Shadow Shot Sunday

Caught these at my mom's house, where

things tend to remain reassuringly the same.

These fabric blooms (and their shadows) have

been giving her pleasure for a lot of years.

[See more Shadow Shots here.]

photo Hunter — "daily"

This guy is at the subway exit every morning,

flogging this free paper (which folks tend to grab 

on the fly, with barely a "thank you").

I don't even have time to read the NY Times

online! How about you?  Do you read your local rag?

[See more takes on the "daily" theme here.]

skywatch Friday

My favorite PTDD is visible from lots

of spots in the city. Always a nice

surprise to look up and see it off

in the distance. This was shot

from lower Broadway—at least 40

(probably more like 50) blocks south.

[See more Skywatch pix here.]

Lady Liberty

Not the first (or probably the last, to be

honest) time that I feature this beautiful lady.

But this time, she's shown from 

a different vantage point: Red Hook,

Brooklyn, my new fave neighborhood.

abc wednesday - F is for "fromage"

This is the well-stocked cheese cart at the Grand Véfour, 

in Paris.  It's been in business overlooking the 

Palais Royal gardens for about 225 years. I heard

that they'd lost their 3rd Michelin star a couple 

of years ago.  Don't know if they got it back, but I don't 

care.  I've been fortunate enough to eat here

twice—and I'd love to do it again (and again and again).  

 First time, we were seated at what was once 

Victor Hugo's "usual" table.  Last time, it was

Napoleon and Josephine's!

[Find more ABC Wednesday here.]

That's My World Tuesday

And recently my world has been all about the

snow. Took this a week ago, early in the

A.M., from my bedroom window. What melts

as soon as it hits the ground in Manhattan stays 

around for a week in Brooklyn. Was

hoping that this was the last snow 0f 2009,

but I hear we may be in for a bit more this week.

[See more of That's My World here.]

Mellow Yellow Monday

This house is here in Brooklyn.

Not exactly sure what the story is—maybe 

another sad foreclosure. But

will have to admit that this yellow 

isn't exactly "mellow!"

[See more Mellow Yellow here.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

See, this is why you should always have a 

camera with you. I went to an off-site

meeting recently and discovered 

this cool view out the window.

[See more Shadow Shots here .]

photo Hunter — "cuddly"

Okay, I admit it—this is my teddy bear.

He lives happily on my comfy chaise and 

likes to cuddle with me when I

curl up with the latest page-turner.

[See more cuddly things here at PhotoHunt.]

Skywatch Friday

It was a dull gray sky behind these cranes

in Red Hook, Brooklyn, a few weeks ago.

Looked just a bit different from a mile

or two away . . . as seen last time.

[You can see some awesome Skywatch pix here.]

Red on red in Red Hook

Red Hook is an interesting Brooklyn

neighborhood. It's remained fairly

affordable and unchanged for a long time, 

mainly because it's a major hike

(or bus ride) from the nearest subway line. 

But it's definitely on the gentry's radar—especially 

since Ikea and Fairway have moved in.

abc wednesday - E is for "empty"

Actually, I'm sure these frames are empty on purpose.

I took this shot in Bordeaux, while I was on the 

best press trip EVER (to the Bordeaux Wine Festival, but the

city went so far above and beyond that for us lucky

journalists)!  This shot was taken in Bordeaux's Museum

of Contemporary Art, housed in an old 

wine warehouse (of course).

[See more takes on "E" here.]

Orchard Street

This is the heart of the Lower East Side,

home to 1st-generation immigrants since the 

mid-1800s. New Yorkers have been bargain-hunting 

down here for about that long too. But see the

picture that doesn't seem to go with the others? 

 That art gallery is the face of the gentrification that's 

going on in this area. Guess it was inevitable.

[See more local color at That's My World Tuesday, here.]

mellow Yellow Monday

This is Raffetto's. It's been in business since 1906,

and more than 100 years in this little store on Houston

Street, in the Village. It's now the 3rd generation of the

family making the most amazing pasta and ravioli.

Most of their business is wholesale (to many of NYC's

best food stores and restaurants), so I'm glad 

they continue to run the shop—and I hope they're 

here for another century!

[See more Mellow Yellow here.]

shadow Shot Sunday

Antonio Canova was a true romantic.

