I got my wish. It rained most of the night and it’s still raining. Makes for a somewhat dreary day, but we desperately need rain, so I welcome it.
Last night’s sunset:
This kind of sunset, where the light is mostly hidden behind a cloud, but can’t quite be held back, is one of my favorites.
The dark clouds look like low-lying mountains, don’t they?
Even though I’ve been a bit under the weather with more of the sinus/allergy annoyances of this particular fall season, I’m going to a luthier festival today with Don – in Woodstock. Luthiers make stringed instruments, so there will be a lot of handmade guitars, mandolins, fiddles, and ukuleles. I saw a poster advertising it when we were in Woodstock for our anniversary. Though I can barely play two chords on a guitar, I love looking at the instruments – they can be works of art.
Should be interesting!
And the Cubs are on tonight! Did anyone watch Hamilton’s America on PBS last night? It was absolutely fascinating and beautifully done. I’d give my eye teeth for a ticket to Hamilton. I foolishly turned down the opportunity to go to a performance when it was at the Public Theater (my friend was the stage manager) because I thought it might be too expensive. I could kick myself (and that’s putting it mildly) because the tickets are a heck of a lot more expensive now and virtually impossible to get.
Lesson learned.
I’m rearranging the bookshelves to accommodate more books. And I’m sorting through lots of books that I have on the shelves in my bedroom, preparing to donate them to the library and/or the used bookstore. There are lots of older decorating books that I simply don’t care about any longer, lots of review copies of books, several knitting and quilting books that I don’t use, as well as fiction I’ve read but don’t feel the need to keep.
The library or bookstore gets more books and I get more space!
My Nancy Drews – so far. Don has three Hardy Boys, but two of them are on the coffee table, waiting to be reread. The copy of To Kill a Mockingbird is signed by Harper Lee (I paid a lot of money for it several years ago.) The Anne of Green Gables is a beautifully illustrated edition that was my mother’s.
What can I say? Books make me happy.
I have to jump in the shower. We are Woodstock bound.
Happy Saturday.
Have fun! I think the outing to Woodstock sounds great. I love seeing your bookshelves with the pottery and eggcups mixed in with books. I’m going to see the Grands today and maybe a little looking at kitties with Tiger. Hugs.
I missed Hamilton’s America on PBS but just looked and I can watch it on line!! Excited to see this.
It’s wonderful, Linda!
Have fun with the grands and the kitties! xo
I did see the Hamilton special last night. I’d missed the first few minutes, so when I saw it was repeated right after the first one, I wound up watching it again! I loved it soooo much! Tears in my eyes through much of it. My son got to see it in NYC, not long ago, and loved it, as well. Now I’m jealous. The back story was fascinating!
It was. Such an amazing creation!
Hamilton was wonderful! ALso, our AARP magazine came yesterday and has a very thoughtful article by Louise Penny on dealing with her dear husband’s dementia battle. Thought of you.
Oh good. We get that magazine, though our copy hasn’t come yet. Thanks, Dottie.
Going to Woodstock sounds like a lot of fun. Just saying “going to Woodstock” is fun. Looking at the photo of your bookshelf reminded me of the book we bought as a Christmas gift for a friend. It’s called “A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook” – have you seen it?
I haven’t seen it, but I’ve read the book and it’s one of my all-time favorites.
We watched it last night as well. Remarkable story behind the production. My daughter and my husband listen to the CD all of the time!! She has tickets to see it in Chicago in 2 weeks and can not wait. She thinks she might cry through the entire thing. When she and friends were in NYC last year they tried, of course, for months before they went to get tix and couldn’t.
Have a very fun day today with the Luthiers !! When I first read it I thought you wrote Lutherans, and thought you were going to spend the day with a group of Lutherans….. which might be fun, too!!
Well, does it count that I was raised Lutheran? Many, many years of going to a Lutheran church and singing in the choir.
Bookshelves look great! Hope you have a fun day! ;)
Thank you, Donnamae!
It sounds like you are going to have a fun day together. The picture of the river shows how low the water is. Take care.
It’s very low, though today’s all day long rain will help a wee bit, Doris.
we watched the Hamilton special on PBS last night too. Loved it! I want them to put out a DVD eventually. We are on the west coast and are old caregivers so we won’t ever get to see it in person. Last night was a great taste and I learned a lot about Hamilton the man. Then I read about him on Wikipedia. but I would love to hear that music and see the dancing.
