more Ottawa

Backtracking a bit - Ottawa has a charming area called Byward Market. While lots of galleries and shops were closed on Easter Sunday, much of the market was open and we walked through the stalls admiring the goods.

The neighborhood is loaded with charm and wonderful restaurants.

We headed for the one just above for lunch and since it was a gorgeous day the young man suggested we eat outdoors and pointed the way to the back door. The tables outside the door we had come through were empty, in the shade, and  there was no server around. However, we headed for the sunny tables surrounded by a cast iron fence and sat down.

A waitress materialized, handed us the rather pricey brunch menu, and we ordered. Only when we saw her vanish into the back door of the adjacent posh restaurant did we realize we were not where we thought we were. 

I asked for bread or crackers while we waited and had our drinks: she announced that there wasn't any unless we wanted the bread leftover from yesterday. Bread would not be delivered till 3:00 (it was 2:00). What an appetizing thought -- especially since the other two had ordered sandwiches. 

She had brought us each one cocktail napkin and when the food finally arrived I asked whether she had larger napkins.

The answer was no.  "NO?  Are we each supposed to eat with one used cocktail napkin? "  Blank stare. "Well, can we have MORE cocktail napkins?," I asked.  She grudgingly brought us each two more.

The food was nevertheless, delicious and the sandwiches were on cranberry bread which she denied were leftovers.

 Afterwards, we headed over to the National Gallery.

 The place is an architectural joy.

  And the art was pure pleasure for me, since we don't see any Canadian art in the U.S.  I discovered the Group of Seven, along with a plethora of other wonderful Canadian artists.  No pictures allowed.  However, this exhibit was ok to shoot and I tood these with my iPhone.

There were many more but these were my favorites - mixed media.  What a delightful day I had!

too tired to blog

But here are some pix from the last two days.

 

 

 

Redux with another group Wed/Thurs.  Off to bed.

Ottawa, day 2

So far, Ottawa has been great.  Mary Pal and Pat Cafferty hosted me around the city for the weekend and I had a wonderful time. (can't speak for them, LOL.
In the background, the  towers of Parliament as we drove through another part of the city.

Have not had time to catch up or load pix but am having a great time!

Finally, in Ottawa

Long story, which I will tell you later.  I am off to see THIS city for the day.  Happy Easter to those of you who are enjoying the (hopefully) good weather today.

pretty NY

Last Thursday, my sister-in-law Irène had an opening of her father's vintage photos from The Jump Book at a gallery in NY and I went with a couple of her friends. (Even the reprint is out of print)

Philippe  believed that when he asked people to jump they were so busy concentrating on the action that their masks dropped and their true personalities came out.  A fascinating theory that was borne out again and again in the pix. Nixon was stiff as a board when he jumped. Behind us to the right, a photo of Marilyn jumping. If you enlarge the photo and look, you'll see what a free spirit she really was.

On the way to the exhibit I shot some of the city's prettier sights instead of my usual grit.  The gallery was on 57th near 5th Ave, which made it easy.  Below, the Plaza hotel, Bulgari, and other lovelies.

I was fine with walking to find a place to eat but the other two women had uncomfortable shoes and we were starving, so we went into the bar at Trump Tower.

  8:45 pm and they were washing the walls in the lobby. This poor guy was the only other employee we saw.  In the bar, we ordered drinks and $12 burgers which took so long we thought they were up doing the last roundup.

As we left Trump, we wandered through this corporate art gallery in the hallway on the way out.

 This little girl was having fun ineracting with the art.

We took the subway to the bus terminal and we were on our way.  It had taken us 2 hours of sitting in traffic coming into the City and here we were again, traffic in the tunnel.

The bus driver yelled at me for taking this picture, but he was sitting still, anyway so I don't know why he cared. It was a late but interesting evening.

Still up at 3:30 am

Haven't gotten to sleep yet and have to get up in a few hours.  How does that work? (maybe it doesn't)

Leaving for Canada in the morning (oops - it IS the morning) -I'll keep you posted. Still have photos to upload from yesterday's trip to NY but I might have time while I'm in the airport later.

TMF

Too Much Food.  That's always how it is at a seder. And after the service and the meal, who has room for dessert? Uh - everybody.

Well, almost everybody. Some people skipped the meal and opted for happy dreams instead.

 My kids made the desserts -- Anne Marie's flourless choc cake is outstanding, with fresh berries, and real whipped cream made at the last minute. Jeremy's chocolate (and white-choc) covered strawberries and marshmallows were so elegant and professional that you can't believe they are house-made. Hilary's chocolate mousse pie was a hit with Marty, and her mandel bread, chocolate-covered matzo bits and toffee were terrific. 

