getting warm . .

i made grits or polenta this morning for breakfast. we like it with butter and lemon, a little bit of salt and pepper. it's been awhile since we've had this on a saturday morning . . then greg went for a walk and i cleaned up my desk and went through email . . 

after which i met him at a local coffee shop (kobrick's in the meat packing plaza) . . and we found out that today is their last day. their ten year lease is up and they're not renewing - not surprising . . the rents go up too high, but we'll miss them. i had their raspberry mocha . . sweet and delicious! 

we walked up to 24th street and 9th avenue to check out a pet store since the one we usually frequent closed during the fall. we picked up a bag of greenie treats for the cats . . and walking home it grew too warm! i was way over dressed. i think it went up to 46 or so. warmer weather is definitely on its way.

for tonight - a simple dinner snack of leftover salad and jovial gluten free mac and cheese.

friday night

linquini and clams for dinner . . i had extra jars of clam juice to use up, so picked up pasta and clams to complete the dish. we never did have it on christmas eve this past holiday time, as we were out at the house with my sister and her family . . but chanda, greg and i enjoyed it this evening . . 

along with a game of apples to apples before we began our different activities/projects (chanda to see a friend, greg to do his spanish duolingo, and i to work on another hat i'm knitting).

(and i won the game tonight.)

wednesday morning mood

 

all that is gold does not glitter,

not all those who wander are lost;

the old that is strong does not wither,

deep roots are not reached by the frost.

(from the riddle of strider, j.r.r. tolkien)

day after

 

city transformed

looking south out our windows this morning . . i could hear the children already in the courtyard exclaiming over the wonderland they found themselves in . . 

 

----

and this is what korrina walked out to on her morning commute to work:

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and what i found when i finally made it outside .  . 

i came out to a truck hauling away tree branches from a large limb that had fallen . . 

it was dog walking time . . 

and many people were out with shovels to dig out their cars or to help with clearing public sidewalks (the mayor put out a call on social media and offered $30 an hour to all who signed up at a local sanitation office with their own shovel).

can you see the snowman with his antennae?

empty streets . . 

a little bit of beauty before the soot and dirt takes over again . . 

i then i had to return and warm up . . my fingers were cold and it was till snowing quite heavily. it didn't stop until 2 pm.

sunday morning poem and sunday night nor'easter

 

these winter nights against my window pane

nature with busy pencil draws designs

of ferns and blossoms and fine sprigs of pines,

oak-leaf and acorn, and fantastic vines, 

which she will make when summer comes again . . 

a quote from thomas bailey aldrich (1836-1907)

(excerpted from the farmer's daily almanac, friday, february 6, 2026)

(i remember often waking to these etchings on my window as a child, but these days i no longer find them. i'm not sure if that is because our windows are thicker and better made, or if the winters really are not as cold anymore.)

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a nor'easter began rolling in around 6:00 in the evening . . 

we had fettucini alfredo and a salad which was supposed to have been greg's birthday dinner (but instead had the treats from korrina that night) . . 

and photos from morgan:

a new table and chairs bought on sale which they had been thinking about for awhile . . 

it folds up!

and the latest knitting project which night be a vest, or maybe a sweater . . 

london is blooming! (plum blossoms?)

very different from here:

9:00 this evening . . 

good night! more pics in the morning.

at the gallery again

this morning there was a talk with the ballet photographers and ballet dancer misty copland at the leica gallery. i had been on the wait list and was lucky a space opened up.

i actually hadn't realized that two of the photographers were dancers themselves (kylie shea and diana markosian). the talk began with the curator requesting that each try to put into words what they were trying to express with their work. i don't remember what each artist said, but here are the thoughts that i did take note of: 

kylie shea mentioned that her photos reflect the grit and grace of a dancer - the duality of hard work and the beauty of dance and the beauty of nature - her photos in the show were self portraits taken in the studio and outside amidst rain and flora. diana markosian shared that she came to photography through her writing and stories of her family history in russia and armenia. i was also fascinated that she said the color in her photos was a result of her film going through the airport security x-rays. (chanda and i had commented on the color in her work and had wondered how it came about). during the q and a i asked if the artists could share what camera they had started out with and how it first shaped the way they saw the world through its lens. kylie shea began with a canon slr (single lens reflex) when she was dancing in seattle. she fell in love with taking photos and avidly read manuals and took classes to learn the technical aspects. for diana markosian i only remember that she decided at her college graduation and her mother shared the cost for her first camera. henry leutwyler received a little kodak camera with an outer square flashbulb when he was six years old. i don't think i phrased the second part of the question properly, because i think i really wanted to hear what photos were taken with those first cameras.

the final thoughts that i remember: 1) henry leutwyler reminisced that when he arrived to document the day of misty's final performance, she walked up to him limping . . she had gone through hip surgery just a month or a few months before and was also experiencing pain in her ankle. he never understood how she made it through that entire day. they also both shared how they first met and how they worked together: misty would arrive at his studio and he would take several photos and then they would go out for food and drinks. this went on for over over two decades i believe! it sounded very casual and fun. (they met at a gala or a big party of some kind, and henry swapped table seating tags so he could sit next to her . . i think that's how it went.)

2) in answer to an audience member's question of what suggestions she had for young dancers to help with taking care of themselves, she said rest was important . . making sure one took time to relax and let go of pressure and commitments. 

greg met me afterwards and we walked to lifethyme health food store for some cold cuts to go with the bread i had bought earlier in the morning at the green market.

we also stopped at the library as i had parts two and three of the hobbit movie on hold. while there i checked to see if there was still space in the lecture series being offered by a local university professor, and there was! i was so surprised. i thought for sure that it would be full. the librarian signed me up and made sure i had all the reading material. i'll take a pic of it tomorrow and describe the class and everything i need to read before we first meet in march. i better make sure i get my work done! i should also get a notebook.