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Best Game Ever

November 3, 2016 at 9:31 am by Claudia

I’m afraid you’re going to get on-the-spot photos today. Yours truly was up late watching the World Series – about two and a half hours later than my usual bedtime. More on that later!

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Since the cabinet is immediately to my left, my iPhone on my right – here you go! Actually, I never get tired of seeing the cream colored McCoy pottery and the Roseville pottery. Uh oh. This gives me the urge to check out the listings for Roseville on eBay.

Let’s move on.

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Right in front of me as I type this post: egg cups, Maxfield Parrish, a little thimble from Amsterdam, and my Woman Card. Deal me in.

I cleaned windows yesterday. Since it isn’t sunny today and it’s going to rain, I can’t tell how much streaking there is, but trust me, they were so dirty that I’m sure they’re breathing a collective sigh of relief.

Then I finally boxed up my books to donate to my local library. Now I just have to get them there. When there are boxes and/or stacks of books on the floor in this little cottage, space is at a premium, so it’s time to load up the car.

Game Seven was the best baseball game I’ve ever seen. Never boring, with more twists and turns than a cracking good mystery, this game had it all. The Indians and the Cubs were very evenly matched and both teams played with passion. As always in this sort of thing, the game changes and morphs because of a call from the umpire, an error in the field, a pitcher who makes mistakes or has been overused and suddenly the bases are loaded. And there was even a rain delay!

I can’t tell you how many times I said to Don, “I have to go to bed.” And then, “If it goes to extra innings, I’m going to bed.”

Well, I did go to bed, but I turned on the television in the bedroom! I couldn’t stay away. Incredible game, stellar work on the part of both teams. My heart aches for the Indians because they came from behind, never gave up, and were within one run of winning it all. And they lost at home. At the same time, I’m thrilled for the Cubs, who played their hearts out and who haven’t won a World Series since 1908. I mean, come on! Who can deny them this glorious moment?

As you know, we are longtime Red Sox fans and we know what it is to cheer on a team that supposedly has a ‘curse’ and finally, finally, see them win a World Series. It was time, more than time, for the Cubs.

Still can’t stop thinking about it this morning. And I’ll say the obvious: How lovely and healing to watch something like the World Series in the midst of an election that gets more stressful by the second! The pure joy of seeing these guys play was much needed. Thank you to the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs.

Now to get through the next 6 days.

Happy Thursday.

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Light, Baseball, Stress, and Did I Just Hear Christmas Music?

November 2, 2016 at 10:06 am by Claudia

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Early morning light here at the cottage.

Well, not tremendously early, as I slept in this morning. That, my friends, is a rare thing.

Lately, I seem to be fascinated with light – the way it shifts and changes as the day goes on.

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One thing you have to say about our cottage: it’s lived in. I rarely stage a photo, though I might move a pile of laundry or do some much needed straightening up, but as a rule, we are an ‘as is’ household. What you see is what you get!

The World Series has moved on to a seventh game. Oh boy. That will be a nail biter. We’re cheering for the Cubs, but both teams have played so well and are so evenly matched, who knows what will happen? As a girl who has lived on both coasts, but is still a Midwesterner at heart, I’m thrilled that both teams are from the heart of the Midwest.

As Don said this morning, with the constant stress of the election (don’t get me started on the latest developments) do we need more stress? I guess we do, because we will be watching the game tonight. I don’t know about you, but I am counting the days until November 8th. Time seems to move so quickly nowadays – Don and I constantly remark on how quickly a week goes by – yet the days leading up to Election Day seem to crawl. Time moving quickly, while simultaneously moving slowly. How can that be?

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I went to Michael’s yesterday to get some craft paint.

They were playing Christmas music.

As you well know if you’ve read this blog for any length of time, I have a rule: No Christmas until the second week of December. Of course, when I say that I’m referring to decorating my cottage. I do know the retail world needs to start the Christmas extravaganza earlier than that. But November 1st? Cripes, Thanksgiving isn’t until the 24th!

And it was the Jackson 5 singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

That is why I stay out of big chain stores as much as possible. For my holiday sanity.

It’s going to be 72° here today. Just the other night, the temperature dropped to 29°. My head is spinning! I think it may be a good day to clean the windows – one of my least favorite jobs in the world, second only to cleaning the bathroom. I never seem to be able to do it without streaks. I’ve tried using newspaper and all the other suggestions I see out there. Still streaks.

But, even with streaks, the windows will be clean. Hopefully.

New post up on Just Let Me Finish This Page – Five Short Takes on Five Novels Recently Read.

Happy Wednesday.

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Patina, Flowers, Light & Nasty Women

November 1, 2016 at 9:28 am by Claudia

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Late afternoon still life.

I am still taken by surprise when I see that table and its patina. What a treasure we found!

This is the scene in the cottage this morning:

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And they go all the way to the front door. It was to go below freezing last night and as I obsessively scan the Weather Channel app on my phone, I look ahead 15 days or so to see if it’s worth trying to save the plants. And it is.

At some point, I’ll give up. In fact, I forgot to cover the geraniums that live in the barrels last night. I could kick myself. They may be gone. I’m afraid to look.

But these beauties are still budding and blooming, so in true tag-team fashion, Don and I bring them inside around 6:00 and they’ll go back outside later this morning.

By the way, I straighten that little red lampshade about ten times a day. Oy.

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Frost is covering everything this morning, but the sunlight is warming up the living room, slowly but surely. One of my favorite things in any house I’ve lived in, but especially in this many-windowed cottage, is watching the play of light on the walls and floors and furniture. I think that’s what keeps me sane in the winter. That bright winter sun.

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For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved reading the Sunday New York Times. When I returned to my parents’ house to live for a couple of years after college, I would look forward to Sunday morning, when I could buy a copy of the Times and read it while sitting in my dad’s recliner. Since then, wherever I’ve lived, east coast or west coast, I’ve tried to keep that habit going. There have been times when I couldn’t get a copy or was just too busy to find the time to buy one. But lately, we’ve been grabbing a copy every Sunday.

Happiness is the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle.

I read the latest edition of Louise Penny’s newsletter this morning. She wrote about Michael. I cried.

Those of you who are friends on Facebook have already seen this photo. I want to share it with all of you today because I love this t-shirt (it came in the mail yesterday) and we had such fun taking this picture:

nastywomenbest

Oh yes, we do.

Vote. Nasty woman or otherwise.

Happy Tuesday.

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Best Game Ever

Light, Baseball, Stress, and Did I Just Hear Christmas Music?

Patina, Flowers, Light & Nasty Women

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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