Can I Keep It?

The Eiffel Tower

Okay, so that night, Nay and I got out into the city and went to see the Eiffel Tower , er Empire State Building. I do not know why I called that building that, but every time I opened my mouth to say it, Eiffel Tower came out.  It got to be so common that Nay Nay started acting as if that were the actual name. Oy.

Part of the CityPASS will let you go to the Empire State Building twice in one day, daylight and dark.  We had so much we wanted to do that we opted for the night views only.  And it was stunning.  A bright sprinkling of color awash for miles around us.

The other thing about the pass is that it upgrades you to the express elevators.  No trudging up nineteen bazillion steps!  Zoom!  Right to the top to see this:

We stayed up laughing until two thirty in the morning.  Draggin ourselves up at nine to go to the Metropolotain Museum. 

It was soooo very crowded.  Nay decided to photo bomb as many family protratis as she could.  I knew when she grabbed my arm, to put my face next to hers and smile.

Despite everybody taking pictures of the work right in front of signs asking them not to, I was a good girl and did not whip out my camera.  But ohhhhh! We saw so many lovely paintings and sculptures.  We had lunch right next to Rodin's The Burghers of Calais.  There were just so many mavelous delights at every turn, I had trouble focusing on the one in front of me.  It was definite ADHD for me that day.  I believe all either of us did was grunt, "Look! LOOK!" to the other for hours.

And at some point, we stepped inside Grand Central Station, but I can't remember if we were coming or going, so I'll just insert it here.  Why not.

We spent the evening on the balcony with nibblies and drinks and rested up for the marathon the next day!

 

 

Things I'm Doing on My Summer Vacation

Week before last, my friend, Nay Nay, whom I have not seen in like, ten years (!) texted me to see if I were up for a girls weekend in NYC.  And I said, "YES!"

 

Her stepson nad his pretty wife were off to Russia visiting her relatives. Their cat, Bella, had recently had intestinal surgery and needed some special care while they were away.  For a free apartment in the City?  I'd be delighted!

Beautiful Bella resting peacefully in bed.  Seems she had been refusing food, throwing up, and had generalized pouting disorder.  At home?  She was fine.  Never lost her dinner.  Ate like a truck driver.  Napped like she was a champion.

This big guy is Finnegan.  He, however, groomed so much that he had a hairball.  On my bed. Nice.  The two of them fought over who got to sleep on my bed and my luggage.  At least it was his turn for the bed and not my suitcase.  Small miracles abound, people.  We take them where they are given.

After eating lunch and picking up Bella at the vet, Nay and I went to the store and bought some supplies.  Okay. Two stores.  One of them may or may not have sold adult libations.

On our way home,we got caught in the rain.  Sadly, we had no pina coladas.

 

But we made up for it on the balcony when we got back to the apartment.  Which, by the way, had fabulous views of Manhattan. We could see the Chrystler building and the Empire State building from just about every window view.

 

 The next morning, we took a stroll on the Long Island City East River Walkway.  Beautiful.

And took the ferry across the East River to 34th street.  And we. Walked. Across. Manhattan. To catch a cruise to visit Lady Liberty on the Hudson!

At the cruise line, we bought a city pass so we couold cram in as many touristy things as we could in the four short days we were in the Big Apple.  As many times as I have been to NYC, I had never done anything touristy. In my twenties, my first husband and I went all the time, but it was always to a party or to hang out with friends in a bar. In my thirties and forties, it was always a work destination.  Zali saw New York maybe five times himself.  He knew all the best places to pee at the Javitz Center.  And his favorite restaurant was Blossom.  A vegan restaurant in the Bronx.  Vegan. Yes. Not even kidding.

 

Me and the lady.

After the cruise, we walked the HighLine.  It's a long walking park that the city converted from an old raised railway, no longer used.  Now it is a beautiful garden.  We stopped at the Chelsea Markets fro a nosh and i had the best soft shell crab sandwich of my life.  And I am an afficianado of the soft shell crab.

The Gehry and Nouvelle buildings.  Both are award winners.  Obviously.

But I'll leave it here.  More tomorrow! 

 

 

Before and After

Before the ceremony, Hud and I checked in to the gorgeous Romeo and Julliet Suite at the Peabody.

And they brought us strawberries and champagne!

Hud took me to lunch at Rizzo's downtown.  It was divine.

Blackened catfish eggs benedict.  Because you just should.

