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You are here: Home / Archives for snow

It’s Monday: What Do You Collect?

December 5, 2016 at 8:26 am by Claudia

12-5-snowymorning

The scene at 7 am this morning. Those slashes of light are snowflakes falling to the ground.

I sort of knew it was coming, but didn’t realize it would be anything more than the ‘snow showers’ predicted a few days ago. I think we’ve got about 2 inches – maybe less – out there. And it’s going to rain tomorrow, so it will be gone very quickly.

Pretty, though!

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We stopped to visit the horses yesterday.

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But only after I finished working on Act 1 of The Comedy of Errors. Today: Act 2. Maybe even Act 3!

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This was in the mailbox on Saturday. Another Russell H. Tandy cover illustration on The Bungalow Mystery, #3 in the series. This may be my favorite so far. I love the hat and suit that Nancy is wearing and the way she’s standing on the tip of her toes to see into that window.

I’ve done that myself!

12-5-nancydrewontable

I’m getting such pleasure from the “hunt.” Finding the books in unexpected places, in antique shops, in used bookstores, searching on Etsy and eBay – it’s all such fun. It’s the same way I feel whenever I’m on the hunt. Speaking of which, I haven’t been hunting for Roseville Pottery lately. It’s been pricey, with only a rare piece or two that is priced low enough for me to bid. I check in about once a week. And, unless something knocks my socks off, I have about all the McCoy Pottery I need or want, somewhere upward of 60 pieces. That isn’t to say I might not buy a piece or two, but only specific pieces that I’ve always wanted to add to my collection. Otherwise, I’m done.

But there’s still Wallace Nutting and Maxfield Parrish. And maybe an elusive Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs egg cup from 1939. So far, when they come up for auction, which is rarely, I’m always outbid. Curses! I would love nothing more than to add a few more to my collection.

I’m fascinated by collectors and what they collect; what intrigues them, what ignites that collecting passion. I know I’ve asked this question before, but how about an update? Tell me what you collect. Maybe it’s something you collected long ago and have since passed on or sold (I did that with vintage Fiesta) or maybe it’s something that you have long collected or maybe it’s something that recently struck your fancy! Are you still collecting or have you decided to thin out your collections? Where and how do you display your collections?

I’ll share my current list: anything Bakelite, egg cups – especially children’s figural egg cups, McCoy Pottery in those sherbet McCoy colors, Roseville Pottery, books, Wallace Nutting tinted photographs (my most recent passion), Maxfield Parrish prints, vintage china and pottery, vintage Shiny Brite Christmas ornaments and vintage Nancy Drew mysteries with cover illustrations by Russell H Tandy, and miniature pottery. That’s all I can think of at the moment, though I’m sure I’ll think of something else as the day goes on and add it to the list.

Happy Monday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

 

Filed Under: animals, coaching, collecting, Shakespeare, snow 87 Comments

What? It’s Only October and Other News

October 28, 2016 at 9:10 am by Claudia

Hello again! It’s me, emerging from a day off, of sorts. A day in which my husband wrote an insightful post and all I had to do was hit ‘publish.’ By the way, he is taking his time with his responses to your comments, and very much enjoying the process. I think he’s about halfway through. He’ll finish up today.

Of course, in the midst of my day off, I looked out the window of my office/studio and did the proverbial double take. Then I shouted to Don to “Look out the window!!”

10-28-whatthe

I used Instagram as my posting medium yesterday. After all, Don had the blog all tied up (thank you, Don.) Anyway, look at this! I had no idea it was coming so I was completely and utterly shocked.

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We’ve certainly had surprise snow events in October before. I wasn’t ready for this one, though, especially since I had just taken these photos the day before:

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Some phlox still blooming in the big garden bed.

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Roses still in bloom.

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And one lone coneflower, still hanging on to its petals.

Whether these little gems have remained in this state is yet to be determined. I’ll have to investigate later today. The snow eventually turned to sleet, which then turned to rain and it rained for the rest of the day and all night long. We need it, of course. But it was a messy, strange-weather day.

