The catalpa is in bloom. It’s always tricky getting a photo because it’s so, so tall. When you walk nearby, you get a whiff of its glorious scent, which reminds me very much of the night-blooming jasmine that surrounded us when we lived in San Diego.

Last night – because we haven’t installed the a/c yet – we had a fan on in our bedroom and it was bringing the scent into the room. Talk about a heavenly treat!

Groundhog family update: Off and on throughout the day yesterday, one or two or three of them would hang out. Actually, they don’t get going until late morning, so it was more like from 11 am until 5:30, which seems to be the hour they return home. They don’t seem to be going in the garden much, if at all, they’re eating the grass and the weeds that are on the parking level and funky patio.

At one point, mama was hanging out! She was lazing in the sun by the maple tree. I also saw two of them go into one of the tunnels under the shed.

So basically they go in and out of their burrow, the tunnels under the shed, and their original home under the tree.

The world is their oyster.

Zoe and Lucy are wearing new pinafores made by the amazing Hilary Wagstaff of Moshimoshi studios. Hilary lives in England, Cornwall, specifically, and I have acquired several pieces made by her over the past couple of years. They’re a little more expensive, so I only order something once a year. When I first started in with Blythes, I noticed this style of pinafore on Hilary’s account. I always wanted one, but she is very creative and is constantly trying new things, so I didn’t see them again. A month or so ago, I messaged her and asked if she’d ever consider making this pattern for me. Yes, she said. I picked out the fabrics.

And now, they’re here. Bonus for my fellow Blythe friends: she’s put this pattern back into the rotation!

Hilary also does the embroidery. She has the cutest studio in a shed on her property. I’d love to hang out there.

We ended up watching the Tonys last night, simply because I knew the opening segment was choreographed by Karla Punto Garcia, and I know her – she worked on Darko’s project. And two of the dancers were actors I coached in that project. I must say that the entire show worked much better without the addition of written dialogue. Most of the extraneous banter was missing and so they just got on with it. I do hate that the creative awards; set design, music and lyrics, lighting, costume design, etc. are now relegated to an earlier show on a network that nobody has heard of. It shows a disregard for designers that pisses me off. I get it: they’re trying to show musical numbers for every show nominated and it’s prime time. I’d rather see less musical numbers and see those artistic components included.

I saw lots of people who I know or have worked with. I’ve even met Tom Stoppard, that genius of a playwright.

Anyway, we enjoyed it, though I found some of the musicals less than interesting, more pop music-like, lots of big voices and sound with very little depth – “a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing” was Don’s response. When the two revivals by Stephen Sondheim hit the stage, both of us gave a sigh of relief. The difference between his work, and most of the other musicals, save for Parade (brilliant) and Kimberly Akimbo, couldn’t be more stark.

Obviously, my personal opinion.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.