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You are here: Home / Archives for life

Day One Hundred Twenty-Nine

July 20, 2020 at 9:24 am by Claudia

I woke up with a sore back (sleeping on a 25 year old sofa will do that to you) and a foggy brain. This unbelievably humid and hot stretch we’re in is having its way with me, as well. Mostly, I just feel exhausted with absolutely no energy. I’m on my second cup of coffee now, so fingers crossed that it finally kicks in.

Don was out of bed for several hours yesterday, then he took a long nap in the afternoon. Slowly but surely, he’s doing better, but we have to remember that it takes a while to get back to normal.

Two sad sacks here at the cottage this morning!

We have one more day of this heat advisory. Last night we had thunderstorms and rain – we needed it. That also means I don’t have to hand water the gardens, just the porch plants.

We sat together on the sofa in the den last night and watched some episodes of Frasier. We were laughing out loud a lot (that almost never happens with most sitcoms) and boy, was that laughter good for the soul – especially for Don. Laughter is healing.

We stayed in during the day with the a/c on and I looked at miniatures on Etsy. By the way, I tried the grout on some test stones and it was messy and didn’t work. I may just leave it as is, because I certainly don’t want to ruin all the work I put in on that ‘stone.’  I’ll definitely seal it with a matte sealer and then, I think, I’ll move on to the windows (not sure what to do with them) and the door. Then, inside. I have more than few choices for wallpaper, which I will have to narrow down. One, in particular, keeps calling me for the big room downstairs. It’s a bit bold, so I’m hesitant. I think I’ll try two different patterns in the space and see which one works best. But first, I’ll have to do the downstairs floor.

Basically, I’m playing around with furniture, thinking through spacing, ordering what will be the kitchen island, which will separate the two spaces, thinking about how to make two beams for the ceiling, trying to come up with something for the windows that is different than the stuff that came with the kit, which I don’t like at all. And – ongoing – trying to make the door fit in the opening of this dollhouse I found at the dump.

There’s a lot to do. First up, seal the stones, but I think I’ll have to wait until it’s less humid so I can do it outside.

Okay. I was going to go the store this morning but I’m too out of it, so that will be delayed until tomorrow.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: dollhouse, Don, life, miniatures, social distancing 24 Comments

Day One Hundred Twenty-Eight

July 19, 2020 at 9:37 am by Claudia

Things are slowly getting better here at the cottage. Don is still pretty weak, but he is staying downstairs for longer periods of time. We even watched a few episodes of Frasier  last night. His sleep patterns are off, his dreams are very intense, and the weather we’re having doesn’t help. We’re under a heat advisory and an air quality advisory through tomorrow night. It’s extremely hot and humid here.

After I write this post, I’m going outside to water everything. We try to keep the a/c off as long as possible in the morning but I suspect I’ll turn it on soon.

We’re very grateful. It’s been a scary week but Don is improving and his eyes are clear and he’s had no fever for the past 24 hours. We’re both wiped out, for different reasons, so we’ll take it easy today.

I finished Death in La Fenice  and have now started two books: Weather  by Jenny Offill, which I bought several months ago – it seems a lifetime ago – from Oblong Books, and Let’s Just Say it Wasn’t Pretty  by Diane Keaton, which I’ve had on my shelf for a few years. I pulled it out because Don and I were having a conversation about Keaton, about how much I have always loved her ever since the Annie Hall  days. I love her wit, her style, her humor, her talent, and her determination to live life on her terms. I follow her on Pinterest – though I almost never go there these days – and on Instagram, where she has been doing wonderful videos during lockdown. If I could sit down and chat with anyone it would be Diane Keaton. I think of her as a long lost sister.

She recently did a video about wearing hats (I love hats) and I showed it Don, saying that I needed to get some hats like hers. After researching, I found a place in Hollywood that designs a lot of hats for her. The one I liked was $750.00. Gulp. I guess I’ll have to find a Claudia version that is much less expensive. And then there’s the pair of jeans she wears: wide leg, almost like the bellbottoms we used to wear way back when. They are so cool! I’d love them. On to the research: they’re from a company in Italy and they cost $650. Gulp again. I also love her house, which she highlighted in a book I used to have The House That Pinterest Built. Why I donated it to the library, I’ll never know. Anyway, it’s not my style, but it’s really fabulous; so unique, so her.

Though I can’t afford that hat and those jeans, I love her nonetheless. She inspires me. She’s down to earth. She sees the absurdities in life. And this book, which is a series of essays on beauty, perceived beauty, her family, children, friends, is so honest. She’s insecure just like the rest of us. She doesn’t like the shape of her eyes. Her forehead is too high. Her hair is too thin. She, like me, has to come to terms with aging, with things that cannot be changed, with negative self-talk, for want of a better word.

I will always be an adoring fan. And this book is a lovely read.

Okay, friends. Thank you again. I have to do some watering STAT.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

Filed Under: life 29 Comments

Day One Hundred Twenty-Four

July 15, 2020 at 9:12 am by Claudia

Big fat bumblebees like coneflowers.

Frankly, I don’t even remember what I did yesterday.

Okay. Let me think. I watered all the zinnias, morning glories, and moonflowers that are growing near the chicken wire fence. I added water to the birdbath. I watered the pots in the Secret Garden and everything on the porch.

I sat on the glider with Don and we took some time to gently rock and listen to the birds. It was that rare day around here with relatively low humidity. Oh, right. Before that, he went to pick up the groceries and we disinfected everything. And then we tossed our clothes in the wash and took showers. And then I did two loads of wash.

See? It’s slowly coming back. I actually DID some things!

Today, I’m going to mow the front lawn. All by myself. Don is a bit under the weather, so I have issued a “No Mowing for You” proclamation. But the front lawn is big, so I’m going to start early, take plenty of breaks, and if I don’t finish today, I don’t finish. It’s going to get very humid again on the weekend, so I want to get it done.

Stress is taking its toll on me. Certain stress-related issues that I sometimes get physically are making themselves known. That’s when I need to stop worrying, meditate, and do everything I can to find some peace, including doing something physical like mowing the lawn. Even though it’s a lot of work, I love to do it and it ends up being meditative. It will be good for me.

So that’s it for me today. Mowing, watering, taking care of Don. And avoiding anything stressful.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

 

 

Filed Under: life 23 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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