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You are here: Home / Archives for life

Moving Day, Minis, and a Big Old Thank You

July 19, 2015 at 8:34 am by Claudia

Yesterday was moving day.

Scout, as you know, has arthritis and her hind legs aren’t nearly as strong as they used to be. Much like Riley, she isn’t always steady on her feet, especially when making turns. We spend a lot of time helping her maneuver and picking her up after she’s stumbled. Lately, we’ve been watching her round the corner where the dollhouse is situated in the living room. She often stops and loses her balance, causing her to bump up against the table.

We’d been talking about switching the dollhouse out with the desk in the den. When Don saw the dollhouse swaying yesterday after one of Scout’s encounters with the table, he remarked that it was time. I agreed, as the vision that came to my mind of the dollhouse crashing to the floor wasn’t a pretty one – for either the dollhouse or Scout.

So now I get to look at it from my blogging chair. Not bad. Not bad at all. (I’ll show you a photo tomorrow – it’s rather dark in here in the morning. The den gets the afternoon sun.)

In the meantime, I did a little mini work yesterday.

7-19 rosevilleshelf2

I made a little shelf out of some trim I had in my stash and now the mini Roseville pottery has a home.

7-19 lazysusan

I repurposed a table top that had detached itself from its legs (a gift from my friend, Jill) and now it’s a lazy susan.

And a little package arrived from Chautauqua Miniatures.

7-19 planter on balcony

I had planned on buying another one of these white wrought iron planters on my last visit to the shop but forgot all about it, so I ordered it online. Here it is on the upper balcony.

7-19 gazingball

Also from Chautauqua Minis: a gazing ball. It’s really tiny, so I stuck it in this planter. And I purchased another hanging plant, but you’ll see that when I get around to hanging it, along with the two I already had on hand.

Look what they included in the box:

7-19 chautauqua minis bag

A mini Chautauqua Miniatures bag. Adorable! Hmmm. Now, I’m thinking Caroline needs a dollhouse, if only to validate the presence of that bag in her bedroom.

If you haven’t figured out yet that Caroline is my alter ego, I would be very surprised indeed.

A quick note of thanks. I wrote in the American Miniatures article about blogging and how my explorations online led to my interest in getting my own dollhouse. But something else occurs to me. As I’ve renovated and decorated the dollhouse over these past six years, I’ve shared with you, my readers and friends, photos of the process. The blog has become a timeline of sorts, chronicling every new addition, every new skill learned.

What would I have done without all of you watching and cheering me on? I don’t have a dollhouse/miniature shop nearby. I don’t belong to a miniatures club. Let’s face it, not everyone is into this sort of thing. But I’ve had something precious and dear – all of you. You’ve kept me honest. You’ve kept me on track. When I didn’t post something about the dollhouse for a month or two, you asked about it and I got moving once again.

Thank you so much! It would have been fun to work on the dollhouse no matter what, but it is so much more enjoyable and rewarding sharing it with you. You make the difference.

By the way, several readers have mentioned Pocket Mags as a site where you can view a copy of this month’s American Miniatures. It can be hard to find copies of it in bookstores as I don’t think they carry it. Here’s the link to their site. You can buy a single issue for $5.99.

The winner of a copy of Bum Rap is Annie G. I’ve sent you an email, Annie. Congratulations!

Happy Sunday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

 

 

Filed Under: dollhouse, Don, life, miniatures, Scout 34 Comments

Headline: Two Itinerant Artistes Settle Down in the Country

July 14, 2015 at 8:32 am by Claudia

7-14 coneflowers

It’s the height of the gardening season here in the Northeast. The coneflowers and brown-eyed Susans are opening their pretty petals, the phlox is beginning to bloom – and oh, that scent! – more day lilies are making their presence known. Bees are everywhere, especially in the catmint – a plant they seem to love. All of the hostas, and we have a lot of them, are blooming as well. All in all, a good time to come back home after three weeks away coaching.

7-14 hostablooms

Gol’ darn it! I love my gardens.

We’ve been here almost 10 years. Who’d have thought it? Two itinerant artistes got together and somehow landed here in this too-small-but-charming cottage situated on almost two acres with woods and grass and space for a garden bed or two or three.

