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You are here: Home / Archives for houseplants

Sun, Cold, and Blooms

January 22, 2024 at 8:15 am by Claudia

Yesterday was very, very cold but the sun was shining its bright light all day long. There’s nothing prettier than sun bouncing off snow. The house was flooded with light.

Today, we will begin a warming trend; though as I write this, the weather app says it ‘feels like’ 2 degrees out there. I’ve been up for two hours and my hands are still cold.

The sansevieria/snake plant is blooming again. Every time I post a picture of the blooms, people say they have NEVER seen one bloom, as if I’m either mistaken about the plant identification or imagining things. But it does bloom and the scent is lovely. Don and I stop by the plant a couple of times a day to inhale the scent, which is rather like night-blooming jasmine. You know the story of this plant. It was my parents’ plant and I remember its early days in their home in Dearborn. Meredith has the other plant, purchased by my parents at the same time. We know they are now at least 50 years old. After my dad died, I loaded the pot in my car and brought it back to New York.

And yes, Meredith’s snake plant blooms, too.

I like to think it’s a little hello from my parents.

I’m all over the place in my reading. I spent part of the morning yesterday catching up on Wolf Hall, so that I would be ready for this week’s assigned pages. I’m also reading The Poppy War  by R. F. Kuang. And today, I opened a book of short stories by Kate Atkinson (a favorite author) entitled Normal Rules Don’t Apply. I’m normally not into short stories, but in this case, I’m very happy I decided to give it a go. I’ve read the first two stories and enjoyed them thoroughly. I checked it out from our library system. I’m pretty sure the book was published very recently.

Today, I have to package up another Etsy sale. I listed two more pieces of McCoy on Saturday. However, I’m fast running out of pieces I’m willing to sell!

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: books, houseplants 26 Comments

Brain Fog Monday

September 25, 2023 at 9:01 am by Claudia

My geranium – another plant that I overwinter – finally bloomed. I had to prune it earlier in the season and the rain knocked off an earlier bud before it could open. So, knowing that rain was coming for the weekend, I moved her to a safer place on the porch until the threat passes. I think I’ve had this plant at least as long as the Boston fern, if not longer.

Monday. It rained all night and it’s still raining now. I slept in a bit because we were up later than usual. Don has an eye appointment this morning.

Lucy telling me all about her day. She insisted on replacing her sweet dress with some dungarees.

She’s right. They suit her. She’s my scrappy girl.

It was a low-key weekend. I read a lot! I’m nearly to the end of The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons. The writer who is taking over this series has done a bang-up job. She understands the characters and remains true to the essence of the storyline that Steig Larsson established many years ago. I imagine that isn’t at all easy.

Mere sent me a photo of my nephew and his girlfriend, taken when he was sworn in as a District Attorney. They swore them in as soon as the bar results were posted. And he has a trial starting this week. I am so proud of him.

Looks like there’s a tentative deal in the writers’ strike, which has been going on longer than that of the actors. I eagerly await the details. Several of my former students from Boston University are writers in Hollywood. I hope they got everything they were fighting for. And I hope the actors get the same. AI is the biggest threat, both to the writers and the actors – that, and streaming.

My brain is a bit foggy this morning as I’m still not fully awake, so I hope this all makes sense! I’m not even sure what is on the horizon for the day; more reading for sure. And some dreaded bathroom cleaning.

Rest in Peace to Terry Kirkman, a founding member of The Association – he wrote “Cherish” and “Everything that Touches You.” I got to know him through Don who knew him from his Los Angeles years. How lucky I was to “know” him. He was unfailingly kind to everyone, including me. He worked for years with people in recovery and he had a heart as big as all outdoors. I’m very sad. I was a huge fan of The Association, saw them live in concert, but I was an even bigger fan of Terry and the man he was. Rest in Peace, Terry.

Say safe.

Happy Monday.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, houseplants 25 Comments

Saturday

September 23, 2023 at 8:45 am by Claudia

Scenes from the porch.

We’re due for quite a bit of rain today and tomorrow and then, hopefully, it will be dry for several days.

Happy first day of fall! I am so ready for it. To state the obvious, summer was quite disappointing this year. Now the temperatures are more moderate, downright cool in the morning, and I feel like I’ve come out of a stupor (the word Don used when we were talking about it the other day.)

Two more books were picked up from the library yesterday; Mick Herron’s newest – The Secret Hours, and Lisa Jewell’s newest – None of This is True. The latter is in the large print edition, which I ordered by mistake. When I saw I would be number 157 in the queue for the regular print edition, I stuck with the large print. And I’m currently well into The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons  by Karin Smirnoff, who is taking over the series that was originally written by the late Stieg Larsson. It’s very well written – I’m still sorting out the characters.

Don made a sweet potato pie the other day and it was a definite hit! I really love it. Sugar-free, of course. As is the case with our apple pie, it gets even better after it’s been refrigerated.

The Boston fern is doing very well this year. I have had this fern since Don was out in La Jolla doing the first production of Margaritaville, so that would be six years. It goes outside in the summer and then overwinters upstairs in our office. There have been times during the winter months where I thought it might be a goner, but it has always come back. I’m sure it loved the rain and humidity that was this summer.

Anyway, it’s looking good,

Okay. I’ve run out of things to say and I need another cup of coffee.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

 

 

 

Filed Under: books, flowers, houseplants 22 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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