Memorial Day

Today we honor those who gave up their comforts, the pleasure of staying home with family and friends, 

and often gave their lives, 

in order that we might be free. 

Thank You!!!!!

A Paris Party!

Tonight I'm linking to the blog Castles, Crowns and Cottages in order to be a part of the festivities tomorrow called
             Simply Irresistible.


This is just the most delicious blog, and I spent at least an hour there looking at the marvelous assortment of photos and witty captions, as well as dancing to the great music!  The sweet drawing above was done by the blog writer, Anita, who is obviously a very cool lady.


There will be a lot of bloggers joining in , and all will be posting Paris photos, or poems or art work.  It does sound irresistible, doesn't it!!?  I have no idea whether or not anyone will visit my blog, as I'm an unknown in the blogosphere, and barely know how to do a post, let alone all the other sophisticated maneuvers, but if it's a party and it's about Paris, I'm playin'!!!!


So here are a few more of my pix from the City of Light...

...or, City of Flowers as the case may be.  Paris has the most most beautiful flower shops of any place on earth...

...and the most beautiful window gardens.  This is in the Marais.

Charlie and Jacques at the Place de la Concorde

Jacques at the Moulin Rouge

I.M. Pei's glass Pyramid at the Louvre

Bikes in a Parisian Foyer

Parisian Staircase

I have so many more, but with a sloooooow server which keeps telling me that it won't load any more tonight, I will just say that this was fun and I'll be around to see as many other "irresistible" blogs as possible tomorrow. Oh, and there's a Paris page at the top of my blog, which has other Paris pix, and if you click on the Paris tag to the right it will take you to several other posts on Paris.

And finally, my husband and I are leading a Photography workshop in Paris in November, so if you reeeaaaly love Paris, you might want to check back...

A bientot!

It's Apple Blossom time...

...or it was last week.  The wild ones are gone now, and the wind will finish off our Crabapples today.  But we enjoyed it as it was happening.

I grabbed the above two shots last Sunday near our farm

Red, White and Blue

This one is in Center Cambridge

And two of my favorite people in our own back yard

A Day in the City

New York City, circa 1912 

I shot this in a bank, before the guard told me not to photograph!

My gentleman and I went down to NYC on Tuesday to the ever-so big Surtex show at the Javits.  I was very grateful that my agent gave us tickets, as it's difficult to get into this show without them, even if you pay a fee.  The show was exhilarating , with hundreds of artists represented, and licensing agents also displaying their artists' work.  Even bigger than the Surtex show was the Stationery show next door, and I was like a kid in a candy shop there.  It was like the World's Biggest Kate's Paperie!  My favorite booths  actually dealt with vintage items, like TinselTrading Company,  and the delightful  Potterton Books, with an entire booth full of Very Vintage fabric sample books..huge books filled with 18th and 19th century fabrics, mostly French, that had me wondering how I could start a Fabric/Wallpaper/ Decorative Arts company, and reproduce these beautiful patterns.  The books were dear, several thousand dollars each, but oooh, the visual yumminess!  Too bad I wasn't allowed to photograph them. 

 But the young woman in this picture welcomed photography.

And here's the lovely Elizabeth at Monahan Papers.

Mixed Media artists, among others, will love this site.

Another fun part of this show was an exhibit of paper couture in the hallway separating the two shows

So cute.  And everything made from paper!

And, after an exhausting day at the shows, we took the shuttle uptown to one of my favorite places in the Big Apple, Bergdorf's.

But, yet again, the windows were in transition, and I only got to see a few done.

In honor of the late, fabulous Alexander McQueen

And a spectacular antique gilt mirror...I'd love to see this window finished!

Full-on Spring Fever

Neil's place, Up and Over Farm

Our corn fields

Maples in bloom

Crabapple in the lower garden

So much going on, I haven't had time to edit lately. But isn't it nice how Spring comes around every year, whether we're ready for or or not?

Spring Has Sprung!

Spring on Everafter Farm

After a particularly brutal winter, and a cold, wet early spring, we are finally in those sparkling days of tulips, sunshine and balmy breezes. But our joy is tempered by our sadness for those who have suffered in the tornadoes in the south, and for those who are devastated by the flooding Mississippi River.  Our prayers are for you tonight...

I won't save this for Netflix. This is for the Big Screen...

http://youtu.be/5nOF93SzX6s

Should be released in the USA in June.  June 17, in fact, at our local theater. but we won't be able to go until June 20. [ Our daughter's photography exhibit opens on the 18th!  More later.]

Everyone's Going to Paris!

Le Consulat in Montmartre

My friend is leaving for Paris this week, and I promised to add a few more must-see spots that she and her husband will love.  Since they're staying in the 5e they will be near the very wonderful cinema, The Grande Action, 5 rue des Ecoles, with its deliciously comfortable red plush seats. They might be lucky and catch one of my favorite of the noir films "The Night of the Hunter" with Robert Mitchum.  It will probably show in English with French subtitles, like many of the films do. Can I tell you how cool it was to see my favorite film "Casablanca" there, and to read the subtitle "a ta bonheur, ma petite!" "Here's looking at you kid!"  [I think I'll have to go with the American translation on this one!]

They'll also be quite close to Les Deux Magots, the old watering hole of the likes of Hemingway, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, Picasso and Camus.  A glass of wine will cost  a minimum of 16 euros, and with the euro at around $1.49 today, I'd opt for tea and the fabulous lemon tart, and do my drinking in the crowded little bistros that dot the 6e.

There are some really fun places around this rue, here.

And, the 6e has many wonderful art galleries, in a well marked area.  Look for these signs:

And, of course, they'll have to go to Montmartre.  My suggestion would be to take the bus.  They'll see more, and when they change buses to go up the hill they'll get the real feeling for Montmartre as they curve around all the steep little streets.

But be sure to stay late enough to catch the view of the Eiffel tower lit up at night, then walk down the steps [ Les Escaliers] next to the Finiculare.  Very Brassai!

[or very Dean Polis]

Everyone will tell you to go to the  Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise, but that's quite a trek from the 5th.  Might instead choose to go to the Cimetiere Montparnasse, much closer and also beautiful.  Sartre, de Beauvoir and Ionesco are buried here.

My friend Angie walking in the rain in the cemetary

There's so much more to write, but no matter where they flâner, they will be amazed and amused on their adventure in the City of Light.


Be safe, my friends, keep that neck pouch under your jackets, and God Speed!