Blogging From A to Z: P Is for Paris and Pep LeMonkee

 

With thanks to Cole Porter, "I love Paris every moment..."

Several years ago I decided to analyze my affection for the city of Paris. I remembered that my interest in visiting Paris (and especially seeing the Louvre) began even before I started to study French in seventh grade. As I pondered I realized that I saw Paris in images from the movie, "Gigi," which was released in 1958.  I loved the music, the colors, the clothes and the wonderful cinematography of the film. In retrospect it was probably not a great choice for an eight year old. In addition there were any number of inappropriate topics in the movie. But they went right over my eight year old head and what remained was my love of Paris. 

Nine trips later, I still love Paris. I haven't been back to France since 2001, but I'd like (at least) one more trip back. I'm sure it's changed, and as New York has, changed a lot. But Paris is on my list of five places I'd like to return to. I've got no set plans, and despite American tourists being permitted to travel to France after June 9 (if numbers are under control) I'm not quite ready for a trip quite yet. I think next spring may be just right.

Now going from the sublime of Paris to the (not quite) ridiculous of everyone's favorite monkee, Pep. When I began to think about my favorite things that started with "P," pizza, Paris and Pep came to my mind first. I am a huge fan of pizza, love Paris, but Pep and all of his pals helped get me through the Pandemic. I couldn't post about my favorites without a shout out to dear Pep. 

Pep's got Carolina on his mind, remembering our visit to Charleston

Though Pep's enjoyed driving through New York City in his new red car, he's eager for a trip out of town, too. Pep will be joining me on an adventure next week and we're both getting excited for new scenery.   

We're coming to the end of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge and clearly, I will not be completing it this year. Last year I extended into May to post "Y" and "Z, and I will be posting "R" for Rhode Island and "W" for Washington, Connecticut, as promised, in May.  Now that I'm totally out of order I'm posting "Z" tomorrow -- it's a fun favorite! -- and "T" on Saturday. It was relatively easy to do the challenge last year, as I was in my apartment almost all of the time. But this year, thankfully, so many things outside of my apartment were doable and I did them. I was back to the gym, visiting museums, getting together with friends and catching up on medical appointments, some long delayed. Tomorrow night I will return to my first in-person synagogue service in thirteen months. It will be socially distanced and there won't be the opportunity to socialize before and after the service, but I'm so excited to be part of the in-person service

As ever, thanks for visiting and wishes for a fun weekend.   

Blogging from A to Z: M (and N and V) Are for Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont

"M" is for (Concord) Massachusetts

Once I started thinking of New England I realized (in a somewhat desperate attempt to catch up) I could do a triple post for three different letters. So today we're going to do a whirlwind trip through New England, starting with Massachusetts and finishing our visit in Maine. 

Though I've lived in New York City since 1975 I still think of myself as a New England girl. I grew up in Hartford and went to college in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. When I moved to New York I thought I might live here for a few years and then return to New England. So much for my planning. But though I've become a New Yorker, a year hasn't gone by when I'm not in at least one of the New England states for a visit. In most years it's four or five of the six states that comprise New England. I've got trips to Connecticut and Maine lined up already and hope for a few more quick trips north later in the year, too. 

"M" is also for Morrisville, Vermont

We're sticking with our M theme, but spending time in one of my favorite New England towns, Morrisville, Vermont. This photograph was taken just at this time two years ago. The snow is gone and the buds are just about to blossom. 

Dartmouth Hall, Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire

Our next stop is one of the prettiest of all New England towns, Hanover, New Hampshire. I spent a wonderful (and freezing) junior year in college there and loved it. I harbored fantasies of one day retiring there, but when retirement actually arrived I wanted to have better access to an international airport, as well as many other big city amenities. Nonetheless a little piece of my heart remains in Hanover, and I welcome return visits, like this one in 2019.

Our last stop is the beautiful Maine coast

I still remember my first trip to Maine with my parents in 1955. It was my first trip away from home that didn't include visiting relatives. I've been back many times and each time I find something new to enjoy and make new memories to treasure. I was last there in October, 2019, as part of a reunion with my college class. I'm relatively certain that 2020 would have held a return trip, but like so much else, I spent my summer vacation much closer to home. Fortunately this summer looks much more promising and I am hopeful that I will have new photographs to share with you. 