Then it was a quick trip back to the Peabody to change and hop into our carriage for a leisurely ride down to Tom Lee Park to meet our friends for the exchange of our vows.

Of course we chose the carriage with the most dogs and the sassiest horse.  Meet dapper Diesel.

Diesel was a commedian.  He took his time to get places.  In fact when the driver swatted him and told him to go faster, Diesel would clippity clop for about a foot and a half.  Then he would turn around and snort, like, "Yeah, buddy.  Like THAT'S gonna' happen."  Hud and I didn't care.  The unexpected part of the trip down to the river were all the smiling people, waving and wishing us congratulations.

When we arrived and dismounted, the driver stopped to offer Diesel a drink from his water bucket.  Diesel cut his eyes and smashed his snout into the bucket, spewing water everywhere!  And then he threw his head back, bared his teeth in a wide grin and laughed and laughed and laughed.  "Tip your waiters and waitresses, folks!  I'll be here all week!" The driver exclaimed that he always did that.  And I said, "Of course he does.  It's funny!"

Afterward the beautiful ceremony, we all made our way back to the Peabody to our suite.  What I hadn't shown you before is that the rooms are on two levels with a narrow winding staircase that leads to the living space.

The ceiling were about twenty five feet tall.  It was stunning.  I had brought our wedding albums.  Hey, with twenty-seven photographers at the first event, we have a couple of books and a huge photo box of prints from our wedding.  It was,um, well documented.

I put my incredible bouquet by Rachel's in a vase and started to cut the cake we had our friend, Joel of Manna, make for the occassion.

Well, tried to cut the cake.  Unfortunately, the table was cut as low as my dress, so Hud had to do it!

We talked and laughed and ate Joel's Chocolate Dulche de Leche confection that tastes like a dream and comfort, sprinkled in unicorn sneezes and happiness. Our lovely friend, Tracey arrived just in time for the treat.

When everyone left, Hud took me to a wonderful dinner at Chez Phillipe.  After that, it's none of your business!  Let's just say that we had the best day ever.

*wink*

 

 

Fresh

My life is getting in the way of my blogging.  

And Zali is not happy about it.  He raged on for a hour this morning bout how his people are missing him. Secretly, I think they'd miss Simone more, but I didn't tell him that.

You know it's hard to write a blog with a bird on your hand.  Who knew?

My garden is a weedy mess, so Boudreaux, Zali, Simone and I headed out in the heat to fix the situation.  Two hours later, it looked as if I had been inside reading a book.

Insert disappointed face here.

But the good news is that I discovered green beans!  Surprise!

* Pardon the picture.  I still can't find my camera cord, so I have to rely on my Stupid Phone

It sorely needs to take a lesson or two from some one's Smart Phone.

Insert smiley face here.

Hudson came home at noon.  I made him some pork and leek dumplings and turned the fresh find in the garden into Schezuan green beans with ground turkey and Ponzu rice.

Insert full stomach here.

And just so he'll quit dogging me -- here:

Zali in a compromising position.

But I know this is what you really want:

Simone gazing upon you in distain.

You are welcome.

Whew

The last couple of weeks Hud and I have been social butterflies.  Good thing he has a five day weekend coming up.  I need a rest. 

We photographed the Rhodes College graduation for one.  Went to a wedding at the Metals Museum for another.

The river is very high from all of the snow run off up north.  It's racing so fast that the barges going downstream disappeared in  a matter of minutes, while the ones travelling upstream?  Are probably still fighting the current six days later.

We went to a Gatsby Party, which was grand fun.  And my Art Deco jewelry got to go out for the evening, which it adored. Art Deco jewelry loves a good party.

Our friends, the Flowers.  Hud has known Calvin since they were babies, like sixty years.  Not being hyperbolic, even.  For reals.

We're having the house refinanced.  Zali and Simone were not impressed.  They had to go to jail for a few hours while the appraiser was here.

Muhzer! Wee are ze stressed owt!

I should have put Simone in her Thundershirt. Hud and I did Paws for a Cause a couple of weekends ago and I gave in and bought her one to ease her anxiety.  Two years ago, without warning, Simone became petrified of thunderstorms.  The slightest rumble would cause her to shake so terribly that I was afraid she'd rattle her teeth out of her head.  When I discovered her hiding behind the toilet after I got out of the shower, I knew that I had to try something.  And you know what?

EffingFunderCanBiteMe.GrowlAtSomebodyElse,AshullSky.

It works!  

