Gail Ingis's Blog, page 7
October 11, 2018
Fast and Furious Flash Floods
The emergency notice came loud and clear on my cell phone, Flash Flood WARNING. I didn’t have too far to go from the building where I had been at a meeting. My car was innocently waiting for me under the torrents of rain, so I held my so-called raincoat tight, pulled the hood over my head, mocking myself for leaving my umbrella behind, and raced to the safety of my sweet little Honda Insight. And got soaked.
This wasn’t the day to be driving that small driving machine that still gets fifty-six miles to the gallon, more than my son’s motorcycle. Once in the car, I raced up the hill out of that parking lot that was sure to flood in another five minutes. Traffic was heavy on the avenue, all heading to Connecticut’s truck highway, the infamous Turnpike, I95, the least likely to have a flash flood. It was around 4:30 pm, traffic is usually mega heavy, heaven only knows why the vehicles were not horizontally stacked.
Traffic was moving steadily, but slowly. I got into the middle lane, the safest that would be the last to cover over with water. But it was moving too slow for me, so I maneuvered to the left lane that was practically empty of cars and water. I kept up my speed watching for any sections that were filling with that stuff falling from the thick black clouds.
I only had to go five exits, about thirteen miles. Moved back to the middle, noting the water beginning to fill in my current position, and hung there till I got close to the next slowpoke. I moved back to the left lane that now had one of those tour buses illegally in front of me, but thrilled to have it carve the way. 
Almost at my exit, I moved over and out of the now backed up traffic. It was easy to leave the highway and onto the road home, praying that I wouldn’t drown on any of the streets.
I ran into one significant puddle, but my little car behaved like the Little Engine that Could. It took me straight home with nary an incident. I got the mail and pulled into the garage.
WAIT! I’m not done. On my way up the stairs from the garage, I could see that Tom was outside doing something. I stopped, went back down the steps and turned into the basement, the floor was filled with about an inch of water.
“Oh no.” I traveled all that way, no problem, and found the flash flood inside my basement. Soaking wet through my raincoat, my jeans wet too, I forgot about my condition, put on my snow boots that I keep in the ready and headed to help fix the situation.
Yup, water was filling our basement, the drain outside the back door was clogged. Asked Tom where our wet vac was, got a couple of pails to bail out that water like I was in a sinking boat, while Tom was building a dam to try to stop the water from running into the drain and wishing I had sandbags. I started vacuuming out the water, my priority, and Tom was building a dam, his priority. We survived, both of us soaking wet, but in spite of all this, my Geraniums were blooming in their pot on the deck, a little bit of pink sparkling reminding me that mother nature is amazing.
And how was your rainy day?
Gail Ingis Claus is an author, artist/painter and interior designer. Her upcoming romance The Unforgettable Miss Baldwin will be released in spring 2018. Her current historical romance, Indigo Sky can be purchased on amazon.
A work of art
September 27, 2018
Flash Floods
The emergency notice came loud and clear on my cell phone, Flash Flood warning. I didn’t have too far to go from the building where I had been at a meeting. My car was innocently waiting for me under the torrents of rain, so I held my so-called raincoat tight, pulled the hood over my head, mocking myself for leaving my umbrella behind, and raced to the safety of my sweet little Honda Insight. And got soaked.
This wasn’t the day to be driving that small driving machine that still gets fifty-six miles to the gallon, more than my son’s motorcycle. Once in the car, I raced up the hill out of that parking lot that was sure to flood in another five minutes. Traffic was heavy on the avenue, all heading to Connecticut’s truck highway, the infamous Turnpike, I95, the least likely to have a flash flood. It was around 4:30 pm, traffic is usually mega heavy, heaven only knows why the vehicles were not horizontally stacked.
Traffic was moving steadily, but slowly. I got into the middle lane, the safest that would be the last to cover over with water. But it was moving too slow for me, so I maneuvered to the left lane that was practically empty of cars and water. I kept up my speed watching for any sections that were filling with that stuff falling from the thick black clouds.