I imagine a DVD will be a long time coming as it’s just opened in Chicago and is going to be in London, as well. Then there will be a national tour, so they’re not going to put it on DVD when they have all those live audiences ahead of them.
I love seeing your books. I always feel very satisfied when my books are arranged appealingly on shelves. Unfortunately with in-progress remodeling over too many years, so many of my books are boxed and stored, which is pointless; can’t enjoy them and worried if they’re deteriorating over time.
Will enjoy seeing any photos you have to share about the stringed instruments. I have never heard of the word luthier. I learn something new here every day!
Mostly today, I’m just enjoying a little-bit better weather. For several days, we have been in the mid-to-high 90s, dry-hot-dusty-windy. Parched. Scorched. I envy your rain; we need it in SoCalif SO BADLY. We recently had a spot of raindrops but, of course, with the Santa Anas that followed, any benefit was lost.
Here’s one for you. Some 25 years ago, we had to move from Calif to the Gulf Coast for work (husband). I was more of a surfer girl than a country girl. Where we settled there, in the southern part of the U.S., many people were really ‘into’ country music (it was played overhead in grocery stores, malls, elevators, medical offices, etc. [kinda everywhere!!])…Garth Brooks, Clint Black, the hunky guy who’s married to Faith Hill; names escape me now. Point is, I had no knowledge of this type of music, had never listened to it; wasn’t interested. A few months after our move, settling in to our new state, my husband was given two free tickets to a big concert featuring some man-singer named George Strait. Neither of us knew who he was, so we didn’t go. Fast forward to our return to Calif a few years later, I ironically became a belated country music fan. (I seem to do things often in the wrong order!) After that, never could I fathom that I had actually given up the opportunity to see the legendary (and handsome) George Strait…in person/’live’ (front-row seats), at the height of his fame, although I understand he’s still quite popular. I would shake my head over it all the time! My country music phase is over now and I tend to listen more to the music of my younger adulthood (or artists still around from that era who continue to perform…nostalgia, I guess; not country, though) but I probably will never get over my near-sighting of Mr. Strait.
I’m not really into country music, but Don thinks George Strait is the real deal, not the pop music/country kind of stuff that so many young country artists are into. So sorry you didn’t get to see him!
love looking at photos of shelves full of books, misc; thank you.
have fun in woodstock!
kathy in iowa
We had a great time, now we’re home. It’s become very cold all of a sudden!
Agree with Barbara W. Tis fun just to say “Going to Woodstock…” I had a good friend who lived on Church Road outside Saugerties for many years and it really a beautiful area up there. And of course ESPECIALLY so in the Fall. Even on gray days. I hope the wind and rain hasn’t knocked ALL the leaves off the trees – it’s not even Halloween yet! Still overcast here but brightening up just a pinch. Have fun at the Luthier Festival – take great pictures [we know you will].
The leaves are almost gone from our sugar maples. The cold and wind that is coming in as I write this will probably knock off most of the Catalpa leaves. There’s not much left on our property, but then again, our property gets a lot of wind.
It’s been a long time since I’ve commented although I enjoy catching up with you every week or so. I want to thank you for supporting the Cubs…I know you are a huge baseball fan. I’m on pins and needles right now.
I read your last post just a few minutes ago and I think it prompted me to write. We seem to be on the same wavelength much of the time. At this time in my life I am more introspective than ever so it takes more time to focus on my own wants and needs and not being angry, judgmental or argumentative with others. I hope this leads to better communication with people in my life, bloggers as well.
I’m glad you have a fan in Don. My guy has maybe read 1/16 of my writing but then again I sometimes have to pick myself to stay awake when he talks about his work!! :)
Jane
We were thrilled when they won last night, Jane! On to the World Series!
I missed Hamilton on PBS. I hope they run it again.
You have a fantastic selection of books, including
some treasured classics. Nice!
I hope you are enjoying Woodstock.
Monica
We had a great time, Monica. Thank you!
Loved seeing your Nancy Drew books and the one that belonged to your mom; I have my mom’s copy of Gone with the Wind. Have a great time at Woodstock; our musical endeavor for the weekend was an all day choir workshop on Christmas music. No wishing for rain here. We’ve had 7.4 inches already this month!
We ended up having rain all day long, rather heavy rain, which is a good thing, Judy!
We have had rain and high winds all day into the night now…very chilly temps too…right now it is 46 with a real feel of 35…burrr…hope you had fun in Woodstock!
High winds today, Nancy. The wind chimes are constantly going!