The Thundershirt doesn't completely put her at ease, but during yesterday's storms, she merely panted a few times.  No shaking!  Simone even managed a nap during a particularly strong line of storms.  I may get one for Boudreaux.  Zoe didn't teach him how to catch a ball like an Olympian, but she did transfer her fear of the vacuum cleaner.

And we went to bunch and lunches with a variety of friends.  That's about enough, isn't it?

Well, there is this:

A baby Fig Parrot.  From Zooborns.com.

You are welcome.

Mon Petit Chou

Today was lovely.  A soft warm breeze, slightly overcast, quiet. Finally spring-like!

Hud and I started planting the garden yesterday, so today, the kids and I soldiered on without him.

We weeded the bed in front of the Shicken.  Simone was of great assisstance. 

You could probably tell from the dirt in her ruff that she is quite handy at hole digging.  In fact, she majored in it as a undergrad.

Boudreaux was...Boudreaux.  He splashed across the pool cover, leapt over brick walls and fencing, around the backyard, under the azaleas, over the pool deck and into the garden with a crashing stop at my hunched over body. 

Bou hab eggsellent adbenture. Gardening pffun.

It was all going very well until I turned to ask Zali how he was getting along with the weeding and discovered that he had dug up one of my newly planted cabbages!  He had chomped it down to the roots.

Whut? Eet wuz zee qualitee cuntroll, Muhzer!

Now, I knew he and Simone could not be trusted with broccoli, but cabbages?!?! Le sigh. He looks remorseful, but I had to stop him from murdering the rest of the crop, the little buggar.  That's the look of a guilty man, not a sorry one.  No wait. Guilty and sorry. That's more like it.

Time of death - 10:39.  Farewell, mon petit chou.  I hardly knew ye. 

Bou and Simone took the death seriously and decided to be on their best behavior for the remainder of the outing. Zali went up to the house, pouting.  He stayed by the back door yipping to go in.  Seems I had spoiled all his fun.  

I finished planting cucumbers, beets, bush beans and Thai eggplant.  The three of us joined him at the door when it was time to start making lunch.

A very fine spring morning, inspite of the carnage.

 

 

Fiddy-one

Yesterday was my birthday!  

I turned the page on fifty and became fifty-one at six thirty-two in the morning.  I'm one of those people who rejoices in their birthday, always happy to be older.  I'm quite sure that at some point in the coming year, I will start referring to myself as fifty-two.  Yes, I round up.  It started on my thirty-ninth birthday.  As my age came up and I told it, the person asking would respond with a wink, "How many years will that be?"  BAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  You' re a laugh riot.  So I started saying that I was forty.  The reply was always swift and always the same, "OH!  You really don't look it!"

Le sigh.

So I round.  I round up.  It's my thing. Pretty soon, I'm going to start saying that I'm sixty.  'Cause I look unbelievable for sixty! Hey!  I look awful for twenty-eight.  But sixty?  Hawt.

I like to do new things on my birthday and this year, at the Memphis Zoo, they have a new temporary exhibit, Sting Ray Bay.  Why would I go to the zoo when I live in one you ask?  They have animals there.  Duh. As one of the few animals I have never touched, we went to feed the sting rays!

Scary right?  Okay.  True confessions?  I have a fear of large fish.  And some of these were three feet in diameter.  Because they are trained for this, these animals loved to be touched. They fly around the edges of the tank, gliding under your outstretched hand.  Surprisingly, the sting rays weren't sand paper-like as I expected.  You know, like a shark's skin.  They felt soft and fleshy.  A baby's butt.  Very unusual.  The luck of my birthday had us arrive at feeding time!  (11:00-12:00 and 2:00-3:00, I believe)

I screwed my courage to the sticking place and bought a cup of sardines and shrimp.  You place the fish between your fingers in the middle of your palm and hold the palm flat.  Stick your hand into the water and they swarm you as they smell it. The one who wins the prize is the one that reaches you first, slides up your palm and sucks the fish out of your hand!  It's thrilling and frightening and ohhhh! I can't wait to do it again!

As a bonus, the bears were all very active and enjoying the weather.  The pandas were in the outdoor enclosure for a change. Instead of snoozing indoors, reared up on a pile of bamboo, looking like they need a beer and a remote in either paw.

I know.  He was walking around and everything.  Exciting.  You just don't understand.

And the grizzlies were catching trout in their river, play fighting and eating.

He was ginormous.