I only had to go five exits, about thirteen miles. Moved back to the middle, noting the water beginning to fill in my current position, and hung there till I got close to the next slow poke. I moved back to the left lane that now had one of those tour buses illegally in front of me, but thrilled to have it carve the way. Almost at my exit, I moved over and out of the now backed up traffic. It was easy to leave the highway and onto the road home, praying that I wouldn’t drown on any of the streets.
I ran into one signifcant puddle, but my little car behaved like the Little Engine that Could. It took me straight home with neary an incident. I got the mail and pulled into the garage.
WAIT! I’m not done. On my way up the stairs from the garage, I could see that Tom was outside doing something. I stopped, turned into the basement, the floor was filled with about an inch of water.
“Oh no.” I traveled all that way, no problem, and found the flash flood inside my basement. Soaking wet through my raincoat, my jeans wet too, I forgot about my condition, put on my snow boots that I keep in the ready and headed to help fix the situation.
Yup, water was filling our basement, the drain outside the back door was clogged. Asked Tom where our wet vac was, got a couple of pails to bail out that water like I was in a sinking boat, while Tom was building a dam to try to stop the water from running into the drain and wishing I had sandbags. I started vacuuming out the water, my priority, and Tom building a dam, his priority. We survived, both of us soaking wet, but inspite of all this, my Geraniums were blooming in their pot on the deck, a little bit of pink sparkling reminding me that mother nature is amazing.
And how was your rainy day?
A work of art
September 6, 2018
Why people steal anything, in this case it’s art
This post is applicable to us all. I get these letters frequently, and from time to time love to share with their permission, which is ongoing.
The Letters: Vol. 1 and 2, narrated by Dave Genn, are now available for download on Amazon, here. Proceeds of sales contribute to the production of The Painter’s Keys.
Dear Reader,
A few years ago a thief looked in a gallery window and saw what he thought was a painting by a relatively expensive, dead artist. Using an accomplice to distract the dealer, he grabbed it and fled. It turned out to be one of mine. I know the disappointment he must have felt because the painting soon appeared in a nearby dumpster. This is an example of someone trying to steal something that might have been successfully fenced in an auction or another gallery. I fooled ’em.
“Charing Cross Bridge, London” 1901
by Claude Monet (1840-1926)
stolen in 2012, possibly destroyed
The theft of Edvard Munch’s The Scream and Madonna, from the Oslo Munch Museum is a theft of a different stripe. Impossible to resell, these works can only have been stolen because they could be. In a way, it’s good to know that there are people in this world, like artists, who want to see if they can get away with things — to test the limits of their cleverness. Apparently, it’s also got something to do with stealing the magic that is art. British psychoanalyst Darian Leader explains the phenomena in Stealing the Mona Lisa. His book tells of the poor Italian house painter, Vincenzo Peruggia who, in 1911, merely tucked Mona under his smock and put her in the closet of his humble room. Later he confessed he did it not for money but for the love of a woman.
“Woman-Ochre” 1958
by Willem de Kooning (1904-1997)
stolen in 1985, recovered 2017
Leader also suggests that a painting needs to be properly stolen in order for it to become an icon and irresistibly desirable to a wider public. Further, as most of the thieves are men, the stealing of female imagery takes the psychoanalyst into some sticky stuff. Leader says, “An image is a human-capturing device.” Apparently, thieves as well as artists know this. But maybe some moneyed connoisseur knows it too and is privately slavering over Madonna and Scream along with a Schnapps and a good cigar in a paneled inner sanctum. Meanwhile his clever hit-men are blowing his cash in a bar. Leader concludes that no one does the big jobs for the money.
Of particular interest in the Mona Lisa case, gallery-goers lined up for years to file past the empty space where the painting once hung. That’s sort of modern — conceptual — when you think of it. One thing I do know is that art makes some people go funny and do crazy things. Like the guy who threw mine into the dumpster.
“The Concert” c.1664
by Johann Vermeer (1632-1675)
stolen in 1990, not recovered
Best regards,
Robert
PS: “The Mona Lisa is a magical prize, an amulet to ward off a feeling of insufficiency.” (Craig Burnett)
Esoterica: Stealing, like art itself, is an art. Stealing art is one of the highest of the stealing arts. Books are written and films are made honouring this tradition. To have one’s work stolen is a compliment and can be a big career move. Try to get your stuff stolen.
