Cheerful Things

An astounding wisteria soars on 21st Street.

A lady crosses 23rd Street on her way to to celebrate a birthday.

Long Island Abstract

A '57  Chevy complete with fuzzy dice, parked by Northport Dock.

Counter stools at Munday's Diner in Huntington.

A square of light, Jarvis House, Huntington.

Little Boats in Northport Harbor.

Lori's Garden

My friend Lori's garden on Long Island is a little on the wild side right now.

Her mower is broken and she's waiting for the poison

ivy removal people to appear. A garden untamed is a delight.

This picture: box wood, daffodil, periwinkle and hosta.

Bleeding hearts, hosta.

Reflecting pool.

Violets for Eb.

Dog tooth violet for me.

Everything all at once.

Marsh marigold, tulip, azaelea.

Salad

I bet you never thought you would get a recipe here.

Sometimes we pretend to be healthy.

This lasts about three days.

How to make this salad:

Cook little bits of chicken breast in olive oil and a dash of Lea and Perrins.

Mesclun  green bits

carrots

dried cranberries

mango

cashew nuts

sunflower seeds

Throw bits on plate and drizzle with balsemic vinegar.

Follow up with ice cream and brownies or both.

Chelsea People

For other ShadowShots go here.

A  street fair lets letter carriers walk right down the middle of 8th Avenue.

Always something rather thrilling about walking where you usually can't. 

This group were waiting to go on stage at the Senior Talent Show.

The lady with the sword was very enthusiastic.

An exquisite bouquet of orchids.

Great excitement when The Rock came to Chelsea as part of the Tribeca Film Festival.

Paparazzi swarmed him. R. says he is a wrestler.

 You can just see his head as a sort ofblob between all the photographers.

Bright Day and Urban Delights

What a very bright truck for a bright day.

A good day to enjoy lunch in the dappled shade of Union Square....

... and to show off a new frock.

Empire Diner a Dove and a Poem

as burgeoning spring

demands poetic response

we bloggers will sing

The other day Tracy wrote that she had bought a book of haiku. Willow has been celebrating poetry month. The whole blogosphere is awash with poets and writers. An idea: Tracy and I thought Monday May 11th might be a good day for lots of us to post small blog- sized snippets of joy or wisdom or merely fun. Pictures too.....

She made this beautiful image to go with the idea.

Our friends in the Antipodes haven't got spring of course, but they have melancholy and equally poetic autumn. If you let me or Tracy know we can add you to a list, but this isn't necessary.

The Empire Diner, a real classic. Corner of 9th Avenue and 22nd Street.

An enigmatic stencil. 24th St. Gallery District

Evening and Morning

It was overcast and rainy yesterday, and then suddenly,

just after seven in the evening, the sun appeared very briefly
and bathed the buildings in a pink light.

In the morning the sun paints bright patches on the floor.

Earth Day, Actually

Having totally messed up and thought Earth Day was last week,
I'm happy to tell you it is today --which I'm sure you already knew by now.
But a good day to go for a walk in Chelsea and check how much nature there is
in the city. It was overcast and a little chilly. I was accompanied
by my trusty hound whose first spring this is.
A leather-leafed viburnum.(23rd Street between 8th and 9th.)

Fruit blossom on 21st .

Lilacs ditto.

My favorite photo. The different shaped leaves --

the iris, the bleeding-heart, the hellebore.
Reminds me of the medieval tapestries in the Cloisters .

A spring flower arrangement glimpsed thought the window of a delivery van
from D'oro's Annexe on the corner of 9th Avenue.

I was very touched to receive this award from Cynthia of Oasis Writing Link

who had been given it herself by Catherine of A Thousand Clapping Hands.

Cynthia explained the award : The Renee Award was created by two artists, Bella and Ces.
It is one of the most meaningful awards in blogworld because it honors someone who is incredibly inspirational in her intelligent and witty writing. And by doing so, this award celebrates women's smart, strong and inspirational spirit. It honors women who spread joy and love like an acorn...a small package growing into a tall and sturdy oak tree which gives more acorns that continue growing into tall and sturdy oak trees. ..

I would like to hand it on to Tracy of PinkPurl who lives in Norway .

Sullivan Street, Soho and Fashionistas

Walked down to Canal Street on Sunday morning. 

In Soho grafitti has become a rather self-conscious art form.

Visually engaging in a sort of way.

Something rather blue on Sullivan Street.

Fashionistas on West Broadway.

And a very young one on Houston Street.

(See below.)

Books for Children Run Amok Downtown

ps. these windows weren't really anything to do with children's books......

they just looked like them....sort of......

Alice wears a chic black dress and a blank expression.

But shouldn't she be playing in a garden?

Can't which book exactly-- but surely if they added a beret

this would be the costume of M. Le French Artist circa 1953.

Has Babar turned green and moved to the the

Meatpacking district from Celesteville?

Witches, of course, are never fat in fairy tales.

That's why they are so eager to devour children.

In the grown-up world things are different.

(See below.)

Shadow Shot Sunday/ Spring Light

For all the other ShadowShot participants go here.

Morning Light on 8th Avenue.

An old door and a new one. Little 12th Street.

The new building on 23rd Street.

For some reason the tarp billows artistically.

Christo might like it.

Pigs Want to Go Shopping

Hi porkers -down in the Meat-Packing District.

I am learning to make the pictures bigger. Maybe.

Buster's blog here

Sparrow!

with help from Daryl

Art

Getting invited over for leftovers is raised to the level of art

 when the  leftovers were cooked for a photo shoot by Marco Canora.

When we had finished eating all we could manage

we looked at some of the photos taken of the food for Marco's book

 Salt to Taste which is due out this fall. 

Everything was delicious but the lasagna verde and a fish

 and potato spread from Lucca stunned.

 The book is about how to make all these things at home. 

I asked Marco where he shopped for ingredients: the green market

 at Union Square and Chelsea Market. 

Exactly where I shop. Now all I need is the book and our lives will be much improved.

Lots of art yesterday. Here Lucille Nurkse with Final Concert

from  Jazz and Art/an exhibit celebrating America's musical art form at

 the Hudson Guild Gallery on 26th Street. The show runs until June 10th.

ITMA. (It's that man again.....) Preston Trombly with 

Turning on Green in the same show.

For some reason yesterday was an embarrassment of riches.

It was finally spring and everything seemed new, vibrant and exciting.

This tree reminded me of Samuel Palmer's visions

 of Kentish orchards long ago.

Even the mural painted by children at a local school delighted me.

 Maybe it was the dog.......

Buster's blog here