This was a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I always wanted what I termed “a cottage somewhere in the country.” It took me awhile, but I got it. And I wouldn’t trade those years living in apartments in cities, Detroit, Philadelphia, Boston, Cambridge, San Diego, for anything. They’ve shaped me; they’ve given me a strong taste of city life (which I still love) and countless adventures.

7-14 gazingball

But at this point in our lives, both Don and I find ourselves preferring this  life – this quieter version of life. Being in the Arts, with jobs and opportunities that have taken us all over the country and abroad, has broadened our horizons. Maybe that’s why we appreciate this little cottage and our life here all the more. It’s rooted in our love for each other and our doggie and our love for the simple beauty of nature. (And for eclectic and whimsical decorating.) It’s the culmination of our lives before we met each other and the twenty-one years we’ve been together.

7-14 pinkish daylily

Yesterday, my friends, was a stressful one for me. I had an appointment to have some dental work done (an extraction) and I, being petrified of the dentist, was rather a nervous wreck. Our health care changes every year and the dentist I trust implicitly (and who is quite near our home) was no longer available under our policy. I dithered about it for a while and finally decided to have the work done and pay for it myself. That isn’t the ideal scenario given our tight budget, but going to someone I already know and trust makes what is a scary ordeal for me much less stressful.

So at 10 am, I was in the dentist chair. Don, thank goodness, went with me for moral support and then got my prescriptions filled (which, thankfully, are covered under our health care) and then went back out in the afternoon to buy some soft foods for me to eat. I was on pain meds yesterday, but today I don’t seem to need any, which is a good thing. I’m also on antibiotics for a few days.

I have another appointment in a month or so to deal with another issue. But for now, I can relax.

And maybe work on the dollhouse roof garden.

Don’t forget to read the book review I posted yesterday. I really loved the book and I’m giving away a copy. (I loved it so much that I passed it on to Don, because I think it’s right up his alley. It’s funny.)

Happy Tuesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

Filed Under: cottage, flowers, garden, life, Mockingbird Hill Cottage 37 Comments

Self-Care: Maintaining Balance

June 23, 2015 at 3:15 pm by Claudia


6-8 whiteroses
As I traverse this part of my life, I’ve learned that I need to do whatever I can to take care of myself.  To be in balance, both in my body and my life. Self-care. For me that means several things. First and foremost, I eat a vegetarian diet and have done so for over thirty years. Whole foods and a plant-based diet – grains, legumes, soy, fruits, and vegetables – make up my daily food intake. I feel healthier when I eat this way. I feel stronger.

But sometimes I overindulge in sugar. I’ve done that a lot this year. When that happens an imbalance occurs. I gain weight. I feel less than vigorous. I start to see the tell-tale signs that I’ve overdone it. So, I have to get things back in balance. I’ve recently started to eliminate sugar once again.

The same goes for sleep. One of the ways in which I take care of myself is to keep to a regular sleep schedule. I know that I need to be in bed reading a good book by about 10:30 at the latest. I wake up around 6 am, every day. If that schedule is disrupted, which – let’s face it – is going to happen occasionally, my balance is off. I have to correct, to find my balance again.

Self-care is something we all do, whether it has to do with diet, with exercise, with sleep, or with any imbalance in our bodies and our spirits. Fresh air, exercise, a positive attitude, a sense of abundance and thankfulness – all of these things go into creating a balance for ourselves. If basic needs aren’t met or if stress and crazily busy schedules take over our lives, we’re going to need to correct at some point. Just as the pilot of a plane or a boat that has gone off course needs to correct and get back on course.

Sleep. Exercise. Meditation/Mindfulness. Diet. Taking time for oneself. All of those things will contribute to feeling rested, fresh and balanced.

I used to, and still do at times, suffer from yeast infections. I can’t think of a woman I know that hasn’t suffered from that at one time or another. Yeast infections = a body out of balance. I’ve used Monistat® for yeast infections more times than I can count.

And, like every woman out there, I want to feel fresh. I look for products that maintain a feeling of freshness, that eliminate odor. Monistat® to the rescue. They now have a Complete Care™ line, which includes Stay Fresh Gel from Monistat® Complete Care™, a product that helps eliminate feminine odor and restore feminine freshness for three days. It helps maintain vaginal pH, and it’s fragrance and paraben-free.

See? There it is again. Balance.

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Filed Under: life 177 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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