Fresh air

Something to note: you rarely feel worse than you did before after you exercise. On gross, grisly days during the winter, when absolutely nothing goes right it is important to try to squeeze in at least a twenty minute break outside. I'm not talking about the sweaty, germ-infested gym. I am talking about outside in the fresh air where your body can absorb some sunlight and your lungs can fill up with air that hasn't already cycled through someone else. 

If you have small children you can accomplish this by sticking them in the stroller and heading outside. Even though they are just along for the ride the fresh air does them good. They'll sleep better ...

Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden

I had a great outing yesterday with family. We went to see the Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden. It was amazing to see reproductions of New York buildings and bridges made out of natural materials: seeds, rose hips, acorns, bark, pieces of pine cone. And the trains were great. I was expecting one train running through the whole exhibit but it was many trains from by-gone eras. 

Try to go see it if you can. I would advise early morning and not on a weekend if you can manage. If you go on a weekend I still think early morning wouldn't be so bad. As it was we went on Members' Day and it was very pleasant, except for the occasional toddler walking on my feet. 

The NY Botanical Garden is one of my favorite places to visit. I am not a museum person (at all) but I love the vastness of this property and the beautiful exhibits they have. In the nice weather I love to ride the tram with the taped recording describing all of the beautiful sections one passes. I heartily recommend becoming a member and supporting one of New York's treasures.

Dreams, not all of them out of reach.

Here's a post I found in my "Drafts" today. It's still pertinent except perhaps for walk, walk, walking in Paris. And maybe I'll be able to go to London. You never know...

I would like to go to an evening party where you get to wear those long white gloves that come up over your elbows. That would entail a sleeveless dress so I'll keep it up with the push ups.

I would like to go to Venice. And, yes, I would like to go in a gondola.

I'd like to go to Paris and stay at the Hotel Saint Beuve, a little treasure of a hotel. I would like to walk and walk and walk all over the city. I would not want to eat at any top restaurant, preferring to stick with the neighborhood cafes.

I might also be interested in a quick trip to Italy, definitely would like to go to Capri. I wouldn't want to spend days there because I would not be comfortable not knowing the language.

I would not be sad if I never saw a pair of skis again, be they for snow or water.

Is it really the end of summer? The days have been so gorgeous.

An end-of-summer beauty.

Such imagination!

Next year I must remember to plant some things that will bloom in late summer to early fall. I was at the New York Botanical Garden on Saturday and there were so many pretty end-of-summer looks. Even their gardens get leggy and bare in spots but here and there you come upon something very pretty.

Fall seems to have come to stay for a while

Well, well, well. Where have I been? Clearly not blogging away. Busy with this and that and now I've come across some pretty pictures which is what usually inspires me to write.

I know most of us miss the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer but there is something to be said for Fall. The warm afternoons of sunshine have been glorious and we still have the turning of leaves to look forward to.

These three are along my bike route. This is from another year as our leaves have yet to turn.

I love this picture with the taxi going by.

A few of my favorite things

Here we are and the last days of summer are upon us. If you haven't been able to take advantage of the warm weather make it a point to try your hardest to get out and enjoy it.

My first ever crop of cherry tomatoes. They're pretty yummy!

This coral hibiscus has kept life cheery this summer.

Perfect still life. And I know just the artist to paint it!

The best place in the world to have a picnic. Granted at high tide it's a little tricky.

Pink, pink, and white!

Wow, not even one post in July! I guess I have been busier than I thought. Summer is cruising along, the crickets have started up and it's beach time. What have I been doing rather than blogging? Riding my bike, doing needlepoint and thinking of new things to do with my days. Rather than tell you what I have planned let's see if anything pans out and I'll tell you then.

As usual, it is a photograph that has prompted me to write. This is a new favorite. I don't know why I can't manage to create this beautiful melange in my own garden.

Perfection

Monet

I'm not necessarily feeling blog-like today but did want to mention that the Monet exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden is very pretty. See the garden they put together as Monet's garden was when he was alive. I saw it last week and it was beautiful. Hollyhocks and delphiniums (delphinia?) galore. It was my idea of a perfect garden. Lots of pretty flowers with good height and not too manicured. They were changing the garden over for the summer season this past Monday so I think I'll be going out another time to see it. There is also a building that has drawings, notes, etc. from Monet as well as three of his oil paintings. 

There are lots of water lilies to see but I am not such a fan of these. They are fairly high maintenance if you want them to look nice and neat. The pond needs to be "weeded" This involved high waisted rubber overalls being worn by NYBG staff and I can say it had no appeal for me.

I am in summer mode which means lots of beach time and lots of needlepoint time. And trying to keep my garden fresh with lots of watering but the heat has been rough on everything.

I'd like a mini version of this in a front hall.

