Blue Skies Smiling at Me

 

The beautiful Hudson River, ten miles above New York City

When I look across the Hudson, I  see the landscape paintings of the Hudson River School, first inspired by this area and the area north, the Catskill Mountains. It's not still wilderness -- you can see  the sprinkling of houses among the forests -- but the area remains preserved for the last 200 years. Thomas Cole, who is generally considered the first painter of this school of landscape painting, might recognize the area. 

My birthday was in July, but I spent yesterday enjoying lunch in a beautiful restaurant with this river view. It's a quick trip from Manhattan, but it seemed a world away. 

Giant sunflowers greeted us when we arrived. Great Italian cuisine and a fabulous dessert splurge, Apple and blackberry crisp with vanilla gelato. Worth every calorie. I try to eat sensibly most of the time, but I will only turn 70 once.  

I'm not a sailor, but this marina might convince me otherwise

I loved the meal and the company, but the view -- this time
looking north to Manhattan -- and the beautiful summer sky
 made my day complete. 

We finished the day with a quick supermarket stop. I had my pick of several new varieties of yogurt and found a few items I hadn't seen in any of my grocery shopping in Manhattan. I plan to blog about my finds in the next few days. I also am planning to continue my posts about new varieties of favorite foods, inspired by our blogger friend, Ginny. 

Goodbye to August and soon it will be goodbye to summer. It was still warm enough for flip flops and shorts today and I definitely enjoyed it.  Each warm day means being able to sit outside and meet a friend for a visit or have an iced coffee at one of the local places.

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care. 

Pink Saturday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

 Please meet the Kidrobot Dunny Collection at the Metropolitan Museum Gift Shop

We spent a serious day of museum going yesterday and today we'll start with  Pink Saturday fun at the gift shop. I had the gift shop to all to myself and discovered the Kidrobot Dunny collection created for the 150th Anniversary of the museum. The collection includes figures with Mondrian designs and Van Gogh's Irises.

On a more practical note, these sweatshirts would make a 

nice souvenir or gift from New York City. 

I never grow tired of Renoir's Two Young Girls at the Piano and was happy to see this beautiful painting again.

Another favorite is  Louis Comfort Tiffany's stained glass window, Autumn Landscape. I'm attaching a link to information and a short audio done by the curator of American Decorative Arts discussing Tiffany's work in glass that I found especially interesting. 

I had, what I am confident, was my last 70th birthday celebration for  2020 today and enjoyed a wonderful day north of New York City. Beautiful restaurant, great company and gorgeous weather. I took a lot of pictures and will be sharing them tomorrow for my last August post. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and wishes for a happy and healthy week.  

The Happiest Day of 2020 (Thus Far)

 

The Great Hall of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Yesterday was the first day of 2020 that I visited the Metropolitan Museum. I was at the Museum several times in December and didn't get there in either January or February. March turned into "stay at home" days and then my visits became virtual. But our numbers have stayed flat in New York City and the museums have begun to open. Thursday and yesterday were days reserved for members and I was there when the museum opened at noon. 

A section of the Greek and Roman antiquities 

The entrance was not the usual one, which is up the front steps and into the Great Hall in the picture above. We used a different entrance and this was my sight when I first entered the galleries. For that moment -- and for many others during my visit -- I literally had the museum all to myself. 

I put this exhibit on my list for my visits in the future. 

The Temple of Dendur and the view of Central Park

My two goals for my time at the museum were to visit the Temple of Dendur and the American Wing. One of my favorite parts of the museum is the section of American Decorative Arts and even on days when every inch of the museum was packed with people, it was rare to see more than a dozen people there. My instincts were correct. There were few people and lots of seating. I needed to be out of my apartment for most of the day because of construction and I happily read a magazine in air conditioned comfort in the room below. It's not my personal reading room, but it comes close. I now know where I can find a beautiful and quiet place to read. 

My new reading room, with a view of John Vanderlyn's 

Panoramic View of Versailles and gardens

I got very carried away with photography yesterday and next week there will be several posts about my visit. We'll return for Pink Saturday tomorrow and later in the week we'll visit the newly renovated galleries for British Decorative Arts, which opened on March 2.

I've always appreciated the Metropolitan Museum, but until the last few months didn't realize how much it meant to me. It seemed that it would always be there, just a bus ride across the park. As with  so many places and experiences in my life, I've learned that they are all gifts to be treasured.

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care.

