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A Pox On Winter

March 5, 2018 at 9:22 am by Claudia

First up: Frances McDormand’s acceptance speech was frigging amazing. I’ve always admired her guts and honesty and the way she lives her life. (By the way, she’s had no work done and usually doesn’t wear makeup as she navigates the streets of Manhattan.) Anyway, that speech, if you haven’t seen it, is well worth watching.

Of course, I ended up watching the entire broadcast. Who was I kidding?

I ran some errands yesterday and stopped at Home Goods, where I bought new bathroom rugs (whoo hoo!) and a cookie jar (even though I’m cutting out sweets) and this tea kettle (even though I already have one.)

I mean, come on! I had to bring it home.

My other tea kettle is pretty, but it’s old and has taken quite a battering over the years. I’m hanging on to it, however. Maybe I’ll pick a kettle according to my mood on any given day. Hmmm.

Pretty, don’t you think?

I also cleaned Stella this weekend. We’re still discovering each other, Stella and I. I found all sorts of nooks and crannies that needed attention. But I love doing that – at least with Stella. I’m not so great with other parts of the house.

We have another storm headed our way on Wednesday. So far, I’m hearing it might bring 6 inches or more. Crap.

This winter has been a major pain in the tush and I am more than ready to move on. The only thing worse would be if snow kept me from being in Manhattan for Opening Night. But, if it was in the picture, I’d just head in early. Ain’t no snow keepin’ me from Opening Night!

Two monstera leaves slowly unfurling. Thank you, plants, for keeping me sane this winter. I attribute my sanity to your beauty and to the pleasure of tending to your needs.

Happy Monday.

Cuteness Sighting

March 4, 2018 at 9:39 am by Claudia

I got a late start yesterday and decided to stay at home and clean up the fallen branches in the yard, vacuum, clean bathrooms – that kind of thing. As I was about to open the kitchen door, I saw a chipmunk. That’s my first sighting this year. I figured I’d wait until he ran off and then I’d make my exit. But no, he ran to an old railroad tie that is part of the raised bed right outside our kitchen door. And he stayed there.

Facing out, as all smart animals do, he checked out the yard. I’ve seen chipmunks sit on a stone near the garden for an hour or so. That’s what this guy did. I love my chippies, so I was very happy to see this guy.

I took off my coat, ran for the camera, and took some pictures through the window of the kitchen door. Then I googled ‘chipmunks and hibernation’ and sure enough, they hibernate for the winter. But it isn’t a deep, deep sleep like that of a bear. It’s lighter and they will wake up to eat and occasionally come out of the entrance to their den to get some food.

This sighting seemed early to me – especially for the Hudson Valley. Maybe he’s officially emerged from hibernation and is ready to face the spring. Or maybe this was a temporary emergence.

I stood still and watched him breathe, his sides expanding with each breath. So sweet.

Eventually, after I ran upstairs to google about hibernation, he took off.

I so look forward to watching bunnies and birds and chipmunks and bees and butterflies. But in the meantime, we might get another nor’easter on Wednesday.

Please, NO.

Can you tell I’ve officially entered my “I’m sick of winter phase?” I have.

I may watch a little of the Oscars and I may not. I have a feeling that Three Billboards is going to rack up some awards and I didn’t like the movie. And, though I am a huge fan of Frances McDormand, this role is something she can do in her sleep. Just my opinion, of course. I know there are many who do not agree with me. It’s an ‘avenger’ kind of role but the script did not help her. Hey, maybe she should win simply for making some of the bad, clunky dialogue work! I didn’t think of that way!

Don has a day off today. Everyone in the show is exhausted from their crazy week, so I hope he just takes it easy. Friday night’s audience, in the middle of the nor’easter, was packed. New Yorkers and Parrotheads are not phased by inclement weather!

Happy Sunday.

Force of Nature

March 3, 2018 at 10:35 am by Claudia

As I said on Instagram, it’s interesting when the title of the book you are reading mirrors what’s going on outside.

The nor’easter was relentless and scary and insane. But our little pocket of the Hudson Valley was somehow spared the snow and, at least in this neighborhood, downed trees and power outages. For that I am truly grateful.

That being said, I was up here sitting at my desk when I realized that I could hear the sump pump, and it wasn’t going off. This has happened in the past, so I pulled on some jeans, donned my muck boots and a slicker and made my way outside. Our basement is the kind that you enter from the outside and it’s old (house was built in 1891) and full of cobwebs and not my favorite place to be, which is ironic since I ended up spending much of the day there yesterday.

Upon examination, it looked like the float had become loose. For those of you who might not know: a sump pump has a float, like a toilet tank has a float, and it rises according to the level of the water that is draining into the pit around the sump pump. When it reaches a certain height, the float rises, the sump pump kicks on, and it flushes the water out through a pipe and up to the ground outside.

I tried putting it back in place and it would work for a while, but then, back upstairs, I would realize I hadn’t heard it, and I’d have to go back outside and downstairs. Keep in mind that we had gale force winds all day long yesterday. I won’t make this story any longer than it needs to be, just fast forward through about 6 or 7 trips downstairs, at least three changes of clothes and a second shower, to the point where I realized I was going to have to come up with something to keep the float in place or the basement would flood. The rod that goes through the float and threads through a hole on the sump pump needed something to secure it in place and keep it from ‘floating’ away. I finally came up with the idea of using a cork coaster. I brought the float upstairs, poked the end of the rod through the coaster, and then trimmed the cork. Back downstairs, kneeling on the very wet floor (another change of clothes), I threaded the rod through the opening, gently pushed the cork down – it didn’t tear, thank goodness – and waited.

It worked.

But I spent the rest of the day listening for the sump pump to go on and off, in case I had to try something else. But it kept on working.

I guess I MacGyvered it, right?

Someone is going to come and fix it on Wednesday. I was darned if I was going to pay for an emergency call if I didn’t have to.

Tuckered out after all of this, I treated myself to a hot chocolate and watched It Happened One Night, one of my favorite movies. Then I took a hot bath and went to bed. All the while, the winds kept blowing and, as you know, that is very nervous-making for me.

I finally fell asleep, only to wake up at 4:30 in the morning to the relentless chirp of a smoke detector.

I am not kidding.

After a couple of hours of searching for the guilty party to no avail, then trying to go back to sleep only to have it happen again, I finally figured out which one it was. Triumph!

And I ended up going to back to sleep for an hour or two.

Can you see why I’m just plain tuckered out?

I know so many of you had it much worse and I’m thinking of you. This was a deadly storm and thousands upon thousands of people do not have power. Many, many trees have fallen. It’s terrible. And those of you on the West Coast are facing storms as well.

Today, I’m going to try to get out for a while. I feel extremely housebound, while appreciating that I have a roof over my head and am snug and warm.

Speaking of movies, did I ever show you the mug that Don had made for me for Christmas?

It’s from one of my favorite movies. I watch it often. And I mean, often.

Here’s the other side, the storefront of The Shop Around the Corner:

He’s a sweetie, that guy.

Okay. Have to get a move on. There’s debris to pick up in the yard.

Link to performance on the Today show. If you stay there, the second number will pop up, too.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

A Pox On Winter

Cuteness Sighting

Force of Nature

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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