183 days since we went into lockdown. Exactly half a year.
Don was doing some digging yesterday. It was just light work because, frankly, the bottles and things he’s finding are not that old and they’re not worth anything, which means they’ll be recycled. Most of the little treasures I’ve found on the property over the past 15 years have been spontaneous finds; something coming up from below the surface, some clearing of leaves that reveals a little object, or digging for something specific, like a new garden bed, which results in a discovery or two.
That being said, he found something interesting yesterday on top of an old foundation that is on the edge of our property. It’s now in my little Dish of Curiosities.
Do you see the little hand? And, to the right, a piece of a limb? There are touches of red on the finger nails. So it either comes from a doll or a figurine of some sort. They were just lying on the surface of the foundation. That might be my second favorite find, right after my antique red transferware plate.
You can see the green teacup handle I found a few years back. A couple of ironstone shards. Another piece of pottery with a blue stripe. Shells, feathers, colored glass, fossils, pods, part of a robin’s egg, and an old hose nozzle. All of it on top of a beautiful brown transferware plate, which I just cleaned the other day.
We may go over and look at the foundation later today.
Don’s already made a quick run to the store for a few items. I finished The Starless Sea this morning (because I had plenty of time, waking up at 4:30) and I’ve just started All the Devils are Here by Louise Penny. Best cover of any of her books, in my humble opinion, and the endpaper art is gorgeous, as well.
I have mixed feelings about The Starless Sea. I really loved The Night Circus. This one, however, wasn’t as compelling, it was harder to navigate and understand and, in the end, I found myself rather confused and just slightly underwhelmed. Morgenstern has a magical and vivid imagination and the worlds she creates are wondrous. Her stories are fascinating. But this one didn’t quite do it for me, though I enjoyed the read and have no regrets about tackling it. If you’ve read it, I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts.
Normally, I deliberately put off reading the newest Louise Penny until about November but I find that in this year – which has been unlike any other in my life – I desperately need to read her words.
We’re laying low this weekend. The world is too much with us (a nod to Wordsworth) and we need to take some time for peace and a bit of healing, if that’s possible.
I hope you are able to do the same.
Stay safe.
Happy Saturday.
Love the finds. Have a good good quiet day…prayers brendab
I immediately noticed the graceful hand! Your dish of curiosities becomes more fascinating all the time. I just finished All the Devils and it’s one of my very favorite Penny’s. Of course, having the setting in Paris is a huge bonus. It will bring back lots of memories for you. Peace and healing. I’m half tempted to go back to my Episcopalian upbringing, but my last connection with the church was about 30 years ago when a schism opened between our wonderful peacenik priest and the Naval War College in Newport. Quite disillusioning. For over 20 years now, I’ve relied heavily on my older husband d to guide my decisions and tamp my emotions with his practicality, sometimes to the point of irritation. But last night listening to the news, the enormity of what may be coming hit me a little harder than usual. I turned to him and said “the thing I fear most is that you may not be around to help guide me thru this.” He’s 88 and while he is with it and still active, he’s almost completely deaf which is very isolating for him and he is winding down, as happens in life. He looked at me and said “I’ll do my best to stay around but it might not be in the cards.” Clearly, while he is still here, I need to find a spiritual routine of some kind and build some confidence in myself. That I hope will be part of my healing, building strength for what comes. Bless you and Don and as we used to say in church peace be with you. XO
hej, nora in ct …
i wrote to you, but posted it in the wrong place. scroll down a bit if you want to read it.
kathy in iowa
Thank you Kathy! You’re always so kind and supportive. I hope you are well, and find peace and healing as we all wish.
thanks, nora mills.
doing alright here, given the circumstances. i miss my family so much, but am grateful to be able to help them by doing their shopping and that i could see and talk with some of them today (in various ways, also with much social distancing). am now home, showered and taking a break before some chores. or maybe the chores will wait until tomorrow. :)
hope you are taking it easy, are well and safe.
kathy in iowa
I think we all need whatever spiritual routine helps us during this time. I know I do, my friend.
Stay safe, Nora.
Loved your post today. I also have found interesting things when I walk, especially along the lakeshore. I will have to put them into my own dish of curiosities. I hope you enjoy the Penny book. Be sure to read the acknowledgments in the back. Enjoy your day.
I will. Thank you, Mindy.
Stay safe.
You’ll love the Penny book with its Paris setting. It’s her usual, fantastic writing.
Thanks, Brenda!
Stay safe.
Hello,
I am going to continue with Don’s debate scenario .
