My Nephew Is Getting Married

I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IT! THE BRIDE WILL BE WEARING BLACK . . . AND THERE'S A GLUTEN FREE ENTREE!

Have You Ever Seen a Lotus Pond?

I NEVER HAD, UNTIL A FRIEND BROUGHT ME TO THIS POND ON POMEROY LANE IN SOUTH AMHERST. YOU MAY KNOW THE LOTUS AS A SYMBOL OF ENLIGHTENMENT. ITS ROOTS HOLDING FIRM IN THE MUCK AT THE POND'S BOTTOM, IT RISES ABOVE TO CREATE ITS GLORIOUS, TRANSCENDENT FLOWER. WITHOUT THE MUCK OF LIFE, WHERE WE MUST PLANT OUR FEET, WE CANNOT WAKE UP TO THE FRESH, ASTONISHING PRESENT MOMENT.

CAN YOU GRASP THE SIZE OF THIS BUD? IT'S BIGGER THAN MY FIST.

THE OPEN FLOWERS . . .

. . . ARE JUST HUGE . . . YOU HAVE TO SEE THEM TO BELIEVE IT!

WHEN THE PETALS FALL, THE YELLOW CENTER TURNS GREEN, AND THE SEEDS CONTAINED INSIDE DEVELOP FURTHER. (I CAN'T HELP THINKING THIS LOOKS LIKE THE MULTI-NOSTRIL NOSE OF SOME CRAZY ALIEN, GENTLY SNIFFING THE SUMMER AIR.)

AS THE POD DRIES, THE SEEDS MATURE. EVENTUALLY, THEY FALL INTO THE POND, SEEDING THE MUD FOR NEXT YEAR'S SHOW.

Late Summer Gift

TINY, DELIGHTFUL, POPS OF COLOR AND FLAVOR . . . THERE'S NOTHING LIKE A HOMEGROWN TOMATO!

Celebrating Diane's 50th

WHAT A LOVELY DINNER - IN THE WINE CELLAR OF AN ORGANIC ITALIAN RESTAURANT. IT WAS A DELIGHTFUL PARTY - SO SORRY WE HAD TO LEAVE EARLY TO DRIVE 2 HOURS HOME! ( I DON'T KNOW THE NAME OF THE RESTAURANT - BUT IT'S NEXT TO THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP). HAPPY BIRTHDAY DIANE! WELCOME TO THE 50'S!

Next Stop DUMBO

ON OUR WAY TO THE BIRTHDAY DINNER IN PARK SLOPE, WE STOPPED AT S.'S OLD LOFT ADDRESS, 247 WATER ST., IN DUMBO (DOWN UNDER THE MANHATTAN BRIDGE OVERPASS). HE MOVED AWAY FROM THIS LOFT 15 YEARS AGO, AND HADN'T BEEN BACK SINCE. THE BUILDING WAS BOARDED UP, BURNED OUT INSIDE.

HERE'S THE GRAFFITI DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET . . .


. . . AND THE GENTRIFIED BUILDING ON THE NEXT BLOCK, WHERE WORKING ARTISTS WERE OFFERED $100,000 EACH TO GET OUT. S.'S OLD BUILDING IS RIGHT THERE IN THE FOREGROUND.

Cosmic MapQuests to Enlightenment

S. AND I TOOK A TRIP INTO MANHATTAN ON SATURDAY FOR A VISIT TO THE MET FOR THIS WONDERFUL SHOW: 13th & 14TH CENTURY IMAGES - MAPS TO ENLIGHTENMENT - FROM THE VAJRAYANA BUDDHISM OF JAPAN. EVERY PIECE IN THIS SMALL COLLECTION IS A GEM.
DUMBO & DINNER TO COME LATER . . .

New Sofa!

I'M REALLY HAPPY WITH MY NEW MID-CENTURY SOFA FROM URBAN OUTFITTERS. I LOVE THE COLOR AND THE CRISP LINES. THE CUSHION IS VERY FIRM - IT COULD STAND TO BE A LITTLE SOFTER IN MY OPINION. BUT OVERALL, I REALLY LIKE IT. IT COSTS $480+ SHIPPING. THE ORIGINAL THAT THIS A KNOCK-OFF OF IS AVAILABLE AT DESIGN WITHIN REACH FOR $2100. I'M THRILLED THAT I COULD FIT A PIECE IN THIS SMALL SPACE THAT I CAN FULLY RECLINE ON - NAP TIME!

Sol Lewitt at MASS MoCA

THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING IN THE ROOM WITH THESE WALL DRAWINGS BY SOL LEWITT IS NOT EASILY COMMUNICATED THROUGH PHOTOS. THEY ARE MOST IMPRESSIVE BY THEIR SHEER SIZE, AND THE BEAUTY OF THEIR SURFACES, WHICH ARE PRECISE AND IN SOME CASES, LUSCIOUS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUSH TO SEE THEM - MASS MOCA HAS DEVOTED AN ENTIRE BUILDING TO THIS WORK. 1ST FLOOR: EARLY YEARS; 2ND FLOOR: MID-CAREER; 3RD FLOOR: LATE WORK. IT WILL BE ON DISPLAY UNTIL 2033!