The two states that are missing from this New England visit are Rhode Island and Connecticut. There is a very simple reason. They are each going to have their own letter. "R" will be for Rhode Island and we'll be visiting Washington, CT for "W." We did a quick drop-in in Washington at The Po lunch counter, but we'll be returning for a longer visit. There are so many towns in Connecticut that vie for the title of my favorite town, but right now my heart belongs to Washington. I think you're going to like it, too.         

Thanks for joining my whirlwind trip to a few of my favorite places. What places would be on your list of favorites?

As ever, thanks for visiting and take care.   

Blogging from A to Z: L Is for Lilacs

 

I had a lot of ideas for "L", but once I saw this lilac bush on Friday I knew that L is for lilacs.

While riding on the bus down Broadway on Friday I made the discovery of lilacs in bloom in Manhattan. I made a return visit today and they are now in complete full bloom. The scent is as close to heaven as I will get on this earth. It's just one bush in front of a modern brick apartment building. The rest of the greenery is not particularly eye or nose catching, but somehow this lone lilac bush has held its own in a not very friendly environment. I'll be taking the same ride tomorrow on my way to the gym and the post office and I'm planning on a return visit. Lilac season is quick and fleeting. 

Lilacs in Seoul, South Korea, 2015. 

Six years ago I spent a few days in Seoul, also in April. One of the delights of my visit was that it was lilac season in Korea and there were large lilac bushes blooming all over downtown Seoul. I took this photograph in a park I visited, but found lilacs beside office buildings in the main business area, too. 

Closer to home, these pink lilacs were found during a visit to the beautiful Brooklyn Botanical Gardens a few years ago.  

Growing up in Connecticut we had lilac bushes in both of the houses that my family lived in, and every year when the lilacs bloomed was a special time. I don't think a New England house is complete without at least one lilac bush as a reward for living through the New England winter. But lilacs didn't arise in New England. Their history goes back to Greek mythology. The myth goes that Pan, the god of forests and fields, had unrequited love for a nymph named Syringa. She was afraid of his advances and to disguise herself when he was pursuing her, Syringa turned herself into a lilac bush. Like so many myths, it's a sad story, but it gave rise to the name for the common lilac, which is known as Syringa Vulgaris, and is said to have arisen in Eastern Europe. It's believed that the first lilacs in America arrived in the 1750's and were planted in New Hampshire. 

Now for a few matters of blog keeping...For my Pink Saturday friends, I looked for a post for Pink Saturday, but couldn't find a post for this weekend. Alas, no Pink Saturday link this week as a result. For those who have been keeping track of the A to Z posts -- which for those who have kept up are almost finished -- "K" is missing in Buttercupland. I got totally bogged down in my Koala post and realized the only way to get back on track was to forge ahead with "L." I'm planning to do a koala post at some time, but for now will move along the alphabet. We're going traveling again for the next post and we will be in New England. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and wishes for a great spring week ahead.  

Pink Saturday: Preview of Coming Attractions

 

Selfie time at The Po in Washington, Connecticut

I've gotten a little stuck with "K," so in an effort to move past Blogger's Block, I'm going with a photograph for Pink Saturday. It was taken on a recent visit to one of the all-time prettiest towns anywhere, Washington, Connecticut. There, I made the discovery of a new eatery, The Po, which is a shortened form of Post Office, whose building it shares. I fell totally in love with the lunch counter. Alas, there was no eating inside during my visit, but a return to The Po and Washington is definitely on my travel list. 

Has anyone started to put together a travel list for this year or even beyond? I've got a few places in mind and a few reservations made. My super long term dream trip, as of yet unscheduled, is New Zealand. I know friends who have made reservations, but I'm holding off until things are more stable. The one absolutely definite on my list is my fiftieth college reunion in May, 2022. It's not a far or exotic trip, but one that means so much to me.  

It's a real sunny spring day and now that I've gotten a few indoor errands done -- laundry is sorted -- I'm off to drink coffee out of doors. What are plans around Buttercupland?

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a great rest of Sunday. 

Blogging from A to Z: I Is for Ice Cream and J Is for Jelly/Jam

Which flavor is your choice?

For today's A to Z Blogging Challenge post we're going with a sweet double treat. We'll be starting with some thoughts about one of my all time favorite foods, ice cream, and then we'll give some consideration to jam and jelly (and marmalade!).

Yesterday I was walking by this neighborhood ice cream shop. I've passed it dozens of times -- it's right next door to my (still closed) branch library, but I've only stopped in once. The cones are pricy and the ice cream is full fat (or more) and full sugar. It's very rare when I don't eat low/no sugar ice cream since I've been eating low carb. It's usually a treat saved for when I'm on vacation. But, perhaps because I had ice cream on my mind, I stopped and really looked at the flavors.