The incident of explosive diarrhea has happened…the debate monitor turns to the television camera and says, “Mr. txxxp you have confirmed what many of us have believed for years that you are full of shxx!” I am done…promise
I love your plate of magical finds.
Have a beautiful late summer day.
Kaye
Park City, UT
I read this to Don and he laughed out loud! Thanks, Kaye!
Stay safe.
Kaye, I’m pretty much enjoying your fantasy. If he can’t just spontaneously combust (one of my fantasies), your version could give us a much needed good laugh.
A Louise Penny book sounds like a great idea. I am staying away from the news except for the local paper and NPR briefs in the morning. I just don’t need all the drama.
Stay safe and sane.
I agree. The weekend is time for me to stay away from anything Trump-related.
Stay safe, Kay.
Always, Claudia, your daily posts lift spirits, speak the anguish, sooth the soul, express love, share reality. Every Day.
Thank you so very much,
Love
Joy
Thank you for your kind words, Joy.
Stay safe.
We’re on our fifth consecutive day of all-day/night rain. It is demoralizing, to say the least. And speaking of demoralized, I too am avoiding the news for the weekend. I really can’t take the “outrage of the day” out of the White House. It’s exhausting. This thing with holding rallies of hundreds of ignorant sheep with no masks just infuriates me.
With all the cold and the wet, I decided to make a huge pot of chili today. Wouldn’t you know that in addition to the constant rain the temp warmed up and it is actually humid. Well, our freezer will be well-stocked with chili. This was going to be the weekend I did my on-line absentee ballot request and now our WI Supreme Court has screwed that up too.
Hopefully the rain pauses later because I could use a walk in the fresh air.
Take care.
Kay
Oh no! That’s definitely depressing, Kay. Too much rain can be hard to handle.
I hope you get that walk. That damn WI Supreme Court – they are nothing but trouble.
Stay safe!
Kay, I firmly believe that this SC judgement was powered by Fitzgerald and Vos. Unbelievable… I keep using that word, and I should know by now that it is a stupid word to use in this day. Predictable, I think, would be the better choice.
I am on a news-free weekend, too. Living just 20 miles from Dane County and the UW, the Covid cases exploding on campus is so disturbing. And the Chancellor saying “we didn’t think it would be so fast” makes me crazy. I HATE that they are penalizing the kids. Of COURSE kids are going to congregate. The freshman are getting to know each other, what in the world did they expect? The educated “degreed” staff should be the ones being penalized. Plan B that they are doing by quarentining 1000’s in their dorms seems like a petrie dish experiment that likely will go very badly.
This constant rain hasn’t helped, either!! Take care, Kay!!
Chris, what’s even more depressing is that Fitzgerald is a shoo-in to take his ignorance to Washington replacing Sensenbrenner. I feel bad for anyone who lives in a college town right now. And I’m so glad I retired from Marquette Law School a couple years ago. I can’t imagine dealing with this. I’m told the freshmen are being allowed in the LS building for classes because they need every spare space with the smaller class sizes. The law students, I’m told, are livid about this naturally.
Take care, Chris.
K.
hej, nora in ct …
i hope and pray that you and your husband have many, many more years together here on earth (ahead of together forever in heaven) … years that are full of good health and much happiness, ease and peace.
i can relate to your statement of being away from the church for 30 years. i was raised in a methodist church. when i started college and for way too many years after it, i am ashamed to say i attended services only at Christmas and Easter. i didn’t read the Bible or pray. i never lost my faith in God, but i wasn’t living it. several years ago some things changed in my life and i started going back to the same church in which i was raised (after 33 years). while that specific church has changed in some ways that i don’t like, i had changed in ways i didn’t like … but coming back to the church for services, reading the Bible and mostly praying and trying to listen for/to God has brought me a lot of guidance, a different/better kind of freedom and, best of all, peace … things i want for my family, everyone here and the whole world. if i could encourage only one thing, it would be to follow God.
claudia … thanks for letting me share that.
stay safe and well and have a nice weekend.
kathy in iowa
i want to clarify something …
i said “God brought me a lot of guidance …” and He has. my parents have, too. they raised me very well so it’s not like i was dealing drugs or worse. i just wasn’t living my best life. i have been forgiven (and will be in the future) of all my wrongs. i have a better direction, more focus than i did before and am a better person for it. i have reasons for hope and joy … things i want and pray for for my family, everyone here and the rest of the world.
thanks again.
kathy in iowa
Kathy, I love reading your posts! You are always so kind and uplifting in your responses… something I could definitely strive to do more of in the current environment!
