The Sweet Days of August

 

My view at sunset, looking at the Manhattan skyline

Usually August is the slow month of the year and this year is no exception. I've been enjoying the more relaxed pace and trying to get caught up with projects that will get pushed to the side when the autumn arrives. I'm caught up with medical appointments, have a list of appointments that need to be scheduled and I've been doing some serious decluttering. Alas I haven't been blogging, but I have started to post photographs regularly on my Facebook page.

The Occupied City at the Museum of the City of New York

One pleasure has been catching up on museum visits.  Yesterday I visited one of my favorite museums, the Museum of the City of New York which featured a fascinating exhibit on life in New York City during the British occupation of New York City. Growing up in Connecticut I never had any formal classes on New York State/City history and so much that I saw in this exhibit was all new information for me. 

My other museum visit of the month was to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I saw a fascinating exhibit of the work of the Italian sculptor, Alberto Giacometti, displayed in the Temple of Dendur.  Giacometti had been strongly influenced by ancient Egyptian art and the Temple of Dendur was a fabulous site to display the sculptures. 

 

This cat sculpture was. perhaps, my favorite of the exhibition 

A different perspective of Giacometti's work, with Central Park in the background 

I'm looking forward to the autumn, and won't be sad to say good-bye to my higher electric bills and the humidity. But I'm definitely enjoying long slow days without jackets and scarves and gloves. Time for a Mr. Softee cone before they are traded for pumpkin spice. Is anyone else trying to hold on to these last sweet days of summer?

As ever, thanks for visiting and keep cool.  

City Sidewalks, Busy Sidewalks

It's the Saks Fifth Avenue holiday look and

Rockefeller Center is in the background

My goal for the first few weeks of December was to be out and about taking pictures of holiday decorations every day. Yesterday and today were not days to be running around New York City, especially for someone who has big concerns about slipping and falling. Fortunately I took pictures a couple of weeks ago of the fashion windows at Saks Fifth Avenue. Saks is among the last of the big New York City Department stores and alas, there were easily a dozen more when I moved to New York in 1975. I'd look very out of place at any of my holiday events in these elegant gowns, but it's fun to window shop. 

I'm especially pleased to have the hot dog cart captured in the reflection.

A yellow taxi joins the hot dog cart in this picture. 

It's been a quiet day and the high points of the day were working on cards and reading the weekend New York Times.  One of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon is drinking coffee and doing the Sunday crossword puzzle. I also joined in Cyber Monday shopping. I renewed my AMC movie pass, which I'd been meaning to do for quite awhile and then took advantage of sale prices and bought THM low-carb baking blend. I also indulged in a new fleece shirt and a turtleneck from my friends at J.C. Penney's.  I don't buy a lot of new clothes, but I realized I've worn through a lot of my post-retirement casual clothes and need replacements. Of course, most of my wardrobe needs now are casual clothes. 

The snow seems to have tapered off and I'm hoping to get to Yoga tomorrow and then some holiday decoration picture taking. What are your terrific Tuesday plans?

As ever, thanks for visiting and keep cozy. 

Spooky Time Is Here...

In our lobby...

...and down the block!

I didn't see as many buildings decorated for Halloween this year, but my neighbors on the next block didn't disappoint. The welcome for trick or treaters was ghouls and ghosts and bright red lights. It was spooky, even in daylight. I didn't go out tonight to get the full effect, but I bet it was even scarier. 

Apparitions, spectres and a giant spider in a tree!

At the foot of the spider tree!

My goal for tomorrow is to resist the half priced candy when I stop in the drugstore to pick up a prescription. I'm 90% optimistic that I can do it. I know we're heading into the sweet treat time of year and I want to be able to wear the same clothes in January as I can today. So far, I've had one mini Mr. Goodbar, and I'm claiming that as a success for Halloween indulging. 

It's a quick trot to Thanksgiving and then in a blink it's Chanukah -- beginning December 22 -- and Christmas. As is traditional in Buttercupland, Christmas posts will begin after Thanksgiving. There will be lots of pictures of  lights and decorations, not to worry! They just won't be posted before Thanksgiving. November posts include book reviews, an update on my eye health, autumn in Maine and a giveaway, plus a few surprises.   

