at the beach

 

 heading east over the brooklyn bridge monday morning . . 

 

hotel beach . .

each time we come out there's more erosion. the storms grow more and more fierce.

sunset . .

 

and crab cakes for dinner.

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wednesday . . 

sunset at ditch . .  

checking out the beach erosion . . 

the stairs have been completely washed away . . only the platforms remain.

the width from shore to dune was once a good distance, but now the sea is encroaching and taking over. it's interesting as sandy hook in new jersey is growing (due to longshore drift) . . it's all the way the currents flow.

 

dinner was cottage pie (with turkey meat from saturday's green market) and leftover mashed potatoes from monday.

 

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 thursday . .

 

 

 i've spent a large part of this visit listening to the ken burns videos about the creation of our national parks while knitting on my moving forward wrap (by designer denise bayron). i'm impressed by how dedicated and persistent our park advocates have been in the face of exploitative policies and people. they persevered in meetings with government officials and extensive letter writing campaigns and appeals to local towns and major newspapers.

 

 

also, greg has been helping me figure out how to fix the traverse curtain rods . .

 

and i tried washing these very old curtains in the tub . . they came out a bit smelly but after sitting in the sun for a few days, i think they might be alright, albeit a little wrinkled. my sister and i are also trying to figure out what kind of couch we would like to get for the den. i was hoping we could get an inexpensive regular sofa, not necessarily a sleeper sofa . . but with hopes for future family reunions, a sleeper sofa is probably a must.

 

it's been very cold with the temperatures at night in the low 20's (that might be warm for eva!) and in the low 30's during the day.  i've been happy about this as last winter was much too warm.

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saturday . . heading west for home . .

we stopped at the overlook on the old montauk highway when leaving this afternoon (noontime . . after i cut back the ornamental reeds in the front yard . . and managed to get a few splinters in my hand. i really need to acquire a good pair of gardening gloves).

i think we're already on the belt parkway here . . we stopped in amagansett for a masala deluxe dosa from hampton chutney (such a treat for when we unload and haul our stuff up four and half flights of stairs and finally find a parking spot for the car), and then at the starbucks in bridgehampton for a coffee for me . . i always make an attempt to knit in the car, but i really prefer watching everything go by (or driving). i never tire of looking at the scenery. it's been that way since i was a child when we took the train cross country and everyone fell asleep except me . . i stayed awake all night watching the lights of towns and cities fly by and the lights of the train as it twisted around the curving tracks and showed me the locomotive or caboose.

 

st. michael's church is in the distance . .

and this is our lady of czestochowa-st. casimir parish.

manhattan and the freedom tower . . 

and the f and g train line winding through gowanus . .

passing through carroll gardens with the church of the sacred hearts of jesus and mary and st. stephen on the right (it has such a pretty blue vaulted ceiling).

the dark shadow on the top right of this pic is the overhang of the brooklyn heights explanade . . 

home again . . 

 

jiggity jigg . .

a time for kindness

this was our governor's "deep breath moment" in tonight's email update:

 

 

the website for the movie is here, with how to get involved via volunteering, and how to have supportive conversations within our communities.

wednesday dinner . . and a movie recommendation

salad with feta cheese and fresh greens and tomatoes from the farmers' market, along with gnocchi from rafetto's (finally got to rafetto's on houston for their ravioli and gnocchi!) and homemade pesto with walnuts, basil and parmesan.

this evening i watched the last black man in san francisco. i thought chanda had recommended it to me, but she hasn't seen it yet . . so i'm not sure who did, but i'm glad i watched it. as a city person, it really resonated with me. as neighborhoods change due to rising rents, local residents hang on desperately to the community they love and which sustains them. lately, that grasp has slipped, and this movie gives voice to the pain and the sorrow that follows people as they have to let go of a home and memories that form part of their humanity. i found the story moving, the music beautiful, and the cinematography hauntingly poetic. i'm including the trailer below (plus, the scenes of san francisco are breathtaking):