Hot signs in the city

One thing that always catches my eye is a unique sign. I saw a lot of them in New York City last weekend. My favorite was this one, at the Spice Market Restaurant.

Some day, I’m going to have a meal there. I hear it’s quite good.

I liked the font on this French country shoppe. And the cool ironwork out front.

Nobody seems to know what goes on here. Or what used to go on here. The world may never know.

It’s what’s for dinner. (Located down the street from [this place]).

The Wicked ad along the High Line is very noticeable.

Leonard Nimoy stars as Beethoven, among other things along this old storefront.

Too cha cha for words (my friend Margie’s favorite expression).

There are no words for this, however.

That was fun. Hope you enjoyed the little tour with me!

Until tomorrow, my friends . . .

High Line photos from NYC

Warning: lots of photos in this post. I promised yesterday that I’d post a few photos of my trip to see the High Line, a new elevated park in New York City. I hope I didn’t go overboard.

The High Line was built in the 1930’s, as part of a massive public-private infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement. It lifted freight traffic 30 feet in the air, removing dangerous trains from the streets of Manhattan’s largest industrial district. No trains have run on the High Line since 1980. Friends of the High Line, a community-based non-profit group, formed in 1999 when the historic structure was under threat of demolition. Friends of the High Line works in partnership with the City of New York to preserve and maintain the structure as an elevated public park. The project gained the City’s support in 2002. The High Line south of 30th Street was donated to the City by CSX Transportation Inc. in 2005. The design team of landscape architects James Corner Field Operations, with architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, created the High Line’s public landscape with guidance from a diverse community of High Line supporters. Construction on the park began in 2006. The first section, from Ganesvoort Street to 20th Street, opened in June 2009.

~Taken from “High Line History” on the [High Line official site].

I couldn’t help the last shot.

Thanks for stopping by, my friends. Until tomorrow, then . . .

I wanna be a part of it

New York, New York . . .

I’m becoming quite the traveler lately with my frequent visits to the city. I left Maryland very early yesterday morning to meet Lauren at Daryl’s place in NYC. Daryl wanted to show us the newly opened High Line.

For the first time in my life, I rode in a taxi. There’s even a tv in the back seat.

The High Line is a unique elevated park that just opened a few weeks ago. Lauren just e-mailed me and told me that it’s featured in today’s New York Times in the Style section. [Click here] and then click on the multimedia link “On the Street / Elevated”.

I’ll post more of my High Line pics later this week and tell you a little about it. But for now, here are a couple of glimpses. There’s Lauren in the background, there.

The park is on an old train line that ran above the city for years. We’re almost at the end of the line in this shot, and you can see Lady Liberty in the background there. She’s far away and very tiny, right in the center of the photo.

Here, I’ll point her out. There you go.

I also got an added treat. I’m not sure you know this, but I’ve got sort of a thing for firemen. For some reason, there was a small congregation of them (be still, my heart) having a pow wow here at the end of the Line and some of them graciously let me take their photo.

We visited several shops and boutiques and had lunch in a really cool restaurant that had a courtyard in the center. Afterwards, as we strolled through the West Village, Lauren pointed out a pet shop and suggested I buy a birthday gift for my favorite best friend.

So I went inside and picked out this cool turtle that I know Maria of Gardening With Turtles would really love.

And George really enjoys his new present. When I arrived home around 6 pm, he ran to the car to greet me, jumping up and sniffing the bags I’d brought home. He sniffed out the birthday bag and wanted at it, as if he knew it were for him. (I don’t make this stuff up, you know).

We had dinner al fresco and a game of fetch the turtle at the same time with the birthday boy. What a great day!

Oh, and here’s something funny. When I arrived at Daryl’s apartment, she re-introduced me to her husband (the famous Ray of Toonsday Husbandisms). He shook my hand, saying that it’s so hard to keep track of all his wife’s friends but good to see me again.

“Honey,” Daryl said, “You know Kate. She’s the one with the dog. The border collie you like.”

At that, Ray’s face lit up and he said, “Oh, George! I’ve seen George’s blog!”

I swear, my dog is going to have to start his own blog.

Not really.

Until tomorrow, my friends . . .

PS ~ To all those who were saddened that George couldn’t go with me on the ride in yesterday’s post, please know that he was more than happy to have stayed home that particular day. My husband played with him practically the whole time. When the weather is hot, I can’t take him in the car if I’m going to be inside for any longer than just a few moments. Not good to leave pets in a hot car!

