This was my view as I sat in Don’s chair watching over this girl:
Worn and scuffed up wide plank pine floors courtesy of Riley and Scout. Thank you very much.
Even with moving back and forth from the office to the living room, I managed to finish my work on Act 4. One more to go.
The sheets arrived. Check. The books and a few other things from Amazon arrived. Check. The hose for the vacuum is still on its way. I have a lot of things to gather together and/or buy before I leave on Monday. Oy. It’s always exhausting, this prep for an extended stay away from home.
Did you see the Sherlock special on PBS on New Year’s Day? Brilliant, as always. We really loved it. Did you see The Kennedy Center Honors earlier that week? It’s always our favorite television show of the year. This year did not disappoint and if you missed Aretha Franklin’s performance of (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, get Googling and find it on YouTube. Now. It was simply extraordinary. I’m not exaggerating when I say my mouth literally dropped open as I watched her sing.
Darko Tresnjak, my friend and the director of Romeo and Juliet, was in the audience that night and he said that as stunning as it was on television, her voice was even more powerful live – it rocked the entire theater. She puts all those singers who rely on auto-tune to shame. All she has to do is stand there and let it rip. She’s the real deal.
Last night’s sky was truly a Maxfield Parrish sky:
Beautiful.
New post up on Just Let Me Finish This Page: On the Simon Serrailler Series by Susan Hill.
Happy Thursday.
Hi Claudia, glad your sheets and books arrived. Hopefully the hose soon (that sounds funny). I have always loved Aretha – a gorgeous powerhouse. I’m beginning to notice a slight lenghtening in the days now (especially since we’ve had sun this week – yay!!). Beautiful evening sky. There’s something about a winter sky that I love. It seems sharper/crisper (or maybe that’s me, feeling crisper) than a summer sky (also beautiful itself). I’m thankful to live in a place where I experience all four seasons.
I thought the same thing last night, Vera. It was staying light a bit longer! Hurrah! I love all four seasons, as well.
I make lists and more lists when I’m getting ready to travel. Glad you are getting things checked off yours. I know this is going to be a hard trip for you but hopefully the work will keep you busy and time will fly by.
hugs,
Linda
I am getting excited about the work, Linda. That helps.
OH MY GOODNESS!! The Kennedy awards are my favorite too!! Aretha Franklin was AMAZING!! I had chills from the head right down to the tips of my toes….loved it when she took off her fur…LOL…. She rocked the house!
She was incredible!
I’m a little behind on your blog…where will you be going this time and for how long? I will definitely look up Aretha singing that song on youtube. She’s amazing.
Hartford for five weeks to work on Romeo and Juliet, Melanie.
You have quite the view from Don’s chair! I didn’t catch Sherlock…but I dvr’d it…I love that show! I’ll have to check out Aretha on you tube…don’t remember why I missed it. I didn’t realize you were leaving so soon…but, hopefully the time will go quickly for you…and you can get back to that view! ;)
Leaving too soon, Donnamae! Ah well. It will be fun once I get into rehearsals.
Beautiful sky picture. I did miss Aretha so thanks for telling me. I’ll get on to YT.
It’s worth your while, Barbara!
I know you love the work, but I know how difficult it will be to not be home for such a length of time. Hopefully you will be able to get home a couple of times to just touch base. I know that will do your heart good. And it will certainly make Don & sweet Scout very happy as well!
The days are getting longer. Each day some daylight is added to our 24 hours now, and that is a good thing, indeed.
I can only imagine what your “to do” lists look like!I hope you will have a productive day.
Oh, and Aretha was AMAZING. Sometimes when I see performers who have been around for a while perform….. I hold my breath a bit just hoping and praying it will be as good as I know it can be. I should have known better than to have any iota of a doubt. Again….. AMAZING!!
At, I think, the age of 73, she’s as powerful as ever.
I’m determined to get home as much as I can – we’ll see how it works out.
I’m glad you’re getting things sorted for your trip. I, unfortunately, missed the shows you referenced. I really like Aretha so I’m sorry I missed it. Hubby is a HUGE Sherlock fan, we’ve even been to his place on Baker Street in London. It looks just like the books describe it! My favorite photo today is Miss Scout. She looks so happy, comfortable and content. She knows she is well loved.
Blessings,
Betsy
She is definitely well-loved. She’s the apple of our eye.
I enjoyed seeing the photo of a sleeping Scout. I often stare at Bentley when he is sound asleep. So sweet, innocent and peaceful. Love covered with fur.
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
I love watching doggies sleep. They are so sweet.
Isn’t checking off items on the To Do list satisfying? I will re-watch the Sherlock episode this Sunday. What a back and forth merry-go-round ride that was! I was needlepointing while watching and looked down to do one stitch.. By the time I looked up, it was onto another scene….hey, what happened?!?
It is – but I haven’t checked enough items off yet! But I did finish my preliminary work on all of R & J, so that feels very good, indeed. We often watch Sherlock twice because it moves so fast and the dialogue is so sharp and funny that you can definitely miss things.
I never miss The Kennedy Center Honors! The tribute to Carol King this year was my favorite part. Aretha rocked the house!!!
