And, suddenly, we’re in autumn. Along about mid-August, I stop caring about the look of the gardens. I only pull a weed if it’s in the way somehow. Every plant stays, nothing is pulled, and I let them self-seed and provide food and shelter for the birds and critters during the winter months.
Of course, raking must be done eventually. But let’s not go there yet.
I’m never ready for winter, but I am ready for fall. Bring it on.
I finished up my part of the 2020 deductions. Heaven knows what they’ll allow now. I’m hoping that the Biden administrations puts back some of the performing arts/freelancer deductions that they took away. Don is finishing up his deductions and I’ll send the whole ball of wax off to our accountant later this morning.
I also have to do some prep for my 12 noon coaching session with Ben.
It rained overnight and it’s supposed to rain tomorrow and the next day. Sigh.
Things on my mind, a running list of things to do before I head to NYC: show Don how I water the indoor plants so that he doesn’t overwater them, give him a watering schedule for indoor and outdoor porch plants, tell him when to pay the bills, encourage him to vacuum, dust, and clean the bathroom while I’m away, show him how to position the blanket on our California King bed (because we couldn’t find an affordable blanket in that size, this one goes on sideways.) There will be more things on that list and I’m not leaving for five weeks, but you know how it is.
It will be strange, as we haven’t been apart from each other since I spent a night in Hartford right before lockdown and we certainly haven’t been away from each other for any length of time since Margaritaville. While I was going through our bank records to look for deductions, it struck me: I could tell exactly when we went into lockdown. We were going along swimmingly until mid-March and then, bam! We were home. I also had to check my planner pages and I saw notes like “big grocery run” and “Don: last minute run before lockdown.” Then on the next day: “eerily quiet around here.”
The before times.
I’ve always had a planner of some sort. The kind of planner has changed over the years, but the recording of each day – list of things to do, schedules, important notes, impressions of the day, quotes to remember, what I’m reading – has never changed. When I consult them for some reason, I see a visual of my life. I’m not a journal writer – this blog serves as a sort of visual journal – but boy oh boy, do I love my planner. It sure comes in handy at tax time, too. I can look back and see what dates I worked on a show, when I was out of town, the exact date something happened. It’s a memory refresher and I find I need that more and more as I get older.
Alright, my friends. I’m off to do some prep work.
But I have to include this:
Just because she’s so darned cute.
Stay safe.
Happy Tuesday.
I water my indoor plants on Wednesdays each week. I call it “watering Wednesday” and it makes it easy for me to remember when I watered last. I was always watering too little or too much so this system works better for me.
I wish Sophie could smile :)
Stay safe!
Every ten days for me or they’re overwatered. So I mark it on the calendar.
Stay safe Ellen!
Her eyes match the pottery! :)
I know!
Stay safe, Betsy.
Wow! Look at your leaves! We have just noticed leaves changing here. Heading up to visit in the mountain aspens today to see if they are changing yet. We live in one of those places everyone comes to see autumn and it will be bumper to bumper up there soon. So we just go early and see the lovely bright green with yellow/orange edging. Quite pretty with a blue blue sky background.
My husband uses a quiet electric leaf blower to blow all the leaves up against a hedge for my pick up. That has helped so much. We have a tiny yard with with no trees, but the neighbors 4 massive trees seem to like our yard best when it’s leaf drop time.
We, too, have a smaller quilt turned sideways. Hahahah. We lived in a 850 sq ft house once upon a time and learned lots of secrets about space.
Enjoy your day!
We are also in a place where tons of people come to look at the leaves.
It’s already about to start!
Stay safe, Verna.
You seem super busy, Claudia; lots coming up on your plate. Such a diff from the past eighteen months. It’ll be a real shift for you. But change is good. I just pray for your safety in the big city but am comforted to know you’re a smart girl and know how to take all the precautions (I’m speaking of Covid/Delta of course; life has to go on in this pandemic, somehow, though!).
Oh, I’ll be fine. I will be wearing a mask, as do a lot of New Yorkers. I’m more worried about 12 and 13 hour days on the set. That will take some getting used to!
Stay safe, Vicki.
It’s going to be fun to live ‘vicariously’ through your Fall/Winter-NYC adventures here on the blog. I need it! Most of the time, I’m content; but, today, I had a mini meltdown over something so stupid as, once again, the curbside grocery pickup dumping about half my list (I am SO over curbside pickup; fed up). I was ranting about how I want to go pick out my own groceries again (I’m well aware that others never skipped a beat on this and always went inside the stores); how I want my life back (after 18 mos of self-imposed lockdown); how I want ‘my’ normal back; and I became enraged (I know this isn’t good for my health) over anti-vaxers who are preventing the rest of us from living the life we deserve (they don’t get that right anymore; I’m fed up with them, too), especially at this later age when every single moment of every single day is precious. I had to curb the urge to get on email with my anti-vax cousins and give them a full dose of my fury; of course I didn’t. But I became so struck by the monotony of my life, and will my husband and I suffocate or go insane from the sameness if this awful pandemic never goes away.
