reading — Page 73

Sort of Random

March 20, 2014 at 9:08 am by Claudia

You’ll be proud of me. I had to see the dentist about that pesky crown (too long a story to tell here) and I actually made the appointment and went there yesterday. All by myself. I was a mess, of course, very nervous, very stressed, because this fear I have is bordering on phobia. I’d been dreading it all week.

But I did it. The dentist told me how proud he was of me and, as I was writing a check, snuck up behind me and put one of those little plastic rings they give to little kids on my finger.

It’s an orange spider.

Yes, I’m cool.

Totally random things I’ve been doing:

I wrote of the death of my former colleague and mentor in this post. As I was writing, I remembered a little silver pill box from Tiffany’s that Bob and Rick gave me and I very much wanted to find it. Turns out it was in that jewelry box that I found under the bed, along with lots of silver jewelry, much of it tarnished. I wanted to clean it but didn’t want to use a chemical-y silver cleaner. Then I ran across Ann’s post about cleaning silver naturally, using baking soda and kosher salt.

So I lined a shallow bowl with aluminum foil, filled it with warm water, added some salt (not even kosher) and baking soda (I didn’t bother to measure) and lo and behold, shiny silver!

shinysilver

The pill box is so lovely and it’s probably the only thing I’ll ever have from Tiffany’s. Oh wait, I have one other thing from Tiffany’s – an egg cup.

I wore those shiny earrings to the dentist yesterday.

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I’ve had these plates for a long time – at one time I was going to list them in the Etsy shop, but I never got around to it. I found them in a local antique shop for $2.00 each. The marking on the back is Myott/Staffordshire England. Since I love flowers and aqua, these had to come home with me.

They’re dinner plates and I’ve been thinking about hanging them. But where? My thoughts ran to the studio. Perhaps on the same wall as the framed magazine articles? I even bought the plate hangers the other days at Lowe’s.

But after decluttering the studio, am I running the risk of it looking busy again?

I can’t decide. So hanging them is on hold.

almanac

I’m reading The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Why haven’t I read this before? Great articles, weather forecasts, all sorts of interesting facts – perfect for a gardener.

Oh, and I cleaned all the tiles and grout on my kitchen countertop with baking soda. Much better!

Don comes home in 2½ weeks.

Happy Thursday.

Almost forgot: Our monthly linky party for the Christmas Critter Felt Along will be this Sunday. The post will go up on Saturday evening. Mark your calendars!

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Chatty on Friday

March 14, 2014 at 9:16 am by Claudia

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• Weather-wise, we were fortunate compared to some of you, who I know got lots more snow. We got a lot of rain, then sleet, flash freezing and ice, and a dusting of snow. The ice continues to be a pain in the tush for Scout. That poor girl has to navigate a dog corral that one moment is squishy and slippery with mud after a 57 degree day and the next moment is full of treacherous ice patches because we had a flash freeze. This morning she stopped right behind an ice patch that was outside the kitchen door and just stared at me with an expression that said, “I have to deal with this again? Enough already.”

I get it, my girl. I echo your sentiments. I have more than had it with this bizarre winter. I feel like most of the time Don has been away, I have been putting all my energy into coping with the elements. Chopping ice, shoveling snow, figuring out how to get the ice dams on the roof to melt, trekking through four foot high snow drifts to rake the roof, salting, clearing several feet of snow to find the downspouts and gutter extensions, worrying about the weight of snow on the roof.

I might not be cut out for the role of a pioneer woman.

• I’m feeling a bit stir crazy here at the cottage. I’m contemplating a trip south to IKEA and Trader Joe’s. I need a change in scenery. TJ’s has the best deals on fresh flowers and heaven knows I could use some around here. And sometimes I simply need to take a jaunt through IKEA. Today might be the day.

• I’m reading The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith. It’s a very well written mystery that got great reviews in Great Britain when it was published. Then it somehow got out that Robert Galbraith was really J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series. She wanted to publish something under another name, free of all the expectations that would come if she published a new series under her own name. She is a wonderful writer.

