I bet you’re thinking I’ll go on and on about the snow which fell all day long yesterday, or the current temperature of 22° which feels like 11° which means we had a hard freeze last night or the fact that our postman almost slid into my car during the storm as he tried to back up at the top of our drive leading me to run outside and move my car forward and leading gimpy Don to come outside and move some planters and the birdbath so I could move it forward some more leading the postman to shovel out around the rear wheels of his truck, which finally got him safely out of the driveway. Or the funk that both of us were in, especially Don who has been housebound for over a week, as we watched the freakish weather happening outside our cottage.
No, I’ll show you this, instead:
Unexpected beauty in the snow: a single grape hyacinth springing up from beneath the rocks that define one of the planting areas.
Oh, and I’ll scream: Villanova won! That basketball game was incredible, right down to the wire. With 4.7 seconds left in the game, Kris Jenkins shot for 3 points. He made that shot when there was .1 second left; the ball left his hands and was in the air as the buzzer sounded. Basket. Unbelievable.
My throat is little raw from screaming. Villanova hasn’t won since 1985, when I was in graduate school in Philadelphia. They played Georgetown in that game and since every news item in Philly was about Villanova, I watched that game in my apartment in South Philadelphia. So, when I had to choose teams for the friendly competition in my brother-in-law’s family, I chose Villanova – a salute to that time in my life 31 years ago. I still won’t win the competition, as my other 3 teams were out of the running fairly quickly, but I don’t care. Yay, Villanova!
The postman drove up our drive yesterday in order to deliver a box that contained this:
An eBay win. This Roseville pattern is Cosmos, made in the thirties.
It has a little chip inside the upper rim, which is fine by me. I got it for a great price.
I’m trying to collect all of the flower patterns, though some are quite rare and undoubtedly out of my price range.
This particular vase is diminutive at 6 inches high.
See?
As I was waiting to grab some phone time with my Russian neighbor (it ended up having to wait until this morning) I sat up in the office and created an inventory list of all my Roseville pieces. To my surprise, I now have 25. I’m going to do that with my McCoy and egg cups, as well. It’s good to have on hand for all sorts of reasons. I remember what I have, what I paid and what it’s actually worth. Though I’ve been collecting McCoy for so long that I sincerely doubt I’ll remember what I paid for anything – likewise, the egg cups.
It was busy work, but fun busy work.
Today, Don goes back to the doctor. He is definitely getting better, but there’s still some redness and pain, so he needs more antibiotics. I will keep prepping for Anastasia. I have to drive to Hartford on Thursday for a read-through of the musical.
Happy Tuesday.
Sweet little vase; sweet little grape hyacinth and sweet win for Nova! Plenty of silver linings today.
Yes indeed!
The weather has been crazy but you had a few sweet moments there. Love the little flower in the snow. What a pretty piece of Roseville. I find I’m really loving the smaller pieces right now. I’ve been looking but since my last win on the flower frog I haven’t found anything I’m willing to spend $$ on, but you know I will. What a great idea to have an inventory of your collections. I hope Don is feeling better soon.
hugs,
Linda
Me too. He is doing better, but it still hurts a lot when he first stands on it, and there is definitely a bit of infection still there.
I saw a magnolia window box like mine on eBay that I was going to tell you about. Do you want me to send you the link?
Please send me the link! Enablers unite!!
Done! It’s on its way to you via email.
What a story about the mailman and the snow! You just can’t trust April, is what I’m hearing on a lot of blogs right now. Your new vase is gorgeous and the inventory sounds like a very good idea. I should do that with one of my collections. I sure hope Don is better very soon.
Blessings,
Betsy
You apparently cannot trust April at all! Don’s getting better, but he would like it to be entirely cleared up by this point.
Good idea to inventory your pieces. I bet your past blog posts will help with some prices, etc. Don’t forget Caroline’s pieces, too!
We have a lovely sunny, but cold, election day in Wisconsin. My husband is at the village office as a poll worker, and I will vote early this afternoon as well. It may rain as the day goes on. (better than snow)
Hope Don gets good news at the Dr. and is up and around soon!
Good for your husband, Chris. Go Vote! This will be an interesting primary!
Hi Claudia, nice you’ve had some distractions (pottery, Villanova) from the too-cold weather. Apparently we had flurries this a.m., but I missed them. My husband and I are both sick with whatever virus is going around (bronchial). Thought I was better yesterday, but only lasted till 10:30 at work. Meanwhile…the storm Saturday night was awful. We had a tree come down and a large limb fall on our shed roof taking off some of the facing and leaving a huge crack. On the bright side, wisteria is budded, weeping cherry is blooming, greens are sprouting in the garden. It can’t be too long till this winter stuff is gone…I hope…
P.S. Hope Don feels better soon. He has got to be frustrated!