They all look good to me, but the Carrot Cake doughnut looks fabulous. I'm not a chocolate fan -- I know I'm probably in the minority on this issue -- and I love carrot cake and doughnuts. My plan is to return one day this month and enjoy a scoop of this April goody. Which one of these flavors would interest you? Would any of these flavors be of interest?

Marmalade, fruit spread, jam, jelly or preserves! 

I've always used the terms jam/jelly/preserves interchangeably. When I started to write this post I thought I'd find significant differences and there are differences. But all of the fruit and sugar combinations fall into the category of fruit preserves. I was most fascinated by the history of marmalade.

I think of marmalade as the special treat of breakfast in England, but it has a long history going back to Roman times. Marmalade began in antiquity, when the Greeks found that quinces cooked with honey would "set" when cool. In medieval times sweetened cooked quince was found in both Portugal and France. In fact the treat we know as marmalade comes from the Portuguese marmelada, coming from marmelo, meaning quince. "Marmalado" was introduced to England and as oranges became available, they became the fruit of choice, for what then was a dinner treat. Marmalade moved to the breakfast table in Scotland, and in the nineteenth century England followed the custom.

I hope you've enjoyed our sweet treats. For "K" we're zipping back to Australia to one of my all time favorite memories. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a great weekend. 

Blogging from A to Z: H Is for Horseradish

We're not horsing around about horse radish.

My choice for "H" in the A to Z Challenge was inspired by a friend's comment to a Facebook post during Passover. My friend commented that she wasn't aware that the condiment, horseradish, was also known as the bitter herbs of the Passover tradition. I started to muse about horseradish and decided to do a little research on my favorite condiment/Passover tradition. I soon realized I knew nothing about horse radish, other than I like it a lot.  

I love horse radish for the spicy kick it gives to food, but was surprised to find it has significant health benefits. I had a meeting (also known as lunch) with my friend, Nancy, this afternoon. Nancy is a member of the Buttercupland Editorial Board, and asked about the topic for this "H" post. Nancy is also a horse radish fan and pointed out one of the best known effects of horse radish, its positive sinus effects. We laughed that horse radish can definitely clear ones sinuses. 

Horse radish belongs to the same family as kale, radish and cabbage. It is thought to have originated in temperate Eastern Europe, having been cultivated since antiquity.  It's low in fat and calories and helps boost immunity, supports bone health and weight loss. It has a high nutrient and mineral content and the specific organic chemical composition of enzymes and oils that all work together to provide health benefits. 

I knew I liked the taste of horse radish, but never thought it was actually a healthy food. On reflection, it's not really a surprise. It's a mainstay in Eastern European Jewish cuisine. It's very high in Vitamin C, which was always a need in the long cold winters, and as a root vegetable could be kept through the winter. Our ancestors were no fools. They found substances that added flavor to meals and kept them healthy.  

A jar of horse radish is one of the condiments in my refrigerator door. I'm going to be looking for new ways to incorporate it into my meals. 

Thanks to my visitors from the A to Z Challenge and welcome. The next post in the series looks at two sweet treats that are definite favorites. I hope you'll stop by for "H" and "I."

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care.  

Blogging from A to Z: G Is for Gym

 

My dear Y, I missed you at least as much as you missed me. 

The last year gave me an outstanding perspective on what mattered in my life. Good health was right up at the top and people I cared about was close in line. Firstly, I wanted to stay well and see my friends and family. But of all the activities that had been part of my pre-Pandemic life the two that kept rising to the top of things that I missed were going to synagogue services and going to the gym. 

I went to services virtually every week and continued to study with my long-time study group monthly. It wasn't the same as being in the sanctuary and joining friends for lunch, but it kept my spiritual connection strong. The gym was a whole different matter. I walked daily and did stretching and strength training videos -- sometimes -- but I missed the weight machines I'd come to enjoy and I missed the pool. There was no way to virtually simulate swimming and water aerobics. 

Last week I decided to stop at the Y and see how crowded it was. It wasn't crowded and a few very well socially distanced classes had been added. I reinstated my long suspended membership and on Wednesday I returned after thirteen months away. I took my first class of 2021, a combination of cardio and strength training for "active older adults." There were seven of us, plus the instructor, in the basketball gym. I kept up with the strength training, but the cardio, pardon the expression, kicked my butt.   

