This little corner makes me smile. I think it’s so important to have a little corner, whether it’s a comfy chair, a desk, or a spot in the basement, where you can create. During the years in which I crocheted and knitted, I used to have a basket filled with yarn next to my chair here in the den. That was my space. When I quilted, I had the sewing machine table tucked under the skylight in the upstairs hall. I still use the kitchen table for projects, as well as for jigsaw puzzles.

And, of course, we all need a place where we can read a good book.

For many years – many – I had absolutely no extra space for that kind of thing. I was living in rentals and micro-sized studio apartments. I always came up with some sort of solution. Back in San Diego in our rental house, my friend hinged a door to a wall. It was in a horizontal position. I could lift it and lock it in place and that’s where my sewing machine and quilting took place. When we moved here, I eventually made a studio out of the hallway upstairs. (It was even in a magazine.) When we finally realized that our second bedroom, with a queen-sized bed, was never used and we were wasting valuable space, everything changed. We sold the bed and I asked Don to help me carve out two spaces in that room – one for him, one for me.

It works for us. We’re seldom up there at the same time and Don most often plays and composes down here in the living room. But he waits until I finish writing the blog, ’cause he’s a good guy.

Do you have a space in which to create? I’d love to know about it.

Also, another question: I’m having some trouble with the content of my ads right now and I’m trying to sort it out. Can you tell me what ads you see on the blog? (Everyone who comes to the blog sees something different depending on their browsing history.) I’m currently seeing ads from pharmaceutical companies for breast cancer treatment. Personally, I have a real problem with the amount of ads I see online and on the television from pharmaceutical companies. I don’t like ads for drugs/medical treatments on the blog.

Thank you in advance.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Thursday and Friday were intense days weather-wise. It rained Wednesday night and all day Thursday. We’ve had very little rain, as you know. Friday brought a wind event with relentless high winds all day long and into the night. We had no internet for several hours on Friday.

All of that rain and wind unfortunately caused a terrible accident in our community. It occurred on the main road (a county road) that goes through our town. We drive it all the time, in fact, Don was driving on that road yesterday morning. A local couple was driving east and a tree fell on the cab of their truck. The man, aged 79, was severely injured. The woman, aged 77, was killed. It is so awful and sad. A few seconds more or less and they would have made it through that section of road.

Don had been driving there about 30 minutes earlier.

My heart breaks for that family.

This morning, after winds all night long, we woke up to see a truck on our next door neighbor’s property, apparently repairing their electric line. Lights were flashing in the dark. There was another truck on the road, repairing the lines on the pole. And we had no internet or cable this morning, but it has since come back on.

I think we’re going to take it easy today. We’re grateful we’re safe.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

A view of Bryant Park on Tuesday. They already have their temporary shops up for the holidays. Seems a bit soon…

I have to tell you: we had the best time with our longtime friend, Kandis, on Tuesday. It was one of those events that surpassed expectations. Three friends reuniting and talking for hours. Don and Kandis both grew up in San Diego and have known each other since Don was 19. Kandis started out doing props for the Old Globe and eventually started acting there. She is a superb actress. Don and Kandis share a history – they started working there when the Old Globe was only Equity from May to September for the Shakespeare Festival. Then it was a community theater the rest of the year. It was an excellent community theater – run by Craig Noel, Don’s mentor and our friend, who also ran the Equity theater in the summer. Don and Kandis have seen it all. But what is most wonderful? The memories they share. I share a lot of memories with them, too, but I came along later. I’ve coached Kandis many times at the Globe, as well as at Hartford Stage. Darko loves her.

Anyway, the three of us have so many friends and colleagues in common, so many shared experiences, that we never stopped talking and laughing and remembering. Kandis and I were working together on Romeo and Julier at Hartford when Scout died. She remembered every bit of that time and teared up when she was talking about it.

Don said he ‘remembered who he was’ after our day together. Sometimes, in the midst of a long time without work, you need someone to confirm you’re good at what you do. He is an actor. Kandis saw him act in his very first role at the Old Globe. He saw Kandis in her very first role there. They aren’t stars, but they have been consistently working actors for over 50 years.

It’s hard to convey how much our time with Kandis on Tuesday meant to us. It was a blessing.

For me, I worked in NYC at the Roundabout Theater with Darko and his cast for 3 days and we saw Kandis the next day. It’s been an intense week full of what I love: theater, directors, actors, and my theater ‘family.’ There is nothing better.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.