The tree. Finished. We hung the ornaments in the late morning hours yesterday and then hauled all the bins back to the storage facility. It’s really a perfectly shaped tree – if I didn’t know better, I’d be inclined to think it was artificial. It’s also the perfect size for this little area in front of the french doors. This is a small house and every bit of it is used, so finding a place for the tree is always a challenge. We used to put it in the corner of the den, but that space is now taken up with my first dollhouse – Hummingbird Cottage.
And that’s all I’m doing for several days – except to clean up the outdoor pots and put some of the furniture on the porch. I’ll probably do that tomorrow.
The hardest part of working on the film was the long hours. I was routinely gone for at least 15 hours. 12 hour workdays on the set are the norm, and there are times we worked 13 or 14 hours. Add in time to get ready in the morning, a commute of an hour – minimum – from and to Brooklyn, sometimes having to grab an Uber at 1 am because the trains didn’t stop at my local station after 11:30 (they were doing track maintenance,) and you can see the kind of days I had every week. I don’t know how the crew members who routinely do this kind of work manage to do it day in and day out. Of course, I’m much older than most of them, so there’s that. Believe me, Don, who understands, had to be a listening ear to my constant tales of exhaustion. He was great. So was Annie. They both said “You can do it!!!” in texts and on the phone. They were my cheerleaders.
It was so hard. And I feel the effects of it now. My body is slowly letting go of the past six weeks and it now craves rest and sleep. I nod off in the afternoon. I constantly nod off in the evening. That’s okay. I need to rest.
I don’t know how I did it, but I did, and I’m really, really proud of myself. I don’t think I’d want to do it again, but who knows? What made this all worth it was getting the chance to work with Jim and Ben. It was personal for me and that somehow kept me going.
Of course, getting to work with Sally Field and Bill Irwin was pretty darned wonderful as well. I can’t imagine two nicer or more talented people.
All my plans for exploring Manhattan and Brooklyn had to be whittled down to one day a week because by the time I reached Saturday, my first day off, all I could do was sit around the apartment. I was incapable of doing more.
I’ve never had a baby, but I imagine this is much like that experience in that you forget about the labor pains once you hold your child in your hands. I am slowly forgetting about the hours and the exhaustion and, in fact, didn’t feel any of that on the last day of filming because there was such a feeling of celebration amongst us. Job well done by all!
The people I met and worked with, the kindness shown to me by everyone, the privilege of watching each scene being filmed on our monitors, running on the set to give Ben a note, joking around with Jim and Ben, laughing constantly with Michael Ausiello, the author of the book the movie is based on, watching Michael Showalter, the director, work, watching the incredible crew members do their magic, watching Sally and Bill – so amazing, seeing Jim and Ben doing brave and brilliant work – those are the memories I will hold close to my heart.
One more thing:
The girls put up their own Christmas tree. They’ve been busy!
Stay safe.
Happy Thursday.
kathy in iowa says
very happy for you to have had those experiences … and to now be on the other side of them, giving yourself time to rest and process such a big thing!
the trees look beautiful! the frame behind it helps showcase the white tree and that music cabinet is a great place for the five girls.
hope you keep taking it easy.
i need to finish shopping for presents today.
and keep looking for a job. ugh.
got caught in a high-wind event last night and some rain. was out getting my covid booster, came home to a power outage that lasted for hours. there are nice people in my building, some of whom helped me get my garage door open so i didn’t have to leave my car outside. am thankful for them and that the power is back on.
onward.
hope you, don and everyone else have a good day.
kathy
Claudia says
Thank goodness for kind neighbors!
Stay safe, Kathy.
Sue says
Your tree and your girls are beautiful! Have a restful, safe and happy holiday season.
Claudia says
Thank you, Sue.
Stay safe.
Janis says
Beautiful tree!
Claudia says
Thank you Janis.
Stay safe.
April Baldwin says
Your tree is very pretty! And the girls look great in front of their tree! What a great experience you had on set. Enjoy your holiday time at home with your hubby.
