reading — Page 32

Day Twenty-Nine

April 11, 2020 at 10:04 am by Claudia

After well over 24 hours, the high winds have finally died down. This kind of wind, coupled with pollen, makes me feel quite ill so I was miserable yesterday. Thankfully, today is much better, the sun is out, though it’s cold, and I feel human again.

Actually, I’ve been dealing with sinus congestion and feeling ill off and on for a couple of weeks. I did worry a bit, but it was clear it wasn’t COVID-19. I’m fine now. I had none of the symptoms and, as I noted yesterday, life goes on and you can get sick with something other than this vile virus. I seem to always have problems at this time of year.

In the middle of it all yesterday, the wind changed directions and suddenly I was outside, rescuing all manner of things that blew off the front porch. It was insane out there.

I’m well into The Lost Pianos of Siberia. It’s truly excellent. Can’t recommend it enough. Since I was under the weather yesterday, I sat in the den with my laptop and watched three hour-long Monty Don specials about the gardens of France. They were wonderful. Next up? Italy. They make for a lovely way to pass the time during these days of lockdown. We watched Dinner at Eight last night (one of my favorite movies) but both of us fell asleep in the middle of it! Ah, well.

Egg cups:

These cups were a gift from my friend, Judy. Aren’t they adorable? She just sent me another egg cup!

A lusterware egg cup and an egg cup from Prague, hidden by the bunny egg cozies I knit a few years ago. I keep them out all year long because I love them so much. Mother and son.

In the midst of my yucky day yesterday I did manage to snag a delivery time for Tuesday afternoon. Don always finds a parking space – we say he has good ‘parking karma.’ I guess I have good ‘grocery delivery karma.’ I’m grateful. One less worry. I also ordered Peet’s French Roast directly from Peet’s, so that’s on the way. In the last grocery delivery, they substituted Peet’s House Blend for French Roast. Though I’m sure it’s good, it’s going in the pantry in case we need it in a pinch, because we’re serious about our coffee. If it is considered a vice, it is my only vice. I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. I don’t do, and have never done, drugs. But coffee? Bring it on.

Happy Saturday.

Day Twenty-Eight

April 10, 2020 at 10:13 am by Claudia

Oooh! Little buds and some flowers on one of the crabapple trees here on the property. This one is right next to the catalpa. I can’t tell you how happy it made me to see these bits of white from the den window yesterday. And that’s all I did until this morning as yesterday was full of rain, thunderstorms, and very high winds. It got very cold (and will continue to be for a few days) and my sinuses are currently screaming. But I ran outside this morning (still rather windy, but not as much) and took a picture for you. On our drive to the storage facility the other day, I saw lots of trees in bloom, especially one of my favorites, a big, gorgeous magnolia that has the most beautiful shape. Spring is here, though it doesn’t feel like it today.

We had another sad day yesterday. Don found out that one of his friends had been killed in a motorcycle accident on Sunday. Don was already quite heartbroken over the death of John Prine, and the news of his friend’s death was too much. Send some thoughts of solace and comfort Don’s way. This strange time has already taken us to a new normal, and the losses associated with it, including the death of my friend and colleague, Terrence McNally, are overwhelming. Somehow, you get to thinking that everything, every loss, has to do with COVID-19, but then you realize that life goes on and dear friends can be taken from us in other ways, as well.

These are unsettling times, when every trip to a market seems like something in wartime; every fellow shopper a potential threat to our health, people moving away immediately when they see you coming, bringing home some produce and other supplies and then the necessary disinfecting and washing. That’s how Don felt yesterday when he went to our very safe (relatively) local farm/nursery. He wore a mask that I found in my dollhouse supplies – a much coveted N95 mask – and wore rubber gloves. Necessary, but truly, truly surreal.

On to something cheerier, egg cups:

Top Row:

A gentleman, part of a pair, though I have only the one. The egg/head comes out of the egg cup and functions as a salter. If I had the pair, the other egg/head would provide pepper. This is one of my favorites. It’s quite tall, so it didn’t make the cut for the egg cup cubby.
A red transferware egg cup.

Second Row:

A cherub/clown standing next to an egg cup.
A beautiful goose that I found locally. It comes from France.
Humpty Dumpty, made by Mansell in England. That egg is from Prague.

