oatcakes and birthday gifts

 we made oatcakes last night for morgana to take to vermont with her. she left early this morning to catch the amtrak train to visit her friend outside of burlington.

 my birthday gifts: anton berg chocolate (my current favorite chocolate in the whole wide world) and a special bowl from cambodia.

and cards beautifully drawn by morgana.

the sea is ringed around with hills,

and scalloped with white foam.

i've filled my pockets full of shells,

and now i'm going home.

(a poem from a childhood book that we read incessantly).

birthday celebration

i had a very hazy day for my birthday.

 chanda went to her dance intensive in the morning and morgana and i went out to buvette, a local coffee shop, for breakfast. she had never been and i had said i would take her one day.

 we sat at the bar since the bar has the most comfortable chairs. (it's kind of a funny coffee shop with some very uncomfortable chairs and tiny tables . . nevertheless, it's very popular!)

maybe because the food is so good? these gherkins were delicious!

we shared the salmon and scrambled eggs and also this "melt in your mouth" belgian waffle.

  morgana had the cappuccino in the pic above, and i had their americano, which i don't really understand what it is. i understand what it isn't: a nice cup of brewed coffee. for some reason buvette does not brew a pot of coffee, or even offer a press pot of coffee. they do espresso . . which i guess is what they think you should have . . but with eggs i like a decent sized cup of coffee and . . refills! ha! how american is that? 

 after breakfast we moved the cars (alternate side parking changes . . ) and walked my friend janet to a court appointment she had. it was just such a grey and white and hazy day. on the way back uptown we stopped at the coffee shop, baked, and morgana remembered that she and chanda had brought grandma and grandpa there during their summer visit a year ago.

 we then walked to chelsea market to buy shrimp for dinner at the lobster place.

 this is one of my favorite market stores . . it always smells so fresh and delicious.

 

 walking back home through the neighborhood . . 

 and my birthday package from the parisian yarn store was waiting for me! i hope to make socks for myself with the yarn which is called happy feet.

 making the flourless chocolate birthday cake . .

 dinner . . 

 shrimp sautéed with butter and garlic, an arugula salad with grapes, and red potatoes with butter and parsley.

 the cake with apricots in syrup.

and served with vanilla ice cream and mint leaves. it was a really nice day.

family meal

 korrina came over for lunch today and morgana commented on how she finally had her two sisters together so she could give them their traveling gift . . 

 cat socks. i think they're from paris.

 a family meal of fresh bread and cold cuts . . 

 korrina is excited for she has her first paid vacation coming up. she and her boyfriend are renting a car and driving through the adirondacks and up to buffalo and rochester and then back down to albany and then home again through the catskills.

hermione really wasn't interested in lunch or korrina's plans . . 

but madeline was.

poem for a sunday morning

song for st. john's fire

now the high midsummer sun

burns the dreaming hours away,

kindles blossoms bright as flames,

flashes light from leaf and spray.

light is quivering on the moor,

air is hot with honeyed smells,

golden rivers burn and glide,

shining brooks are singing spells.

butterflies like flowers a-wing,

tremble as they drink the light,

golden pollen fills the sky,

downy seeds soar out of sight.

when the traveller sun goes home,

and stars come slowly overhead,

ling'ring lustres track him round

till the flush of dawn is red.

earth and man, have you no fire

to greet these heaven-kindled hours?

earth has fire, and hearts have fire --

light the flame among the flowers!

by alfred cecil harwood

changes . .

 did you think morgana was a little too contemplative yesterday . . maybe a bit melancholy? well, she was deeply unhappy with her job at the restaurant and after talking with greg and i this morning, she decided to leave. she thanked the manager for giving her the opportunity but he didn't question her decision, and so she had tonight free to come with me to the last dance performance. during the day we worked on making over a section of korrina's room to be her's. we sorted knick knacks and sewing needles, papers and books, took down posters and pictures (transferred a few into chanda's room) and cleaned and vacuumed. we still have much to do, but it's a start and she's happy to be creating a space for herself.

 we stopped in time to have a lunch/dinner together before chanda left for the theatre.

 madeline kept an eye on things . . 

 the show tonight was beautiful and morgana and i reminisced about having string stravaganzas in the church space, and also about when she did duncan dancing with her two sisters. 

 the church space was just perfect for the show, with it's pillars and stairs and archway; very greek looking. after the show, all chairs were quickly moved into position for tomorrow morning's church service. st. mark's is the oldest standing church in the city that has had continuous religious practice. trinity church was established earlier, but their current church building was built later, after the first had a fire.

 taking down the lights . . 

 there was a reception afterwards and i enjoyed talking with my friend deborah whose daughter also performed in the show. we've been homeschooling friends for years and have really enjoyed that the girls were able to perform with catherine gallant (in the black dress) and loretta thomas (second from the right). they have been so supportive and appreciative of the girls and we feel blessed to have met them.

 we walked out the back way with third street music school directly across the street and m and c enjoyed telling amelia a few third street stories . . 

walking home tonight was different from other nights. tomorrow is the gay pride parade and everyone is out with friends celebrating. the freedom tower is decorated in rainbow colors. tomorrow will be a big day.

after buying make-up at aveda

 chanda and i went to the aveda store in soho to buy mascara and eye shadow to replace old make-up that she uses for dance performances. afterwards, we met morgana at the chobani store to have their special yogurt creations.

they use greek yogurt for the base. the top bowl has grapes, grape jelly and peanut butter added on top. the bottom bowl (which is what i requested) has pistachios, chocolate bits, orange slices and mint. i love this store. everything is so delicious.

this is the little park at houston and bedford streets.

 black-eyed susans are now in bloom . . 

 along with echinacea.

 contemplating life (or maybe just the flowers) and contemplating one's phone messages . . 

 contemplating . . pigeons . . ?

 chanda had another show this evening which i saw with greg. afterwards we stopped at the amorino ice cream shop on university place. chanda had chocolate, strawberry, hazelnut and orange ginger sorbet.

 i had coffee, chocolate, hazelnut and pistachio.

our friend amelia added a macaroon . . !