Claudia says
Thank you, April.
Stay safe.
Judy Clark says
So proud of you! Tree is beautiful. Get some rest. Merry Christmas!
Claudia says
Thank you Judy!
Stay safe.
Ellen D. says
Tree looks great! Enjoy your rest and relaxation!
Claudia says
Thank you, Ellen.
Stay safe.
Brendab says
Baby comment so cute…when one has a child there are constant 25/7 days…one becomes used to it and loves every minute…same with teaching…I started in late 40’s and even in 60’s worked high school and university same time…grading all hours…loved it…I am sure you would be great if you did it again…I have two married with five grands…love it love it…enjoy your time off…hope you get to read and relax…granddaughter is moving Jan 1…she and two of the women she interned with at NYU this summer will share an apartment in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn near a nice park…she has been working for the publisher from home for months…dreams come true…
Claudia says
Oh, I’m not talking about the days, just being in labor!
Stay safe, Brenda.
Denise S says
Your tree looks so pretty! I love seeing Monty in the photos. I wish I could find one like him. He’s adorable. The girls look cute sitting in front of their tree. Could you post their names in the order they are sitting? (I’m terrible at remembering names.) The one with the violet hair has the sweetest expression. She looks like the little sister of the group.
So glad you are getting some rest!
Claudia says
Starting from the right:
Sophie, Maeve, Imogen, Olivia (Livvy), and Zoe.
I think Livvy is indeed the little sister!
Stay safe Denise.
ceci says
So many of the dolls look anxious – a sign of the times perhaps.
Thank you for sharing the trees and stories of your filming experiences.
ceci
Claudia says
No, it has nothing to do with the times. It’s just the way Blythe dolls look. And when they’re customized, they look serious or slightly worried – Zoe does because of the way her eyebrows go up. Frankly, I like them that way. Smiling dolls are less interesting to me.
Stay safe, Ceci.
Judy says
Your tree is perfection! And yes, those little girls have been busy indeed!
Claudia says
Goodness knows what they’ll be up to next!
Stay safe, Judy.
NYCgirl says
Congratulations on being home with your other half, seeing relaxation in your future :)
Also glad you are out of the city now…the daily counts are awe-inspiring, and not in a good way. Sigh. Schools, Lincoln Center, Broadway, positive cases all over the place. Enough already. Hoping the Met (Opera) requiring audiences to be boostered — which should these days be what “fully-vaxxed” actually means— will inspire other institutions to do the same!
Taking many deep breaths (which is sometimes hard to remember to do).
Yay for musical gifts <3 how lovely.
Ok, I’m done now. Thank you for reading. Stay well!
Claudia says
It’s frightening how quickly the numbers are multiplying!
Please stay safe, Naomi! Stay vigilant. I’m hearing a lot about people who are testing positive that are fully vaxxed and boostered.
xo
Claudia
Lynda says
Your tree is so pretty. I like the way you arranged fabric around the base. The tree you put out front looks very cute.
Suzanne says
Hi Claudia,
Just want to say that your photo of the girls and the white tree they put up would make an adorable Christmas card!
Hugs,
Suzanne
Claudia says
Ah, thank you, Suzanne!
Stay safe.
jeanie says
I LOVE that the girls have their own tree. I adore your ornaments and the placement of your own tree and I celebrate your long awaited time to rest and recuperate. I don’t see how you did those hours. Even when I was at my peak, those would be long days. Who knows? Maybe in a different time (like not November/December), it might be a fun thing to do again with the right people. And maybe it’s just that wonderful experience that you hold close and cherish. Either way, it’s a win-win.
So, settle in. Be cozy. Pick up a book or prime a dollhouse or just be. You deserve it!
Claudia says
Thank you, Jeanie.
By the way, MSU is blocking my replies to your comments. Something about validating a security control. I’m not sure why it’s suddenly an issue, but thought I’d let you know.
Stay safe!