A couple of interesting bits of news:

• There is an article in this month’s AARP magazine written by Louise Penny; a first-person account of becoming the caregiver for her late husband Michael as he slowly succumbed to dementia. The title is “The Last Promise” and, as you might suspect, it’s beautifully written. I had tears in my eyes.

Thanks to my readers who tipped me off about the piece. We get the magazine but I never read it. (Maybe I’m in denial!) But as soon as it arrived in my mailbox on Wednesday, I searched for the article and I’ve since torn it out to save.

• When I wrote about Flea Market Style  magazine the other day, Shanna said that she’d heard it was going to be published again. I was skeptical, as last year there was a reprint of an old issue that appeared on the stands, so I suspected the same thing might be happening.

But then I heard from both Olivia and Debbie that no, it wasn’t a reprint, the magazine is starting up again and the first issue will be on the stands on November 15th! Huzzah! I’m thrilled. I’ll most likely get it at my bookstore, but there are pre-orders available on this site, Margo’s Junkin Journal. It’s being spearheaded by Ki Nassauer and Celeste Shaw (who I got to meet in NYC a few years back.)

Sigh of happiness.

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I knew it was going to go down to 29 degrees on Wednesday night, so I went outside to clip some more limelight hydrangeas. I brought them inside and walked around the house, looking for some sort of vessel to put them in other than a standard vase. Downstairs? Nothing. Upstairs? Wait a minute. What about Scoutie’s water dish? Yes. (I planted succulents in one of Riley’s dishes. It’s on the kitchen table.)

So here it is. It makes us happy, seeing beautiful flowers in Scout’s dish. I miss her a lot. Lately, I seem to be overwhelmed by how much I miss her. What I wouldn’t give to have her in my ‘tunnel’ again. She was the best company, the best girl ever. Add to that the fact that a year ago today I was making a last minute plane reservation to rush to my dad’s bedside, and I think you’ll understand some of my melancholy. I’ll write about Dad tomorrow, on the anniversary of his death.

One more night of freezing temps and I can take the porch plants back outside.

Happy Friday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

Filed Under: Dad, Don, flowers, Scout, snow 38 Comments

I’m Not Looking Out the Window. I’m Not.

April 4, 2016 at 8:58 am by Claudia

I won’t even share a photo of what’s happening today.

No, I won’t. The shades are drawn, allowing me to live in a fantasy where everything is green, it’s warm outside and there isn’t 4 inches and counting of wet snow on the ground.

I’m not kidding. I worry about my plants as there was a hard freeze last night. Late yesterday, I saw icicles hanging from my climbing hydrangea; caused, no doubt, by water dripping from the shed roof. I ran outside to break off as many of the icicles as I could without damaging the plant even more.

I stressed much of the evening over my garden and the lilac buds and the leaves on the rose bushes and the daffodils and then I just had to let go. There’s nothing I can do.

It’s friggin’ April 4th and there’s snow on the ground!!!

Okay. Deep breath.

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I’ve been slaving away up in my office, working on the Russian names and pronunciations, chomping on no salt potato chips, drinking lots of water because Don is always on me to keep hydrated, stopping every so often to look at my pottery…

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because it makes me happy. The wind was relentless yesterday. It was gusting up to 50 mph for over 12 hours. This little hideaway on the second floor is beautiful, but it is in the same place in the house as the den and that means that the winds whip across the front of the house, rattling the windows and generally making me feel like I’m in a wind tunnel.

After several hours of this (and this is part of a string of days where the wind has blown like this for hours and hours) I cried uncle and came downstairs.

What would calm me down, I wondered?

4-4 colored pencils

Aha!

So, I grabbed all my coloring paraphernalia, and went at it. Coincidentally, Don was doing the same thing in the living room. (He’s sick of ‘elevating his leg.’ I don’t blame him.)

4-4 coloring

Finished. I just do the basics, you know. Some of the coloring I’ve seen is incredibly intricate, with subtle shading and layering of colors. Gorgeous work, believe me. But I have basic skills and the whole idea is to relax, right? So I don’t allow myself to feel any pressure to expand my skill set. I just color.

It’s for me, after all. I quite like it.

I still haven’t heard from the book giveaway winner. I’ll give it a couple more days before I pick someone else.

Happy Monday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: coaching, coloring, garden, snow 30 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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