Don — Page 192

Meredith Knits for Maggie, Music and Roses

June 9, 2013 at 9:36 am by Claudia

After 36 hours of constant rain, courtesy of the most recent tropical storm, we are sunny and dry. At least for today. Friday afternoon consisted of heavy rain but the atmosphere here was considerably lightened by the sound of guitar, dobro, mandolin and banjo – along with my husband’s voice.

rehearsing

That’s Dan on the left playing the dobro and Don on guitar. Just on the other side of the table, you can see Scout’s ear. That girl never left the living room. It was as if I didn’t exist. She loves people and music, so I can’t blame her.

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Friday’s mail brought something from my sister. Meredith recently ordered her own Maggie Rabbit kit, as well as Alicia’s new pattern for a knit dress for Maggie. Since Meredith is a far better knitter than I am, I asked her is she would make a knit dress for Maggie.

Let’s see if we can get Maggie to stand up.

maggie

There! She needed to hold on to the wrought iron. Okay. Now we’ll put her in her new dress.

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Hello! Could that dress be any more adorable? Maggie likes the layered look.

Meredith also sent along something she designed; an apron. After all, Maggie works in the garden and in the kitchen and all around the house. She needs an apron.

maggieapron

Be still my heart. She looks so cute.

Every time I put something over Maggie’s head, I have to rearrange her whiskers. I clearly forgot to when I took this picture.

Meredith is quite talented, you know. Thank you, sister!

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Lots of buds on the New Dawn roses.

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And the Julia Child roses, which were originally a pale yellow but now have reverted back to red, are really taking off.

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I love all my roses, but (shhh!) I love the New Dawn roses the best. They are in the side garden, so you can’t see them in this picture. I did plant another New Dawn rose bush at the end of the summer last year. It’s several feet to the right of this area of the garden, which is in front of the house. I’m hoping it takes off.

I have to start work on the text for Much Ado About Nothing. I’ve got a two-day gig in mid-July – I will be working with the cast of an upcoming production of that play being produced by the Barrington Stage Company (situated in the lovely Berkshires.) But our work will be in NYC. And then, not long after that, I will be once again coaching at Hartford Stage. This time it will be Macbeth and a French play, La Dispute.

I think I’d better tear myself away from the garden.

Umm….tomorrow. Because today is sunny and tomorrow will be rainy.

By the way, if you tried to download any of Don’s music and had a problem, we hope to resolve that within a few days. Just a glitch with Paypal that will soon be cleared up. I’ll give you the all clear when everything is resolved. Thanks for your patience!

Happy Sunday.

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A Bit of Everything

June 5, 2013 at 9:47 am by Claudia

wildrose

Wild roses are everywhere on this property. Normally, they are a pain in the tush because they grow with abandon and have thorns. Normally, I curse them. But for a week or two in the spring, they bloom and everywhere I look there are billowy tufts of tiny white flowers. And for that week or two, I bless them.

Delicate. Beautiful.

Yesterday was simply gorgeous with temperatures in the seventies and a gentle breeze. I was a bit down, still am, so I comforted myself with time on the porch and the funky patio. I listened to the sound of the birds – I so wish I could identify all the different chirps and calls – and watched them flit and fly all over the property. I heard a woodpecker up in the catalpa. In fact, I hear him now. But every time I tiptoed to the tree, that little bugger took off. He knew I wanted a photo of him.

I heard the cicadas, but only for about 30 seconds here and there. Cicadas have to compete with the noise of traffic on our busy country road. I am still finding some newly emerged cicadas here and there on the property.

housefrombackforty

A view of the house from the back forty.

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Part of the back forty.

I sat on the porch glider and looked at my gardening journal. I don’t keep it up like I did when I first established this garden seven years ago, but reading it helps me to realize how far the gardens have come. I am reminded about the plants that thrived here and the plants that mysteriously failed or simply disappeared. More on that in another post. I read my current Deborah Crombie mystery. And this girl kept me company:

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She spends an awful lot of time sniffing here and there. Her nose reminds me that other critters pass through this porch: cats, chipmunks, squirrels, bunnies, mice.

prettygirl

That face. I absolutely adore that face.

By now I think you know that I am more than a bit uncomfortable with the whole idea of tooting my own horn. Fortunately, I don’t suffer from that little malady when it comes to my husband. I briefly mentioned yesterday that his new album is available for download on his website. Don has a website that covers both his acting career and his music. I have a website for my professional work. (And you thought you knew everything about me!) Anyway. His new album, Out Beyond the Breakers, was recorded in our friend Rob’s incredible studio while Don was working in San Diego earlier this year. It consists of 14 new songs. If you’re interested, you can download them individually or as an album.

Some of my favorites?

Don’t Tell Me Heart
I’ve Got a Love (makes me cry)
Adios New York
Say It Twice
Guess I Still Get Crazy
She Saves Me

No pressure. Since many of you have told me how much you like his music, I thought I’d share this with you. If you’re interested, click on the link and then click on Music/Shop on his homepage. While you’re there you can see some photos of him in various acting roles and read a bit more about him. He’s an interesting guy, that husband of mine.

This is shaping up to be a long post! Since they are here for such a short time, more peony photos:

peonymania

antonpeony

pinkbeauty

Love to you all on this Wednesday.

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Scenes from Home

May 1, 2013 at 7:27 am by Claudia

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scenesjacks

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sceneseggcups

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scenesguitars

scenesmorninglight

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The trouble with going home is that you don’t want to leave.

I awoke quite early this morning and that’s when I snapped these photos. The weather is beautiful, but still hovering slightly between winter and spring. Last night the temp went down to the thirties and today it will rise to the mid-seventies. Don and I worked outside most of the day yesterday. He mowed the back forty and I weeded the garden, hauled some things out of the shed and used the two bags of mulch I had that were leftover from last year to mulch a few of my garden beds. The day started out cloudy but turned very sunny and warm and, though my back and hip ache, oh, how glorious it was to be outside, working and tending to my garden.

I feel a bit as if I have come out of hibernation.

The stresses of our life seem to be holding steady; trying to pay the bills while freelancing and living paycheck to paycheck, wondering where and when the next job will come while trying to remain positive and open to miracles. Somehow, working outside helps me to forget all of that and just be for a few hours. Sometimes, even for a day. It’s the best kind of therapy and is certainly a lesson in gratitude.

Now I have to pack up my things and get ready to hit the road for Hartford. And not think about leaving my little girl again.

Happy Wednesday.

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Meredith Knits for Maggie, Music and Roses

A Bit of Everything

Scenes from Home

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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