sunday morning poem and a museum visit

last snow

dumped wet and momentary on a dull ground

that’s been clear but clearly sleeping, for days.

last snow melts as it falls, piles up slush, runs in first light

making a music in the streets we wish we could keep.

last snow. That’s what we’ll think for weeks to come.

close sun sets up a glare that smarts like a good cry.

we could head north and north and never let this season go.

stubborn beast, the body reads the past in the change of light,

knows the blow of grief in the time of trees’ tight-fisted leaves.

stubborn calendar of bone. last snow. now it must always be so.

by heid e. erdrich (born 1963)

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(pre-brunch snack . . )

after having a big brunch with chanda at noon, the three of us walked to the museum to see the alexander calder circus exhibit. kendall had taken aurélien a few weeks ago and said we should go before it closes on the 9th. 

(these first three photos are of his wire sculptures . . )

before entering the exhibit we watched a video describing how the museum staff maintains the circus figures calder made and how they repair them. he made everything himself and carried the figures around for performing in five big black suitcases, along with thread, bells, sewing needles, etc. in 1925, while a student at the art students league in nyc, one of his assignments for a newspaper he worked for was sketching the ringling brothers, barnum and bailey circus. it greatly influenced him and he began creating his cirque calder in paris in 1926. 

it was quite dark in the exhibit and i actually thought it would have been better more brightly lit.

his signature, wrought so well with the wire.

the flying trapeze, 1925, oil on canvas

calder's flying trapeze set . .

a cloth camel . . 

the rolling dachshund . .

and fanni, the dancer.

video with the trapeze artist figures . . 

more trapeze work . . 

and the lion tamer. his circus figures were based on real people he had seen in new york: the ringmaster, the lion tamer and the bareback rider. i'll have to watch the video at the museum again for the names of the circus artists.

looking out at the river and the snow in the "beach" park . .  

admiring the portrait of museum founder gertrude vanderbilt whitney by robert henri.

and . . dinner at home - leftover linguini with clams.

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 . . 

 

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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.