Spring on Park Avenue

Instead of heading uptown today, I spent the day near Central Park.
Park Avenue was absolutely wonderful with it's pink blooms and tulips!
Standing in Central Park at the start of the day is a fantastic way to
start a Friday.

Ready for a warm weekend!!!

A Day With P

Our nephew, P, came over a couple weekends ago to play with us. He's a great guest to have because he plans out the whole afternoon AND he even brings snacks!! ;) He came toting swords and a treasure box filled with treasure!

We made maps with burned edges and all, and then we took turns hiding the treasure box and finding it around the house.

Somehow we decided to use cans to make a "telephone" -- which I'd never done before. (I think I was actually skeptical on whether it truly worked on not...)

The original one only stretched across the living room... but soon, we thought it would be cool to make a really, really long one!
This one stretched up the block a ways! AND it still worked (even though the volume turned to a bit of a whisper)...

After playing outside for a while, we decided we'd head in for some Harry Potter and snacks. 6 year olds are funny to watch movies with... we fast forwarded and then went back. We paused. Then we decided that we should actually watch the second movie ;) Now, I've been itching to sit down and watch them all (or at least up to the 5th one, as that's the last book I've read in the series).

(I quickly uploaded these photos on my computer the night before I was to leave for my trip home last week... Tonight, I bumped in to P and my sister-in-law and remembered I had them to share! Soon, I won't be bumping into them & we'll have no weekend play time, because they will be moving across the country - and although we are sad to see them go, I have to say I'm excited to hear about this new, fun adventure... WHICH MEANS - Jac, you must keep your blog updated! ;)

Pano of Yesterday's View

This sun burnt me yesterday... And not too long after I had been bragging about last year's success of no sunburns! The weather was too perfect to be inside and after spending time outside drinking an iced coffee, wondering Greenpoint, down to the East River Park, and then ending on the roof of the bar Berry Park, my skin had reached its max of sun! Today, I'm miserable, red, and welted! I am disappointed that I was burnt this year... But now I am reminded!

9 weeks until summer break (not that I'm counting - 44 days). I cannot wait to have many days of time to myself!

PS: Like the cool panorama of the city? My friend, Scott, knows how much I like photo aps and introduced me yesterday! Pretty cool!!

Last day of Spring Break

And it couldn't get better than this! The weather is beyond wonderful!!

Spring Break

I spent Spring Break back home so I could meet my sweet, sweet nephew, Tristan. He's the most adorable little guy :) I miss him already, and I cannot wait for this summer when I get to see him again!! By then he'll probably be doing some more moving! I'll have to baby-proof my house for his visit!

He's really lucky to have such a sweet mama too!

I am the Luckiest Aunt!

Meet baby Tristan! His sweet mama let me cuddle him to pieces this
afternoon!!!

Zach G????

Seth has been growing his hair out, on my request... He's starting to look like a slimmer Zach Galifianakis. He's been told many times in the last week that he resembles this funny guy! See for yourself ;)

Looking at Art

Yesterday was my first day in a long time to explore the city freely... I didn't have anything I HAD to do, just the things I have been wanting to do. I finally got in a trip to the MoMA (I've been wanting to get there to see the German Expressionism show & to take in the NY Abstract Expressionism - which is being changed soon :(... Plus I wanted to do a walk through of Picasso's Guitars, another favorite special exhibit) Anyway, I am throwing around the question of what role the color black plays in pieces of art.... Here are a few pieces I looked at yesterday at the MoMA. (& for those of you who can't visit the MoMA with the ease of a quick subway ride, have I shared this awesome link with you??? Art Project - by Google... PRETTY SWEET! Just click on the MoMA, or any museum you please!)

Willem de Kooning "Painting"

(I saw on the MoMA website that there is a de Kooning special exhibit coming up in September! I CANNOT WAIT!)

Arshile Gorky "The Leaf of the Artichoke is an Owl"

Bradley Walker Tomlin "Number 20"

Monday in the City

MoMA Monday!!

Sand Art in Union Square

Foggy View of the Brooklyn Bridge

Another day of foggy, rainy weather (with this morning being downright horrible!!) Yet, tonight was filled with dinner and catching up, reminiscing and enjoying the company of a good friend! Makes me think back to the two years we worked together and realize how much I miss working with her!

Tonight, we ate at Bubby's, a restaurant with a view of the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges in Dumbo. In less than 10 weeks, we'll be celebrating her and her fiance's marriage there!! (CAN'T WAIT!) :)

Two more days until Spring Break starts and less than a week until I get to cuddle up my new baby nephew and shower him with smooches!

MIA

I have been quite absent lately from the blog... No real explanation as to why - I spend most of my evenings hanging out with S watching Dexter, movies, or other TV shows (including catching up on the most recent season of Californication - to which I cried because it felt like not only was the season ending but also the show... I tend to get really attached to shows and cry at the end of them because I feel like I'm losing something ;)

I've been reading a few good books (books I'd love to dedicate a whole post to... but don't seem to get around to it) So I'll give you the short and the sweet of it:

*The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot - This is a non-fiction book written in a narrative-like form, making it quite enjoyable and quick. Skloot sprinkles in the scientific information throughout the book so you don't feel like you are reading a text book. It is so crazy though, that I almost found myself not believing it! And then, to think, that still today, your cells and tissues can be taken from you and used for research and EVEN PROFIT without you having much say at all (of course there are consent forms and what-not... but those didn't seem to make much difference for people in the recent past 50 years...)

*I also finally completed the 5th book of Harry Potter and have the 6th book waiting in line after I finish the May book club book (maybe by tomorrow)! I definitely want to zip through the 6th and 7th book, and I've even considering giving in and seeing a few of the movies!!! (I think I've only seen the 1st and 2nd ones - maybe?)

*Right now, I'm reading May's book club book, The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It's a really quick and easy read too... but quite dark. I think I might finish it tomorrow. I'm interested in reading No Country for Old Men, which is also my Cormac McCarthy... Not usually the type of book I read, but I do like the way McCarthy writes in The Road and, as messed up as the movie was, I did like No Country for Old Men on the big screen...

*And I'm still slowly (a page or 2 a day) reading Little Women. I will finish it in a year at this pace... maybe I can focus some extra attention to the book someday, but for now, I'll just read it bit by bit :)

Others books waiting to be read, especially because a few are borrowed and their owners might want them back some time sooner than later:

• The Likeness
• Water for Elephants
• Gone With the Wind (after Little Women)

I have been doing more than just watching shows on the television and reading books... I started a drawing class about a month ago. It's a figure drawing class with a live model. I'm horrible, but looking back at some of the first drawings I did and what I did in the last class session, I feel like I am at least making some improvements (even if they are quite small ;) Next week, I need to check out the summer drawing classes and decide what I'm going to register for. Summer class registration is in the beginning of May... Probably going to continue the drawing class I have now, and then add one more class - possible another drawing class.

Well, I'm off to bed (I am surprised I'm still up... at 8:05 I told Seth I was heading to bed thinking it was 9:30!)

Pink Park Flowers

We have had many rainy, gray days lately... But despite the gray
Sunday, I searched out the pink trees in Prospect Park to remind
myself that spring is indeed coming-here-almost here ;)

Counting down the days until Spring Break starts (only 3 more!!)

Another Sign of Spring

Magnolia Spring!!!

The first blooming magnolias of spring!!! I cannot tell you how much I
love love love this time of the year!!! Now if the temperature would
remain around 70 it would be perfect :)