Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Pyrotechnic posies


I live right around the corner from the
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, but we have another,
even bigger one up in the Bronx.  That's where
I found these blooms that (with excellent
timing) remind me of fireworks.

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.]

Monday, June 29, 2015

Bklyn brownstone


Major kudos to whoever decided
to paint
 this door this particular color!

[It's Blue Monday.  To see more,
visit Smiling Sally's meme.]

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Today's Flowers


It's not my absolute favorite flower

(that would be lily of the valley),
but I can't think of too many things that
are prettier than a pink peony.
What's your fave?

[To see more flowers from around the world, go here.]

Saturday, June 27, 2015

the cloister

This is the church of Santa Maria Novella,
in Florence, in a shot taken in
the Dark Ages BD (before digital).

[Linking back to The Weekend in Black and White and to inSPIREd Sunday.]

Friday, June 26, 2015

Weekend Reflections


Was headed back home after a stroll through
Dumbo (Down Under the Manhattan 

Bridge Overpass) when I spotted the bridge 
reflected (twice!) in this bright red Honda.
Thanks for giving me a place to post it, James.


[To see more Weekend Reflections, visit James's meme.]

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Thursday Challenge—"beach"

Espumilla Beach, Isla Santiago, Galapagos

This is not such an unusual sight in the Galapagos,
where the animals have unfettered access to their
 habitat, but visiting humans definitely do not—
which is absolutely as it should be. 

We did encounter a couple of the locals,
who graciously shared their beach with us.

[To see more of the Thursday Photo
Challenge, visit Dale's meme.]

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

ABC Wednesday—X is for "eXtreme entertainment"


Lucky me—last month I got to go to a performance
of Fuerza Bruta.  Think circus meets Carnival
meets samba/disco meets surrealism.  The audience
gets to play along, to a certain extent.  (I wanted
 to be flying above the crowd with these 
performers—looks like so much fun, doesn't it?)

[To see more ABC posts, go here.  And if I'm cheating
a bit, that's because this is my 10th "X" post
(and only two of them were Xmas)!]

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Ka-pow!


I got a kick out of this dad watching over
his sweet little sleeping baby girl—
while showing off his killer left hook.

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.]

Monday, June 22, 2015

Calling all sea creatures


On Saturday, my daughter Lila and her friends
marched in Coney Island's yearly Mermaid Parade
(in honor of a departed friend, their intrepid
and much loved leader in parades past).
I loved seeing all those who come out to march—lots 

of fun whatever your age, breed, or state of (un)dress!

[Linking back to Blue Monday and Mosaic Monday.]

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Don't fence me in


These pretty pink clematis are meant
to be living in the rose garden,
but apparently they have other ideas.

[To see more of Today's Flowers, go here.]

Saturday, June 20, 2015

an artful church


This little cherub lives in the church of
Santa Maria del Popolo, in Rome.
The church was originally built in the 11th century,
then modified by Bernini in the mid-1600s.
It's filled with fabulous art—by Rafael, Bernini, and
Caravaggio, among others.


[Linking back to The Weekend in Black and White and to inSPIREd Sunday.]

Friday, June 19, 2015

Weekend Reflections


One of many art installations set up around
the city for the summer, this is
Tom Fruin's Kolonihavehus, 2010.
Fruin used about 1,000 locally sourced scraps
of colorful Plexiglas in the construction.

Whoever lived in this glass house would
have a spectacular view of the Brooklyn Bridge!

[To see more Weekend Reflections,
visit James's meme.]


Thursday, June 18, 2015

Thursday Challenge—"lines"


Lots of lines here, going in all directions—in more
ways than one: This is the Fulton Street
subway station, newly opened last November after
a slight delay (7 years) and a bit of a cost
overrun (from a projected $750 million to $1.4 billion).  
But it's beautiful and clean and you can go to this one hub to 
catch a train on the 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, R, J, or Z line.

[To see more of the Thursday Photo Challenge, visit Dale's meme.] 

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

ABC Wednesday—W is for "weeping cherry tree"


There's something so romantic about a
"weeping" tree—especially one in full bloom.
This weeping cherry overhangs a tall kasuga lantern
at the entrance to the Brooklyn Botanic's
Japanese Hill and Pond Garden.

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

How did this get here?


I don't know whether the lone poppy was put
in the middle of these orange flowers on purpose,
or if its being there is a happy accident—
either way, it works for me. 

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.]

Monday, June 15, 2015

Nothing lasts forever . . .


so live it up, drink it down, laugh it off, 
avoid the drama, take chances,
never have regrets*—and don't forget
to stop and smell the roses.