I made two round-trips to Brooklyn in the past 48 hours. Yesterday, I was behind this truck at a light on Flatbush Ave. Made me smile.

 

Today, stopped at another light, coming off the Manhattan Bridge I noticed this Chinatown landmark, now marred by a Starbucks.

The pouring rain let up just enough for me to drive in with minimum angst but it poured again and I was lucky to be going home in the opposite direction from a multi-car pile up on one of the NJ bridges.  I was happy to get home.

In the category of never-a-dull-moment, we will have houseguests again tomorrow night.  Our Bethesda Gillman grandkids have the week off, so they and their parents will arrive just in time for dinner (which we will order in). There is a pizza place in the next town which is making matzo pizza. Sounds vile.

The rain is supposed to go away and the weekend will be lovely.  By that time, I will be in another country and miss the few days of sun we will have had so far this year in NJ.

ode to a mango

As long as I was on the subject of kitchen tools, I got out the beautiful mango cutter that Jane Aldoretta gave me when I was teaching at her studio last year and sliced a mango I bought the other day.  When I saw this item in her kitchen, I asked what it was because I had never seen one here. So she gave it to me - and then, of course, I had to buy mangoes every so often.
  I have never been a fan of mangoes; they are normally too sweet.  But they are a good addition to black bean salad. And I had a delicious salad the other night that included mangoes, tortilla strips, and goat cheese with the greens   So I had to buy one.  This was the best mango I have ever had: it was tart instead of cloyingly sweet.  Googling the mark on the label, I discovered it was imported not from Mexico or Chile or India, but from Israel. What symmetry! What color!  I couldn't resist the photo. 
Back to my wall...

taking a break

If you've checked, you have noticed that I have not blogged for a few days. Mostly because life is too hectic but also too boring.  If you really want an update, here it is -at the risk of giving you TMI, here is my non-art related story. Start yawning!

I'm working at home when I can fit it in between must-do medical appointments and chores that must be done before I leave for Canada a week from tomorrow -- including packing supplies. Won't customs be in for a surprise when they open my big suitcase? I have one more class to pack supplies for.

Add to this, cooking for Passover which starts Monday night.  My daughter is making the seder - but I still have to cook and bring the brisket, potato kugel and charoses. This is the least of my worries.  There are some logistical issues with getting there and back, since unless we put my mother and her walker on top of the car, we have more passengers than we can carry - what with the baby's carseat.

To distract myself the other night, I somehow wandered onto a website that sells collapsible measuring cups and measuring spoons that don't separate from one another. 

How did I not know that these were two items I have desperately needed all my life?  The measuring cups have not arrived yet, but the spoons came yesterday.  Aren't they cute?

In the meantime, my housekeeper is here so I can't be in the kitchen while she is in there cleaning. Marty is home and I have warned him he had better pretend I am not here. So on that note, I had better elbow my way into the kitchen to check the brisket and then go back to work on my current fabric-related project.  If you don't hear from me for the next who-knows-how-long, don't worry. And don't forget about me.

do I hear thunder???

So it seems.  A weird end to a grim and rainy - but relatively warm - day. A thunderstorm with cats and dogs coming down noisily.  I'm waiting for Noah.

I can tell it is time to blog when I get tired of doing whatever else I am doing.  Tonight, it was thinking. I am packing my supplies and that always requires brainpower.  All used up, so you get what's left.

Happily for the artists in the PULP show that opened yesterday, the weather was fine.

Keely McCool's installation made of paper and wire and lit  from the side was the first (and most magical) piece I saw.
Keely works with fiber - leaves, twigs, pine needles, paper, wire,  - you name it -- and her work is wonderfully organic. She considers herself a sculptor. I consider her a magician.
I shot this from underneath but not from the floor, from which I would never have gotten up!

Here is one of her wall pieces.

Pam Cooper uses paper, pins, and other materials to create her wonderful artwork, which has been exhibited extensively.  I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of the piece that was a dress of organdy and paper with image transfer.

It was hard to get a good picture of this airy piece that captivated everybody who walked by.  The small figures are made of twisted/crocheted wire dipped in pulp and the artist, Pamela Guenther-Duffus, doesn't have a website. She needs one, if this is any indication of the rest of her work.

Rocco Scary's work is paper, metal, paint, - in a nutshell, mixed media.  Very urban and very interesting.

There was a lot more work in this wonderful show of 15 artists but Marty was tired, so we left early. 

Rachel Leibman has a wonderful eye and curated one of the best shows I've seen in a long time. The show is up till April 16 and gallery is open Fri,Sat, Sun from 1-4. (35 min by train from NYC and 6 blocks from the station)  Directions here.
Go if you can!