Winter

Rather fun collecting little bits of dried up stuff from the ground

and my son's yard and photographing them

against an old cookie tray.

Some leaves are stubbornly hanging on to the trees.

Near Union Square Christmas lights entwine with last leaves.

A portrait of an apple

and a lemon too.

Not Spring Yet...

Much neglected blog....

Not too much to report.

Hideous weather

Hideous president

However, some charming snowdrops on Long Island

a wonderful Grant Wood show at The Whitney

best public exhibition I have been to in ages

even when he is at his most depressing.

On a cheerier note - a splendid exhibition of Lucy Dodd's work

at the David Lewis Gallery. I have known Lucy since before she was born. 

And then there are always the delights of food.

A pistachio eclair for Frances and a brioche for me.

On a wet day Eisenburg's Sandwich Shop

provides comfort food galore.

Toasted bagel and bacon.

Pickles and a BLT.

This morning there were bright ranunculi at Union Square.

Hurry up spring...

Winter Continues...and What to Do to Combat it...

The groundhog has spoken.

Six more weeks of winter - and it's still bitter cold.

Madison Square Park is bright and chilly

But Eric Kayser serves hot tea and gives you a little tiny financier in your saucer.

Another day I repair to the flower district

and bathe in bright ranunculus 

and more ranunculus

and anemones

and weird begonias with swirls in them

and my very favorites - hellebores more charmingly referred to as Lenten Roses.

I go home and make sketches and start on a new tapestry design having stocked up on colored wools.
I'm reading Agnes Jeykll's Kitchen Essays from 1922 which summon up a lost world and have just finished Diana Holman-Hunt's delightfully batty memoir My Grandmothers and I from 1960.
Only six more weeks.....

Summer's End

Labor Day....

The moment to hang on to the last joys of summer

and remember walking in the woods of Long Island

and the delights of diner food on the day of a flash flood.

Summer flowers from our son's garden.

The home to the city and thinking of next year's flowers. (A very old plate from Morocco with a beautiful glaze.)

And walking in Central Park where there were a large number of rats in The Ramble. Pied Piper needed soonest.

Some progress in my latest project - a tapestry from a photo of folk art  from a chicken seller.

And Union Square has cheerful flowers

sweet mini plums

and both yellow and white peaches.

HAPPY LABOR DAY

Snapshots from early summer...

Suddenly it’s summer!

And very hot indeed - in the 90’s today. On Friday we sat up on the roof.

Today I walked up to Union Square where they were having some sort of promotion for Air France and the young girls were looking terrifyingly chic.

Such pretty mini-squash - to be photographed but not eaten.

I went home on the bus as it was too hot to walk.

The other day when my friend Jo was visiting from out of town, we had lunch at ABC Carpet, a most wonderful shop where they have lovely little flower arrangements all over the place.

They also have magical distressed mirrors.

This last photo is of a little ant who came downstairs with me from the roof where the nasturtiums and  lavender are flowering.

May

Time for Japanese irises  on Long Island

 And always time to go to the green market at Union Square.

A good hunting ground for aging hippies and green type people. (Include me in!)

Ramps looking swirly

and ranunculus looking vivid.

So very pretty!

Who knew that radishes had flowers?!

Union Square, as ever, a flower lovers’ paradise.

A Walk in the Park

On Tuesday I went for a wonderful walk in Central Park with Frances of CityViews/ CountryDreams.

Lovely to see the mist of unfolding leaves - so delicately overarching.

Lots of people out and about enjoying the day.

Blossoms unfolding too

and delighting the eye.

A birthday salute to Wm. Shakespeare!

What a blessing Central Park is!

How picturesque

and how pretty!