This letter was originally published as “Why do people steal art?” on August 31, 2004.
A History of Loot and Stolen Art: From Antiquity Until the Present Day
The Letters: Vol. 1 and 2, narrated by Dave Genn, are now available for download on Amazon, here. Proceeds of sales contribute to the production of The Painter’s Keys.
“What’s new is this amazingly efficient distribution system for stolen property called the Internet — and no one’s gonna shut down the Internet.” ()
Gail Ingis Claus is an author, artist/painter and interior designer. Her upcoming romance The Unforgettable Miss Baldwin will be released in spring 2018. Her current historical romance, Indigo Sky can be purchased on amazon.
A work of art
August 30, 2018
Getting Things Write
For the writers out there you know the saying that “good writing is all about rewriting.” I’m currently on my tenth draft of my next book. This one’s not a big rewrite – just fine tuning the romantic bits and bobs. So much fun.
But writers also know that in between the rewrites you need to regenerate your imagination. I like to play my guitar—I’m working on building those old calluses again. And my piano too, even if it’s only to tickle the ivories for a few minutes.
I love tennis, so that’s something else I’m doing to reboot. Not playing. LOL. Although I played for many years and coached as well, now I enjoy just watching the tournaments on TV, while I write. And the biggest one going on for the next two weeks is the US Open. Tonight, Tuesday, 8/28, Federer will play, so I have to hurry back from my ballroom dance class to make sure I don’t miss a minute. Oh, yeah, I also ballroom dance, to stay in shape, well, you know!
Oh, was I talking about writing?
My work-in-progress or WIP, The Unforgettable Miss Baldwin has taken about two years (and counting). One day at a time, one scene at a time. I am also constantly reading one of my hundreds, but who’s counting, craft books, like all those Thesaurus books. Which sometimes sends me down a different path in my writing. I seem to get to where I need to be in the end.
Thank goodness, and doesn’t that feel good to write the end.
Gail Ingis Claus is an author, artist/painter and interior designer. Her upcoming romance The Unforgettable Miss Baldwin will be released in spring 2018. Her current historical romance, Indigo Sky can be purchased on amazon.
A work of art
August 16, 2018
Cool advice for hot burns
I usually write about art and books and the craft of writing but I have something far more pressing at hand. And speaking of hands, I burned mine.
This week was burn week, and that’s not a holiday. Yup. It happened and I couldn’t type very well for a couple of days.
Burning yourself when baking or cooking is usually not part of the recipe, but it’s inevitable if you hang out in the kitchen long enough.
The other day, I removed a cover from a hot frypan and placed it out of reach. I accidentally touched it with my forearm, and sizzz, I scorched myself. A few days before I touched a toaster not realizing it was still hot from making toast and burned four fingers of my left hand. And a few days before that I sizzled when steam from my Michael Graves teapot attacked my right hand. I don’t usually have these issues . . .
The solution is to Be Careful, but accidents happen. I learned long ago as a Girl Scout: Be Prepared.
Magical burn ointment ‘Foille’
So here’s my advice: Foille Medicated First Aid Ointment. I found this product more than fifty years ago, it’s a treasure. I keep it handy in a drawer by the stove, if I burn myself, I take it out of the drawer, the quicker, the better, and slather it onto the burn even if it hurts. Then I just let it do its magic. It will begin to sting, but it’s pulling the burn out. But that goes away quickly. Don’t touch it, let it sit on the burn. Depending on how bad it is, like my hand, second degree for sure, I slathered more on then didn’t touch it for an hour while watching the red disappear. Really. After an hour, maybe a little longer, it was no longer red. Then I wiped away the ointment. My hand was good as new.
Amazon Review 5 Star
This is an amazing product and so difficult to find in the stores. It truthfully does almost everything first aid wise. It takes the heat out of a burn instantly and they never blister for me afterward. I use it instead of all the other wonder antibacterial products and sores, cuts, scrapes, bites … clear up in half the time. I think the reason the stores don’t carry it is because it works so well and you use so little of it that a tube goes a long way, like a year or so, so it doesn’t generate a lot of repeat sales right away. I bought the three tubes because the price is so good I can share with my friends and family by giving it away!
