Spring...Finally!

Dear Mom,

It is FINALLY starting to feel like the long winter is over...even though it was 40 and rainy early in the week. I haven't yet retired the boots and tights but am hoping both will soon be on their way back into storage. 

I kicked off the weekend by doing my taxes on Friday night...which is a "geez, I am middle-aged, aren't I?" moment for sure. Although I was annoyed at myself for procrastinating, I'd just felt overwhelmed by other chores most weekends.

Anyway, it was great to get them done, and I celebrated by watching Wall Street with Leonardo DiCaprio. 

Yesterday, I got to meet the McKeowns for coffee, as they were here to celebrate William Hugh's inclusion in the American Watercolor Society show at the Salmagundi Club. They met me at Amy's Bread, where, funny enough, I bumped into a colleague who has inspired me and is someone I hope will be one of my mentors. She and I chatted while we waited in line, and it seemed quite poetic to between two women who have helped me at different life stages -- as you may recall, I'm not sure I would have gotten into Duke if it hadn't been for the huge bump in SAT Math I got from Sara Ruth's pre-calculus class! She was really a phenomenal instructor, and I still think of the problems she had us work to understand the way interest is compounded. 

We popped up to my roof to check out the view... 

Then we went on the High Line...those photos are on their camera, but maybe I will get them once they settle in at home. 

I loved seeing them, and of course you would call William Hugh a "poster child" for self-reinvention during retirement. It's quite remarkable what he's accomplished as an artist in the last decade or so. 

After that little outing, I met Kathleen at Grand Central to take the Metro North line to the NY Botanical Gardens in the Bronx for the annual orchid show. 

We were both sorta fascinated by this lady...

...which inspired a selfie...

 

I snapped this because I want to read up a bit on orchids, as I guess they are essentially an androgynous flower? I'm trying to recall if Susan Orlean got into that at all in The Orchid Thief.

This is going backwards because of the way the photos uploaded from my phone, but before the exhibit, we hit Arthur Avenue in the Bronx for lunch -- a/k/a "The REAL Little Italy." This took a bit of wrangling, as cabs were not exactly plentiful. It was probably a doable walk, but we didn't really have a sense of the lay of the land.

It's definitely ripe for a return trip, as we loved strolling around the market and window shopping at the bakeries.

Our pal Julia suggested we hit Dominick's for lunch. It was fun. There's no menu, and the tables are all long and shared. The old couple beside us was very interested in providing suggestions, which irritated the waiter. Kathleen went old-school mobster to protect her white jacket...

We both really enjoyed the food, and though I wouldn't say it was any better than most Italian-American joints, the atmosphere and no menu aspect added a lot, and we can't wait to recruit more friends for our return trip.

Continuing the "backwards theme..." Friday afternoon, 53rd Street was closed for President Obama's motorcade, which I caught as I headed home.  

Monday night was my first session with my new hypnotherapist. I think it's going to be really good for me. It's stirring up a lot of writing-related stuff. The phrase "the story you have to tell" is starting to feel really resonant for me. I snagged these quotes from something Page shared.

 On the book note...I started reading this, which several people have recommended.

Aaaand -- Tulio was in town this week from Brazil! He brought his friend Fred, and I invited them over for dinner on Tuesday night. Just a simple salmon with mustard sauce and herbs, with rice and veggies.

 I used my napkins from Aunt Debbie and Holle's preserves for the appetizer spread.

They arrived on Sunday morning, and we spent Sunday afternoon strolling around, as it was just gorgeous outside. We grabbed a bite at a place on Hudson Street in my old neighborhood. Kurt met us for a few minutes to say hello.

 Naturally, I took them on the High Line...

They wanted to go to B&H Electronics, which I didn't even know about. It's an electronics super store on 34th Street, and it's owned/run by Orthodox Jews. Since they get a lot of foreign customers, they are very accustomed to Brazilians, and the guys were waited on by Portuguese-speaking guys with quintessentially Jewish names like Shlomo, which I found rather hilarious.

 Fred has bad knees, so I tried not to wear them out with too much walking, but you know me...

It was a lovely weekend, as I spent most of Saturday afternoon just strolling around Central Park by myself and enjoying the sunshine...

Okay, that's all for now. There is some other "news" I would tell you if this weren't public. And, truth be told, it made me kinda sad not to be able to call you and tell you when it happened on Thursday. But it's a good thing in the big picture, and I can kinda sense what you would have told me you thought I should do anyway.

So, more to come on that, but for now I am off to church for Palm Sunday. Miss Betty sent a sweet text yesterday to show us that the palms at Centenary today are in your memory from her, Patsy and Karen. Extra special for sure.

Too bad the donkey costume is long gone! Benjamin and William, Owen and Anna would be almost big enough to wear it.

Saudade,

Lynsley