This is the plaster cast for his masterpiece

"Psyche Revived By Cupid's Kiss" (which

can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

here in NYC).  There are marble versions in

the Louvre and the Hermitage.

Happy Valentine's Day!

[See more Shadow Shots here.]

photo Hunter — "broken"

Was leaving my building to go to work

one day, and I got here to the front

door about 20 seconds after it just kind of 

spontaneously . . . exploded!

I'd like to thank my own good timing and 

whoever invented tempered glass!

Skywatch Friday

The light poles seemed just a bit redundant

at this moment. (I do love that "hand of God"

kind of light, don't you?)

[You'll find some great Skywatch pix here.]

It snowed yesterday . . .

. . . and it's supposed to keep on snowing overnight.

I took all these shots on my block, three on my

way to work (where it seemed to be just me and

the dog walkers) and one on the way home.  It's

probably the last big snow (I hope) of the 

season, but it IS pretty, I admit.

abc wednesday - D is for "discarded"

Aaaawww—too bad.  When I'm feeling down, I can

get an instant lift just by wearing something red, and 

there are little touches of crimson scattered

around my house—a teakettle, a candle 

lamp, a spray of winterberries . . .

Maybe this sofa proved to be too much of a good thing. 

 I hope they didn't replace it with something gunmetal gray.

[See more abc Wednesday "D" pix here.]

That's My World Tuesday

A while ago, I showed you this, but I obviously

had no idea what it really meant. (There was no sign on

 it as there are on the two I saw recently—

near the UN and down on the Lower East Side.)

So clearly that was neither art nor vandalism, but 

some poor soul who got very unlucky

while riding their bike in Manhattan traffic

(and maybe wasn't wearing the requisite helmet).

Either way, I feel bad.

[Find more photos from That's My World Tuesday here.]

Mellow Yellow Monday

Saw this sign in my neighborhood and was

struck by a couple of things:  What happened

to the missing letter 'I's?  And why the random

use of . . . what?  Is that Korean?  I mean, this

is Brooklyn, not Queens.  Bizarre.

[You can see more Mellow Yellow here.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

These adorned the table at Le Boeuf

à la Mode, where I've enjoyed several

great meals compliments of good (and

generous) friends who live right around

the corner (with this amazing view).

If you're looking for real French food on

the Upper East Side, this is the place.

And I'd like to offer this bouquet of

roses to my friend Lily Hydrangea,

whose birthday this is—Happy Birthday,

dear blogpal!

[And you can see more Shadow Shots here.]

photo Hunter — "average"

So is this the average cost of a 3-tiered cake?

Some 20 years ago, I had such a cake custom

made for a party I had for my parents' 

50th anniversary—mine was both tasteful and

tasty, and it cost exactly a tenth of this ugly 

concoction.  $650?  Seriously??  

That's 470 euros . . . 737 Australian dollars . . .

58,551 Japanese yen . . . 64,703 Albanian

leke . . . or 12,002,250 Vietnam dong!!

I don't think so.

[Find more "average" photos here.]

Skywatch Friday

Well, this beautiful ship has certainly been 

around.  I guess the Peking will

remain moored here at South Street

Seaport from now on, but I'd love 

to see her under full sail!

[See more Skywatch here.]

Bull!

This massive beast now resides in front

of 26 Broadway (where I worked 30 years

ago).   Do you suppose that if I rubbed

a certain part of his anatomy, then the

funds that used to be in my 401k 

would magically reappear?

abc wednesday - C is for "columns"

Here are Bernini's, set like elegant

parentheses around St. Peter's

Square, in Rome. I think they're

wonderfully photogenic.

[See more ABC Wednesday pix here.]

security

They don't take a lot of chances in this neck

of our woods. Took these two shots on

Martin Luther King Day, when pretty much

no one was at work down here in the

Financial District.  Even so, just try to get

anywhere near the Stock Exchange in a vehicle. Don't 

actually know what's on the streets where

they've put up these barriers—but I'll just trust their 

judgement and figure better safe than sorry.

[Find more shots from That's My World Tuesday here.]

mellow Yellow Monday

This is Astor Wine and Spirits. If there's

something you've tasted in Europe and you'd 

like to enjoy here—let's say, for

example, Pineau des Charentes (a fave

from France) or Aperol (essential for

concocting the quintessential Venetian spritz)—

I promise you can find it in this well-stocked emporium.

[See more mellow yellow here.]