Five Years Later: When Is An Oreo Not an Oreo?

 

(Almost) All Oreos, all the time 

Five years ago I asked the question, "When is an Oreo not an Oreo?" We didn't quite settle the matter, but it came back into my consciousness during a visit to Target on Monday. I still think of an Oreo as two thin chocolate wafers surrounding a creme filling, but I may be one of the few that still believe that. 

First the carrot cake Oreos caught my eye...

Then I noticed the chocolate marshmallow

 with marshmallow pieces...

Next I saw the limited edition Maple Creme...

And though Halloween seems far away, 

Halloween Oreos are close by.

Oreo Boo!

I'm going to take a stand on this issue. An Oreo isn't carrot cake or have marshmallow pieces in the filling, as delicious as both sound to me. These variations are assorted sandwich cookies. I asked this question on Instagram, and one of my friends vouched for the lemon "Oreo." I respect her opinion, but to me, an Oreo will always be chocolate cookies and a creme filling. What are your thoughts? If you've tried one (or more) of the variations, which is your favorite?

I know that there are many more pressing issues at this moment, but I need a break from news, worry and the almost daily construction in my apartment, and think some of you may also need a time out from all that 2020 has thrown your way. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and take care. Love and prayers especially to blog friends in Louisiana and Texas. 

Dragon Fruit Pink Saturday

Let's meet the dragon fruit

 

 I first discovered the dragon fruit while perusing one of the grocery stores in the neighborhood a few years ago. This unusual and unknown collection was sitting in a basket calling out to me to take one home. They were pricey, but I was intrigued and one came home with me. 

I've since discovered that the dragon fruit is low in calories and sugar. It's also high in fiber and magnesium and has a host of useful antioxidants. Though it's grown in tropical and semi-tropical climates, the fruit is not especially sweet. The article I attached a link to describes it as a cross between a pear and a kiwi. 

Though it looks like it could injure you in preparing it, it's very easy to cut up and eat. It's nothing like cutting up a pineapple. I've now found them at the local fruit vendors and they are much less pricey. The fruit found at street vendors is often near the end of ripeness and need to be eaten quickly. This was one of my best bargains of the week at three for a dollar. 

The pink rind peels right off and the fruit is ready for eating. 

As long as we're chatting about preparing food, I'll give the latest update on the gas line project to restore gas to my building. I thought I knew about every step that needed to take place, but after two more visits by the contractors to look at the pipes, I discovered that there is another step. On Tuesday heavier machinery will be brought in to drill between the floors. My building was built in 1911 and is very sturdy, and that makes drilling between floors more difficult. We've been warned that this is a bigger project than the last construction, but I'm trying to stay optimistic that the outcome will be as dustless as the last project was.     

It's still summer, but not the hot and humid days of July. I've had two fun times with friends in the last few days and though we can use the rain, the week ahead is not as conducive to out of doors activities. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and thanks for joining the Pink Saturday fun. Friends in Colorado and California, prayers for safety from the fires and Gulf Coast friends, safety from the hurricanes. Take care, all, and stay well.  

100 for the 19th

Susan B. Anthony's home in Rochester, New York

Today marks the 100th anniversary of Tennessee voting to become the final state needed to ratify the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution. The 19th Amendment said that the right to vote cannot be determined by gender. After decades of activity many women in America would now be "given" the right to vote. There were twenty states where women already had the right to vote, including the trail blazing state of Wyoming which passed legislation in 1869, quickly followed by Utah in 1870 and Colorado by referendum in 1893. I grew up in Connecticut and always thought of it as a very progressive state, but just realized it was behind many other states. 

I've always valued the right to vote and still remember going to the polls with my parents when I was in elementary school. But I never thought about what it meant to women of my mother's generation, some of whom could remember when the 19th Amendment was enacted. 

But the this Amendment didn't give the right to vote to all women.  In states with Jim Crow laws, Black women (and men) didn't get the right to vote until the Civil Rights Act of 1965 was passed, an event I can remember. I watched history take place all around me for the monumental right to vote. 

I raise a toast to Susan B. Anthony and the many women who pushed to ensure that my mother and I and my generation would be able to vote. I also raise a toast to those who kept pushing so that forty-five years after the 19th Amendment was passed, the right to vote was extended to those who had been waiting to be able to vote.

