an awards dinner

 in the fall i spoke with the nancy morgan, third street music school's deputy director, about chanda's violin teacher, jose pietri-coimbre. she has studied with him since she was five years old, and only stopped this winter (as she has been focusing on her ballet).

jose was up for a special award, the first time that a music teacher has been considered for this award: the partnership for afterschool education award. it was incredibly exciting to hear that he had won along with four other afterschool educators and that the ceremony would be held at cipriani's on forty second street . . and that chanda and i were invited!

i filmed a little of his speech. just as i stopped and put down my camera, he mentioned chanda (she was a bit peeved at me for not getting it on film) and said how proud he was of her work and that the discipline she had learned would be with her all her life, as would the joy of music that was in her heart. it was very moving and and very beautiful.

 jose's wife and daughter . . who we've known for so many years now!

 jose and his award.

 the amazing dinner!

 i usually don't like cake, but this melted in my mouth . . 

 chanda with jose and ina, a friend of jose's who has also taught chanda through the years.

 the enormous cipriani space, which was once the bowery savings bank and constructed in 1921 in the italian romanesque revival style.

 marble, sandstone, limestone and bronze screens were used to resemble a basilica. it was designated a new york city landmark in 1996.

 what a fun night! one of the servers kept offering us butter cookies from her tray as we were leaving. they were so good.

 finally heading home . . 

 back in our new park on seventh avenue . . 

monday walk uptown

 i craved an italian breakfast this morning: hard rolls and espresso.

 chanda and i walked along the highline to midtown, to the yumiko store.

 it was just another amazing spring day with the redbud trees in bloom and the birds chirping happily away.

 we were at the store to buy black camisole leotards which are needed for the san francisco ballet summer intensive she's doing in july.

 waiting for the bus home . . 

is winter completely gone?

at the rubin and at wooster street

 greg, chanda and i were in time for a tour of the rubin museum this afternoon. it was fun and informative. i liked our guide.

 a gilt copper alloy of durga, a nepalese hindu goddess of the harvest season, from the 13th or 14th century.

our guide explaining to us about spinning prayer flags (the more they spin, the more one's prayers are heard).

 the spiral staircase . . the rubin museum is housed in what used to be part of the old barney's department store.

recording my "om" for their om exhibit.

 tea and coffee and soup at the cafe.

 i then went with chanda to her rehearsal on wooster street.

 it's such a lovely and warm studio.

 i've been working on another napkin, knit in lionbrand's kitchen cotton from my stash.

 dinner at home: delicious rosotto! (i discovered an old list of chanda's in a book, listing recipes. one of them was "venetian rice and peas." i had to search through several cookbooks before i finally found it!)