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You are here: Home / Archives for Don

Roses in Training

June 16, 2013 at 9:43 am by Claudia

rosyporch

All roses report for duty!

New Dawn rose: Thank you for finally blooming. You are a climber and I was tired of your long limbs falling into the garden instead of growing upward. I think we’ve finally come to an agreement. With the addition of some fabric strips, I have tied your lovely branches to the downspout and to the porch railings.

I must mention here, New Dawn, that I did not appreciate your thorns and their intrusion into my skin.

newdawn

But, once again, your beauty has saved you. I would be tougher on a wild rose. But your pale pink perfection gives me pause. Just try to be less painful in the future.

trainingroses

You’re looking good. I like the way your tendrils are oh-so-gracefully trailing downward. You might want to clean that railing, however.

pinkrosethrurailing

I’m impressed with the way you are peeking through the railing just behind the rusty glider. I can catch your scent on the breeze. Well done.

And now for Lady Elsie May.

rosesthrurailings

Lady Elsie May: After several years of growth and expansion, you have managed to do what I wanted you to do. But you’ve done it naturally. Big points for artfully poking your way through the porch railing. I like the contrast between your green leaves and rosebuds with the porch railing and rusty glider. Excellent work.

rosesthroughrailings2

Yes, well done, indeed. You’ve earned a commendation.

And now for you, little bumblebee that I spent long periods of time trying to capture with my camera. You could have stayed still a bit longer than you did. The constant flitting between flowers is enough to drive a girl crazy. But then again, who stands in one place for half an hour, camera in hand, trying to capture your elusive beauty? (I suspect there are a lot of us.)

bumblebee

bumblebeespirea

bumblebee3

You are invaluable, bumble bee. You pollinate. Your presence in the spirea, catmint and anything else that is blooming is appreciated. And you don’t get angry with me and attack me, though you could – unlike your friend the New Dawn rose.

Happy Father’s Day to my dad, who is just 3 months short of his 90th birthday. And Happy Father’s Day to the father of Winston, Scout and Riley, my sweet husband.

Happy Sunday.

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Filed Under: Dad, Don, flowers, garden, life, porch, roses 24 Comments

Memo to Rain: Please Leave

June 13, 2013 at 8:38 am by Claudia

thurs-sky

I’m leading with this shot of the beautiful, fluffy cloud-filled sky I took yesterday because today we are getting heavy rain.

Again.

All day.

All night.

thurs-creek

(the creek across the street from our cottage)

I’m sick of it. Our overloaded creeks and rivers are sick of it. My peonies, who have been rudely snipped, taken from their home and brought inside because of the rain are sick of it. My catalpa that keeps losing flowers because of the heavy downpours is sick of it. Scout, who has to have her paws wiped every time she comes in from the rain, is sick of it. And mostly, the ceiling in our bedroom, where there is a leak, is sick of it.

Okay. I got that out. Now if I can just scream a few times, I’ll feel better. But Don’s still sleeping, so that’s a no-no.

We mowed yesterday in anticipation of the coming rain.

thurs-agirl&herdad

Here’s Scout greeting her dad after watching him mow through the openings in the porch railing.

Most of the time she likes the porch. But when she is there alone and we are on the other side of the railing doing something or other, well, that’s another story. She barks.

thurs-bark

Outraged barks. I mean, why would we even consider doing something without including her?

thurs-cutie

She’s thinking: maybe I should use my abundant charm…

daylily

My first batch of daylilies has opened. This particular plant always blooms first. Lots of blooms for a day or two, then nothing else the rest of the summer.

Thurs-daylilies

Our little kissing boy and girl seem to be hiding behind the plants, hoping they can’t be seen.

Thurs-rose

thurs-newdawnbud

Is that a New Dawn rose bud I see? Only one of the buds has opened and I decided not to include it in a post. Why? Because it opened during another in a series of torrential downpours. It wasn’t as pretty as it was meant to be.

Rain, rain, go away. Don’t come again another day.

So, it’s dark and gloomy and here we be. I suppose I can get through two acts of Much Ado today. Might as well take advantage of being stuck inside.

What’s the weather like where you live? And if it’s sunny and beautiful, please be kind.

Happy Thursday.

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Filed Under: Don, garden, rain, Scout 32 Comments

Wednesday at the Cottage

June 12, 2013 at 8:33 am by Claudia

What’s happening around the house on a Wednesday:

wed-clematis

The clematis is unfurling its blooms.

wed-moth

A beautiful moth stops for a rest.

wed-shakespeare

Time for research.

wed-shakespearetable

I’ve taken over the kitchen table.

wed-spirea

The spirea is blooming.

wed-yarrow

As is the yarrow.

wed-catalpa

Second week of June? Like clockwork, the catalpa is full of gorgeous, fragrant blooms.

wed-catalpaclose

But it’s been so windy, that many have fallen. Stop, wind.

And stop, rain, please. We’ve had long, torrential downpours for the past several days. The little leak in our bedroom has reared its ugly head again. I think it has to do with the chimney flashing, which has been replaced before and will have to be replaced again. Today is sunny, very breezy and I can see that some of my daylilies have bloomed.

I’m immersed in Shakespeare in preparation for my meeting with the director in NYC, which will take place next Monday. The table is covered in books and papers.Whenever I cover that table with something – be it my dollhouse project or reference books and legal pads, Don always says how much he likes it. I’ve noticed he very much likes to see creativity in process and what I might see as clutter, he finds stimulating and artistic.

Love that man.

By the way, for those of you interested in downloading selections from Don’s new album, Out Beyond the Breakers, we have the all clear from Paypal now. Everything is in order. If you’re interested, click on this link to Don’s website and then click on Store. You can download the entire album or single songs.

I normally wouldn’t have mentioned all of this again, but we did have a technical snafu, so I want to give you the latest news.

Don’s really good. His word and music are soul-stirring. As is his voice.

There. That’s all I will say. Except…thanks.

Now I plan to finish my coffee, go outside to see what is blooming, sneeze for the millionth time (my allergies are so bad this year!) finish my current Deborah Crombie novel, work on Act 2 of Much Ado About Nothing, and buy some more allergy medicine.

What do you plan to do today?

Happy Wednesday.

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Filed Under: Don, flowers, garden, life, Shakespeare 39 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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The Dogs

The Dogs

Scout & Riley. Riley left us in 2012. Scout left us in February 2016. Dearest babies. Dearest friends.

Winston - Our first dog. We miss you, sweetheart.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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