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You are here: Home / Archives for movies

Fiesta, An Egg Cup & A Movie

March 28, 2019 at 10:41 am by Claudia

You remember my recent post about the Fiesta collection I used to own? And how I lament my decision to sell it? I referenced a Fiesta yellow footed compote that used to sit on my kitchen table back in the days when I lived in Cambridge, MA. That bright pop of yellow and the simple, yet beautiful lines of the compote made it one of my favorite pieces.

Well, reader Kelli reached out to me in the comments, saying that she had that compote and was about to sell it, and several weeks later, here we are.

It arrived yesterday. Isn’t it gorgeous? The timing was perfect – it looks like it was meant to be sitting next to those tulips.

My plan is to put it in the center of the kitchen table when I move the fern back out to the porch.

I’m torn about the fern, which is looking better than it did on the porch, simply because light is coming at it from all sides. But it won’t do well with the air conditioner, which sits in that window. So it does have to go back outside. I’ll have to turn it more often. (As you can tell, I’ve bonded with the fern.)

Anyway, back to the compote. I’m so happy to have one again! Thank you so much, Kelli. Kelli lives in my home state of Michigan. Michiganders are the nicest people! There, I’ve said it.

In other news, imagine my happiness when I saw that a Sleepy egg cup was up for auction on eBay.

Then imagine my shock when I saw the price:

Whoa! I don’t think so.

What makes this frustrating is the fact that I NEVER see Sleepy egg cups come up for auction. And to finally see it, but listed at a ridiculously exorbitant price? Big sigh of disappointment.

There’s a little story about these cups. The one you’re looking at in the above listing is the original design for the cup. There are also Sleepy egg cups out there that look exactly like Sneezy; the same dwarf, same facial expression, only the name is Sleepy, not Sneezy.

Both are collectible: one for its accuracy, the other for what must have been some sort of weird production choice. I’d love to know the real story behind it. Anyway, maybe I should play the lottery today…perhaps I could come up with $400.00. I’m going to follow the auction simply because I’m curious. Will someone actually buy it? Will there be multiple bids? Or will the auction time out with no bids?

You can almost buy a whole set of the egg cups for that amount. In fact, I’ve seen them listed for $350.00.

We had one of our movie nights with Doug and Rick last night. We watched The Misfits, one of my favorite movies. So powerful. The stories about that film! Marilyn Monroe was often late to the set. Arthur Miller, her husband at the time, was the screenwriter. They were in the process of separating. Gable insisted on doing some of his stunts, one of which was in the scene where he gets dragged by a wild Mustang. One day after the filming was completed, Gable had a heart attack and eleven days later, he died. Monroe died the next year. Montgomery Clift (one of my favorite actors) died five years later. I think it was the best work of both Monroe and Gable.  It’s a haunting film, directed by the great John Huston (who apparently was often late to the set because he’d been up all night gambling) and one where I have to cover my eyes at times. The scenes of them roping the wild mustangs are difficult to watch. But the story and the power of that film! The four of us talked about it for an hour afterwards.

And Rick, who is becoming an excellent baker, made a flourless chocolate cake. Oh my heavens! We cheated on our diet, of course. You would have, too!

Okay. Have to go mail the bills.

Happy Thursday.

 

Filed Under: egg cups, Fiesta, movies, Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs egg cups 38 Comments

Spring

March 20, 2019 at 10:34 am by Claudia

Happy First Day of Spring! (Finally!)

“As is” in this photo. Don’s books, headphones, charger, various coasters – all on the coffee table. You might notice that Don’s vintage camera is now on the lower shelf of the blue table. I finally managed to persuade him to move it from its longtime home on the red-checked chair. That chair is one of my favorites (a $50 steal way back when we lived in San Diego) and I miss having the option to sit there. It was as if we had a constant guest sitting in that chair: “The Camera Who Came to Dinner.”