Water lilies

Lemon yellow hollyhocks and delphinium in the background.

Not the weather I was expecting for today

However, a great day to do your hobbies. If you don't have any then poor you.

I have a dollhouse that I built from a kit. It weathered various tots playing with it and was a great diversion when they came for dinner. But now it's ready to be overhauled and I am in the middle of that. I am working on the electricity which is the most fun part. To see a chandelier light up a dollhouse room is really cool.

Also a great day for gardening as it's not too hot. And you can get in your bike ride / run without dying of the heat.

To me it is amazing how you can have a bad day (yesterday) and then all of a sudden down the beach here comes the most cheerful, cute 20-something girl and she makes you smile and then smile some more. 

And after good night's sleep your frame of mind is completely changed and life is pretty good. Make sure to observe the funny things around you. For me, this was seeing a wild turkey on the bowling green of a local club. I mean, really. And I did longingly pass a group of foursomes playing tennis. And there were the enthusiastic sailors getting ready to race in what I would call no wind whatsoever, yet enthusiastic all the same.

Here are some summery pictures. Painting by marthamarlette.com.

Simply loving the flowers that bloom this time of year.

This bunch of peonies comprises my entire crop. They have such a heavenly smell.

Hydrangeas from new bush planted late last summer. We're in the pink!

I am still pulling together my little garden and the few pots on my terrace. We're now at the time of year when the mantra "water, water, water" goes into effect.

MORE Martha Marlette

So real! See more at marthamarlette.com

LOVE these!

More Art in Buffalo

The fun thing about this art show was that each artist has their own style and that made it a very interesting show. There was something there for everyone to enjoy. 

Love these sea urchins by Beth Munro. For more info visit bethmunro.com

Tulip study by Beth Munro. You feel as though you could reach out and touch them!

More fabulous paintings by Beth Munro.

By Monica Angle. This one is all mine but if you like it she might do one for you.

Another by Monica Angle. LOVE it. Next post will have Monica's contact information.

This is by Monica Angle. It is silk on top of paint. I am sure there is a very sophisticated name for the technique but to me it is just so cool!

Awesome paintings by Ruth McCarthy. She also does wall finishes. I'll show you one later on.

Too bad about the glare but this is one lion I would like in my den.

Art in Buffalo

Just back from Buffalo where I attended an art show of four very good artists. My sister, Martha Marlette, was one of the exhibitors. I urge you to check out her web site and see her gorgeous paintings. If you are interested in seeing one of these paintings in person let me know and I'll get it to you as long as you are within driving distance of New York City. Write to her on her web site or write me and I'll get you the prices.

Martha Marlette – Buffalo, NY Artist

marthamarlette.com/

Lilacs!

Yesterday while doing errands I came across the most beautiful lilacs I have ever seen. They were quite a surprise and absolutely breathtaking. That's what we have to do - look for the beautiful things in our everyday surroundings, even though that seems nearly impossible some days.

I had no idea how pink the "white" lilacs are until I saw these up close.

I prefer flowers when they are just coming into full bloom but not quite there yet. 

I went to a talk on flowers at Simon Pearce. (They were trying to sell their vases which are exquisite.) Give your lilacs a fresh cut and then cut up into the branch a couple of times. This will allow them to drink more water and keep them fresher.

Daffodils

We are heading out of daffodil season right now but I wanted to post these pictures of the daffodils at Purchase College. They were absolutely spectacular. There were flowers for as far as you could see. Try to remember to see them next year. I'll remind you.

Blossoms

This whole web page looks different to me and I will take a while to adapt to it. I still haven't gotten used to the new facebook setup.

Nothing much to say except it certainly is grand to have such a long stretched-out spring. The birds are singing away which is something I like more and more the older I get. My cherry tree is in full bloom so I'll try to sit still a while today and enjoy it. It must be ten years old by now. I brought it home with the top sticking out of the sunroof of my car so it was really pretty scrawny. Now it's just perfect.

My cherry tree

Table set for Easter dinner

Not much news

It's been a while since my last post. I have mostly been taking pictures of daffodils, having Easter and then surgery on my arthritic thumb. It's nice to take after your parents but if brains had been passed along to me rather than arthritis I would have been grateful.

Sooo, trying to do quiet things with one hand. I am thinking of playing with shells today as I have a stash I accumulated a long time ago. It's best not to be a packrat but when it comes to shells all bets are off. If I manage to make something pretty I'll show you.

It seems as though it has been spring for ages. In fact it has. We may be launching into summer. My hydrangeas are looking pretty bushy already.

