O’keefe and Merritt

Fog, Paths, Pottery & Hartford

September 12, 2017 at 9:41 am by Claudia

This is the view I woke up to – one of my favorites:

Fall and fog.

Sigh. I have to drive back to Hartford today. I’ve been nestling in here at the cottage and it’s been a joy. I don’t want to exaggerate, however. I’m only going back for 2 days – maybe 3 – and then I’m home for good. I packed up quite a few things last Sunday and hauled them home. Hopefully, this will make the rest of the packing easier. Fingers crossed.

Don made this path with some pavers he found at Lowes – it’s behind the kitchen. You can see our rain barrel, which handles overflow from our wonky gutters. There is a flat grassy area behind the kitchen that gets very wet as it’s at the bottom of a small hill. We’d like to do more with it next year. Anyway, this little path is the start. (Don was very busy while I was away!)

I made biscuits last night. Yes, I’m the only one here, but…Stella. And biscuits.

Note baking chart inside oven door: Biscuits – 450. Check. 12 -15 minutes. Check, although I tend to go for 11 or 12 minutes at max.

Made a jelly roll lately? 400 degrees, 12 -15 minutes.

They get so poufy that they sometimes fall over. That’s because they’re Cloud Biscuits. I’m taking some back with me. Comfort food.

I’ve been noticing a line of pottery on Instagram, greatly favored by much younger bloggers, some of them fanatic collectors. It’s made by potter Rae Dunn and it’s sold at Home Goods, T J Maxx and Marshalls. She has other lines, as well, that are sold elsewhere. The appeal of this particular line centers on the use of words in a engaging font, along with the slightly irregular shape of the mugs. I’m not about to be a big collector, but I did buy a few pieces, drawn, in part, by this one:

Why Chill? Well, besides the obvious good advice, Chill is me. C. Hill. As I said on Instagram, this was embroidered on every item of clothing I wore in gym class or took to camp. It was written inside all my book covers.

I’m C. Hill. And I remain a Hill legally. Even though I go by Hill-Sparks professionally, I never changed my name when I married Don. I had no desire to shed what had been my legal surname for over 40 years. Don was completely fine with that.

So. Long story, but that’s why I love this mug!

Some more pieces. I love the bowls. We always need bowls around here. I’ve always been drawn to words on things – I’ve had some of the Emma Bridgewater Toast and Marmalade pieces for years. The lettering on the Rae Dunn pieces is very like the font I chose for my blog; another reason I’m enamored.

The mug behind Chill says Play.

And then there’s this one, which was in yesterday’s post. I found it at Home Goods. Also Rae Dunn.

Luckily, I don’t have a lot of extra room around here. Maybe a few pieces, but that’s it.

Some of you wrote to me when Irma was on the way to the Tampa area and I’d love to hear how you’re doing. When you have a moment, please leave a comment. Mere and her family are okay. Exhausted, but okay. Little Z declared on his own last night that it was time to go to bed. He was tuckered out.

Happy Tuesday.

After the Storm and an Anniversary

September 11, 2017 at 8:45 am by Claudia

I got home yesterday afternoon and managed to mow the front lawn before something broke off the lawnmower. I wasn’t doing anything but mowing the grass: no weeds, no rocks, no nothing. What is it called? Planned obsolescence? Yep. Now the lawn mower most likely needs to be replaced. To say I’m ticked off is putting it mildly.

That’s why I love this girl. Built to last and last and last. (She’s two years younger than me, by the way, so she’s no spring chicken!)

I was so happy to see her when I arrived. So happy to see my house. I suppose it’s because my time in Hartford is almost over – not quite – but very close to being complete, that I just want to stay here now and not make the trip back there tomorrow. I’m such a nester. Ironically, Don was on his way to Jersey City while I was driving west toward home. He’s feeling lonely. I’m feeling lonely. What’s wrong with this picture?

Last night was the first time I really used the burners on the stove because the last time I was home, I made biscuits, but Don worked the cooktop. I just love having gas again. It’s so much easier to control, the food doesn’t cook too quickly, as I often find to be the case with electric. Don’t get me started on the electric stove in the apartment!

I chatted with Don when I arrived back home, and most importantly, I talked to my sister. Late in the evening, we realized that Irma was weakening and that she wasn’t going to inflict as much damage. When I talked to Mere earlier in the day, she was truly frightened. As were we. It was such a tense day, waiting, waiting and waiting. I can’t imagine how hard it was for them. This morning, Mere sent me a text saying they were okay. Some downed limbs. Obviously, they had high winds during the night, but miraculously, they still have power. My nephew went back to Orlando yesterday morning because he didn’t want to miss classes. They got much higher winds there and they have no power. But he’s okay. The family is safe. That’s all I ask for.

Having said that, I know many of you are surveying the damage to your homes right now. And I know that the eastern side of the state got a lot of storm surge and damage. I’m thinking of you and hoping that, most importantly, you are safe.

Today is Don’s first day of rehearsals for Escape to Margaritaville. His hiatus is over. I know he’ll be happy to be reunited with his pals. And Houston is still on. Don just got an email about hotel rooms, etc. I’m glad. I have a feeling the people of Houston could use an escape right now.

Today is also the anniversary of 9/11, a day we will always remember. We had just moved east and I well remember the eerie quiet that morning. Beautiful blue skies, much like today. But no sound – except for the fighter jets that were scrambled from a base north of us as they flew right over my head (we lived about a half-mile from the Hudson River.) I will never forget that sound. Or talking to Don (who was in Calgary doing a play) for hours on the phone, trying to grasp what had just happened, watching the second tower go down with utter disbelief. Such loss, the enormity of which is still hard to take in, all these years later.

We will never forget.

Happy Monday.

Heading Back

September 6, 2017 at 9:06 am by Claudia

There are splashes of yellow all over the property. Goldenrod, a staple of late summer, is blooming. How can I not smile when I see this cheery yellow?

However, today is a dark and rainy day here. We had storms last night. Not necessarily the best weather in which to travel back to Hartford, but there you go. We’re going to go out for breakfast before I head back to CT.

It’s been so lovely being home that I feel like I have to force myself to get in the car and turn it toward points east. I don’t want to leave. Don and I are feeling the sadness that impending separation brings. I figured it out yesterday: by the end of the year we will have spent 9 months apart. Nine months. That, my friends, is a hazard of our profession. But it’s easier to handle when you’re young and eager and ready to go anywhere to work. It’s much tougher at this point in our lives.

Anyway.

Stella is a dream. She cooks evenly. I know it will sound silly, but the baked potatoes we had (twice) were the most evenly baked we’d ever had. The texture was smooth as silk and they were delicious. As were the biscuits. As were all the entrees Don cooked on the stovetop. Oh my goodness. What a difference gas makes! And what a difference Stella makes.

This morning I walked over to her and hugged her. I love her. I love her in our home. I never get tired of looking at her. I never will. I have absolutely no regrets. Investing in Stella was the best thing we’ve done in a long time.

Another sign of impending autumn – Sedum Autumn Joy.

Hurricane Irma is a juggernaut and we are worried about her impact on so many island dwellers and the state of Florida, where so many are in her path, including my sister and her family. Please stay safe. I know many of my readers live in Florida and I urge you to evacuate if you are told to.

Happy Wednesday.

Fog, Paths, Pottery & Hartford

After the Storm and an Anniversary

Heading Back

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