Clearly, I could use a vacation. Or something. At least I’ll be able to read about you and Don having a resumption of the NYC fun you began to have when he, too, once had the apartment for Escape to Margaritaville/Broadway. I’m hoping, on your days off, you can both still go in corner cafes, wonderful stand-alone shops full of unique things (especially the bookstores!); discoveries of neighborhood parks for walks. (That Don can come often, and maybe stay a week or 10 days at a time? Could your friends with the dog take him back and forth to the train, so your Pilot could stay at the cottage? I understand parking is at a premium of course, inside the City.) And, yes, I realize it’ll be colder and there won’t be the blooming flowers of Spring, but NYC always looks intriguing to me in the wintertime, too. And didn’t they even write a song about Autumn in New York? (Sinatra; dreamy; beautiful song.) I am GLAD for you, to have this job, to have this other kind of ‘shot in the arm’ for the last quarter of 2021, infusing something new and invigorating, which will ultimately make coming back home to the cottage even sweeter.
I was thinking of, wow, yes, how much you’ll have to do at the onset, like even stocking your apartment fridge. Bringing in touches of home like you’ve done before; I seem to remember this from years ago when you would go to Hartford? Will the first time in, you’ll go with Don in the Pilot to cart all your stuff for the apartment? I imagine so, as he’ll want to see your digs, too. I’d love this kind of excitement and entertainment in my life right now; you’re gonna have a bang-up time, Claudia!!
I don’t know if I’ll do much in the way of decorating. I will be working long 12 – 13 hour days and I suspect that most of the time, I’ll come home, take a bath, and go to bed. I won’t have nearly as much spare time as I did when I worked in Hartford. Filming is completely different. It will basically be a place to sleep, though I will have days off. But Don will definitely visit. He’s looking forward to being there without the pressure of performing every night in a show. This time, I’ll be the one working, and he can be the one with free time in which to explore.
Stay safe, Vicki.
What a tremendously busy period when we prepare to be away for a bit and hope nothing dies in our absence! I’m sure Don will take good care of things while you are gone. All that tax work takes such awhile. Glad it’s done and soon you can shuffle it off on the CPA.
I’m home for three days before going back north and realizing how much more a house is to care for than a cottage. The garden is a mess and shortly I’ll go out and whack down the faded sunflowers and overgrowth. I’ll have to tackle the front yard (the west side) tomorrow. I’m hoping to dig out a little bit of fall to put up today. It’s too early for full fall decorating but it could use a little change up! Have a wonderful week.
And I don’t want Don clearing the gutters without me here to spot him. So we’ll have to do some of that before I leave and then wait until I’m home for the weekend.
Enjoy being home, Jeanie. Stay safe!
I insisted that my husband not clean the gutters
It is too scary.
The best thing to be do is to hire someone. It is not that expensive.
As you age it is better to hire out some work.
We don’t need to do that yet. When it’s time, we will. But right now, it’s completely doable.
Stay safe.
I just glanced out the window and we are having an incredible sunset. They sky is a blazing orange. So pretty. It gets dark so much earlier these days. We are to be near 90* again this weekend and a few days next week, too. So ready for some cooler temps as is everyone, it seems. Would like to put a few of my pumpkins out in the house over the next week or so. I think about it, but then I remember that there is always tomorrow!! Take care.
Yes, it’s going to be hot here today – with storms.
Stay safe, Chris!
Life has changed so much in the last few years and we aren’t done yet. Not sure how much we will ‘get back to normal’ or even if I want to go back to that normal. Some things yes, seeing friends and family, occasional shopping without fear of getting close to anyone and being able to travel (I miss my daughter in Canada so much). So happy for some cooler weather. The next 5 weeks will fly by!
They will. Too quickly, I fear. I need to get used to the idea of being away.
Stay safe, Linda.
Claudia. I haven’t commented on your blog in quite some time. After i retired i stopped spending time online because my entire career was computer based. I took up pottery and love my new hobby. I have checked in on your blog a few times to catch up on your happenings because i find you immensely interesting. I mentioned to you once that i have a dollhouse that my great grandfather made for my Aunt. It needs to be restored. It comes with furniture he also built and some antique porcelain babies/dolls. I would like to gift this to you because i know you would give it the love it needs. I’m outside Hartford CT and could meet you midway to give it to you. Would you be interested in giving it the love it needs?
Oh, Karen, what a lovely offer. If I had the space here, I’d jump at the opportunity. But, I don’t. I recently bought a huge dollhouse that I’m going to restore and there simply isn’t room for another one. There really isn’t room for the one I just bought! I wonder if someone else who reads the blog – my friend Barbara and her sister – would be interested? They live not far from Hartford. Let me know what you think. If you could send photos to me at my email address, I could pass them on. It’s Claudiasparks444(at)yahoo.com.
Thank you again for thinking of me. It must be a real treasure and I’m honored you thought of me.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying being a potter!
Stay safe, Karen.
Claudia thanks for your response. I forgot to check the box that says notify by email when you respond so i just had the chance to come back and read it. I will work on pictures and send them via email soon. I really want to give it to someone who will give it the love it needs. Thanks.
Thank you, Karen!
xo