(Empty) locker room selfie is perfect for "G" is for Gym

Semi-selfie in an equally empty weight machine room

I just signed up for the same class I took last week for this Wednesday. Signing up, and not just showing up, is a new behavior, but one I can learn to become accustomed to. I'm not quite ready to return to the pool and be unmasked, but I'm hoping that as things improve that will be a reality, too. For now, I'm very grateful for a good workout and a return to "my machines." As a kid who loathed gym in elementary school, I never thought I'd write, but happily, this old pup learned some new tricks. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and wishes for a great Monday.      

Pink Saturday: Pretty in Pink and Blue

 

Not part of the A to Z Challenge, but my favorite picture in pink (and blue) this weekend,

perfect for Pink Saturday

I have -- as in most years past -- fallen totally behind in the A to Z Challenge. I have no reason, or actually no excuse. I am much busier than last year, when most of my life consisted in being in my apartment, walking and washing my groceries, but not too busy to blog. I may not get to "Z," which is a shame because I have a fabulous post for it, but I fully intend to get back on the A to Z Challenge horse tomorrow.

I spent the afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum, and what a difference a month makes. On my visit last month I was the only person in a number of galleries and happily had the entire collection of Van Gogh paintings all to myself. That was a morning during the week, but this Sunday afternoon was totally different. There is still timed admission, but there were people everywhere. In a total (fabulous) surprise I had the pleasure of seeing a college classmate in the gift shop. We've been in touch through the year, but to actually be face to face and hug hello was a gift. 

Jane and I spent time in the decorative arts galleries and they were less crowded than other areas, but the solitude that was so special in the last few months is now in the past. I am delighted that visitors to the museum have returned and come Christmas I will not be standing alone by the beautiful museum Christmas tree. 

A much less crowded Metropolitan Museum of Art in March

After our museum visit we walked through the rain to a favorite sandwich shop in the area. The sandwiches were as good as  I remembered from an earlier visit this year and on the way we passed this beautiful display at a florist on Madison Avenue. I wasn't planning any redecoration, but the color scheme makes me want to think about redoing my kitchen. After all of the construction for the gas lines last summer and fall, I'm not about to start anything major, but new dish towels and serving pieces might be just what I need to spruce things up. Is anyone else thinking of decorating or other home changes?     

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care.  

Blogging from A to Z: E Is for England and F Is for Fascinator

 

"Oh to be in England, Now that April's there..." Robert Browning

Punting in Oxford, at the Magdalen Bridge

April's there and I am in New York, alas. I am missing my English friends, the English countryside, English cities, English food and even English hats. But thanks to the wonder of memory and photographs, we can visit England as part of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.

Jane Austen's city of Bath, and a treasure of Georgian architecture

So often, and definitely for me, the thoughts of England are London. But I've been very fortunate in the last few years to visit blog friends in other parts of England. In 2018 I had a wonderful trip to Wiltshire to see my blog friend, Sybil, and in 2019 spent time in Liverpool and Chester with my friends, Sheilagh and Ralph. Seeing a country with people who live there is an extraordinary experience and one that I will always be grateful. 

I'd had a quick visit to Bath a few years ago, but my visit in 2018 gave me time to explore all of the Jane Austen sites to my heart's content. Bath is an architecturally perfect city in County, Somerset, about 100 miles from London.   

Buttercup and Captain Wentworth, featured in Jane Austen's novel, "Persuasion" 

A high point of my visit was seeing The Jane Austen Centre, which presented a great narrative of Jane Austen's life. I had hoped to meet Mr. Darcy while I was there, but he wasn't in that day. I had the great good pleasure of meeting Captain Wentworth, one of my favorite characters in "Persuasion." Captain Wentworth is not as well known as Mr. Darcy, but is an equally engaging character. 

My favorite English dessert, sticky toffee pudding.

It's sweet and scrumptious with dates and molasses and a rich 

toffee sauce, and it's equally good with whipped cream

I'm set for a royal wedding in my fascinator.

I'm not much of a hat wearer, unless it's twenty degrees and I'm cold or ninety degrees and I'm worried about the sun. But while I was in Scotland in 2019 I spent a leisurely day shopping and sight-seeing. Often on vacations I succumb to impulse buying and that's how I came to own a fascinator. I've yet to attend a royal wedding, or even be invited to one, but I had fun wearing my fascinator to two Zoom weddings last summer.  