{*often attributed to Marilyn Monroe, who
may or may not have ever said this—

whether she did or not, it's still good advice}

[To see more Monday Mellow Yellow posts, go here.]

Sunday, June 14, 2015

I'm celebrating


Here's a great big bouquet to mark the
7th (!) anniversary of this little blog—which
is still fun for me (and I hope for you)
and still a conduit to the best people.  I'm grateful
for all of you and thank you for your 
friendly presence on my blog and in my life.

[Linking back to Today's Flowers. To see more, go here.]

Saturday, June 13, 2015

The Weekend in Black and White


This construction has come a long

way since I took this shot—but I 
still love the way this crane mimicked the
fogged-in skyscrapers (the one on 
the left is One World Trade) behind it.

[To see more monochromes, visit Dragonstar's meme.]

Friday, June 12, 2015

Weekend Reflections


  The Mutual of America building, on 

Park Avenue, was built around
1960, but reclad in 1995 to make this
postmodern version of an Art Deco skyscraper.
I like what they did with the place.

[To see more Weekend Reflections, visit James's meme.]

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Thursday Challenge—"beautiful"


A sleeping baby is definitely a beautiful thing
(especially when that baby has been fighting sleep).
I thought about this challenge for a while, then
remembered this photo that I took as 
was holding my pretty little cousin Rebecca 
(who has grown apace and is now a lovely
young lady and a soccer player extraordinaire).

[To see more of the Thursday Photo Challenge, visit Dale's meme.]


Wednesday, June 10, 2015

ABC Wednesday—V is for "view"


I was in the Time-Warner Center recently 

(to hear some good music at Jazz at Lincoln Center).
It's a great venue, and comes with an above-average 
view 
from Columbus Circle over Central Park to the East Side.
(BTW, I've also shown you that globe recently.)

[To see more ABC Wednesday posts, go here.]

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Red Flying Group


That's the name of Ann Gillen's 1970s sculpture,
which has been in front of 909 3rd Ave. for about 20 
years.  She says, "I build sculptures that suggest
movement in marble, stainless steel, aluminum,
wood and slate. I work with the aesthetics
of Constructed Sculpture with its analytic Apollonian 
rigor that combines with emotional Dionysian outbursts."
I have no idea what analytic Apollonian rigor is, 
but this certainly does suggest movement, don't you think?

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday and Our World Tuesday.]

Monday, June 8, 2015

First pond-lily bud of the year


The camera with the long lens would have
shot this at the wrong angle altogether, so I 
had
to 
get this closeup shot with my phone
—and 
almost fell into the pond in the process! 


[Linking back to Monday Mellow Yellows
and to Macro Monday.]

Sunday, June 7, 2015

inSPIREd Sunday


This is St. Teresa's in Budapest.
They've saved some money on hymnals by
having the lyrics up on that screen.
On the other hand, maybe that cost more
than a set of hymnals.
Since there was a mass going on when
I
 happened in here, I only took this one photo
(w/no sound and no flash, of course).


[To see more churches from around the world, go here.]

Saturday, June 6, 2015

The Weekend in Black and White


I couldn't resist the chives at the greenmarket—
so pretty with their blossoms still attached.
Now I just have to figure out what to do with all
those chives.  Omelette, anyone?

[To see more monochromes, visit Dragonstar's meme.]

Friday, June 5, 2015

Weekend Reflections


I was meeting a friend on the West Side
recently after work (on the East Side)—
what better way to get there
than to stroll through Central Park?

[To see more Weekend Reflections, visit James's meme.]

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Thursday Challenge—"sign"


I've borrowed this photo from my daughter Katie,
who took it when she was in Alaska—and
must sheepishly admit that its meaning was
not instantly apparent to me.  (My initial thought:
 Why would anyone park their car under
a coal chute in the first place?)

[To see more signs, visit Dale's Thursday Photo Challenge.]
 

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

ABC Wednesday—U is for "up the stairs"


Must admit I chose a less direct route
from (down) here to (up) there.  
It took a bit longer, but the slope was
gentler—and even more scenic.

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]
 

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Grove Court


Fairly high up on my list of "places I could
probably stand to live" would be one of the six little
mid-19th-century townhouses in this über-charming
courtyard in the West Village.  The neighbors must
 need to get along (at least enough to agree on a
single color for all those shutters and
what to plant in the flower bed) . . .


but at least they don't have to
worry about the riffraff getting in.
(Ironically, when these were built
they were low-end housing.)

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday
and Our World Tuesday.]

Monday, June 1, 2015

Blue Monday


Every year, I post a picture of the
bluebell wood in bloom—because every
year it blows me away!

[To see more Blue Monday posts,
visit Smiling Sally's meme.]