Primary Day selfie, September 2018

We didn't have these cute stickers when I first voted in 1972, and that first ballot was absentee while I lived in Tennessee for graduate school. But to the best of my recollection I've only missed one vote, a primary vote for Mayor in 2009. During my working years I generally voted in the morning so nothing could come up later in the day to keep me from the polls. For a number of years I worked for an elected official and election days were busy days. I definitely didn't want to miss voting.  

I've been fascinated reading about this chapter in history. I became so intrigued in researching this post that it's now officially the day after Tennessee's ratification. I'm adding a link to my graduate alma mater's page on Nashville and Vanderbilt's commemoration this month. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care. Stay safe and keep cool.

Pink Chicken Saturday

 

This window at Pink Chicken caught my eye...

One of the things I've missed the most during the long, long last six months is traveling all over New York City. I'm getting out more now, but it's nowhere close  to the level of activity I had before mid-March. On Friday I had a medical appointment on the East Side and besides taking the bus across Central Park, I walked everywhere I needed/wanted to go. It included a walk down Madison Avenue, which was a complete treat. During my walk the window above caught my attention. 

The window belongs to the store, Pink Chicken. I wasn't familiar with it before Friday, but after exploring the website found it had branches in a number of cities and an active online business. 

Pink Chicken is a perfect choice for Pink Saturday

My semi-selfie with three pink chickens

It's almost cold (for August) today and I'm wearing a long sleeved shirt for the first time in a few months. The heat has broken and it looks comfortable to be out of doors this week. I'm planning dinner out one night -- weather permitting -- and getting in as much walking as I can. The contractors will be back tomorrow morning to make sure that the plumbers can work on the pipes. The gas restoration project isn't flying by, but it is moving in the right direction. 

As ever, thanks for visiting. Take care and stay well. 

Reader Seeks Zoom Book Club

 

No surprise, the reader is your own Buttercup

I was chatting on the phone this afternoon with my college friend, Joan, and as we chatted about what we were reading the conversation turned to book clubs. We both commented that we missed our in person book clubs and hadn't found Zoom groups to join. Since I'm not getting around in person, I decided I would post in Buttercupland to find a book club. 

I'm giving another glimpse of one of my book shelves for my prospective new book club friends. I'm an eclectic reader and enjoy both fiction and nonfiction. I especially enjoy historical fiction, memoirs and biography, but I'd be happy to read all fiction, if that's the focus of your book club. I'm good with Zoom and will make every effort to finish the book before our meeting. My only requirement is that the group be English speaking, even if it's in New Zealand or Australia and I need to get up at 7:00 a.m. for meetings. If we were able to meet I'd add that I bring good snacks, but alas, that's not part of book club life these days. 

If anyone in Buttercupland is part of a Zoom book club that has room for one (or two) very nice women who love to read, please leave a comment.   

Tomorrow is our first Wednesday Words and I'll be featuring one of my favorite books, Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. 

As ever, thanks for visiting. Take good care and keep cool. 

Christmas in July: Metropolitan Museum of Art Edition

Please join me at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for our
final event of "Christmas in July."

Since Christmas in July is more a state of mind than an actual holiday, I'm happy to complete the 2020 Christmas in July series in August. Actually it's consistent with the rest of 2020 to experience it in a month other than July. 

Our first stop is the beautiful Andrea della Robbia Virgin and Child. Andrea was the nephew of Luca della Robbia, who developed the blue and white glazes that have come to be known as the "della Robbia" style. It's one of my favorites at the museum and though it's certainly not a Christmas decoration, it's so evocative of the season. When I researched it on the museum website I noted that it's not on display at the present time, so I'm glad to have this photograph to enjoy. 

Beautiful in every season

The most beautiful Christmas tree in New York City...

Or perhaps anywhere! The decorations on this magnificent tree date from Eighteenth Century Naples. It's especially lovely to visit the tree and the creche figures that surround it in the evening. The lights are dimmed and Christmas music is playing. 

 I love looking at the individual creche figures. So hoping that the museum reopens at the end of this month and can stay open.

In the spirit of this post I ordered my first holiday gift today. I also used my CVS receipt credit and bought two Halloween cards. I'm not only looking forward to the future, but I am keeping with some structure in life and planning ahead. Holidays may not be celebrated the way we've usually celebrated, but I will be celebrating via Zoom and mail. Fortunately I didn't see Halloween candy on display anywhere. I know I would so be tempted. 

As ever, thanks for visiting. Take good care and keep cool.

Pink Saturday Goes Shopping

I didn't plan to shop but this pink sweater caught my eye.

