Old Door

I came across this old door

laying by the side of the road

Left out for the trash collectors.

It made me sad:

Yes... its days of being a "good door" may be over

But it's still a beautiful

objet d'art.
And oh, the stories it could tell...

Public Access Eating

On my daily walks, I can stop to eat loquats, pick a lemon to use in a marinade for dinner, and gather a bouquet of sweat peas and sunflowers - all growing wild in empty lots or hanging over the boundaries of public access. And if I'm lucky, really lucky, in a few months I'll bring home a couple avocados.

farewell

These 2 young Marines are heading over seas for their first deployment adventure.....

Dog Walker's Prayer

I guess you never know when you might find yourself in need of a good session of prayer. Just in case you might need it, there's a rosary hanging over an empty lot on my hill. After your Hail Marys, please remember to replace it for the next devout dog walker.

Drinking in the rain

pine cones

Here we are weeks away from summer and in my living room still sits a basket full of winter pine cones.

Mystery Squash

What's this? Some kind of squash? I don't know exactly, but it's growing in my garden. I didn't plant it, or the three types of tomatoes growing up next to it. But I plan on eating it. And the tomatoes. Insta-garden!

Accidental Photo: Shoes on Subway

Because I use the camera in my phone,

I sometimes take "Accidental Photos"

(The ones you didn't even realize you'd taken

because your finger was on the button.)

Here's one from the subway:

NYC early summer footwear fashion.

These Shoes

These shoes are made for walking . . . or not.

Staple seamstress

This artist at the Lummis Day Festival today was creating outfits from tablecloths and curtain fabrics armed only with a pair of scissors and a stapler and did some mean Edward Scissorhands moves within around 5 minutes for the ready to wear looks; fascinating!

Ice Cream Truck

Cool?  

Creepy?

Both?

Franklyn's Paints

An artist acquaintance of mine died recently, unexpectedly, and I was asked to take what I could use from his art supplies.

Franklyn was an intense man with glasses and unruly curly hair. "Oh, hello Jeanie," he would say and stop to talk for a few moments, listening closely, considering everything. He sometimes used words I didn't know. One time, I interrupted him to ask him what a particular word meant. He could have decided that I wasn't much worth stopping to talk to, since I couldn't even keep up with his vocabulary. But instead he seemed genuinely impressed that I took the time to ask. I didn't diminish, but instead he made me feel better, and bigger, and stronger. I'm sure he didn't even notice, but I did.

Scissors

Trim?

Turquoise

One of the numerous vendors located on Olvera Street. The rows of turquoise fascinated me.

Coaster

Handwriting on the Wall

Each year my mother made her own very special Christmas cards - crocheted snowflakes, little felt banners proclaiming "Joy" or "Love," tiny handmade wreaths of yarn or fabric scraps. I have a few of them still. But the thing I really love is the part that should have been thrown away - the card she attached that has "Merry Christmas" stamped on the front and her handwriting inside.  I keep it pinned to the wall in my studio.

Sweet Tooth

I came home to find these on the kitchen butcher block; my husband told me he went to the store and thought maybe I could make one of these.....

Making the Rounds

Message

While passing an office in the building where I work, I saw this message on a rock sitting on top of a file cabinet and remembered how a while back I posted the same message that I noticed on a garden flag; I'm taking it as an omen; Enjoy Life.

Drivers Wanted

Saw this on a school bus today

Maybe a new career?

No Secret Message

Today, the secret message was on the ground, so I figured it was fair game. Alas, Jason was correct - just a graduation prop.

Head Board

Although I sleep under this daily I forget to really notice my own bed's head board; the smooth swirly strong metal that has provided some much needed aid at times when it was difficult to get out of bed on my own. Sometimes you find gratitude in the small even inanimate things.

Horseshoe crab in the train tunnel

This morning, I was surprised to find

a dead horseshoe crab

laying in an underground tunnel at the train station

in Douglaston, Queens.

Someone must have tried to bring the poor crab home

and then realized it had died

The tunnel smelled the beach at low tide.

Sad.  

Secret Message

A little piece of note paper, rolled and tied with a ribbon . . . .  Why is it there? Who is it for? What does it say?

I want it. I want that secret message. I want to be a part of it.

I left it there.

Blocks

I first noticed this stack of blocks on my bed and thought how cute that my grandson had built it there and then I took a photo of it and then really noticed how badly I let things pile up on my dresser in the back ground; yikes!

