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Sunny Sunday

February 23, 2020 at 10:38 am by Claudia

Another sunny day! And it will reach 51, which is a treat. We’re due for at least three days of rain mid-week, but I can’t complain as this stretch of sunny weather has been fantastic.

I slept in today, which was nice, but it throws off my ‘schedule,’ to use the word loosely. So I’m writing this post rather hurriedly because we want to take a little drive today.

I read a lot yesterday, straightened up my part of the office – which needed it, and watched The Music Man last night with my husband. It’s one of my favorite movies for many reasons. It’s done so well, I love Robert Preston, the story and score are charming and heartwarming, and it’s one of the few movies that our family saw in an actual movie theater, right after it opened. My dad loved Shirley Jones. He loved the movie. We had the soundtrack and he played “Being in Love” all the time. It’s such a good memory. Paul Ford, as the mayor, is brilliant. Anyway, it was such fun to watch it with Don.

I got an email from Netflix yesterday – Season 3 of Babylon Berlin is coming on March 1st. If you are a fan, I thought you’d like to know. I have raved about this series since I saw it last year. It’s the best series I’ve ever seen. Obviously, that’s my personal opinion, but the acting, the script, the level of period detail, the gripping storyline – all of it taking place in the last days of the Weimar Republic in Berlin – is impeccable. I actually shouted out to Don when I read the email and made him come into the den to read it. We can’t wait.

Okay. Have to run.

Happy Sunday.

Bird Sightings

February 22, 2020 at 10:45 am by Claudia

Saturday morning. Sunny. Cold, but not as cold as yesterday. We’ve had four sunny days in a row and I’m not taking that for granted. It’s lovely out there.

We had a busy day yesterday, both of us off running our respective errands. But the larder is now full, every box has been checked, and we can now relax for the weekend. Though Don, swearing yesterday that he just wanted to stay home all day today, has suddenly made an appointment to get his hair cut and has all sorts of ideas in his head about what he wants to do – what we should do. He wakes up quite early and has been up since 5 am. I got up around 6:45 and, not being a morning person, am still waking up. I don’t think we’re going to be on the same page today!

Yesterday I heard a mourning dove for the first time in several months. The mourning doves around here take off for part of the winter. I was so happy to hear that beautiful sound. We saw a cardinal (they’re around all winter) and we saw two bluebirds. I know bluebirds are seen in the Northeast, but I never see them here during the spring and summer. In fact, I’ve only seen them once before and it was during the winter a few years back. I think it was in February or March. I love bluebirds, so I was grateful for an unimpeded view of them yesterday. I hope they hang around again today.

I heard a little birdsong this morning. Is it a sign of an early spring?

Other than that, still reading, cleaning, laughing and, this morning, talking with my husband about how much we love Paris.

Happy Saturday.

Friday Thoughts

February 21, 2020 at 9:16 am by Claudia

Sunny, but boy, is it cold out there!

I can’t believe it’s already Friday, but here we are. We have to recycle today, buy groceries, and run a few errands. Not very exciting, but very necessary.

Last night, we tried 3 different series on Netflix and Amazon Prime. All of them were new to us. In each case, we watched about 5 minutes, turned to each other and said “No.” We ended the evening watching a couple of our favorite Dick Van Dyke Show episodes and felt much better. There’s something so comforting about that show. An amazingly talented cast, wonderful writing- it takes us back to our youth and all those nights sitting around the television set with our respective families. We need some comfort these days and that show makes us happy.

I also spent a good chunk of time watching Michael Jeter sing “Let’s Raise a Glass” from the musical version of Grand Hotel. Jeter gives one of the best performances I have ever seen in my years and years of watching and performing in musicals. Something triggered that memory yesterday and I found a clip of it being performed at the Tony Awards. I played it for Don and he was amazed, so much so that he had me play it again. And again.

I saw it live during its out-of-town tryout in Boston, where I was living at the time. I had very little money, couldn’t afford a ticket, but in a wonderful fluke, I won a ticket in a radio call-in contest. I loved the musical, but to this day what I most remember is Jeter’s electrifying performance. And I mean electrifying. He brought the house down. I have never seen anything like it. The audience shot to their feet at the end of the number, cheering and shouting. These were the days when standing ovations weren’t routine as they are today. Today, almost every performance gets a perfunctory standing ovation. In those days, you had to earn one.

If you are so inclined, google “Let’s Raise A Glass,” and “Tony Awards” and you’ll find it on YouTube. The reaction from the audience at the Tony Awards is much the same as the reaction in Boston. Jeter died much too young at the age of 50. He was enormously talented and brave and wondrous.

Okay. Duty calls. I must get going.

Happy Friday.

Sunny Sunday

Bird Sightings

Friday Thoughts

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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