I hope you've enjoyed our too-quick trip to England. Tomorrow we're back in New York and we'll revisit an experience I enjoyed today. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a bright and sunny Thursday.   

A to Z Blogging Challenge: D Is for Dagon

 This may be the prettiest dessert in all of New York and it's only two blocks from home.

My choice for the post for "D" in the A to Z Challenge is Dagon. I'm not a restaurant reviewer or a food photographer, but I managed to get one great photograph of Sunday's dessert, lemon tart. It featured lemon curd and meringue and lemon and raspberry sorbet. It was as delicious as it looked. 

Dagon is named for the Phoenician and Philistine god of agriculture and earth. The food is Israeli and Mediterranean, but dishes have interesting twists. I had a very tasty zucchini frittata with crispy potatoes.  The description doesn't do justice to the flavor of the dish and neither do my photographs. 

When one of my favorite local restaurants went out of business some time before the Pandemic I was very disappointed. It had been the restaurant of choice for brunch in the neighborhood. I passed the empty store front many times in my walks around the neighborhood and it looked so sad. I was thrilled to see activity in the fall and delighted to see it open in late winter. 

The dessert menu

I'm tempted to try the other desserts, but as a lemon meringue fan, I am sure that will keep calling out to me when I look at the dessert menu. What would you choose?

The outside dining area

Our choice for Sunday lunch was outside dining. The weather was just a little nippy, but definitely warm enough to enjoy being outside. The interior is very pretty, and the same pale green color scheme is used.

Somehow I am behind already in the A to Z Challenge. Generally I keep up through at least "G" or "H," before I slip behind the rest of the bloggers. But it's still early enough in the month that I have optimism that by the weekend I will be on the proper schedule. Tomorrow we're going to one of my favorite places in the world. The biggest challenge will be figuring out which photographs to choose. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and enjoy the beautiful spring. 

Pink Saturday Easter: Now and Then

 

I hope that all of Buttercupland had a bright and beautiful Easter. 

Flowers thanks to Waterlogue.

The top picture is our "now" picture and this photograph is our "then" picture, that I'm sure I've used before in an Easter post. More often than not, I've ventured to Fifth Avenue to join the Easter Parade fun and see the fabulous hats. This is one of my favorite photographs from my Easter Parade memories and the perfect one for Pink Saturday.

Pep's new favorite book

I would be remiss to leave Pep Le Monkee out of the Easter greetings. Pep, Nessie, E. Bunny and Bongo had a fabulous time with their Easter deliveries and had a very successful season. They finished up late this morning on the U.S. West coast and somehow magically drove through the front door early this afternoon. I'll never quite understand how E. Bunny and now Pep and friends are able to get all the deliveries done, but happy for the magic that makes it possible. 

I didn't make it to the Easter Parade this afternoon, but no regrets. I had a wonderful Easter  lunch at a new restaurant in the neighborhood with Jane and Betsy. It wasn't the usual holiday fare, but it was delicious, and the restaurant is becoming one of my new favorite places. I liked it so well that I'll be writing about it in my "D" post tomorrow. Please stop by for some fun food pictures.  

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care. 

A to Z Blog Challenge: C Is for Coffee (Of Course!)

One of my all-time favorite cups of coffee, at Bondi Beach, Australia in 2018

I know most people don't have favorite cups of coffee, but I am not most people when it comes to coffee. I wasn't always a coffee drinker and drank milk all through college. It wasn't the most sophisticated beverage of choice, but now I realize I did my bones a big favor. Though I didn't drink coffee, one of my college jobs was serving coffee and tea in the library during winter term. It's one of my favorite jobs and where I learned to make an urn of coffee. My tip for a good urn of coffee (or any brewed coffee) is to remove the grounds right after the brewing is done, so the oils don't drip into the coffee.

A truly exceptional flat white coffee in Cairns, Australia, 2018

Though I was only in Cairns for three days, I visited this coffee shop enough for the

 staff to make sure I had a bonus card.  

Though my favorite coffee (year round) is iced coffee with lots of milk, I became a fan of the flat white, espresso with microfoam (aerated steamed milk) while I was in Australia in 2018. I wasn't familiar with it before my visit to Australia, but after my first cup at the beginning of the trip, it was my coffee of choice for the rest of my visit. I loved both the taste and the look of the Australian flat white and was never disappointed.  