He is. And I’m sick of cooking!
So sorry to hear about your tree and the limb falling down, Vera! Did you get snow?
No snow – thank God, but in the 20’s this a.m. and still windy.
We still have at leasts 4 inches on the ground!
Sorry to hear Don is still having pain. I guess wintry weather is one good reason to stay put and rest, though he is probably getting some cabin fever! Love the pretty little vase!
He has cabin fever big time, Linda! It’s been over a week now. He’s been out, but not enough and the weather is certainly not helping!
I love that brave little grape hyacinth! What a perfect color against the snow. Hope it, and its friends, are surviving amid all this wacky April weather. I hope we actually get some Spring this year too. I’m a huge fan of the temperate seasons and definitely don’t want Summer arriving in May. PS – question. Is “Anastasia” a musical version of the movie made with Ingrid Bergman and Yul Brynner? Or something else entirely – but still about the Romanovs? Just curious. ?
Probably more likely a musical version of the Disney version of the story…
Quite the postman story you had there! Sorry to hear Don’s leg is still giving him problems. We watched the last 10 minutes of the game last night. I lost interest in the tournament, after Wisconsin didn’t make it past the sweet 16. But, glad Villanova won…I always root for the underdog! Making an inventory of all your pottery pieces is a great idea for many reasons. Is the snow melting yet? Gotta go vote today…finally, an end to all the phone calls! ;)
It was a nail biter of a game, pretty much throughout the whole thing, but if you caught the last ten minutes then you know how thrilling it was! Snow melting? Maybe barely, but it’s pretty cold today.
Glad the postman was able to make his delivery and get out safely. Hope the snow doesn’t hang around for long.
It’s melting today, Tammy, but it will be cold tonight. Probably another day and it will be gone.
The forecasters are saying we are supposed to be in the 60’s all next week. I hope they are right and that your area will receive the same.
So happy to hear Don is improving. Perhaps this last round of antiobiotics will do the trick!
Like you, I was thrilled to see Villanova pull off the win last evening. What a terrific final with both teams proving why they deserved to be there.
I really like the new piece of Roseville pottery. That might be my favorite pattern/color combination yet. Great find!
We’re supposed to get a lot of rain in the next week or two, which is expected at this time of year.
Villanova and UNC played beautifully. I can only imagine how heartbreaking the loss was for UNC.
Fabulous find, Claudia.
Thanks, Sue.
Claudia,
I’ve commented a couple of times on your blog in the past, but I just wanted to say again how much I love and anticipate reading it every day. It’s like an old friend that you can’t wait to talk to each day. Always there, always worth it. Thank you, Claudia for being so honest about life.
~Brooke
Thank you, Brooke, for taking the time to share this. It means so much to me, especially in those times when I worry whether the posts are interesting enough. Much appreciated. xo
The hyacinth picture is so pretty…it would look nice framed or put on canvas…Good luck at the doctors Don!
Elevate and rest for another week, per the doctor. More antibiotics. (Don’s going to go nuts!) But he’s doing much better.
That’s a lot of snow drama. It seems so unbelievable to me. Here on the opposite coast at 2:00-ish pm we’re muggy and hot, 85 degrees; not trying to rub it in (doesn’t sound like either of us is too thrilled). We’re supposed to be in the 90s tomorrow. I don’t like it, not at ALL.
You’re lucky you have a postal person who will bring a box up the drive. At my last house, where my front door was a bit of distance from my mail box on the street above, I’d be lucky if this one guy would even deliver a package at all (would leave a note in my box that I had to go to the post office to pick it up; I watched him do this one time; I had ‘insider’ info that he had the parcel ON THE TRUCK but he couldn’t be bothered with getting out of his truck and walking the not-weighty parcel down my hillside steps and to my door); what he’d do repeatedly was leave my parcels at my street mail box, on the ground or on top of the box, which was mounted on a post, so that anybody driving by or walking by could just help themselves. It’s good that he doesn’t represent the majority of great postal employees.
Nice Roseville. Getting the smaller pieces will give you more room.
Crazy and worrying thing for Don, isn’t it. We never know what will hit next. I’m having a pretty hard time typing this comment, actually. Anything with the computer has gotten tricky for me in the past days. I went to the ‘eye doctor’ for an annual appointment precisely one week ago today and I checked out really well; best visit I’ve had in a long time; no big changes. Two days later, appearing in my eye was surely the most huge floater, if that’s what it was, I’ve ever seen, including lightning flashes. Migraine aura? What? I raced back to the doctor and she said I have a gi-normous (gigantic, enormous) floater that she’ll watch carefully because it can tear my retina. So, for now 6 days or so, I have this impaired vision and the only relief I get is closing my eyes…and the whole thing is driving me nuts, besides which I fear for my retina. I’ve already been headachy for weeks…I think it’s a neck problem…and now the eye strain is making it so much worse. Of course, the catastrophizing can start, where I worry if I have a brain tumor or something. I’m going to see what the doctor says in a couple of days but, with no change, and the slowness of a HMO, I’m sure I’ll wind up at the primary care physician’s office for further evaluation and referrals. My husband’s best buddy at work is only in his 40s (has a young family) and just days ago learned he has a brain tumor but the neurologist thinks it’s benign…so, these things DO occur.
