reading — Page 65

Morning Glories I Have Known (If Only For A Day)

October 1, 2015 at 9:59 am by Claudia

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It’s cold and blustery today and I find myself saying to Mother Nature: “No early frost, please!” I’m not ready to say goodbye to these beauties or to the zinnias that keep blooming.

I’m not ready to haul all the porch plants inside for the night in case there might be a frost.

Nope. It’s only October 1st. There’s a hurricane headed up the coast and we’re due for a lot of rain. But no frost, okay?

Good. I’m glad we’ve got that sorted out.

I’ve just finished reading A Song of Shadows by John Connolly. I’m reviewing it on Just Let Me Finish This Page today. Here is the link. Connolly is an incredible writer. Over the past year, after having read The Wolf in Winter, I’ve gone back and read all of his books in order. Now, I’ve become yet another Connolly fan who has to wait a year for the next book to come out. Sob. He’s going to be signing this book at The Mysterious Bookshop next week and I’d love to meet him, but I don’t think that little trip is in the cards for me.

Now, I’m reading Mrs. Pargeter’s Principle by Simon Brett. I’ve read all of the books in his Charles Paris series, but this is my first crack at the Mrs. Pargeter series. As always with Brett, the mystery is very well written and I find myself chuckling throughout the book. He’s very, very witty.

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(Photo courtesy of Atomic Disc)

This is currently speeding its way to us via Federal Express. Don is so excited! I have to tell you that I’ve listened to all of the mastered tracks and it’s truly excellent, by far the best recording Don has made. He and Dan sound great together. Rick Gedney, the producer, recorded and mixed it in his studio (all of the tracks were recorded in one day.) Atomic Disc mastered the tracks and put it all together in this package.

It will be available as an MP3 for download or as you see it above, a CD that you can hold in your hands and play on your CD player. I’ll have more information available next week.

We’re very excited. This means a great deal to Don and Dan. And to me. They’re having a CD Release Party at our local venue on October 17th, where Don and Dan will perform, along with several other musician friends.

All of the songs were written by Don.

I’m so proud of that husband of mine.

Happy Thursday.

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Baseboards and Zinnias

September 27, 2015 at 9:38 am by Claudia

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The zinnias are putting on an early autumn show. They just keep blooming. Along with the morning glories, they provide lots of beautiful flowery color even as the leaves turn yellow and the morning temperatures turn very cool.

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They make me smile.

Yesterday, I once again seized on a window of Don-free time to do some work on the Top Secret Project.

Don: You know the drill.

Baseboards in hand, it was time for me to try a mitered corner.

I didn’t use mitered corners in Hummingbird Cottage, though now, after having done it, I wish I had.

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I used this aluminum miter box that comes with a blade and handle. I’d ordered it a few months back from HBS/miniatures.com

I admit to getting confused about which angle goes where in a mitered corner, so I googled the whole thing and found this wonderful tutorial, ‘Mitering 101’ from Miniature Designs. It made the whole process easy as pie. Thank you!

By the way, I made a cover for that sharp blade.

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I used a cardboard express mail envelope.

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Baseboard.

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Mitered corner.

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Baseboard with table and dog.

It looks so nice!

When I put furniture in this room, I realize that it’s quite a big space. That’s why, I’m sure, some of the miniaturists working on the Creatin’ Contest are creating rooms within the space. I thought about doing that; for example, adding a bathroom. But I think I’m going to keep it open and studio-like. If mini Don has to go to the bathroom, he can hike up to the house.

I do have lots of ideas for the space, including a counter-high refrigerator and a counter top with a coffeemaker, a lounging area with the Eames chair, a coffee table and a sofa, a stereo and lots of record albums, an area with recording equipment, speakers, a computer screen, stools, musical instruments, maybe an electronic keyboard and/or an upright piano and a floor microphone. There would be a rug or two on the floor for acoustic purposes. There will be framed posters and artwork.

And a retro fireplace like the ones you see in older A-frame and mid-century modern homes. I’ve found a tutorial for it and that is my next project.

I’ll try to make a floor plan in the next few days, so you can see what I have in mind – though I’m not really sure what will go where.

So far…I’ve got the Eames chair and the baseball cards and record album Barbara sent to me.

Oh, what fun it will be!

I’ve just finished Pop Goes the Weasel by M. J. Arlidge (who wrote Eeny Meeny, a book I reviewed previously) and there is a review on Just Let Me Finish This Page today.

Now I’ve started A Song of Shadows, John Connolly’s newest Charlie Parker mystery, which is being published on Tuesday. He’s a wonderful writer and I’ve now read every book in the series, except for this one.

I’ve read nine books this month. My new early morning reading regimen is paying off!

Happy Sunday.

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Re-Emerging (and the TSP)

September 24, 2015 at 9:07 am by Claudia

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Excuse me while I shake off the world of Three Pines and do my best to re-emerge into the world of blogging.

I just finished The Nature of the Beast and I am stunned by how good it is. Louise Penny is brilliant. I’ll write a review tomorrow for Just Let Me Finish This Page, but I need to let it percolate a bit in my brain before I put my feelings into words.

Oh my goodness.

I finished it this morning in the lamplit den. The sun had yet to make its presence known. A shawl around my shoulders, coffee mug in hand, I couldn’t do anything but read straight through to the end.

And now, I have to wait a year for another Three Pines mystery. I feel Penny is at her best when the action takes place in and around Three Pines. Last year’s book, The Long Way Home, took place elsewhere and, though good, I thought it lost its way.

This has been a week for excellent reads: Jan Karon’s Come Rain or Come Shine, and Penny’s The Nature of the Beast. How can I keep from smiling at the sheer pleasure of being allowed to read their words?

Don: Do Not Read Any Further!!

I did a little work on the Top Secret Project yesterday. Excuse the darkish photo, but I took it late yesterday afternoon.

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I finished painting the walls. No wallpaper this time. I envision this as a bright, sunny space. So I used Wicker White by Folk Art. After trying a brush for a couple of coats, I bought a foam roller. Much better! I have to do some patching and spackling, but I’ll get to that later.

That flooring is Random Plank Flooring made of wood veneer. No popsicle stick flooring this time. Now I’m trying to decide whether I should use it ‘as is’ in this lighter color, or whether I should stain it a darker color. I have some stain left over from the bookshelves in the den.

Hmmm.

Then I’ll add the baseboard. Wish me luck, I’m going to be making some mitered cuts.

This project is going to take longer than I had planned. Budget is a big issue. I can only do so much at a time. Yesterday, I made a list of the items I would like to see in the room. Some of them will have to be handmade. Some of them I will buy.

In either case, it will take time.

Happy Thursday.

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Morning Glories I Have Known (If Only For A Day)

Baseboards and Zinnias

Re-Emerging (and the TSP)

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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