We accidentally missed them last year, Beverly, and we felt terrible! This year I put a reminder on my computer calendar/app so I wouldn’t forget!
Hi there, just listened to Aretha…still tingling! ??????
Absolutely amazing, right?
Sweet Scout! I love those types of quiet mornings. Just a little time to sit in appreciation of all God’s blessings.
I did see the Sherlock special… We left our family gathering in a enough time to get home and settled in for it. It was so good. I’m glad they finally addressed the drug use- for such a long time, I thought they would just leave it with him being a smoker. But, I appreciate them adhering to the original writings of Sir Conan Arthur Doyle. I did not see the KC honors… I’ll have to go and watch that.
Enjoy your time at home… Before you go.
I will, Pat. Only three more days at home until I have to leave! Looking forward to the work, but absolutely DO NOT LIKE leaving my home and family.
I emailed my husband You tube of Aretha singing, I am upstairs he has played it three times oops no 4 times. Wow, all these singers who go on the “Voice” do not have THE VOICE of that woman not even close. I think her voice is better now! WOW.
She blows them all out of the water, Mary!
The Kennedy Center Honors – and the American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award – are probably my favorite TV programs of the year too! So much so that I’ll check and re-watch all or parts of them on YouTube throughout the year. Or look up programs for other years there at well. I heart YouTube for a lot of reasons, but this opportunity alone is a BIG one. I’m hoping the awards from the really early years will eventually be “YouTubed” as well. If I’m not mistaken both began in the mid to late 70s. ⭐️
I especially loved the AFI awards when they first started – they were longer and a bigger deal. I still vividly remember the one for Fred Astaire – my favorite for many years. I contacted The Kennedy Center once to see if they released the awards on DVD, but they don’t and have no plans to. Darn it!
I have the AFI Award for Fred Astaire on videotape, but I think it’s probably unviewable now.
Sherlock and Aretha were both amazing. We did not get to see the Kennedy Center Award program but caught Aretha’s performance on line. She never, ever, disappoints.
That is a beautiful picture of Scout. She looks so peacefully pretty in the sunshine.
Hope you next few days are enjoyable ones at home and that it is not too hectic preparing for your trip.
Well, I’m trying to prepare in chunks of time. I’ve finished the script, I’m going to run some errands tomorrow. Do wash on the weekend, and get any last minute things that I’ve somehow missed. Pack up the car Monday morning and, on the way to Hartford, stop at Trader Joe’s and get some food. Oy.
Your blue McCoy looks so ice on the piano top, with the blues picking up on each other from the framed painting/print.
I can remember Mom getting us ready (when I was a kid) to be on vacation somewhere for a couple of weeks…nothing as long as you’re having to prep for…and being somewhat exhausted before we ever left the house, with her saying it was a lot of work getting everything amassed and packed for four people (usually also including food/linens/towels and first-aid supplies/toys/books if, say, we were renting a cabin or beach house [with no stores anywhere nearby]…or even just packing the cooler with food for picnic lunches on the road [frugal ways for family travel]), the dog ready for boarding (usually with a neighbor or friend, thankfully, if we couldn’t take her), arrangements for newspaper/mail delivery in our absence, not leaving the house in disarray and having to return to a mess, etc. It took a lot of planning and organization, and she was really good at that, so we were lucky!
Weather update: Rained all day yesterday and all night here in SoCalif. HEAVY rain. Cloudy now, and a rain break til Saturday. It has soaked in but we’ve got areas of muddy mess. This has GOT to help the trees now. And we have SNOW on our far mountains; seems like years since I’ve seen it. Incredibly beautiful. ( Well, it has to be at least four years, because it’s been four years of unrelenting drought.)
What day are you actually leaving?
I should have read the other comments first; it looks like you’re off to Hartford this coming Monday.
xo
I’m so hoping the rain helps all the flora and fauna in Southern California.
Yes, I’m leaving on Monday – probably late morning or noonish. I like to get settled and have dinner and relax so that I’m rested for the first day of rehearsal because, after that, it’s very long days.
OMG, I am SO glad you mentioned the Aretha performance. I’d missed the show. I just watched it on youtube and I had tears. (As did Carole King, who also seemed to be astounded that Aretha accompanied herself on piano!) I think she’s looked the best in years and she blew everybody out of their seats, just like sometime back…was it like 15 years ago or something; the Oscars or the Grammys??…when she pinched-hit for Pavarotti on Nessun Dorma and I was screaming in my living room; couldn’t believe what I was hearing from her, it was so incredible, and the audience was on their feet for a long, long standing ovation. I remember reading about it…we were all so taken by surprise, as I’m sure was she, with mere minutes of notice to go out there AND SING THAT when Pavarotti had to cancel at the last minute. I never thought I’d ever be hearing a Puccini aria coming from Aretha but it was one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments I’ll never forget.
President Obama was crying. As were others. She is friggin’ incredible.
Your girl is so beautiful! She ALWAYS makes me smile.
Me too, Jane.
I did watch the Kennedy Center Honors and the tribute to Carole King – Aretha’s performance was awesome. Have a great week in Hartford. I live about 8 miles outside Hartford.
Oh, I’ll be there for five weeks, Karen!