Amazon Review 5 star
If you get sunburn this product really works better than anything I have ever used! You put it on the day you burn if you are using on a a part of your body that has clothes on it wear something you don’t mind getting stained because it will stain your shirt, but it is well worth it.You won’t have blisters and you will get a tan in the end. I have used this for forty some years now. I’m using it on my grandchildren now. You used to be able to buy this in the store and in a can but this is the only place I have been able to find it to buy.
Here’s the amazon link for the ointment: https://amzn.to/2vKxn0v
Until next time – I hope you stay cool. xo Gail.
Gail Ingis Claus is an author, artist/painter and interior designer. Her upcoming romance The Unforgettable Miss Baldwin will be released in the fall of 2018. Her current historical romance, Indigo Sky can be purchased on amazon.
August 9, 2018
What is a Point of View?
If you’re a writer of fiction, you’re familiar with these three letters, POV. My character’s point of view often eludes me. I make the silliest and most obvious POV mistakes, but my editor is swift to point them out. Trust me. I’m biting my nails just thinking about POV. POV can jump from character to character, called “head-hopping.” Enough to confuse the best reader. Some famous authors get away with it, mostly because they know what they’re doing. Or the POV can stay with one character for several paragraphs or a whole chapter. In my story, POV is divided between the heroine Allie Baldwin and the hero Peter Harrison. When there is a switch between characters, I can leave a space, or use asterisks to show the change. But make no mistake, Allie is my star. I would love to be Allie, she’s a powerhouse, and she’s real.
Guess I don’t have to say the story is about Alli. It’s not that she has red hair, but what’s unique, even challenging about her hair, if you can find something unique about ‘hair.’ That’s putting it in simple terms. Every characteristic must be important and unique. Do you like reading about Tom Cruise and his antics? Do you read the social columns? Do you watch Extra on TV? It’s sort of like a biography, what foods does she like, where was she born, what kind of music does she like? What are Allie’s goals? What does she want the world to know? I don’t have to write the book as a biography. I need to know these qualities to write the book. And all this will give my readers a glimpse of how Allie and these great women lived and put up with poor treatment in the late1800s in America. In their day, there were women heroes like Allie fighting for their vote and freedom.
Allie writes for a newspaper in New York City. There were journalists then, heroes indeed. What does she write, is she the Dear Abby of the nineteenth century? Is she a chef and writes about food? Imagine going to a picnic and then writing a critique about the food. How about politics, do you think she would be permitted to get involved with that heavy duty subject? Allie’s has a passion for change. 
Can she balance her desire to make positive changes for women and her life?
The writing of my book is taking longer than anticipated, if I could only get that POV right, but I’m having a good time with this historical romance set in 1886 New York, The Unforgettable Miss Baldwin, Book 1, The Gilded Age Heiresses Series.
Gail Ingis Claus is an author, artist/painter and interior designer. Her upcoming romance The Unforgettable Miss Baldwin will be released in the fall of 2018. Her current historical romance, Indigo Sky can be purchased on amazon.
July 26, 2018
You’re invited to my art show
Art has always been a big part of my life. Guess what? I’m having an art show and you’re invited. Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018, 10 am-5 pm. (rain date Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018). At my house. And the Sangria is on me. If you’re interested in attending and you’re in the area (Fairfield, Connecticut) you can email me directly at gail@gailingis.com.
Join me for my art show COLORFUL VISIONS and celebrate color and beauty in our world.
Art, nature, Sangria. Sounds like fun to me. Hope to see you there. xo Gail
Many of my paintings will be available for purchase, including the ones featured in the postcard above. I will be donating half of all sales of my paintings to Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum. A National Historic Landmark since 1971, the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is regarded as one of the earliest and most significant Second Empire Style country houses in the United States. Lockwood-Mathews holds educational programs throughout the year for schools, colleges, and universities along with other educational groups and for the general public. Lockwood-Mathews also hosts various events throughout the year for the public including art shows, flea markets, tea parties, costume balls, private tours as well as offering guided historical tours of the estate.
Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum
Gail Ingis Claus is an author, artist/painter and interior designer. Her upcoming romance The Unforgettable Miss Baldwin will be released in the fall of 2018. Her current historical romance, Indigo Sky can be purchased on amazon.