We went to one of my favorite places, Dejavu and had the boudin, Big Easy Pasta and Bananas Foster  Cheesecake.  Let that sink in.  Bananas. Foster. Cheesecake. To die for.  Then we headed on over to the movie theatre in midtown and saw Silver Linings Playbook.

And Hud gave me a little diamond Eiffel Tower to waer around my neck to remind me that we'll always have Paris.

Fifty-one may not be so bad.  I might call it for the whole year. 

Joyeux Mardi Gras!

A couple of weeks ago, Hud and I made our annual trip down to Slidell to walk with our krewe in Mona Lisa and Moon Pie for Mardi Gras! This year's theme was Dance! Mona! Dance!

We drove down on Friday.  Got there just in time to go to Charlotte's nephew's restaurant in Old Town Slidell.  Oooooowee.  Chris can cook.

Oysters!

Crab cakes!

Onion soup!

Cioppino!

Duck!

Eggplant!

Oh, it was all so very good. He also made a special dessert of chocolate bread pudding.  Heaven.

The next day was parade day.  We always do a lot of running around getting ready for the walk.  It's a rarity for Slidell, but our parade happens at night. So we light the parade with flambeaux.  They have to be taken to staging.  You know, the last minute things that you have to do.  Like putting the finishing touches on your dragon.

 

 

Charlotte put the dragon together with the help of her friend, Barbara.  I'm going down on the train next year a week early to help Charotte make whatever it is we are next year.  I made all of the hats, though.  That dragon just wan't going to fit in the Mustang.  It sure did make it easy to get dressed this year!  We wore black so we would not be a distration from the main event - The Chinese Dragon Dance.

Our famed chef, Chris Case, in his Flambeaux attire.

Then it was time to line up and go for a stroll, chucking Moonpies to the masses!

'

Tom's children, Sherry and Tommy were our Flambeaux carriers. Time to start!  We began with sparklers...

Beacuse the weather was gorgeous, the crowds turned out in droves.  I haven't seen it this big!  I knew I'd have to hoard my Moonpies to make it till the end.

Moonpie! Moonpie! Throw me somethin', Mister!

Oh! We had a great time.  The Krewe threw over thirty thousand Moonpies.  It wasn't enough.  Lots of the krewe had to do the walk of shame  on the final few blocks.  But not me!  I saved some to the people at the end of the line.  Heeeee.

Whew.  We did another one.  Tomorrow will be fun.

Il Pluie

Okay, so that afternoon, we took the Metro all the way out to Pere Lachaise Cemetary.  What?  Lots of famous folks are buried there and I love a good cemetary.  Along the way we ran into this fish market in the middle of nowhere with all of this gorgeous product.

It included a fresh fuit and vegetable stand.  Your basic one stop shopping.  I wished that I had a kitchen. Hmmph.

So we march from the Metro in the rain to the front gates...

And we're turned away.  They close in the rain.  Something about limbs falling off of a specific tree.  Yes, we were turned away from the cemetary so we wouldn't die being crushed by a tree limb.

We tried walking around to explore a bit, but it was so miserable with the spitting rain and the jet lag finally catching up, that we turned around.  We back to our little home at the Etoile Troccadero and took a much needed nap.  We were going to need it!

Tomorrow we go to Versailles!

We're Baaaaaack!

Winterarts is back for another smashing season!

Just a line to let you know that WinterArts is back at Saddle Creek, South, with six new artists and exciting new things from those returning: if you think you've seen it all, head to WinterArts and prepare to be amazed.
 
WinterArts is open 7 days a week, and we stay late on Friday evenings (come join us for a glass of wine, any Friday between now and Christmas).
 
Looking forward to seeing you soon! (& bring a friend who has not yet experienced the wonder of WinterArts ;) 
 

WinterArts 2012 –The South’s Premiere Holiday Artists’ Market presents exceptional & unique hand-crafted gifts by the region’s finest Craft Artists: works in glass, metal, wood, fiber; plus, functional and sculptural ceramics; jewelry, and more! Open daily November 24 through Christmas Eve, at 2055 West Street, in The Shops of Saddle Creek, South, Germantown, TN.  Hours: M-TR & Saturdays 10a to6p; Fr 10 to 9p; Su 1p to 5p. Frequent Food Trucks. For more information: www.winterartsmemphis.com

 

(WinterArts is staged by Artworks Foundation, a non-profit {501(c)3} dedicated to encouraging public awareness of the importance of a vibrant and active arts community.)