Mellow Yellow Monday

These chairs would be lots of fun for a

small child to sit in—if they didn't have

ants crawling all over them! :~}

The little kids probably won't mind 

all that much, though.

Shadow Shot Sunday

I loved these shadows, but wasn't

able to find out what kind of flower

this is—anyone know?

[See more Shadow Shots here.]

Photo Hunter — "memorial"

This one to Lin Ze Xu (1785–1850)

stands in Kimlau (aka Chatham) Square, 

in Chinatown. As for the

details, I'll let Wikipedia tell you.

Have a great weekend (a nice long

one here in the U.S.)!

[See more "memorials" here.]

Skywatch Friday

I took this shot as we were crossing the bridge

that takes you to wonderful Emerald Isle, North

Carolina—which features one of the most

beautiful beaches on the East Coast.

{See more Skywatch—or play along yourself— here.]

Thursday Challenge: Rest

Why is one of these resting kitties not like the others?

Is it because I know the names of three of them  (Frank,

Buddy, and Stubby) but not the fourth?   No.

Is it because three are sleeping and one is yawning?  No.

Is it because when they get up from their nap, three of

them just want a bowl of cat chow and the fourth wants

to eat . . . you?  Ummm, maybe.

Nice kitty.

[See more of this week's Thursday challenge here.]

abc wednesday - S is for "spices"

Mmmmm—fragrant and enticing in any

language. And I love the artful way these are 

displayed in this little shop near the

Rialto Market, in Venice.

[Find more abc wednesday shots (or play

along yourself) here.]

The Top of the World

This is my friend Don, and I just have to brag

on him a bit. This photo was taken a week ago 

(clearly not by me) on his 65th birthday.

And yesterday, he summited Everest! That's

exciting enough, but he also made the record

books—as the first person with a total hip

replacement to make it to the top. Right now,

Don's my hero—and I wish him Godspeed back

to base camp, and safely home to NYC.

He created a fabulous website with a link to

a blog, where he's managed, with help from his

son here in NYC, to post from up there.

Check it out for a great vicarious experience

(the only kind of Everest experience I'll ever have!).

[I'm making this part of My World Tuesday—for

my fellow native New Yorker!]

Mellow Yellow Monday

This is La Mela (the apple), on Mulberry

Street in the heart of Little Italy. Looks like a

total tourist trap, I know, but my family loves

this place. In fact, we took our daughter Lila

and her friends to dinner here after her

graduation from NYU. It's definitely cheesy—

but also lots of fun!

[See more Mellow Yellow here.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

Caught these folks lining up to buy their 

train tickets at Grand Central

Terminal. I've stood on so-called

lines in lots of countries and I must

say (call me chauvinistic) that we may have 

our faults but Americans at 

least know how to queue up politely!

[See more Shadow Shots here.]

photo Hunter — "monthly"

Welcome to my world: I work on at least

two (and sometimes three) monthly

magazines—though not these. However,

I am glad I live in a city where I can get

(for example) French Elle Décor, Vogue,

or Marie Claire Maison whenever I want.

So, what magazines do you read?

[See more "monthly" posts here at TNChick's place.]

Skywatch Friday

Looking down 8th Avenue at sunset—

probably most of the cars you see are taxis,

 and at this hour probably most

of them are already taken (why real

New Yorkers use the subway 

or their own two feet).

[See more Skywatch here.]

Thursday Challenge: Play

Took this at the great little park in DUMBO,

between the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges.

This little guy was having the best time

kicking a soccer ball around with his dad—the boys 

of Manchester United should only

have such enthusiasm!

[See more "play" here.]

abc wednesday - R is for "real estate"

Even if I won the lottery big-time, I'd still stay in

Brooklyn (with an apt. in Paris as well, of course)—

probably in my own nabe of Park Slope (#1 in

New York Magazine's list of best NYC 

neighborhoods). Although . . . if I had the

bucks and this charming converted carriage

house in Brooklyn Heights came on the market,

I might be seriously tempted!

[See more from abc wednesday here.]

out on a ledge

I was in the same building where I caught this shot. 

 I don't know what this guy was doing 

walking around Grand Central Terminal—just 

making sure everything's okay, I guess. 

I'm not afraid of heights, but if you put me out 

on that not-nearly-wide-enough ledge, 

I think I'd be hugging the building pretty darn tight! 

 Wait—a close look shows me that there's a wire running

around the perimeter just above the ledge.

I'll bet he's attached to it—whew! I

 feel so much better now!

[This post is part of That's My World Tuesday.

You can see more here.]

Mellow Yellow Monday

Oh boy—stinky tofu!

Came across a street fair under the

Manhattan Bridge, where they seemed

to be featuring Taiwanese street food.

I'd never tried stinky tofu (and still

haven't!). What's the strangest thing

you ever ate?

[See more Mellow Yellow here.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

Brunch at Cheryl's Global Soul, the

hippest restaurant in my neighborhood.