It was a size small and a quick glance at the rack told me that it was the only one with this design. I kept walking through one of the neighborhood stores en route to my destination, a clean, well-kept public restroom. On the way -- maybe fifty feet -- I spotted winter jackets and a sign that noted that any item with a red dot on the tag was seventy per cent off the tagged price. It wasn't crowded, everyone there was wearing a mask and there was a hand sanitizer display at the door. I realized I could actually buy a winter jacket to replace the one I had that had been patched and repaired a number of times, and was presently worse for much wear. 

This neon pink jacket caught my attention. It pretty much

 would have caught anyone's attention. 

I've been planning to replace my worn out winter jacket for the last two years. But I hadn't found anything that I liked, that fit and was reasonably priced. It was on the same long list that included replacing my iPad and it was probably one of the last things on my mind in March 2020. My old red jacket was more than adequate for walking around the empty streets of New York City in 2020. But here I was in a quiet store, surrounded by new styles that were 75% off the already discounted prices. 

And the winner is!

I liked the idea of a bright color to replace my red jacket, but the neon pink looked like I was directing traffic at the scene of an accident. I went with this black jacket, made a little less somber by the pink trim. I calculated the final price at $25.00 and was feeling very good about it. When I paid for the jacket the actual price was $14.93. 

It was a huge temptation to look over the racks, but I really need very few things, and it was easy to resist temptation. I do need boots and I will look for those in the next few weeks. I'm also putting a holiday list together. I'm optimistic that we won't go back to staying at home, but it would be great to have shopping done and even wrapped so much earlier. 

Right now my coat is on a hanger on the back of a door. Tomorrow I will move it into the closet with the other coats. During my shopping trip I used hand sanitizer at least a dozen times and of course, was wearing my mask. Everyone inside the store was also wearing masks. No exceptions. 

That was my adventure for the week. Today was much quieter. I walked in the neighborhood, read the newspaper -- I get the paper delivered only on Saturday and Sunday -- and took part in my monthly Bible study via Zoom. How was your day?

As ever, thanks for visiting the Pink Saturday fun. Take care and keep cool.

Random Five Friday

 

Greetings from Columbus Avenue! It's Random Five Friday. 

It's still Friday, at least for a few hours, and it's time to catch up on the odds and ends of the week. It's certainly not my pre-Covid life, and I still have downs amid the ups, but I'm really enjoying being outdoors and walking and bus riding beyond my immediate neighborhood. 

1) My trips this week have included two visits to my favorite post office branch with eBay sales. I found these hearts on a construction wall on my post office excursion this morning. I followed my visit with a trip across town to Target and picked up groceries. This may be my favorite picture of the week. 

2) When I retired seven years ago my retirement gift from my colleagues was a generous cash gift that I used for an iPad. Late last summer it stopped working and even the Apple store couldn't get it going again. I decided to see if I really needed to replace it and held off getting another one. In January I realized I did want one and decided to wait until after No-Spending January was done. My plan was to visit the Apple Store and see the different models when I got back from Sedona at the end of February. At the end of February a million other things took precedence and I was fine with my computer and my phone -- for awhile. 

  My iPad and beautiful case from CAM Creations

I bought my self a new iPad for my 70th birthday and then I couldn't resist treating myself to this quilted case from CAM Creations. Everything is handmade by Carolyn, the mother of my dear friend Melissa, and the work is terrific. There is a wonderful array of fabric and they are able to custom size any book sleeve or cover for electronic devices. 

3) Hurricane Iasias spent three hours in New York City, but had a big impact. There were lots of trees down and there are parts of the city still without power four days later. Connecticut had more damage and my cousins outside of Hartford don't expect to get their power restored until Tuesday. A huge thank you to the electrical crews who have come from other parts of the country to help out the Northeast. 

Caution tape is never a good sign and very sad around trees.

 After the storm, Tuesday afternoon, in Riverside Park. 

4) Happy to see that more places are opening up again and the streets are livelier. This was my most recent find on Broadway, across the street from Lincoln Center.

5) I had planned to write about Year of Wonders, by Geraldine Brooks on Wednesday. I had also planned to finish (re)reading it by then, too. I didn't finish it until last night and though it took longer than anticipated, it was time well spent. I'm planning to begin an occasional Wednesday feature, Words for Wednesday, where I write about books. My first Words for Wednesday will be this week with my thoughts on Year of Wonders. Sneak preview: It's an extraordinary choice for this moment in the universe. 

