running around

 
greg and i hopped in the car for a cookie run to veniero's this evening at 6 pm. we thought it was going to pour, but the storm ended up passing south of us.

first we stopped for a bite to eat at hen house, the place around the corner from korrina (we were here for my birthday).

the chicken platter with humus, pickles, rice, eggplant, cabbage . . and chicken. so delicious. greg helped me finish it (he also had a falafel sandwich). (we brought a platter back for chanda.)

finally at veniero's for the cookies (we'll be celebrating my sister and brother-in-law's fifthieh wedding anniversary this weekend).

 they wrapped up a box of rainbow and jam filled cookies for me, and i had a few kept out for greg, chanda and i to have at home. (i spent the day doing last minute laundry, cleaning, preparing notes about the cats for the catsitter, running errands - as in visiting the new petco on park avenue which is amazing - and finally picking out some new summer shirts for myself at the athleta store. now it's time for tea and a cookie for myself.)

monday night dessert

today a cool wind howled up the street and through the courtyard incessantly. it felt like march, except for the 80 degrees, which actually felt very cool and refreshing after the hot 96 temperatures we had.

i wanted to walk cross town to veniero's for dessert (we hadn't been since . . i don't know! over a year ago? we've been for cookies, but not to sit down in over a year . . ), but it was so windy in a scary way that i almost turned around. 

however, i persevered . .

i had a cannoli and a decaf mochaccino, and greg had an affogato and new york cream cheese cake (!). it was all very good and entirely worth the windy walk.

an nyu art installation we passed on the way home.

the library . . 

and a beautiful sunset . . 

about sunday

it's been a busy sunday with taking care of the kittens, talking to korrina and morgana, friends visiting to say hi to the kittens, going for a walk with greg, helping kendall prepare meals for the week, doing laundry and then finally getting dinner on for us . . 

i was going to connect with first unitarian's zoom service this morning, but it was set aside for other concerns. i was glad that greg, chanda and her girlfriend emily and i were able to sit down and eat together at least. connecting as a family each week is important to me. with chanda working and going to school, it sometimes takes a bit of effort to accomplish. i also miss the zoom meetings the five of us would have fairly regularly during the height of covid. it sounds funny, but it's not easy to find time that we can all be together on the computer. 

one of the kittens is not doing well. he's been having diarrhea and vomited twice this evening. i've been in touch with the foster team and they will try and get a vet appointment for him tomorrow. i made some sugar water for him in case he seems dehydrated during the night (1 quart water, 3/8 tsp table salt and 2 tablespoons sugar). i don't have any other electrolytes in the apartment. i read online that there is a powdered form i can keep on hand for emergencies.

pluto is lying by my feet as i type . . 

 

aurélien falling asleep over his lunch today.
 

at veniero's with greg . . 

cheesecake and coffee (iced coffee for me at 3 in the afternoon, which is why i'm still awake at this moment when i should be sleeping . . )

greg and i passed a special ceremony on 14th street in the meat packing district this afternoon . . 

errands

i walked to the east village for cookies today, just as i did last friday. it was a hot and sticky walk and my clothes were damp and fit for the laundry pile when i returned. i think it was 95, real feel 103. (we're taking the cookies to my sister's tomorrow.)

it was a pretty day, though, and i can usually stay in the shade of the buildings as i walk cross town.

it feels so good to walk through the neighborhood again, and not feel terrified of covid (i also visited whiskers pet store for kitty lysine treats for minerva, where i hadn't been for at least a year).

my last stop was at the butcher store in my neighborhood. the fun thing about shopping at veniero's and carrying a veniero's bag is that the local shop owners will usually exclaim "you've been to veniero's!" today the usual exclamation was followed by, "did you walk there today? what did you get? the chocolate dipped cookies?! you better get home before they melt!" hopefully, they survived. they're in the refrigerator now.

i put up a bunch of posts from this week, starting with friday evening.