Third Row:

Two wooden egg cups, a man and a woman. The eggs are salt and pepper shakers. This was a gift from a reader.
A glass egg cup in white/orange. I found it about a year ago.
Nothing to do with egg cups, but a teeny tiny little duck family that I adore.

I found the shelf in a little antique shop right after I began collecting egg cups. It’s so charming.

I’m reading The Lost Pianos of Siberia, a fascinating book by Sophy Roberts. I ordered it through Book Depository because it hasn’t been published in the States yet. Here’s a brief description:

Siberia’s story is traditionally one of exiles, penal colonies and unmarked graves. Yet there is another tale to tell.

Dotted throughout this remote land are pianos – both grand instruments created during the boom years of the nineteenth century, and humble, Soviet-made uprights that found their way into modest homes. They tell the story of how, ever since entering Russian culture under the influence of Catherine the Great, piano music has run through the country like blood.

How these pianos travelled into this snow-bound wilderness in the first place is testament to noble acts of fortitude by governors, adventurers, and exiles. That stately instruments might still exist in such a hostile landscape is remarkable. That they are still capable of making music in far-flung villages is nothing less than a miracle.

But this is Siberia, where people can endure the worst of the world – and where music reveals a deep humanity in the last place on earth you would expect to find it.

I’m riveted. It’s a beautifully written chronicle of the history of Russia, Siberia, and the search – by the author – for a piano for a brilliant Mongolian musician.

Happy Friday.

Day Twenty

April 2, 2020 at 11:04 am by Claudia

A sure sign of early spring, these tiny little grape hyacinths that spring up out of the rocks. There are a couple more coming up from the gravel by the porch railing. Such a little miracle!

Another sunny day today, but rather windy. Nevertheless, I’m so grateful for sun. Right now, it’s shining on the roof of the folk art dollhouse, as if a spotlight had been turned on.

We got our groceries yesterday, though several items were not included as they weren’t in stock. The way this particular store set-up goes, there’s no altering the order once it has been placed and, even though I believe the ‘make substitutions’ box had been checked, that didn’t happen. So we didn’t get salad greens, or an alternative size of coffee, or another kind of whole wheat bread, or, we thought, potatoes. Disappointing, but I was able to see all of that online before the order arrived, so Don went to our local nursery/farmstand, after first calling them and finding out exactly how they are handling all of this. Only ten people in the store at the same time, social distancing – Don never had to get within 6 feet of anyone, including the cashier. He got some bread, some potatoes and sweet potatoes, some bananas, etc. When he brought them home (which was before the grocery delivery) we washed all of the potatoes, and put them on the counter to dry.

The delivery itself was handled very professionally – they called us when they were about 10 minutes away from the house, Don told them where to put the groceries on the porch and we talked to the guy through the door. We also left a tip on the porch railing (held down by a rock). We wiped everything down before we brought it in the house and washed all the produce.

A lot of washing and hand washing and sanitizer, but we’re okay for now. We do need more items that we left off our original list and I can’t seem to get a delivery appointment. I think now that people know this will extend through the end of April, more and more requests for home delivery are being made. Don’t know what we’re going to do about that. It was so good to get some fresh vegetables again! We almost never eat canned veggies, though we are perfectly prepared to if necessary, and we have several cans on hand.

Thought you might like to see our pantry extension, which is in the office upstairs:

Boxes of canned goods – that green box is full of them even though it looks like it only contains potato chips – extra bags of potatoes, paper towels, oatmeal, etc. We have far more potatoes than we need because it looked like they were ‘unavailable’ on the original order, which is why Don went to our farm stand, and when the grocery order arrived, there were two bags we didn’t expect! From no potatoes to an overabundance of potatoes.

Every time Don has to go upstairs for something, he says he’s going to our corner store.

Crazy times we’re living in. We keep saying that to each other. Absolutely crazy and, a mere month ago, unthinkable.

I’m still reading Wildfire at Midnight, though I should finish today. I must mention this about Mary Stewart’s writing. She writes so beautifully and descriptively about place. This particular book takes place on the Isle of Skye amidst mountains and crags and waterfalls and her descriptions are so vivid, so evocative, that I am completely there in my imagination. I can see it.

This is something I didn’t appreciate as much when I was a teenage reader of her books, but boy, do I appreciate it now. She was an exquisitely gifted writer and it’s such a pleasure to read her books again – this time as a much older reader.

Happy Thursday.

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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