There's one more post for this week and it's the Pink Saturday post. What are your plans for the weekend? Do you still feel as though there is a weekend? 

As ever, thanks for visiting. Take good care and keep cool!

Live from New York: Tropical Storm Isaias

My view of Broadway at noon

I didn't quite make it outside "first thing" this morning to pick up the few groceries that I didn't buy yesterday. But I did make it out second thing. When I went out it was only raining and on my three block walk to my favorite bagel store, my sturdy umbrella only blew out once. The rain was mild and it wasn't especially windy and I enjoyed my iced coffee under the scaffolding. I knew the predictions were serious, but it really seemed that the winds and heavy rain were holding off. I made the decision to finish my iced coffee outside and then head home. Somewhere towards the bottom of the glass, the heavens opened up. I wasn't afraid of the rain, but I was concerned about tree branches. I waited a few more minutes and decided it was time to head home. 

I listened to the weather report when I got home -- sneakers soaked -- and discovered New York City is under a tornado watch and there is a more serious tornado warning for Connecticut. The report is also for high winds, up to 70 miles per hour possibly, but I could see that as I came home. I'm now tucked into my apartment with my indoors to-do list. Nowhere to go, and as my blog buddy Edna, wrote in her post this morning, this storm is a "doozy."

I've got both my iPad and my phone charging and I've located my flashlight, which is working. I've also got food that doesn't need refrigeration or cooking ready just in case we lose power. It's not likely, but the weather report included power loss up the Eastern Sea Coast and it's always better to be prepared. 

This was the scene in the street when I left

  for my errands this morning...

This was the scene when I returned half an hour later -- lots of rain 

It's a perfect afternoon to bake, but alas, that will have to wait until I get my oven back. Instead I will be blog visiting, sorting books and reading. I'm rediscovering a favorite novel and I will be sharing it with you in tomorrow's post. 

As ever, thanks for visiting. Take care and stay safe! 

(Masked) Monkee Monday

Welcome to (masked) Monkee Monday!

I was pleased to find this cute monkey, complete with mask, during our outing on Saturday. Mr. Monkey demonstrated proper mask wear at the restaurant where we had lunch. Indoor dining is permitted in the county we visited and the air conditioning was tempting. But we opted for dining out of doors and enjoyed the tasty Greek cuisine al fresco. 

I'm a great window shopper, but I've seen the windows in my neighborhood many, many times. Sadly, too, there are lots of empty windows and closed businesses. I'm beginning to go beyond my usual distances, but a change of place to an entirely new town was an enormous treat. 

I loved this gift shop and was delighted to find one of my favorite Scottish coos on the middle shelf. 

I'm not a knitter, but if I were I would have made a stop at Knitting  Nation. Who are the Buttercupland knitters?

The barber pole first caught my eye and then the barber pole flag. But it was the stacks of books that I most enjoyed seeing. If you walk down the street, you'll find the Hudson River. Later in the week we'll visit the River and enjoy the views.   

I've got no plans for tomorrow, except a phone call or two. We've got a tropical storm warning for most of the day, with winds and rain expected. I'm not sure what I was (or wasn't) thinking and didn't do any grocery shopping except for a box of Kleenex and a Diet Coke, which doesn't count for storm prep. It's only one day and I know I won't starve, but I do regret not grocery shopping as planned on Sunday. 

As ever, thanks for visiting. Take care and stay safe.

Welcome to August Pink Saturday

It's the first Pink Saturday  of August

The summer is more than half over and the days are getting shorter. The gardens aren't quite as full, but happily there are still bright flowers all around. The heat has abated and though it's still hot, I was able to make my first visit to Riverside Park in almost two weeks. I was glad to find these bright pink hydrangea. 

But my favorite moment was finding this lone sunflower in the midst of the hibiscus. It seems rare to find one sunflower, but here it was. 

  

One of the buildings on my street does great plantings. They had fabulous purple  tulips earlier and now they had this planting of euphorbia. I wasn't familiar with this plant, but I found that there are many varieties of it, including our Christmas favorite, the poinsettia. 

It's been a good weekend. I had a great walk in the park with friends on Friday and spent yesterday on an excursion out of New York City, which was such a treat. We had great weather, window shopping and  the treat of iced coffee with a river view. This was all done with masks and distancing. I've got photographs for several posts that I'll be sharing in the next few days.  

As ever, thanks for visiting. Take care and keep cool.