visiting veniero's on labor day

greg and i finally took that walk crosstown to veniero's pasticceria that we had been talking about doing for months now.

i had heard that they had a lovely outdoor seating area, and it did not disappoint. we sat next to a large potted palm, which allowed us to be very distant from other customers, which made greg happy.

 it was a lovely afternoon with a warm sun and a cool breeze.

my slice of new york cheese cake was clyde sized! (we sent a picture to our friend clyde in california, who normally visits nyc every summer.)

 before leaving, i went inside and picked out several cookies for chanda: chocolate dipped, rainbow and pignoli.

 passing third street music school on the way home . . 

where we found chanda, emily and pluto lounging in the courtyard . . 

 pluto likes to hide under chanda's skirt . . 

 but clambered out when greg and i began going in . . i think he thought we had food for him.

chanda gave him some treats she had and he settled down for the afternoon. happy labor day!

monday dinner and dessert

 chanda and her girlfriend emily made the salad for dinner this evening . . 

 while i cooked the corn and the pork chops . . 

 our local butcher has been getting in the most delicious organic corn . . 

 afterwards, we met amelie at veniero's (she had had dumplings for dinner with her cousin on the lower east side) . . 

 amelie's blood orange chocolate cake . . 

 emily's and my new york cheesecake . . i also had a mochachino and chanda had a fruit tart and cappuccino . . 

it was our first visit to veniero's this summer. we usually go with our friend clyde, but he hasn't been in town for the season (he lives in california).

nana, a new tent and finally . . veniero's!

 we took a trip to connecticut purposefully to see my mom. it served, also, as a time to set up the new tent and make sure everything was good with it.

 i'm really pleased with the tent. it went up easiy and has big windows and a door that is easy to zip open and closed. it's a little taller than i wanted, but that was a trade off for the windows (and the price). smaller tents with bigger windows (more dome like) were more than i wanted to spend. this tent was rated excellent for price, comfort and durability. it also packs up small and light. it's so different from the heavy canvas tents of my childhood (which i do love . . that canvas aroma!).

 of course toby inspected it . . 

 she seemed to give it her seal of approval, but deemed it beneath her cat status to actually stay inside.

 summer daisies in my sister's garden . .

and astilby . .

my mom had fallen on friday, but, thankfully, we averted a trip to the emergency room and the hospital. she was fine when we visited her today, albeit a little more confused than the last time we saw her, but that seems to be the path these days. we had a nice time together and ate lunch at whole foods. she had her favorite: roast beef on a buttered roll with a little salt and pepper.

the store was out of the haagen dazs chocolate dixie cups she likes, so she tried the new mochi ice cream which chanda loves (they're her favorite from a childhood spent in a local japanese restaurant - where they were offered as a special after dinner dessert on the house), but nana didn't care for them as much.

 we knew it wouldn't be easy getting home as the gay pride parade occurred today. however, greg had seen signs on our street that it would reopen at 6 pm.

 well, this was not the case. we were so close, yet so far. it was impossible to even get into our neighborhood. all streets were closed, even though this had not been posted on the city government's website (only the parade route streets were posted as closed).

we decided to go directly to the east village where we had plans to meet our friend clyde at veniero's.

after a few go rounds, a spot opened up in front of the restaurant and we were able to keep an eye on the car while having dessert (thankfully!!!).

two pignoli cookies and a rainbow cookie . . and decaf coffee . .

 a huge tart! they have so many different kinds and this was not what she meant to have, but settled for it anyway . . this was more of a cake.

 clyde with his beloved annual veniero's dessert choices: iced mocha with gelato and giant sized ricotta cheesecake (greg had my favorite: new york cheesecake).

 summer is here!

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(we didn't make it home until very late. the traffic was horrendous and we had to beg our way past a police barrier . . thankfully, a man with two little children pulled up behind us and added to our pleas and the officer guarding the street finally let us both through).

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pics from morgana . .

 nighttime pics of nice?

 and an early morning pic of the matisse chapel in vence . .