It's bye bye to October and welcome to November and a big thanks as ever, for visiting. Take care and see you in November. 

B Is for Birch and Bully Coffee

B Is for Birch Coffee

 

In the interest of journalistic integrity I have yet to try Birch Coffee. I've walked past the branch near my local Home Goods, but every time I walk by it's crowded. I found the location on the Upper East Side on Monday and decided I would do my first coffee taste test for this series there. Alas, there were only two seats available at the tiniest counter possible. I took a few pictures, and moved on to another favorite coffee place that I will feature next week. Everything about Birch looked great. The coffee is locally roasted in Long Island City Queens and it's imported from Ethiopia, Brazil, Colombia and Guatemala. I will be back!

 

 

When I do return to Birch, I'm definitely going to request Bully Blend. How could I not? The profits from this coffee goes to assisting pitbulls. I'm more of a French bulldog fan myself, but between the name and the cause, I've got to try it. 

 

I'm somewhat embarrassed that it's only the third day of the A to Z Blogging Challenge and I am already behind. That may set a record for Challenge participants. I'm going to combine C and D for tomorrow's post. I usually flag in my posts around "R," but I'm not giving up at C.   

 

Thanks, all, for the encouragement about my email issues. I am beginning to lose my rosy optimism. If anyone is trying to reach me leave a comment, use direct messaging on Facebook or Instagram and of course, the old-fashioned telephone will have to suffice for now.  

 

As ever, thanks for visiting and let's have a cup of coffee. Until tomorrow!



Pink Saturday Signs of Spring



My Urban Oasis, West Side Community Garden
Our spot for this week's Pink Saturday 

 

It's not famous and I've never seen it on a list of ten (or twenty) top New York attractions, but the West Side Community Garden is on the Buttercup top ten of favorite places. Besides being a public garden, cultivated by volunteers, there are a host of fun, local events. I love the annual Arts and Crafts Festival and the Shakespeare performances that take place there, just two blocks from home. 

 

 

The Garden, which began in 1976 as a trash-filled vacant lot, sits among high-rise apartment buildings and smaller three story buildings. A public school is across the street and our local 7-11 is half a block away. It's exactly halfway between Trader Joes and home and I usually stop and rest for a few minutes with my groceries. These pictures were taken during one of my rest stops earlier in the week. Very soon it will be filled with flowers, but right now it only holds the promise of spring.  

 

I know where to look for the flowers of spring. Thanks for the guide signs, gardeners.

 



 

I thought the Garden only held the promise of spring, but as I looked more carefully, I saw that the first flowers of 2019 have appeared. Welcome, Snow Drops! We're so glad you're here.

 

I'm still not 100% at recovery for my hip, but I've gone back to the gym and added some leg exercises to my mix without any problem. I'm doing my walking, though not at the mileage I was doing before the surgery. But I'm heeding the advice to take it easy and holding back my innate impatience.

As ever, thanks for visiting. Take care and have a very happy St. Patrick's Day! 

 

Pink Saturday Cookie Time

Time for the cookie taste-off. Which one is your favorite?
 This is the question tonight in Buttercupland as part of our Pink Saturday fun.



I discovered Schmackary's during my walks around New York City. Every time I've gone by the line has been out the door and down the street, but when I stopped by last Friday, there was no line. I was one lucky cookie shopper.

Cookies, brownies and ice cream sandwiches available. It's a tough choice.

 

I was visiting my childhood friend L who lives in Connecticut last weekend. I thought a fun house gift would be cookies from Schmackarys. Nothing to dust after my visit and delicious, too. We were joined by a third dear friend and cookie expert for a cookie taste-off. Our choices were a Funfetti cookie, the Monster, Sweet Corn, Chocolate Pretzel, Cereal Killer and Maple Bacon.

Our winner is Sweet Corn, a delicious combination of corn meal and flour,

dried cranberries and pecans.  

Funfetti, with its fun icing, rated highly for one of our tasters, but not for two of us (and yes, I was one of the dissenting votes.) Two of us -- to our surprise -- loved Cereal Killer and I would choose it again. I also enjoyed Maple Bacon a lot, but recommend 10 seconds in the microwave to bring out the bacon flavor. There isn't one of these cookies that I wouldn't enjoy again, but I'm eager to try some of the varieties that weren't in the bakery when I was there.