hej, donna …
thanks very much for your kind words. i am sure that you are kind and helpful to those around you.
i aim to be kind and supportive because i was raised by very kind and very supportive parents … but sometimes it’s a battle for me with what’s going on in the world. it’s hard for me to show patience and grace to people who still don’t wear masks or maintain social distancing, who support and will vote for pino … but i try. as ram das said, “we’re all just walking each other home”.
hope you and your family are well, safe and have all you need and want. happy sunday.
kathy in iowa
hej, claudia …
half a year … wow. i remember when you started titling your posts with numbers, starting on your first day of self-quarantining. back then, it seemed to me to take a long time to get to “day thirty” … then, almost overnight it seemed, your titles jumped to “day 172” and now “day 183”. sometimes those big numbers seem shockingly high to me. most times, though, it feels very sad and like this awful mess has been going on for years and years.
hope today’s been an easier day for you and don, that you’ve been taking all the time you need and want, getting lots of peace and healing!
love your dish of curiosities! must be so fun for you and don to find such things on your property! hope you find more soon.
i have a couple of bowls with finds. mostly natural things like rocks and shells, but also one of foreign coins and bottle caps, etc. from back when i was blessed to do a lot of traveling. and a vase of small branches from walks with family members. i smile every time i see them. :)
i need to do some ironing, don’t feel like it, but will do it. really want to finish that agatha christie book of short stories this weekend. and take a nap (just finished a late lunch of noodles)… ha.
stay safe and well!
kathy in iowa
My dense neighborhood is strangely quiet for a Saturday; I’ve looked out the window so many times, since I’m waiting for a delivery, and there’s just nobody out on the street. No cars going back and forth. We’re all forced inside due to the wildfire smoke. This is the worst day of it yet. You can smell it; the sun struggles to shine through it. I calculate I’m 75 miles from the nearest fire but this amount of choking smoke is really almost on par with our December, 2017 (thru Jan, 2018) wildfires which I could see from my house here in SoCalif, as in flames, the oppressive dirty-gray sky being ‘our life’ for weeks. It’s the oddest gray out there right now; thick; dark-gray with tinges of red-orange-yellow at times; very gloomy; a weighed-down kind of feeling it brings; of course also reminding us of all the fire loss in our entire state of Calif, just carnage.
But, yeah, the ‘sky’ sits there; no breeze like we usually get in the afternoon off the ocean.
It’s just so still outside, as if a blanket got thrown over your head and you feel suffocated. Apparently it may last all next week, too. The smoke cover certainly lowers the outside temperature, though. I’ve got my air purifier on its highest setting because being maskless yesterday at the dentist for an hour with that open window on me is I’m sure what’s causing my sore throat and burning eyes; bad smoky stuff to be breathing in through the mouth. I feel the dentist should have taken whatever risk he felt about his central air-conditioning (the indoor-air circulation) and instead closed up the windows against that smoke. The weather-news ‘experts’ are telling people to bring their outside pets in, like don’t leave them out there to be breathing in the air all day long as it’s such dangerous air quality for any living being’s lungs.
I’m imagining that first Fall morning with a clear, blue sky and crisp, clean air; soon, please. Don’t make me wait til November. And rain. Oh dear, I just saw a report that SoCalif is expected to have a dry winter when we need rain SO much. Rain would clear out our muck and make us feel renewed. Many months now with nary a drop of rain.
I think my husband and I both feel a little numb. It was a bad, bad week of headline news. We’re lethargic, shut up inside the house. Like, for him, can’t be out there in the garden or do any kind of yard work. I can’t even get him to watch a light movie tonight, though. (It’s more than just wildfire and smoke, although that’s huge; it’s what’s in our hearts and minds.) I just spent two hours on the phone with a friend and her usual-sunny self almost disappeared on her this week by about Thursday after so much awful news on television including those audio tapes of Bob Woodward’s and everything else. She said she felt like she could hardly pull herself out of bed to go to work. So we talked it through and tried to come up with antidotes for the coming days (which includes small treats like peanut M&Ms [in a pretty dish] even with the threat of Covid-19 weight gain).
That hand! Goodness, Claudia, what more might you find out there?
My copy of “All the Devils” (I agree about the cover) is in the post. Eager to dig into this one! Set in Paris? What’s not to love!
Love your backyard finds!
Last night was rough — I woke up ever hour or so with Covid-related dreams. They weren’t particularly scary ones, no one was sick. But all the precautions…. some continued after I woke and fell back asleep; others were all new but the same theme. I don’t remember a night like that in a long time. I wonder how long I’ll make it today….