I went wild in Cuzco, Peru in 2016 with this fabulous Irish coffee, a great combination of brewed coffee, sugar, whipped cream and Irish whiskey. 

My favorite cup of coffee (so far) of 2021 

I know this forlorn cup of coffee in a paper cup is not especially enticing, and doesn't compare to the coffees pictured above. Yet, it's one of my most memorable cups ever. This is the cafe in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I've enjoyed lunch and coffee in the cafe many times. On the right is Central Park and a beautiful view and to the left (unpictured) is a sculpture court and beautiful Tiffany windows, including the Autumn window featured in the "A" post. On my last visit I was so excited to see that the cafe had reopened. The menu was limited, as was the seating, but what a treat to return to one of my favorite places.

As is the practice of the A to Z Challenge, we'll be taking a Sunday break from the challenge. But there will be a Pink Saturday Easter post, so I hope you will stop by. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a bright and blessed Easter.

A to Z Blogging Challenge: B Is for Broadway (Memories)

This revival opened on February 20, 2020 and had a very short run, like so much of Broadway theater in 2020. Fortunately I saw it in previews in December, 2019.

I was all set to write about books for the B post for Blogging from A to Z, but as I went through my photographs the picture above caught my attention. Yes, B is for books and I've got lots of them and love them, but B is also for Broadway and especially for the happy memories of Broadway experiences.  

One of my projects in early March, 2020 was planning a theater weekend with my friend, Kathea, who was going to visit with family and friends later in March. They'd bought tickets, reserved a hotel room and we were in the midst of planning dinners and other activities when we realized our adventure was not to be. My calendar for last year has lines through theater engagements long planned. I do still have one ticket that was postponed and postponed again. I am now scheduled to see "The Music Man" (with Hugh Jackman) this December. I am hoping that there will be shows to see before December. 

 

September 2019 with Jonathan Pryce

I loved seeing Broadway shows, but I also loved the opportunity to meet the stars after the show. At some point I realized that one could stand by the stage door and as the actors left after the show they would sign autographs and pose for pictures. This indulged every childhood fantasy I ever had. Sometimes it was almost impossible to get close enough for a photo, but it was always fun. I took the photograph above after seeing "The Height of the Storm," with Jonathan Pryce and Dame Eileen Atkins. Sweet memory of Broadway!  

With Matthew Broderick, 2012

One of my favorite Broadway memories is seeing "Nice Work If You Can Get It" with Matthew Broderick and Kelli O'Hara. It was a very fun musical with terrific music by George and Ira Gershwin. I'm sure I floated home humming "Someone to Watch Over Me," one of my favorite songs. 

It seems very unlikely that stage door activities will also return when live theater returns to Broadway. But I'm enough of a cockeyed optimist (to quote another favorite song) to believe that one day Stagedoor Buttercup will be back at the stage door waiting to meet her favorite actors. 

We're on to "C" tomorrow and regular visitors to Buttercupland will be able to guess the choice of my favorite thing for this letter of the alphabet. Yes, tomorrow is my ode to Coffee. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and a big welcome to all. 

Blogging from A to Z: A is for Autumn

Autumn Landscape, a Tiffany window at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Please click the link for information about the creation of this masterpiece. 

Though April 1 is almost over, it's not too late for my first post in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. This year's theme is "(Some of) My Favorite Things and it was a tough choice for the first letter. Initially (sort of a pun intended) I was sure I'd blog about Australia, but on one of my recent trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art I saw the fabulous Tiffany window above and knew that I'd begin with autumn.  

This autumn scene was taken this year in Litchfield County, Connecticut. 

I grew up in Connecticut and went to college in both rural Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Autumn in New York -- as the song goes -- is lovely, but there is nothing like autumn in New England. Some years are more spectacular, but no year is disappointing, and for all the disappointment of 2020, the beauty of quiet moments in New England was a balm to my saddened spirit.   

October in Maine, 2019, because I can't post too many 

photographs of the New England countryside. 

I'm glad I chose autumn because I get to feature one of my favorite things, pumpkin. 

This well carved beauty is a work of art. 

I'm not sure when decorating for autumn and Halloween became a thing, but I'm glad it did. It's become very popular in my neighborhood and though, quite simple, this is one of my favorite doorway decorations I've photographed. 

What are some of your favorite autumn things?

Tomorrow -- actually later today -- we're going to a favorite place in New York City. I hope you'll join me. 

As ever, thanks for visiting. Special welcome to visitors from the A to Z Challenge. So glad you stopped by.