After a fun -- and yummy! -- weekend in Connecticut it's been a full and terrific week. I walked and walked at BookExpo and also talked and talked about books. I will do a post later this week about my Friday BookExpo experience. I plan to do at least one post as part of the A to Z subway series and I've got a fun event planned for later in the week I will blog about, too. Fun time, summer in the city!

As ever, thanks for visiting. Take care and wishes for a great week!


N Is for the N Train

 

Today we're visiting the N Line. It runs from Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria, Queens through Manhattan and through Brooklyn to Stilwell Avenue in Coney Island. We stopped in midtown Manhattan on our way to our "P" stop. Yes, we're having a little weekend fun by putting the hint of the day in the middle of the post. Wild Saturday night in Buttercupland!

 

After my visit to the N Line, I spent time with my friend, Johnny Cash at the Opry City Stage.  Opry City Stage was a find for me this afternoon while I was taking pictures. There's a restaurant, music events and gift shop only five subway stops from home. The restaurant menu looks great and so does the musical programs.  

 

 



We're in the center of the Broadway theater district and you can see the neon marquees. The one closest to us is for the long-running musical, Chicago. 

 

We're making a quick stop for a photo at the legendary Brill Building. The building is named for the Brill family who owned a clothing store on the first floor and later bought the building. During the depression they began to lease office space to song writer and publishers and musicians. The Brill Building was the site for offices for many of the great song writers of the 1960s. Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller and Neil Sedaka are a few of the names that created many of the songs we danced to in high school. The building is under renovation now, but if you listen carefully you can still hear  "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?"

 

 We've only walked for a few blocks, but when there's a Juniors around the corner it's time to stop for a piece of their iconic cheesecake. This is a branch of the restaurant that was founded in 1950 in Brooklyn. Good deli sandwiches and great cheesecake make it a fun spot for a snack or meal. The sandwiches and the slices of cheesecake are enormous and definitely made for sharing. As you can see from the picture, spring has finally arrived in New York City and it was a day to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine.

 

We'll be staying closer to home for our next A to Z Blogging Challenge,  but I've got a discovery there, too. I hope you'll be part of the fun. For more weekend fun please stop by the group at Pink Saturday. This has been my Saturday. What did you do this spring Saturday?

 

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a beautiful Sunday!

 

Blue Skies Smiling at Me Pink Saturday

 

I'm looking towards Central Park, which is only a block away. 

At the beginning of this month I put my hat away and figured I wouldn't see my scarf again until the fall. Ha! We've had snow, we've had rain and we've had some gloomy days. But not Friday. Friday was a totally blue sky day and I walked home from the Y and enjoyed the weather, the blue skies and the neighborhood. It was cold, but I was dressed for it and I took advantage of every sunny afternoon minute I could get. 
 

I turned down one of the side streets off of Columbus Avenue and stopped to enjoy the sky, the clouds and the architectural details. 

I love this display in front of one of the remaining bodegas/corner grocery stores in the neighborhood. When I first moved to the area, there was probably a small grocery on every other block, but with rents going up they are becoming scarce. They're not fancy, but they are generally open 24 hours a day/seven days a week. When I needed to leave for work very early or if I was coming home late at night, their lights were a welcome beacon.

The blue skies fade into the sunset over the Hudson River. New Jersey is in the distance and on the left is a memorial to the Union soldiers of the Civil War.

 

Thanks for all the comments and good wishes for the A-to-Z Blogging Challenge. While I was walking on Friday I met two friends also out enjoying the weather. Our conversation sparked an idea and I've shifted my theme. I ran it by a member of my "editorial board" last night and it's good to go. It's going to take a lot more work, but I'm excited. I hope you will be, too. Thanks, B. for your input.

 

 

It's time for a visit to my sweet friends at Pink Saturday. If you want to meet some of the nicest bloggers anywhere, please drop by, too.

 

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a great week. Wishing you -- and me -- blue skies!



