a rally, a gift shop and lilacs

there were several rallies and marches today. i attended the one by the courthouses at 1:00.

i was able to hear two speeches, one from an aclu member and another from a lawyer's association. 

afterwards, i walked downtown to the national museum of the american indian. i wanted to visit the cafe which i had missed the last time i was there. unfortunately, the guard informed me that they had closed it several months ago. 

i wandered around the gift shop instead and found something nice for janet. her birthday was in late january, but she's been away since the first week of january and just returned on tuesday. i found a lovely book titled earth medicines by felicia cocotzin ruiz of xicana and tewa ancestry, which i felt sure she would really like (along with a package of wild rice from the chippewa nation).

these dishes are so beautiful!

i thought these cats would make cute christmas gifts . .

i walked home along the promenade of little west street . . 

and when i got to albany street i received a photo of lilacs from morgan; they were just starting to bloom in london. the funny thing is that i was also walking by lilac bushes at the same moment! however, i didn't see the bushes, i smelled them - that wonderful lilac aroma was coming from a small garden along the walkway. 

and this is the garden.

so pretty!

i was hungry and so stopped at brookfield place for quiche and coffee. afterwards, i hopped on a bicycle to make it back in time to see my friend jeanette who was going to be in the neighborhood for a dance performance at westbeth. we were supposed to meet at 5 pm and it was a quarter to.

more about the ravioli

 
early morning cat shenanigans from when i was putting laundry away and changing the sheets.

protest at chanda's school . . 

rolling out and stuffing the ravioli . . 

waiting for dinner time and the hot pot of boiling water . . 

voila . . ! (along with kale sautéed with garlic) (chanda had a plate when she returned home after filming a story for journalism class in brooklyn.)

poem for a sunday morning - week thirteen

benediction

go forth, my son,

winged by my heart's desire!

great reaches, yet unknown,

await

for your possession.

i may not, if i would,

retrace the way with you,

my pilgrimage is through,

but life is calling you!

fare high and far, my son,

a new day has begun,

thy star-ways must be won!

by georgia douglas johnson (1877 - 1966)

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 pluto playing watchdog . .


 sunday service . .

 and dinner . .

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things are quieter today and the curfew has been lifted. greg and i drove the bicycle out to korrina in queens at 10 am, and made it back in time for the last half of first unitarian's service. it was reverend crumpler's last sunday with us. he gave a warm farewell, and received a warm thank you from the congregation . . we had a roasted chicken for dinner with asparagus, potatoes and carrots. i've been getting most of our vegetables now from muddy farm at the green market.

testing out the bicycle . .

 looking for a bike repair shop in the neighborhood. the bike needs new rear brakes and a few gears need fine tuning.

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 chanda and emily joined the protest in washington square today. they listened to a few speeches and then headed uptown along fifth avenue . .

chanda liked this poster . . 

 a moment of silence for george floyd and all those who have lost their lives to racist violence . .

chanda was happy to find the musical section of the protest . . here they're singing bob dylan's knocking on heaven's door . .

and the beatles' lean on me . .

there was a sweet story that i read online about two protest groups searching for each other in manhattan late this evening. they couldn't find one another as each group didn't know anyone in the opposite group, but they had heard they were near via the police scanner. they finally found each other near union square.  this new york times article includes the story; scroll down to "two roaming protest groups had a common cause - to find one another."

women's march nyc and washington, around the nation and around the world

my friends getting ready to march . . (click here to see the nytimes map of where marches are happening around the nation and around the world; click here for npr's article, and here for the guardian's.)

new york 4 news website, click here. as of 9:31 pm, they're still marching along fifth avenue to trump tower.

there is an unprecedented number of people out in manhattan today. they expected a big crowd, but it exceeds expectations. morgana and her friend marched for two hours but only moved two blocks. they came home for a bite to eat before going to their dance rehearsal, and both felt that the march would go on for a long time with so many people walking, and wanting to walk. chicago's march turned into a rally because so many people showed up that they couldn't move. 

they said it was incredibly peaceful and friendly out in the crowd. their favorite chant was: "show me what democracy looks like," and the response, "this is what democracy looks like."

click here for the ny times article on the nyc march, and here for their worldwide coverage. click here for the washington post article.