funny screwball comedy starring Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, and Ralph Bellamy (who Don worked with many years later on LA Law.) We actually own a copy of the movie, but it’s somehow more fun to watch when it just pops up on TCM. Brilliant.

You know, Don had a recurring role as attorney Russell Spitzer on LA Law and we figured out that the episode with Ralph Bellamy aired in 1988. I remember seeing it when it first aired. It’s a very touching story about Bellamy, a legendary lawyer who, it turns out, is losing his mental faculties. Russell Spitzer (Don) was defending Bellamy’s character. They had a lot of time to talk and Bellamy told great stories about his days in Hollywood.

Anyway, in 1988, I saw Don on that episode. Little did I know I would meet him six years later!

Amazing, how these things happen.

Happy Sunday.

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Friday Thoughts

May 6, 2016 at 8:41 am by Claudia

Oh for heaven’s sake. This is the fifth day in a row of rain, with temperatures a good twenty degrees below normal. I can’t plant seeds, I can’t weed the garden or put down mulch. The lawn is growing by leaps and bounds and we are just stuck here in the cottage about ready to go nuts.

I’ve had it.

I got home yesterday and took some photos late in the day of the few blooms that are happening around here. Daffodils are blooming in a clearing on the edge of our woods.

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It’s May 6th, and the daffodils are just now blooming. We have had the weirdest spring. Abnormally warm. Then snow out of nowhere, with ice. Then warm. Then cold. And on and on it goes.

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I wanted you to see the wee little bug that was on a petal.

• Anastasia is simply wonderful. I can’t wait to see it in full costume, with gorgeous sets and a full orchestra. In fact, the cast was going to sing with the orchestra for the first time yesterday afternoon, and the composer and lyricist wanted me to stick around if I could (they were understandably excited) but I had to get on the road. By the way, that first rehearsal with the orchestra is called the Sitzprobe, a German term used in opera that literally means ‘seated rehearsal.’

The music is glorious, the cast is very, very talented, the dances are great, Darko’s direction is impeccable, as always. The next time I see it will be for a Preview – probably in a little over a week.

• Don will be starting Medicare in June. (We can’t believe we’re this old!) I won’t be eligible for a year and a half. So we called New York State of Health (our state’s vehicle for the Affordable Care Act) to let them know that and to ask that our policy be changed to a single policy. For months now, I have been looking forward to finally saving some money on health insurance, which for those of us who are older, but not quite ready for Medicare, and who earn a modest income but are not at the poverty level, has not really been all that affordable. In fact, it’s been a strain financially.

Imagine my shock when I was told that I no longer qualified for a tax credit – even though, right now, we do get a tax credit. Due to some metrics that I cannot understand that have to do with income, a single policy, and the fact that I, being honest, reported a bit more income – and by a bit I mean no more than $2000 – that I’d earned this year, never mind the fact that I have no guarantee of any more income for the rest of this year – I’m suddenly going to have to pay more than we’re paying now. For just me. And, since Don has to pay monthly for Medicare Part B, we are now losing money.

I can’t tell you how upset I was. We looked over policies and, honestly, I could save maybe $50 if I went for one with a $5000 deductible, but that is simply ridiculous. Those policies also require you to pay a rather large chunk of the costs of hospitalization, also no-can-do. So I have to pay more, just to get to a $2000 deductible.

Pardon me while I scream.

I championed the Affordable Care Act and I know it is helping millions of people. It is helping many actors I know, many young people who are working part-time, the list is quite long. That’s a wonderful thing. But it doesn’t help those of us who are in a riskier age category and who aren’t quite 65. For us, it sort of sucks. Big time.

Edited to add: Please remember, though, that pre-the Affordable Health Care Act, getting insurance as two freelancers was much more difficult. I want to be clear on that. We had to settle for catastrophic insurance, which only covers hospitalization.

• Today is my late brother Dave’s birthday. He would have been 69. He died when he was 44. I miss him so much. Happy Birthday, dear brother. And Happy Birthday to his son Eric who shares the same birthday.

• I’m not looking forward to Mother’s Day for obvious reasons. I hope the day brings weather that allows me to work outside. I think that will help. I just have to keep busy on that day.

Happy Friday.

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Tuesday Thoughts

On a Windy Sunday

Friday Thoughts

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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