 

Pink Saturday Goes to a Winter Wonderland

 

Central Park via Snapseed

After a complete day spent in my apartment building on Thursday because of the snowstorm, it was a mental and physical health necessity that I get some air and exercise on Friday. There was less than a foot of snow, but I'm not a model of balance and I dread slippery sidewalks, piles of snow where there should be crosswalks and mini-mountains at bus stops. Nonetheless I planned my route via subway to the Time Warner Center where I could walk indoors and then easily cross the street -- there's a lot of foot traffic in this area -- and visit Central Park. 

The temperature had warmed up to an almost balmy sixteen degrees by the time I got to Central Park. I had on enough layers for almost any (brief) outdoor activity, including a hat and my coat hood and hand warmers and really enjoyed being out of doors.

The view of Columbus Circle, looking east, taken in the Time Warner Building  

I also enjoyed my visit to the Time Warner Building, which is a very nice shopping center. Being inside and passing just about every store -- many sales -- was a great temptation during No Spending January. I was especially tempted at Sephora, but was I content sampling several very upscale hand lotions. It would have been nice to get a makeover, but I didn't think I had the fortitude to resist more makeup that I don't need. Hand lotion sampling for the win.     

This is the same view as the photograph above from a different angle.

Central Park is directly across the street.

 

Today was still cold, but the sidewalks were clearer and getting across streets was easier. I ventured beyond my immediate few blocks and saw "The Post," which I enjoyed a lot. I may even take the bus across Central Park in the next few days and visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and of course there will be pictures.

Once again, I'm delighted to join my friends at Pink Saturday for weekend fun. I hope you had fun this weekend, too, whether it was keeping cozy from the cold or enjoying being outdoors.

Thanks for visiting and take good care!
 

My Vote for the Most Iconic Christmas Experience in New York City

The winner is: Rockefeller Center

 

I've got a list of must do experiences for December in New York City. I love the department store windows on Fifth Avenue, the decorations at Macy's and the Christmas tree and crèche at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I rarely miss a visit to Saint Patrick's Cathedral and a stroll along Madison Avenue to see the store windows. Holiday must-do entertainment is a visit to Radio City to see the Rockettes and the holiday show and the New York City Ballet perform the Nutcracker. To round off the list is a visit to one of the holiday markets -- Union Square is my favorite -- and a trip to Brooklyn to see the fabulously decorated houses in Dyker Heights and Bay Ridge. But at the very top of my list is a trip to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree and the ice skating.

  

The view from dinner -- dazzling and magical 

 

I've visited Rockefeller Center every year since I moved to New York City in 1975. I enjoy it every year and thought it couldn't get better. But my visit this year was better. In fact, it was magical. Last Thursday I was searching for a restaurant for dinner on Friday. I had a tried and true where I often went with my work colleagues when we got together. But I wanted to see if there was somewhere we hadn't gone before. I came across the Rock Center Café in Rockefeller Center. Amazingly, on a Friday night before Christmas, there was availability for six people at six o'clock. I quickly looked at the menu and booked the reservation before the opportunity was lost.
 

I'm wary of "tourist" restaurants, not just in New York City, but anywhere I travel. Generally -- and I am generalizing -- the food is unremarkable and the space is crowded. The Rock Center Café had the magnificent view of the Rockefeller Center skating rink, the food was good and the service, from our waitperson to the people who greeted us, was terrific.     

After dinner we joined, what seemed like, thousands of people who had come to see this year's tree. 

I've seen this scene more times than I can count, but each year it grows more special and this year it became magical. I wouldn't have expected magic after all of these years, but that's the joy of magic. It finds you when you least expect it. It found me this year at Rockefeller Center and that's why it has my vote for the most iconic Christmas Experience in New York City.     

 

What's your magical Christmas moment, past or present? 

Thanks for joining me for this wonderful experience. Wishing you many moments of joy and magic.  

Pink Saturday Goes Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Broadway and West 73rd Street, Manhattan

 

 I was walking along Broadway after study group this afternoon with my friend, Nora. It was twilight and I looked to the right and saw this tiny park brightly lit and glowing. I asked if we could stop for a minute so I could take a picture. She replied yes, and added "I expect I'll see this in your blog." I told her I hadn't thought of using it, but since she asked for it, I would. As I continued home, I thought, "Why not?" I've been focused on capturing the iconic Christmas scenes in New York and was overlooking the beauty close at hand. So, tonight we take a Pink Saturday in my New York neighborhood.    

