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You are here: Home / Archives for Don

Easter Bunnies & The Tape

April 11, 2022 at 9:18 am by Claudia

Three Vintage by Crystal bunnies out on display for Easter.

Sunny today and warmer temperatures this week. I’ll take it. I’m going to go out and check on the progress of the lilac buds. Update tomorrow.

I also see some tiny green buds on the Shag Hickory and an Ash. The daffodils up in the shade are developing buds, the daffs in the big garden bed have emerged from the ground and the daffs that sprung up from gravel last year – right by the porch – are getting bigger every day. Little things, but boy, do we need to see them about now. Winter hung on longer than usual and we are really ready for GREEN. Speaking of green, the lawn is getting greener by the day – all that rain, no doubt.

After yesterday’s post about Disc Drive, I began to wonder where that cassette tape that Don made for me was. The only car that played cassettes was the CR-V and it’s long gone. Did Don mistakenly throw it out when he cleared out the car? Did I put it somewhere in the house? Have I lost it forever?

I checked out my car. Nothing. If it was in my storage closet in the office it was going to be difficult to find without taking everything out, including the kitchen air conditioner which is also stashed there. (Storage – the eternal problem around here.) Then I had an idea to check the top drawer of the sideboard – a mess of receipts, used checkbooks, batteries, etc. After a lot of digging, I found it!

Don , you are forgiven for writing Disk instead of Disc. And he recorded it in Calgary, not Toronto like I thought. He often worked for a theater company that had stages in both cities. 1999! We had only been together for 5 years. I’m going to listen to it this afternoon. Let’s hope it still plays.

I’ll update you on that tomorrow.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

 

Filed Under: bunnies, Don, Easter 24 Comments

Checking in on Friday

March 4, 2022 at 9:33 am by Claudia

The good news: Don doesn’t have a break/fracture. He has no rotator cuff problems. We have been pretty sure from the beginning that this was true, but the pain is real, so Don decided to check in with his doctor. We’re relieved. Don is very  relieved. Now, he has to be patient and exercise his arm and shoulder. And he’s doing that.

The bad news: We have to order more heating oil when we hoped we had enough to get us through the winter. But it’s been a very, very cold winter here, so I’m not surprised. We’re ordering the minimum we can get away with because the price is so high right now.

The good news again: We have heat and we can find the funds to pay for the oil. Given what is happening in the world, we are blessed. We know it and we’re grateful.

All in all, yesterday was a very good day.

Madeleine made her preferences known yesterday – she wanted to wear this:

She clearly has her own sense of style. (She’s French, you know.)

And Zoe got to wear the glasses:

These specs seem to suit every one of the girls.

Still reading, puzzling, cleaning, and watching Stranger Things. But tonight will be Mrs. Maisel, as two new episodes drop today.

I have a couple of errands to run today. It’s really cold here today, by the way. The warmup should  start tomorrow. It can’t come soon enough.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, Don 31 Comments

Ukraine, Don, a Hat, and a Puzzle

March 3, 2022 at 9:23 am by Claudia

First of all, no news yet from the doctor. We know he has the x-ray but he hasn’t called with the results. The doctor had a similar injury in the past and felt that it probably wasn’t broken, but he sent Don over to a facility across the river to get the x-ray just to be sure. In the meantime, Don has a prescription for an anti-inflammatory med. He’s very sore today, but I reminded him that he drove a lot yesterday and stopped at the store – twice. He is now under a no physical activity  order from yours truly.

I know he had a little bit of a high going yesterday just because he was outside doing  something. I get it. I’ll update you as soon as we hear something

My longtime blogging friend Susan fell under the spell of my Blythes and proceeded to start her own doll family. At least two of them are from the same customizer who transformed my first girl, Sophie. We’ve been corresponding back and forth. Susan showed me a hat she crocheted for her girls and sent me one as well as a thank you. Isn’t that lovely? It arrived yesterday. Imogen gets to be today’s model.

So adorable! And that is my favorite shade of red. She also sent along a scarf. Thank you, Susan! As I said on Instagram, I am happy to be a Blythe enabler. Anytime.

I finished the other 500 piece puzzle – this one is of the Golden Gate Bridge:

Another relatively quick puzzle which was a lot of fun.

Next up, from my current favorite puzzle designer, “The World of the Tudors.” It arrived on Tuesday. I’ll be back to 1000 pieces.

I am heartsick about Ukraine. I try to stay aware to bear witness of a sort, but I have to be careful about how much I take in. I wish we could stop Putin. Frankly – from a strongly ‘no war’ girl – I wish we could go in there and get rid of the Russian army, though so many of them are just pawns who have been fed lies by Putin. Putin himself must be stopped – perhaps as he has stopped others who dared to disagree with him. I’ll let you fill in the lines on that one.

I know that so many countries are providing support, including ours, but Ukraine is essentially alone. NATO should have brought them in right away. But everyone is afraid of an increasingly delusional madman and his access to nuclear weapons. Both Don and I feel that Ukraine needs more help and troop support, but again, I completely understand the ramifications of that. We don’t want WWIII.

Yet again, we are being held hostage by a man ruled by his weak ego and shrinking appendage, by his now insane desire to dominate. (Sound familiar?)

Heartbreaking and so enraging.

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

 

 

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, Don, jigsaw puzzles 32 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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