in fathers day fashion

dad,

wore your navy blue cardigan, the cashmere one from nordstrom.

wore your white whale tie tack from cape cod.

played your banjo tunes and your favorite jazz.

toasted to you,

and was given one red rose in the evening 

which i held up to the night sky

never saying goodbye

just goodnight! 

upper west side

 

seagull season

i bought 

two small 

Jersey peaches 

at the 

west 97th street 

farmers market

yesterday morning.

they ripened by end of day.

for breakfast 

today,

i sliced one

into a favorite Astier dish

full of vanilla yogurt,

adding

a drizzle

of golden honey

from Lighthouse Keeper's,

a small batch 

food 

purveyor

discovered

while 

on Cape Cod

last July

to celebrate

my uncle's life

and remember my dad, too.

next, 

granola from Balthazar

scooped

from a bag

tied with 

signature cotton bolduc,

a convergence 

of worlds

in one little bowl,

the seagull 

postcard

on the butcher block

a souvenir 

from 

my mother's 90th birthday

last fall

where assorted favors

on the dining table

added 

a touch 

of 

needed whimsy.

she had admired 

the robin redbreast 

at a nearby shop,

it is a symbol 

of hope and happiness,

but there were not enough

to go around

so a colorful assortment

of various birds 

was made

and distributed 

to each sibling,

niece,

brother in law

and/or significant other,

to match personalities

and imagined preferences.

i gave the gull 

to myself 

as a secret 

reminder 

of the magical 

days of summer

and sandcastles

on Hardings Beach

built mostly 

by my father,

we kids

pressing perfect clam shells 

into the pyramids

with the palms 

of our suntanned hands,

decorating 

our shared masterpieces

with 

joy.

i am

only 

missing

the fresh mint

but 

will 

find some 

at 

Sunday's

market.

sweet

sweet

peach

sweet

sweet

summer.

#growmanhattan
#lighthousekeeperspantry
#terhuneorchards
#harmonybrookside
#johnderiancompany

 

the dance

dear dad,

once upon a magical time

we danced 

at el's wedding

beneath 

a scalloped

white canopy

on grounds

so green

you led

i followed

in my stocking feet

floating

in your 

elegant

embrace

lots of love,

deb

memorial day weekend, once upon a time...

 

coming on Christmas...

on broadway uws

 

90!

Big Birthday Wishes to you, Mom -- 90!! 

 

Robert Indiana, Rockefeller Center
One through Zero (the ten numbers) 

dive in

a new week begins.... 

lighthouse beach, chatham, cape cod

 

friday flatware

at the Whitby Hotel...

 

on father's day

dad, 

'went down to the Seaport to see the tall ships this afternoon! 

the masts reached high, the clouds above like full, billowing sails. 

remember when we had one of your anniversary celebrations there, a brunch over Labor Day weekend?

then on a whim, walked to the Staten Island Ferry terminal on Whitehall, purchased a bunch of tickets and took a roundtrip ride, just to say we had done it?  Abigail and Charlotte were just little girls then! 

today, the Tin Building is a beautifully restored, Jean Georges gourmet marketplace.  i think you would approve and i will have to get Mom there to enjoy it firsthand.

i bought olive oil and sampled some shrimp, then wandered over to Fulton Street to browse the lovely new Mcnally Jackson bookstore before coming back uptown on the 1 train.

at sunset, i found you again in the golden sky above the Hudson. 

thank you for giving me this magical day of new adventures and special memories.

xoxo

at the south street seaport 

 

hudson river from my window

lite brite

after Thanksgiving.... 

on a country road...

 

a birthday in bernardsville

mom, still recovering from the work/play weekend and our action packed patio adventure.

hope you are still celebrating! happy birthday to you! 

xx

sette cucina italiana, bernardsville

mother's day

moms make magic.

riverside drive

have a special day!

xx

when life gives you lemons...

my father is turning 88 years young tomorrow!

we will not be sharing a family dinner in new jersey but my mom is of course making him his favorite, lemon meringue pie.

he is a lucky guy to have her.

we are a lucky family to have him.

happy birthday, bob!

stay home!!

eat pie!

lemon meringue pie, from mary cooks....

dear Gilli

found this in my blog drafts from April, 2014, not sure how it got stuck there!

the first time i visited Florence was possibly in the year 1995 (or was it 2004?) to meet up with my parents, sister and cousins who were already there, renting a house in the hills of Chianti. 

i remember that it rained for most of the trip, poured at times, and that my parents and cousins took us for coffee at Caffe Gilli on the morning i arrived.

we sat outside in the damp Piazza della Repubblica on cold, wet metal chairs. it was divine.

thought work took me to other areas of Italy, i  do not think i returned to Firenze until 2014, when i took a week or so to join a food tour coordinated by the daughter of a designer friend of mine.

we again stayed in a house just outside the city gates and had daily field trips into the hills for various culinary focused adventures. we also made it into the city several times as we were so close by.

i think i took this photo as we grabbed quick morning coffees at the little bar inside.

sending love and light to Italy!

stay safe!

caffe gilli, florence, 2014

Our Lady of Paris

it was year ago that the Notre-Dame de Paris fire took place....

i still cannot find a photo of the cathedral from Hermes days or more recent travels but can use some of my quarantine time to search for them.  we always visited pre or post ice cream at famed Berthillon on Ile Saint -Louis. we would typically snap photos in front of the cathedral and often enjoyed a walk through the garden behind it, Square Jean XXIII, which offered an opportunity to marvel at the Gothic architecture from new angles. 

this morning, the news reports:  "The bell Emmanuel, built in 1686 and situated at the South Tower of Notre-Dame de Paris, will ring at 8 pm local (2pm EST), both to commemorate the fire and to be in unison with the French who applaud their care workers at 8 pm everyday. It's the second biggest bell in France after the one in the Sacre-Coeur." abc news 

i will send out an extra cheer from my window tonight. and maybe find a small bell to ring, as well. Paris, je t'aime! 

paris, jardin du palais royal
may 2010

bunny hop

Easter blessings to all.

now, back to my reading....

riverside drive....
#stayhome
#staysafe

meatpacking mirage

hermes, meatpacking...

and now, a flashback Friday

in honor of National Library Week, how about The House of Four Seasons and/or The Rescuers?

came across both at NY Public Library shop, the first fascinating me as a child with its celebration of color! 

what's on your list?

at NY Public Library....

gone fishing

happy father's day, dad! 

cape cod, april 2016