When I got home tonight it had gone from twilight to evening and the snow covered the street divider on Broadway. It set off the white lights that decorate the trees and made for a very local winter wonderland.
 

I took this picture on Friday at West 86th Street and Broadway, just a few blocks from the photograph above. I've probably walked by this store a dozen times in the last few weeks, but didn't notice the goodies in the window. But as I waited for the traffic light to change the t-shirt in the center caught my eye, "I'm only a morning person on December 25th." It's definitely true for me. Is this the case for my friends in Buttercupland?

"But the prettiest sight you'll see is the holly that will be

On your own front door."

When I started to write this post this phrase from "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" kept going through my mind. So I close this post with a photograph of holly from the grocery a few blocks from my house. It's not quite my own front door, but it's in a corner of my heart and world.

Tomorrow we return to the iconic sights of New York City with perhaps the most iconic. Any guesses?

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a weekend filled with blessings at your own front door.
 

The Caring Kind Walk

My new buddy, Patches, dressed for the doggy costume contest and looking sharp.

 

For the second year in a row I've been part of a team -- the Wednesday Walkers -- for the Caring Kind Manhattan walk. Caring Kind is a fabulous organization that supports those who are caregivers for people with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. We were a small team this year, but we raised over $700. for this very worthwhile cause.    



The beginning of the walk at Riverside Park, along the Hudson River

 

I became involved in the work of Caring Kind after agreeing to do a walk with my friend, Helen. This was over two years ago and I was barely walking two miles a day. I had had surgery for a spinal cord tumor two years before and my walking was still limited. The idea of the New York City Marathon or even a ten mile walk wasn't feasible. I needed a short walk -- Caring Kind is two miles on a mostly flat surface -- for a cause I believed in. I entered "walks 2016 Manhattan" into a search engine and I found my answer. My walking has improved significantly in the last two years, but I am happy to keep walking for this organization.  

The Wednesday Walkers at the end of our walk. 

There were several well-known personalities and here is Mary Ann with retired hockey star and present day television hockey analyst, Ron Duguay. He couldn't have been nicer and meeting him was an added fun note to the day.

 

We walked a month ago, but I've got several posts from past events that I will be publishing -- including more photographs from Iceland -- in the next week. Once Thanksgiving comes around I will be featuring holiday décor in New York City. I will also be doing several giveaways and once again showcasing the talent of friends with Buttercup's Fair. Please stop by often, we're going to have a lot of fun.   

 

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care!

 

Pink Saturday Goes to the Double Dutch

Though the thermometer says it's still summer, it's autumn whenever I can find it. 

I wouldn't say I'm in a rut -- lots of new things on my schedule -- but I do have a pretty consistent pattern. The library, synagogue, Weight Watchers and the gym are all within a mile from where I live. This area includes two movie theaters, groceries and Central and Riverside Parks. But on Saturday I joined friends who live north of my mile area for coffee on Frederick Douglass Boulevard, which is the continuation of Central Park West, north of Central Park.
 

Per my friend Jennifer's recommendation we went to Double Dutch Espresso. Though it's October we were able to sit on the garden patio -- a luxury in Manhattan -- and enjoy good conversation and iced coffee. Though I haven't written about coffee very often this year, I'm still sampling new coffee places. There's an infinite array in New York City and I have a good dozen new places that I've enjoyed this year.  
 

I was reading a review of Double Dutch that criticized the array of coffee drinks. The last is more than adequate for me and I had my usual iced coffee. It was a solid B+ and worth the extra travel. My hairdresser is only a block away, so I'm actually in the neighborhood often enough to stop by and enjoy the brick wall ambience.  

I haven't seen "It," but the sign in front of the shop paid homage to the book and movie. 

A semi-selfie on the sidewalks of New York

 



It was a great weekend. Perfect weather, enough errands to feel caught up, time with friends, services and lots of good coffee. I even checked off flu shot from my list. I stopped at the walk-in clinic near my building first thing this morning and was in and out in less than ten minutes. I hope everyone else had a chance to relax and recharge this weekend, too.

 

I'm joining my Pink Saturday friends. Please stop by and meet some of the nicest bloggers in Internet Land. As ever, thanks for visiting and wishes for a happy week.