Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts

Saturday, June 29, 2024

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





 

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

make a wish!

happy birthday, dear bob!

we love you (and mary) so very much,

more than vanilla spritz cookies;

or a chocolate ganache bakery cake;

or even your favorite lemon meringue pie! 











mary and bob


89 expeditions around the sun, so fun!!

make a wish!!
xxx 


Sunday, April 19, 2020

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

Thursday, April 9, 2020

sunny side up


here is a little pre- Easter shelter-at-home egg hunt!  





can you find the eggs hiding around the apartment? 
every egg has a story!




if you found Rose Bakery How to Boil an Egg cookbook in the kitchen,  egg-cellent!
i miss the Rose, both in Paris and at Dover Street Market here in the city. yum.
here is their quick, classic Egg in the Middle recipe below to start your day!






did you catch the bright paper party egg hanging on the cupboard door? 
i think it hails from Erica Tanov's fabulous Elizabeth Street store, back in the day.... 






how about the foyer, my little chickadees? 




hint: sometimes the crystal vase on the center of the table doubles as a nest...
paper grass and sparkly eggs from shelves in the local pharmacy will do just fine when you haven't yet gotten to actual egg dyeing activities

(pause to clap for the essential workers in our local pharmacies!)






did you notice the painted, blown egg in the step back cupboard?

i found this little chick at the Cooper Hewitt Museum garden egg hunt one spring and have managed to keep it safe ever since, nestled amidst souvenirs from travels near and far.... 
staff members at the Museum painted all the eggs! 






where in the world would an egg hide in the living room?

i spy it! 
a heart painted ostrich egg from The Faberge Big Egg Hunt held in NYC in 2014!
it's there, wobbling atop a stack of books, red on red on red, and just a touch of yellow.

after weeks of a citywide scavenger hunt to find all the artist and designer decorated eggs, i remember running to Rockefeller Center on Easter morning to see all the life-size beauties assembled gallery style to enjoy, then dashing downtown for a walk on The High Line and brunch with my parents and our dear friends visiting from Paris. 
The Standard Hotel had a little petting zoo set up outside, including baby chicks for kids to discover.


in the end, everyone knows that i am a hearts girl on year round basis,
 but it seems that i do have a soft spot for eggs,
or maybe just for the hunt...




this year, happier than ever to have a sunny reminder of spring renewal and rebirth while staying very much at home! 

eggs eggs o o,
fashion is love


postcards, The Faberge Big Egg Hunt, 2014 nyc



Tuesday, June 12, 2018

greetings...

i could not be in Seattle today to honor the memory of my dear friend Beverly but the portrait painter and artist that she was would have loved this sign for an upcoming exhibit to be hosted by the Art Institute of Chicago...

though i was in the city for less than 48 hours, my college roommate and i still managed to meet up on the rooftop of The Robey Hotel to share memories and a toast to celebrate our Bev's magnificent life!

for beverly with love....
chicago, june 2018 ....

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

L'Italienne

Happy Birthday to you, Mom! 

Vincent Van Gogh, l'Italienne 1887
oil on canvas
Musee d'Orsay