The Nanjing Particles

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THIS STRANGE, BEAUTIFUL, UNUSUAL WORK BY SIMON STARLING! HOW ODD - THE ROOM WAS EMPTY ON THE MONDAY WE WERE THERE. THIS ROOM IS AS LONG AS A FOOTBALL FIELD.

The Walls - Not the Art

I LOVE THE WALLS OF MASS MOCA . . . SO MANY GHOSTS.



I'LL SHOW YOU A BIT OF THE ART TOMORROW.

Monday at MASS MoCA

S. AND I MET AT THE CLARK IN WILLIAMSTOWN AND SAW A GREAT SHOW: DOVE/O'KEEFE. I ADORED IT, SO LOVELY. THEN . . . 15 MINUTE DRIVE TO MASS MOCA.

FIRST STOP, PIT STOP. CALL ME CRAZY, BUT THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SPACES IN THE MUSEUM: THE WOMEN'S REST ROOM IN THE BASEMENT!

IF I EVER HAVE A HOUSE BIG ENOUGH, I WANT A SINK JUST LIKE THIS ONE.

THEN OUT THE DOOR . . .
MORE MOCA TO COME.

My Little Prize

MY LITTLE BRIMFIELD PRIZE: AN INDIAN SHELF WITH MIRROR. IT'S FUNKY AND WOBBLY, BUT MY DAD'S LITTLE IVORY BUDDHAS FROM JAPAN SEEM TO FIND IT A PROPER HOME.

THAT'S IT FOR THE BRIMFIELD REPORT!

A Peek at the Creepy Side of Brimfield

THESE CERAMIC GLOVE MOULDS LOOK PARTICULARLY DISTURBING AS A LARGE COLLECTION.

WOULD YOU WANT THIS GIRL IN YOUR GARDEN?!

More Brimfield Buddhas

SWEET LITTLE BUDDHA IN THE GRASS . . .

6-FOOT BUDDHA AMONGST JUNK . . .

HUGE, GORGEOUS BUDDHA HEAD WITH JUNK & SANTA CLAUS!

Brimfield Buddhafields

IT SEEMS BRIMFIELD HAS MORE BUDDHAS THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A STICK AT!

Quick Summer Meal: Black Bean & Corn Salad

THIS IS MY SLIGHTLY REVISED VERSION OF A RACHEL RAY RECIPE I FOUND ONLINE.
I MADE HER SALAD, BUT USED TWO ROASTED RED PEPPERS INSTEAD OF ONE RAW ONE, AND LESS RED ONION. (THE RED ONIONS AT WHOLE FOODS ARE GIGANTIC!) I ADDED LOTS OF CHOPPED CILANTRO, AND SERVED IT OVER A SPINACH, CUCUMBER & SUNFLOWER GREENS SALAD. EASY, FAST AND DELICIOUS!

The Simplest Summer Breakfast

HOMEMADE YOGURT AND A PEELED GEORGIA PEACH, TOPPED WITH A SMIDGE OF MAPLE SYRUP. WHO COULD ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE?
LOCAL PEACHES FROM CLARKDALE FRUIT FARMS WILL BE READY AUGUST 1!

Where the Heck is the . . . ?

Friday at The Harp

AT THE END OF A SUMMER WEEK . . .
R.I.P. WALTER CRONKITE

Are These Your Glasses?

I FOUND THEM UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT OF MY CAR THE OTHER DAY. I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THEY BELONG TO, OR HOW LONG THEY WERE UNDER THERE! COMMENT HERE, OR CALL ME IF THEY BELONG TO YOU!
OH, AND THE SOFA IS STILL FOR SALE!!

Sleeper Sofa For Sale!

THIS IS NOT MY USUAL SORT OF BLOG POST, BUT I'M TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT ON THIS SOFA!

Sleeper Sofa - $675

Nearly perfect condition, rarely used. Opens to a full (double) sized bed. No dirt, no smell. It's only blemish is a tiny blue ink speck on one seat cushion. That cushion is easily turned over and the stain is hidden. It's very comfortable to sit on. The plastic tape on the front of the arms (in the photo) is there to prevent my cat from scratching it, and is easily removed.

As a bed, it is like other similar sleeper sofas: you wouldn't want to sleep on it every night. In my experience younger people are comfortable on it for a few nights, but it is not a very good sleep surface for those of us with more aches and pains.

I paid $1400 at Danish Inspirations five years ago.

Impromptu

I HAVE A LARGE COLLECTION OF LITTLE BUDDHAS. THEY SEEM TO BE GATHERING AROUND THIS IMPROMPTU WINDOWSILL GANAPATI SHRINE.

GANAPATI, GANESH, THE ELEPHANT-HEADED-BOY PROTECTOR. THE IVORY BUDDHAS, BROUGHT BACK FROM JAPAN BY MY DAD DURING THE KOREAN WAR, ARE MADE FROM ELEPHANT TUSKS.