Looking Up

I spent part of my Mermorial Day laying in a hammock, looking up.

Milk bottles

I noticed these bottles piling up on my sink; time for someone to return them.

NYPD

We had to go to the NYPD Precinct #34 station house today

to pick up a copy of an accident report.

(It hadn't been filed, yet.)

The place was pretty hardcore. 

Too hardcore for me.

Downtown Reflections

One building reflected in another.

Garbage Can with Measles

They might have thought they were making the garbage can

look cute

when they painted it with polka dots.

I think it just makes it look like 

it has measles.

Break Through

What came first? The tree or the fence? The strength of nature amazes me.

The Orange House

As if the color of this house wasn't enough to stop you in your tracks, now we have this lovely sign to go with it.

Sea gulls

When I see sea gulls I think of the beach and warm weather and long days and fun times........

A Gargoyle in the Plants

72nd Street and Central Park West

Always cool architectural elements

Right on.

Geese at Trader Joe's

There is a Trader Joe's 

just across the Hudson River from NYC

in Fort Lee, New Jersey

We went there over the weekend

and were greeted by these fantastic geese

walking around in the parking lot.

(P.S.  The cars all understood that geese have the "right of way")

Habits

Like mother like son.....I noticed these shoes of my daughter's and grandson's on our living room floor.

A Hoarder's Home

On my walks, I have watched the contents of this house slowly overflow. Bags, stuffed full, began to appear on the back porch, then on the roof of the patio. They began climbing up the hill in the backyard. I could catch glimpses of old toys, clothes, and the miscellaneous gatherings that only a hoarder can understand. The backyard climbs up to the dirt road that houses my famous trash heap. A flimsy chain link fence with a rusted pad lock was all that separated their bags from the illegally dumped treasures of the trash heap, just beyond on the dirt road.

Something has happened. The trash heap remains, still changing every few days. But the hoarder's home has suddenly been cleaned up. The bags are all gone. And three shiny new padlocks are on the flimsy chain link fence.

Button

Noticed today that I've had this button in my cubicle since 2008; still holds true for me so it shall remain.

Newly Hatched

Walking home from the grocery store this afternoon, 

I happened to look down at just the right time

and noticed this bird's egg--

Good luck on your new adventure, Baby Bird.

It's a good world to be a part of.

Hair Ceremony

I saw him standing, looking down the hill. He wore his jammies and a quiet expression. He held something black in his hand.

The next day I stood, where he had been, absently gazing down the hill. While my dog sniffed around the weeds and flowers, I saw the two handfuls of hair, tossed about 10 feet apart.

unnoticed

With all the "noticing" I do for the blog, I completely neglected to notice my Internet bill until I went to try and post to the blog last night and was met with this friendly reminder....that made me stop and "notice".

A little bit of thanks...

... goes a long way.

I appreciate a sign like this.

A simple gesture.

HUGE impact.

Mahalo for that.

Jelly Bean Street

Do you know how much I love jelly beans? It's true; I love them. I noticed these ones on my morning walk. Couldn't that "5-second rule" apply to the amount of time since I first saw them?

Sad for me, but you'll be happy to know that I left them be.

Sweeping art

While at Disneyland, celebrating my grandson's 2nd birthday, I noticed this cast member who at first appeared to be sweeping up and I almost passed him like I have passed so many other workers who keep the park immaculately clean but I slowed down and noticed he wasn't sweeping but drawing Disney characters that disappeared almost as quickly as they were being drawn with his broom and some water; impressive; I sat and continued watching and was privileged to see Mickey, Dumbo and Jack Skellington; many others walked by by I "noticed".

People's Feet

I was at a family gathering with my fancy new camera and what do I find myself taking pictures of?   People's feet.

The Fame Game

Even our Home Depot wants to get in on the action.

Apparently, a portion of the movie BIG was filmed 

in the space.

Hmm...

Flag ceremony

When dropping off my son at Camp Pendleton, I was in the right place at the right time to be able to see the lowering of the flag.

Castle on the Hill

There's a new castle on the hill across the way. Seems to have just popped up over night.

Crazy Cool Combo in Union Square

This afternoon, I came upon this crazy combo while I was walking in Union Square.

It was a "funk band"

(kind of)

Bagpipes & Drummer

Jamming away in front of the Andy Warhol statue

The ice cream truck in the background provided the audience with frozen treats.

Sundays in NYC