I am entering into an art show (!) and this is my entry:

"Cleanup"

A lazy Sunday

I was out with my camera this morning trying to capture some more pictures of daffodils while they are still at their peak. So, I got some good pix of those but the best was the swan I came upon. I have been hoping to get pictures of some herons that are around here but they're usually too far away to get a good shot. Well, this swan was so nearby it made it easy to get these. Pretty exciting for what has otherwise been a lazy Sunday.

Daffodils and spring cleaning

I so love this time of year and it is enhanced by how much I love daffodils. I have millions of pictures of these beautiful flowers but will only make you look at a few.

I've been doing major spring cleaning. It all began with a dinner party I had a couple of weeks ago and has since continued. I started by painting the enclosure for the washer/dryer that was put up two years ago. And then on to the railing on the front steps. 

I've since moved outside. I sprayed a wrought iron side table that is 50 years old and it looks brand new. Yesterday I tackled the wooden planters that I think I bought four years ago and they were beginning to look neglected. Well, little did I know that they are practically rotted through. I put extra thick layers of paint in the tricky areas and I know they'll make it through this season. But I plan to keep my eyes open to see how much fiberglass containers would cost. Probably a lot but they wouldn't require much upkeep. I have bought a couple of fiberglass pots in the past and think this is what I will stick with. They truly don't seem to age.

Ah, you say, she must be close to finished with spring cleaning. But, no, you know how it goes. Once you start you keep finding more and more to do. I think I'll spray paint the umbrella stands flat black.

Through all of this I have gotten quite handy with a palm sander. I think that's what it's called. I borrowed it from my brother. I sanded my basement steps (boy was that noisy) so that when it is cooler outside I will have an indoor project. I forgot to tell you that I had found a wicker table on the street for bulk garbage pick-up day. I sanded the top of that and put on a coat of white spray paint. One more coat and it will be ready for a new life as a bedside table in the guest room.

I have many more things to do. If I show you the list maybe I'll get to them: paint the basement stairs and the stairwell. It has looked awful for 15 years. Maybe paint the safety railings outside my four upstairs windows. Wash the screens. This is best done with a damp washcloth and it's amazing how great the screens look when you're finished.

In the meantime I found a stash of shells that were hoping for a project and I've been doing some votives with shells. I'll show pictures when they're done. It's kind of hard to describe them.

So for the past two days I have collapsed at about 4 and gone to bed very early. Today I have to pace myself as my cousins are coming out for dinner at the club. If you know me, you know pacing myself takes extraordinary effort. 

Oh, and I have been walking for an hour a day. I have had a bum knee for a long time and couldn't exercise vigorously but now seem to be able to start back with some walking. I am totally inspired by a friend I had dinner with who has lost weight and looks fabulous.

That's it for now. As you can see I have a lot to do!

Taken by Sarah L. last spring. I love the contrast in colors on these.

Love this.

I have a thing for daffodils and stone walls. So pretty.

I love these, mixed in amongst the birch trees.

The night sky

Venus and Jupiter are dancing. It's happening right now. And Mars is glowing red beyond Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper. This picture is from fb page Beautiful Things Go on line and take a look.

On the way home from dinner the other night my brother pointed out Venus and Jupiter to me in the sky. Left to my own devices I would have thought it was planes circling LaGuardia Airport. Anyway, it's worth venturing out one night to have a look.

Today's a so-so day. Good for taking a walk as long as you're bundled up. Also a good day to tackle those tax returns. Me? Sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for my refund. Tip: you'll get it very quickly if you file electronically.

I've just started a new book that I am liking a lot so far: The Cat's Table.  By: Michael Ondaatje.

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Spring is about to burst around here. It is so exciting and long-awaited,even though we had such a mild winter.

I had a dinner party last night so today I am going to take it slow. It's funny how hard I worked to bring the apartment up to "company's coming" status. I'll be searching for the things I stuffed away for weeks! We had great fun with surprise guests even. One point I must make before I forget. Always try to have friends who are younger than you are. You don't have to ditch your friends who are your age but try to incorporate some youth into the mix and you'll see how much fun it is.

Think I'll take it slow and work on my virtual photography class. I wonder if I'll ever feel confident enough to take pictures without that marvelous automatic focus/aperture setting on my camera. I spent all week looking for my battery charger and battery. I am simply going at too fast a pace to keep track of my belongings. I found the charger and may well go to Rye Camera and get a battery because that has simply not turned up, pray as I might to St. Anthony. Can't complain, he did a good job with the charger.

Here are some photos to remind you that spring and summer are coming. I love the one with the dogs.

Can you imagine living with this crew?

I love the light at this time of year.

Happy Valentine's Day

I look at Valentine's Day as a day to celebrate the pink and red in the world. If you have a sweetheart, enjoy your time together.

 Rent a pink house to boost your spirits.

And enjoy the flowers around you.

If you have lost your love take this to heart: 

More pink and red to celebrate the day.