July 19, 2018
My Wild Walk on the Beach
Rockaway Beach Morning Shoreline by Maureen E Ritter
I was alone. A sultry day in July, the sun was blazing, the temperature in the nineties. A walk on the beach sounded like a great escape. Sneaking away from my family was no big deal.
Jumping into the soaring waves was refreshing, revitalizing, invigorating. I waited for the next wave, then the next. Giggling at the cool spray that tickled my skin. The heat no longer bothered me after each successive splash of cold water coated my arms and legs. Suddenly, I found myself overcome by a giant wave. Unexpected. Scary. Gasping for air and flailing my arms I couldn’t stop the pull of this force of nature.
Would someone see me and come to my rescue? I hadn’t noticed a lifeguard. Who thinks about that when there’s so much fun to be had. I tried to drag myself out of the frothy water, onto the safety of the beach, but my strength was fading fast. The undertow pulled me farther and farther away from shore.
Rockaway Beach
Desperate. Frightened that I would drown, I fought the waves with all my might, dragging myself back. Finally, I managed to stand and slog my way through the shallows to shore.
I was eight years old.
Since that day, I have told this story hundreds of times. I promised myself I would never take the power of nature for granted ever again. I was pretty tall for my age and was a good swimmer, but it didn’t make a difference. I was at the mercy of the tides. Since then, I never go into the ocean when the waves are bigger than me.
Those lovely old cottages
Jones Beach undertow
My family had a cottage just up the street, in Rockaway Beach, Queens, New York. The experience put a damper on my love of the ocean. The almost-drowning is what I think of whenever I see a gigantic wave today.
I spent many a summer at Jones Beach watching my own kids jump in and out of the waves. I didn’t want to stop their fun or diminish their pleasure, but I was ready at a moment’s notice to leap to the rescue if one of my kids needed me.
Nature is beautiful but it’s also untameable. Wild. Have a safe summer.
Gail Ingis Claus is an author, artist/painter and interior designer. Her upcoming romance The Unforgettable Miss Baldwin will be released in the fall of 2018. Her current historical romance, Indigo Sky can be purchased on amazon.
July 12, 2018
Those super duper roller skates (part 2)
Park Circle Roller Rink. The kids today wear shorts or leggings, but back in the 1950s, the gals wore short skirts, similar to the tennis skirts the women wear today.
Remember those skates I told you about? The ones with the hole in the boot? They stayed with me until they got moldy in a move. I had 
another pair and recently found them in a box in my basement. Unfortunately, they have urethane wheels, which is good for skating on the sidewalk, or pavement – not in a roller rink. For that, you need wooden wheels. So I’m going to track down a pair and switch them out. Update on the wood wheels. I found a pair but they have no bearings. See the empty holes in the picture? We had no way to attach these to my skates.
My roller skates
For now, my skates must keep those urethane wheels. If someone could teach me how to control those wheels so I feel like I’m on my old roller skates and not ice skates, I would be thrilled. When I tried them on, I had to hold onto the kitchen counter for dear life. I already had one hip replaced, not looking for another one.
Thank goodness for the toe stops.
Gail Ingis Claus is an author, artist/painter and interior designer. Her upcoming romance The Unforgettable Miss Baldwin will be released in the fall of 2018. Her current historical romance, Indigo Sky can be purchased on amazon.
July 11, 2018
Those wooden skate wheels
Park Circle Roller Rink. But we wore short skirts back in the 50’s, like we wear for tennis.
Those skates with the hole in the boot stayed with me until they got moldy in a move. I had another pair and recently found them in a box in my basement. Unfortunately, they have urethane wheels, which is good for skating on the sidewalk, or pavement – not in a roller rink. For that, you need wooden wheels. So I’m going to track down a pair and switch them out. This is the latest on the wood wheels. They had no bearings, see the empty holes, we had no way to attach these to my skates.
My roller skates
In the end my skates must keep those urethane wheels. If someone could teach me how to control those wheels so I feel like I’m on my old roller skates and not ice skates, I would be thrilled.
Thank goodness for the toe stops.
A work of art