Just did not want to be spending April like this. We lost a lot of time doing things at our house (ongoing remodeling) with my husband’s surgery issues which seemed to monopolize Christmas through Easter; I have a ton of stuff to do inside the house, unpacking/sorting/etc. So, this is a nagging, frustrating issue…our vision is everything. I’m sure Don feels this way…one minute you’re fine, and then…boom. I’ve had eye floaters all my life; just silly nuisance stuff. But this is very defined and so large. Frankly, I’m feeling annoyed and apprehensive. My mom had a retinal occlusion and wound up with a blind eye; permanent loss of vision in one eye; same age as myself. The doctor has given me a ‘list’ of all these warning signs I’m supposed to be looking out for in the eye with the instruction to get myself immediately to an ER if this or that happens. I’ve tried to research the topic and I may have to live with this thing if it doesn’t go away because the surgery to remove it is very ‘iffy’ and, well, right now, I can’t imagine living my life with this thing semi-blocking my vision but I know people live with a lot of ailments and impairments.
Hang in there. I had all those scares with my eye last year and I know how you’re feeling, but all will be well. Don’t panic. Try to relax. Often these things just disappear in time.
We once had a postal person who would automatically put a note in the box that she’d tried to deliver a box. But she hadn’t. She just didn’t want to try. I complained about her at least twice because I would watch her slow down, put the note in, even though our car was there and it was obvious we were home.
Just returned from an amazing trip to Japan, so haven’t caught up with all your posts yet, Claudia. Along with your list of pottery and egg cups, take and print out photos of your collection to keep with the list. Have you insured your collection? Don’t know how much it’s worth, but if they are rare and somewhat valuable, you may want to consider adding a rider on your home insurance policy.
I added to my collection of fabrics while in Japan. A group of us crafters split from our tour group and found Nippori Fabricland in Tokyo, an amazing district of only a few blocks, but stuffed with fabric and notions stores…over 85 of them according to the Fabricland map the kindly policeman gave us! We only got to about 20… We were a bit overwhelmed. A few days in that district would be better, but would also hurt the pocketbook! We only had two hours.
Hope Don recovers soon. And you get Spring weather again. Heat wave where I am…possibly in the 90’s tomorrow, then rain Friday.
Welcome back, Wendy! I envy you those fabric stores!
Hi Claudia! How encouraging to see your little blue grape hyacinth going strong amidst all that frosty snow . I find the strength of plants amazing. To be able to persevere through the hard earth, come through the darkness and into the light is a testament in and of itself.
Your Roseville pottery is BEAUTIFUL! Each new piece that you acquire is the perfect addition for your extensive collection. They all fit right in and make themselves at home as if they had always been there. I love the shape and the color of this one especially, the position of the handles- Really lovely! :D
Thank you, Elizabeth! By the way, I hadn’t noticed that little grape hyacinth until that snow framed it so beautifully. Love that little miracle!
Hope Don feels better very soon. I love that new Roseville piece. I like all of yours, but I think this one is my favorite! Stay warm and toasty and hopefully this will be the end of the cold and snowy weather and spring will make it’s way to your home soon.
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
The snow is melting, and hopefully most of it will be gone by the end of today, Susan. Rain on the way for tomorrow! Spring in NY has been rather crazy so far!
I love your new vase, Claudia, and your collection is coming along beautifully. I hope and pray Don’s leg is well pronto and that your weather improves. I’m also hoping you receive your little gift from me. I thought it would get there on Monday, but maybe I misunderstood the postal clerk or possibly the weather has slowed its trip from Florida. I held my breath thinking it might have caused the frantic rush to move cars in the snow. Glad it was the lovely vase, instead! :-)
Stay warm and enjoy your coloring. I might need to try that!
xo
Sheila
Sent you an email, Sheila. I got the package. Thank you so much!!
With all of the antibiotics please please please get Don on a good probiotic! Clostridium difficile (c diff) is rampant in this day and age and take it from me, you do NOT want Don to get this! I have been on a full glass of Kefir for 3 months and finally starting to get back to normal. It is very scary stuff!
He’s aware and is eating a yogurt that is strong in probiotics.