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Photo © T. Charles Erickson/The Huntington Theatre Company

• The Seagull by Anton Chekhov opened Wednesday night in Boston. Here’s a photo of Don with Kate Burton (a wonderful actress and the daughter of Richard Burton.) Now all the rehearsals and long days are over and Don can settle into the run of the play.

I love Chekhov. I was in The Three Sisters when I was an actress and it remains one of my favorite experiences. I’ve coached several different productions of Chekhov’s plays. He was such a wise man, so attuned to the complexities of the human spirit. And very funny, as well.

Check out those mutton chops on Don!

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• My girl with a look in her eyes not unlike the look she gave me this morning. She’s a beauty. And a handful. She misses her dad. We would go visit him, but he’s staying in an apartment that is only reached by stairs – a lot of them. She just can’t handle that many stairs these days. And she’s too big to carry. So we have to stay here. If only there was an elevator there! There is Don, in the city where I lived for many years and still love, and I can’t be with him. (And no, we really can’t afford a hotel.) Ah well. It’s frustrating, but Scoutie’s health and well-being has to be our top priority.

• On a very sad note, my brother-in-law lost his mother yesterday, just two weeks after he lost his brother. Gracie was a wonderful woman who was the proud matriarch of her family. Loving, strong, wise – she was a role model for everyone. At what one would consider an ‘advanced’ age, she was helping build houses for Habitat for Humanity. John adored her, as did Meredith and my nephews. Rest in peace, Gracie. You will be missed by so many. We are blessed to have known you.

That’s all for now.

Happy Friday.

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Little Pleasures

February 27, 2014 at 8:10 am by Claudia

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I don’t mind telling you, it’s awfully nice to see impatiens blooming in the bedroom. This pot is right in front of the window and seeing that pop of color makes me smile.

As does this:

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For the first time in what seems like ages there is no snow covering the skylight, thanks to last week’s warmer temperatures.

Small things, but I’ll take my little pleasures where I can get them nowadays.

Lovely little pleasures arrived in the mail the other day:

magazines

Nora, a dear friend of this blog, sent some reading material my way. Three issues of Mini-ologie and an issue of the newish (to us) magazine, Flow. Mini-ologie is a fairly new quarterly magazine that has been put together by three talented miniaturists. It’s lovely and chock full of wonderful photos and ideas for all of us who love dollhouses and miniatures. And Flow – wow! It’s subtitled, “A Magazine for Paper Lovers” and it’s from Holland. Oh. My. Goodness. I can’t even begin to tell you all that is in its pages. It’s a gorgeous treasure trove of articles, interviews, paper treats and creative stimulation.

I cannot tell you the last time I’ve seen a magazine that is this full of amazing content. It’s much more like a book than a magazine, so it’s pricier, but entirely worth it.

Thank you, Nora! I’m so enjoying this visual stimulation; a very nice contrast to the snow covered world outside my windows.

Let’s see. What else is going on? I have a book review coming up tomorrow for a book that I truly loved – a different genre for me that took me on an amazing journey. I can’t wait to share it with you. I started Dan Brown’s latest, Inferno. I paid a lot of bills. I recycled at our town’s recycling center (which used to be called The Dump.) I bought more of Scoutie’s prescription dog food. I talked to Don, but briefly. His rehearsal days are long and by the end of the day he’s pretty tired. Just a few more days in the rehearsal room and then Technical/Dress Rehearsals begin. He’s lonely. I’m lonely. We miss each other.

My dear Jim Parsons is hosting Saturday Night Live this weekend. He’ll be a great host. I will have to watch it On Demand as I know I can’t stay awake that late! You know, it’s only been 13 years since Jim was my student. His class was the last class I brought into the acting program and they all graduated right before Don and I moved out East. We even traveled to London together, Jim and I, on a class trip to study Shakespeare at the Globe. It is simply extraordinary what has happened in his life and career in that relatively short time. And it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. I’m proud to call him my friend.

I’ll be staying in as much as possible today. It is very, very, very cold out there. More snow may come next week.

There are no words.

Happy Thursday.

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Sort of Random

Chatty on Friday

Little Pleasures

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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