UPDATE: The statue I pointed out looks exactly like the Statue of Liberty (especially when viewed large in my PS2 program), but unless she got her island to move up the river a ways, then it couldn't be. A gentleman taking photos pointed it out to me and I happily clicked away, thinking it was. Thanks, Daryl and Ray, for straightening me out!

Separation anxiety

As I was leaving to go run some errands the other day, I tooted my horn as always and waved out the window at my husband. I could see him in the distance, in the yard tossing frisbees to George. I did a double take when I noticed he had the camera with him.

So I waved some more.

But wait. What’s this? George wants to come for a ride in the car. Forget the frisbee. It’s mom in the car! A ride!! A ride!! (He does love a good ride.)

Oh, he’s coming all right. He plans to catch right up to me and take his rightful seat, the one in the back that’s covered with a quilt all his own.

 

I think he’s getting surprised that I’m not stopping.  But that’s not stopping HIM.

Ma!! Wait!! Take me with you!! Maaaa!!!

Shane!!  Shane, come back, Shane!! Shane!!

When I was very young, I had a huge crush on Brandon DeWilde and I don’t care that I’m showing my age. The boy was beautiful. And such a wonderful actor.

I’ve digressed as I’ve never digressed before. **sniff ** Let’s get back to George . . .

Guess who’s turning two years old today?

George was born on Seven Eleven Oh Seven. That’s how my husband says it. (And he’s bought a present for him.)

PS ~ The quality of these photos is way below standards for my discriminating tastes, being the hoity-toity person I am. I did what I could with them, though and for what it’s worth, I’m just going to let it go. I’m just sayin’.

Until tomorrow, my friends . . .

My niece, the artist

One of my nieces left a comment on my post yesterday. I know she’s been a long-time visitor and occasionally, she drops me a line telling me she’s been here. Frankly, I’m quite flattered (and honored) that she even visits.

I was surprised to read her comment that stated, “I’ve started a blog”!

So of course I had to get over there pronto and check her out. I think she’s been at it for just over a week or so.

These drawings are from a post she did on her sketchbook.

She’s always been a talented artist and graduated last May from Drexel University with a degree in fashion design. She landed a sweet job in NYC at Jones NY and loved it . . . until the economy fell flat and they had to let go of some people. The newest hires were the first to go.

[Emily] is beautiful and talented and is the eldest daughter of my dear sister [Charlotte]. Stop by if you have a moment and give her a welcome to world of blogging.

And Em, I hope you don’t mind that I stole these pages from your beautiful sketchbook. I just really loved them. Good luck storming the castle!

Love,

Aunt Kate

Until tomorrow, as every else knows me . . .

A simple treat

I have been accused several times by a co-worker of being hoity-toity. And to that I say, “What! Me? You’ve got to be kidding!”

This time it’s because I like cucumber sandwiches, of all things. I was telling him and another co-worker that I’d had them when I went out to lunch the other day. And that they were really very good.

They’re very simple, too. And I don’t mind being teased just because I like something.

In the summertime, I work ‘summer hours’ which is 8-1 daily. It’s a pretty sweet deal and was actually a huge selling point when I took the job over ten years ago. It only lasts two months, but I love those two months. The school is basically quiet and there’s a lot to accomplish as we close out one year and prepare for another. And if I want to take a Friday or a Monday off, I just work extra hours during the week to cover the five hours that I’ll miss on the day off.

I don’t eat much when I’m at school, usually a small morning snack and a very light lunch. So when I come home, I’m a bit hungry. (Or as my British MIL says, ‘a bit peckish’). And today to appease my hunger, I had these wonderful little cucumber finger sandwiches, along with a glass of freshly made mint iced tea.

To make these, choose a good-tasting bread. I used Pepperidge Farms’ Oatmeal because it was what was in the breadbox. Slice off the crusts and cut the bread into 6 small squares. Smear a small amount of mayonnaise on each slice, place a cucumber slice on top and then sprinkle with salt, pepper and chopped chives.

It’s a wonderful summertime snack!

I’ve always liked to score the pared cucumber with the tines of a fork. I think it makes it look better. And if that makes me hoity-toity, well then I will just revel in it.

I think I’m pretty simple, though.

And it doesn’t take much to make me happy.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

To all those who guessed ‘You’ve Got Mail’ for the movie quotes in the post below, you were right. Yeah, I like that movie too. Here’s one of my favorite scenes, at the very end of the movie.

Until tomorrow, my friends . . .