snow — Page 6

A Dud

January 26, 2023 at 8:57 am by Claudia

Well.

This is what we saw during the supposed ‘big storm.’

Maybe a 1/4 inch more fell after I took this picture.

This is what we have this morning:

It morphed into rain. By the time we were ready to go to bed, the only place I saw snow was on my car.

Very disappointing. I stressed over what day to go to rehearsal for two days. I wanted to go yesterday. Darko wanted me to go yesterday. I poured over every weather forecast. Don and I talked about it several times. On Monday night, I was sure I would go Wednesday. By Tuesday morning, after reading yet another update on the forecast, I made the decision to go that day because I was worried that driving conditions would be too dangerous on Wednesday. That didn’t happen.

Also, Don and I were looking forward to an old-fashioned snow storm.

This January has been abnormally warm. What will February bring? The same? We live in the northeast, for heaven’s sake!

Sigh.

For one brief moment in the morning, there was enough evidence of snow for me to take a picture.

Imogen in the snow.

At least there was apple pie in the afternoon.

I don’t see any possibility of snow on the horizon. Maybe some snow showers, but that’s about it.

Boo!

I’m in that stage where I know my current job is finished and that always brings a ‘down’ feeling. The fact is, I feel more alive when I’m working – even with all the travel hassles. I love my work and I love helping actors be the best they can be. Don almost always comments that I look ‘really good’ (of course, I have makeup on, so there’s that) and that work agrees with me. Transitioning is hard. They present the show to producers, etc., on Friday.

But I’m grateful for the work and I’m ready for whatever comes next.

War and Peace continues. We’ve now started Part II. And I’m really enjoying The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams. Hey, before I forget, if you’re a Deborah Crombie fan, her new book – A Killing of Innocents – comes out on February 7th! With Crombie, we always have to wait a long time between books, but the wait is worth it.

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

Tuesday Thoughts

December 13, 2022 at 9:54 am by Claudia

Very, very cold here today! It’s currently 13 degrees. Yikes. I think we have a few days of this frigid weather and then it will warm up a little. Right now, the snow is on the ground and a lot of branches are still coated with snow because it was so cold last night. The sun is shining and it’s beautiful out there.

One more photo from our snow day:

Harper – not at all sure about this ‘snow’ thing.

I’ve since added some tights so her legs don’t get cold.

We have to run a few errands today, and we also want to take a little drive because it’s so pretty around here. The snow isn’t dirty yet – it’s all crisp and white and clean.

I’m close to finishing the new Anthony Horowitz. His books are so conversational that they tend to read quickly. It’s a lot of fun. Then I’ll return it to the library where, I hope, the newest Herron will be waiting for me.

We have been thoroughly enchanted by vintage What’s My Line episodes on YouTube. We watch at least two of them every night. It’s such a glimpse into another era, one in which we both grew up. The panel is smart, funny, charming and, above all, civil. There are none of the gimmicks that someone doing this show today would inevitably add. None of the “I’m funny and I’m going to throw in jokes whenever I can” crap that derails everything these days. No “me, me, me!” We are always amazed by the civility and kindness that permeates the program. I grew up watching it in the 60s when I was old enough to begin to appreciate it. We’re getting reacquainted with Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf, Dorothy Kilgallen, and John Daly – all of them brilliant and charming, accomplished, with full and active working lives beyond appearing on the show. It’s fascinating and extremely entertaining. We inevitably google someone’s name during the course of each show to learn more about them. So many of the guests and panel members now gone; in fact, most of them. I miss them. I miss that era of respect and civility. It’s such a contrast to what we see today.

More and more I find myself yearning for what was – and I know that “what was” wasn’t perfect. There were conflicts and inequities and McCarthyism and racial inequality – we see very few African Americans in the early episodes. So I’m not fantasizing that everything was ideal. It wasn’t. But the civility, wit, respect with which people were treated. That was real.

Just some thoughts in my mind this morning.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

Winter Wonderland

December 12, 2022 at 9:09 am by Claudia

It’s a winter wonderland out there this morning. We had a wet snow, so it’s sticking to all the plants and branches and, though it will melt as the day progresses, it’s glorious at this moment.

During the snowfall yesterday. I’ve had that cottage sign for a while and I usually stick it in one of the garden beds, but Don put it here and I like it.

The two soldiers that Don bought last year are now on top of the overturned wheelbarrow. We keep that old wheelbarrow in place because there is an extraordinary ant colony there, complete with houses and tall buildings. We don’t want to see it destroyed, so the wheelbarrow stays. And now the soldiers are guarding it, too. (And I was able to divert Don from his desire to put them on the porch, which would have been a distraction from our simple and striking outdoor lights.)

This morning: