Weekend in New York

Hello friends...I just returned from a very quick trip up to New York on Saturday and back on Monday.  It was a very important trip as my  beautiful niece Cindy, was graduating from High School! I'm sure Cindy won't mind me telling you it has been a long and sometimes hard road for her during her high school years. I am so very proud to know that she persevered through it all, worked hard and showed the world what she was made of....good strong stuff! She graduated with flying colors and the constant smile on her face was proof of her joy. It was a delight to see and so worth the 7 hour drive.

The Balloon Merchant

Before we get to Cindy, I have to show you Cindy's adorable little niece, Merrick. She was fascinated with these balloons

If you remember last weeks post about this bag, you know I had created it as a gift for Cindy. Happy to report, she loved it and promised to fill it with college books. Isn't she beautiful? Her party was a great success and everyone had a wonderful time. 

On the way to the party, my sister Maddy and I spotted this lovely little house. Maddy is as bad as me when it comes to screeching to a halt to capture a great photo. I had to take a picture of this cottage. I loved the flowering vine creeping up to the tiny upstairs windows and the exterior paint was so whimsical. They even painted the chimney green! Some really cool people with a great sense of fun must live here.

My sister-in -law talked me into staying an extra day to go into New York City and spend a day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I have not been in a while and thought it would fun. I love the Met...the huge classical paintings and my favorite Temple of Dendur

This is how it looked in Egypt back in 15BC. It is a Nubian temple, built by Petronius, the Roman Governor of Egypt.

In 1963 it was moved in order to save it from the waters of the Aswan High Dam. As a thank you to the American effort to save many monuments from the Dam, it was given as a gift to America in 1963. It has been here at the Met since 1978. I just adore it and it is so impressive in person. You may have seen it in the movies...Hollywood loves to film here.

But this was one of the reasons I was looking forward to going.I wanted to surprise you Gretel!  Samuel Palmer is a resident of the Met (ok...not him, but his work). This is a page from one of his sketch books (circa 1848)

This etching from 1850 is titled The Herdsman's Cottage or Sunset. I love the shadows from the setting sun. I really wanted to explore all these wonderful prints for you Gretel, but..............

It was not to be...to start with, others in my party who shall remain nameless ;-) (I was ready on time) were late in waking up, late in getting ready and that made us late to the train station. You guessed it...we missed the  train and had to wait an hour for the next one. By now it is already around 87 degrees and humid. We finally get a seat on the next train and approximately 1 minute before the train is to pull out of the station, my sister-in-law shoots me this horrific look while holding a Museum schedule in front of my face. They are closed one day a week....you guessed it... Mondays!!!!!! I look at her...she looks at me and we make a mad dash off the train seconds before it leaves. NYC is a wonderful city to explore, but it was going to be 96F degrees and humid with chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. A good day to spend inside a museum, but not walking around town with no game plan. 

So as they say..."the best laid plans of mice and men". 

Another time Gretel...or maybe you should come visit and we can go together!!!!

My trip did end on a high note...meet Mr. Peeps! Mr Peeps has a funny story..a little like Jonah and the Whale. My niece was babysitting a Boxer puppy last week. She let him outside and he took off and grabbed something in the grass. She thought he had eaten something he shouldn't have and reached into his mouth and guess what fell out? A baby Mallard duck! Isn't he the cutest little creature? No Mom or Dad could be found , so he is being cared for until he gets is waterproof feathers and will be released in a waterfowl sanctuary. Love his little webbed feet.

So that was my two day up and back trip. Hope your weekend was a good one.

Until next time...be kind and stay creative!