Speaking of the camera, Don will soon be able to get back outside taking his Polaroid Portraits. It’s been a long stretch of no picture taking and I know he misses it. He’s already signed up for the weekly Farmer’s Market (he’s been very successful there.) Don’s a social guy – much more so than me – and he loves meeting people and taking their pictures. Can’t wait to seem him work his magic once again.

Yesterday, I spotted some day lilies emerging from the ground in the garden bed right outside the living room. I’m sure there are a lot more around the various garden beds, but they’re covered in leaves and I won’t uncover them until we are past nighttime freezes. And we aren’t. Sometime next month.

We watched two documentaries this week: Won’t You Be My Neighbor?  about Fred Rogers, and the other, Free Solo, about a guy who climbed Ed Capitan in Yosemite without ropes – just with his two feet and his hands. Both were wonderful. Won’t You Be My Neighbor?  brought tears to our eyes. What an extraordinary man he was with such a kind, compassionate, and giving heart. And Free Solo  was a terrific portrait of a man driven to climb. There were moments when I had to cover my eyes, but boy, was it powerful. Both of the docs are on the On Demand channel on our cable – and they’re free. Free Solo  won the Academy Award for Best Documentary this year.

Today’s weather is going to be in the 50s and I’m going to open the windows and the front door, because Thursday and Friday are going to bring a lot of rain.

Enjoy this first day of Spring, my friends.

Happy Wednesday.

Filed Under: camera, Don, movies, spring 27 Comments

Random Thoughts on a Saturday

March 16, 2019 at 11:01 am by Claudia

It’s windy and colder today. A front is moving through, bringing with it temps in the 40s. It’s all relative, of course. The 40s are perfectly fine for this time of year, and to be truthful, the 60s, though nice, seemed a bit too warm for March.

I am definitely eyeing my porch. The path to the glider is blocked by chairs from the Funky Patio and the Secret Garden. The snowblower is out there, covered by a tarp. Also covered with a tarp, the former kitchen island. It’s not habitable at the moment, but I’m counting the days until I can do some cleanup out there.

I got waylaid a bit in the midst of reading Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk – stopping for some magazines, a book I am to review, a gorgeous book about Paris interiors –  but I read a big chunk of it this morning and hope to finish later today. It’s a lovely story.

On one of the pages, there is a quote which captured what I often say about life with my husband:  “I relaxed better beside him than I ever did alone.”

Amen. I often say – yesterday was one such occasion – that I can’t wait to sit next to him on the sofa when the evening comes and we’re settling in for the evening. Or that I feel better after we’ve exchanged a big hug. I feel my shoulders drop. But mostly, it’s just being here with him, something I don’t take for granted.

I read it out loud to Don and he smiled.

We watched a wonderful movie the other evening: Quartet. Don had seen it before but I hadn’t. Have you seen it? It stars Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Pauline Collins, and Billy Connelly and centers on a home for aging musicians. It’s utterly charming and moving and funny. It’s directed by Dustin Hoffman. Lovely performances by all, including the supporting cast, many of who are retired performers, musicians and actors. It’s on Netflix.

I am especially fond of Tom Courtenay, who never gives anything but an honest, real, and moving performance, and Maggie Smith. I saw her years ago at the Stratford Festival in Canada – I must have been in my late teens or early twenties. Stratford was about four hours away from my home in Michigan. She was part of the company that season and watching her work onstage was so powerful that I remember it vividly all these years later. She has the most graceful and elegant hands! She often played opposite the late, great Brian Bedford and watching the two of them together was the equivalent of watching a virtuoso musical performance.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do today. Read, of course, and the usual vacuuming and laundry. Maybe a trip to the bookstore for some magazines? I need some craft paint from Michael’s, as well, but Michael’s on a Saturday tries my patience. My particular Michael’s never has enough people working at the registers, so the wait is endless.

We’re in that middle time, the straddling of the seasons. Way too soon to do any work outside, but it’s warmer and the sun is shining so one could almost be tricked into doing something…anything.

Ah, well.

Happy Saturday.

Filed Under: books, Don, movies, reading, theater 32 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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