(I just checked out that link to discover

Cheryl was featured on the Food Network

with Sara Moulton who—what a coincidence—

bought the loft my ex-husband and I built

from scratch in Chelsea.)  Is that one degree

of separation or two?

[See more shadow shots /here.]

Photo Hunter — "half"

I like to link my posts back to a meme

(like this one)—it's fun to see what others

have done and it's usually a challenge.

But this one was such a challenge that I almost 

gave up and didn't post anything for "half." 

 Then Wednesday night I was in the Village  and 

I saw this. May not be the most fascinating (or most beautiful)

picture, but that's definitely half a couch (or two 

halves of one)! I have to wonder why (and how) they did that.

Just realized that I've been inspired by

tossed-out furniture before.

[You can head over here to see how others

interpreted this one.]

Skywatch Friday

A beautiful bright blue sky over Payette Lake, 

in McCall, Idaho—a great place for

hiking, sailing, and just chillin' (and so,

SO far from the cement canyons of NYC)!

[See more Skywatch here.]

Thursday Challenge: Work

This is what I look at while I'm working:

a 2009 calendar retrofitted for 2010,

our prez back when, Shell Sherree's

fab art, my gorgeous girls, Paris, and Venice 

(including Pierre from Venice

Daily Photo's wonderful shot of the

Rialto Market after hours). What's on

your office wall?

[See more of this Thursday Challenge here.]

abc wednesday - Q is for "quiet"

Yes, there are some bucolic places

in the big city where you can find peace and quiet. 

This one is the little garden hidden behind the

church of St. Luke in the Fields, in the West Village 

(which began as the "country" parish connected

to Trinity church way downtown at Wall and Broadway). 

I know about it because my kids went 

to school here for 10 years.

[See more Q's at ABC Wednesday, here.]

That's My World Tuesday

You say you want bluebells? Well, I've

got your bluebells right here—by the

thousands! This is the bluebell wood

that blooms in the botanic garden

every year—fleeting but gorgeous.

[See more "That's My World" entries here.]

Mellow Yellow Monday

Spring haiku:

Yellow dust dances

Upon lively playful breeze

Pollen yields new life

— Lori L. Moore

[See more Mellow Yellow here.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

When you get to the "other side" 

of the Brooklyn Bridge, you find this greeting

embedded in the cement. For some reason,

 there is not a similar sign on the 

Manhattan side. Hey, NYC, where's the pride?

[See more Shadow Shots here.]

Photo Hunter — "Mother"

I featured my own mother recently for her

90th birthday—but the other day I found this 

clever array of mommies both dearest

and . . . not so much.  I'm still grateful for the 

one I got—and Happy Mother's Day to

all the moms who happen by here.

[See more Photo Hunter shots here.]

Skywatch Friday

And this is the tippy-top of the

gorgeous Woolworth Building,

New York's very first skyscraper

(aka PTDD).  And I swear I

didn't touch this shot—the sky

really was that blue.

[See more Skywatch here.]

Thursday Challenge: Water

These little girls are playing at the edge of

the East River, at a wonderful new(ish) park

situated between the Brooklyn and Manhattan

Bridges, in DUMBO.  It really wasn't that long

ago that this neighborhood was a wasteland.

Now the joint is jumpin'—with galleries and

stores and parks and restaurants and,

 of course, expensive real estate 

( this place is in DUMBO, btw).

[See more Thursday Challenge shots here.]

abc wednesday - P is for "picnic"

Here's how we do it when we're in Venice:

First, it helps if you're staying in a hotel with a 

beautiful garden (in this case, the

Accademia). Then, you go to the Rialto

Market in the morning and get the things that 

appeal—we chose tomatoes, pears,

apricots, grapes, bread, cheese, prosciutto,

and wine—all super fresh.  This is living!

[See how others interpreted the letter "P"

—or play yourself— here.]

Conservatory Garden

This lovely garden is part of Central Park.

At this time of year, you're almost guaranteed

to find a bride here on Saturday or Sunday—and many 

of them choose to pose by the

Untermyer Fountain (aka "Three Dancing

Maidens," by Walter Schott, a cast of the Berlin 

original). I've posted about this garden once before.

[This post is part of That's My World

Tuesday. To see more of the world, go here.]

Mellow Yellow Monday

Want some good Mexican food in a spot 

where it's all happening?  You can even eat 

alfresco here at Caliente Cab Co., at the 

corner of Bleecker and 7th Ave., 

in Greenwich Village.

[See more Mellow Yellow here.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

Sometimes you just don't have the

time to venture too far afield.  Today, I didn't 

make it any farther than this corner 

of my own living room!  The Maxfield Parrish 

belonged to my grandfather (who worked 

all his life for the railroad); it was framed with 

wood molding salvaged from an old railway car.

[See more Shadow Shots here.]

Photo Hunter — "black"

Once again I'm posting tulips, but how 

could I resist these amazing black ones? 

 (They were taken with my swell new

camera—thanks for the hefty

tax refund, Uncle Sam!)

[See more takes on "black" here.]