Picnic Area

I've lived on the same street for over 45 years and I pass this post several times a day without any notice but as I was walking past it the other day, I remembered how when I was younger my mom would pack me a "picnic" lunch and I was allowed to walk to this post, down the street but still in sight of our house, along with my next door neighbor friend and we would sit there and picnic and enjoy the view and think we were so independent and cool.

O'Keefe & Merritt

"O'Keefe & Merritt"

We've lived in this house for more than 26 years. About a month ago I noticed this sign in my kitchen under the stove top. It was like I had never, ever seen it before.

"O'Keefe & Merritt"

Had I really never seen it before? That made no sense, but it sure felt that way. I wasn't even sure what it was for, what it was doing there. Then I remembered the stove top that we replaced long ago.

Rusted

I noticed this car while I was out walking today.

I think there are more rust-covered areas

than non-rust-covered areas

And I love it.

It's still out there on the road.

Right on.

Clementines are sunshine

Clementines in my kitchen

Look like

Taste like

Sunshine

(sunshine with little seeds)

One Man's Treasure . . .

On my daily walks in my neighborhood, I often end up on little-used dirt roads that weave around the hillsides. Lovely places to let my dog off the leash and enjoy the view. Even though the roads are rarely (if ever) used for through traffic, they are used as dumping grounds. It should disgust me. But it doesn't. It's a treasure trove, it's magical. Today, I brought home these three glass blocks. Tomorrow I will return to the pile to see what else I can carry home.

Choices

Whenever I visit the local nail salon, I am always greeted with a smile and their unique "you pick color" hello. Although I usually know what color I am going to use, I still like touching and shaking and sampling the rainbow array of colors available to me.

"Brotherly" Love

Sometimes we can choose who to call family.

Vintage radio

We have a vintage radio.

I'm guessing it comes from the 1930s.

We've had for so long that I really don't see it anymore.

But late one night,

I swear I heard music coming from it.

Radio waves that had been searching for a destination for so long...

Sometimes It's Better to be Silly

I should be doing my homework for my life drawing class. I should be concentrating, learning the skeleton, analyzing the human form. But sometimes it's better to be silly.

Best of Times

My family and I host an annual beach party and years ago I began collecting shells and storing them in an old glass pickle jar that I refer to as my "Best of Times". I keep it in view so that I can be transported back through my memories and remember children long grown up, bonfires long burned out and laughter floating out across the sea.

Free Books

Wanna know 2 words that will always make me stop in my tracks?

FREE BOOKS

True story.

Please Don't Paint Over the Graffiti

Some graffiti should be allowed to stay

Hearts Afloat

A piece of my heart is traveling to faraway lands aboard this ship.

Post office's cornerstone

After walking out of the post office this afternoon,

I noticed that the cornerstone bore this inscription.

I was shocked to learn that my grandmother is older than the building.

She is in MUCH better shape.

One Day I Was Walking Along

You can be walking along, thinking nothing in particular, just one foot in front of the other, and suddendly, BAM! Something so simple, so ordinary, takes you back, completely and entirely, to an instant long ago.

Video art installation

I was coming out of a hula class

And I passed this video art installation.

Ghostly. Otherworldly.

Totally awesome.

Sometimes I love living in NYC.

Resilient

Year after year, in spite of numerous attempts of destruction, these resilient poinsettias not only return but flourish. I look forward to their annual display and smile in remembrance of the sweet grandmotherly neighbor who planted them over 30 years ago. Many different residents have come and gone but these poinsettias always seem to return as if saying "I'm still here". For me, they are a tribute in honor of our dear sweet "Winnie".

Cabbage on the Car Hood

I haven't got a clue, have you?

Walking down my street today, I passed this and thought, "Cabbage on the car hood. Right." And walked on by.

Then my brain caught up to my eyes - "What? Did you say, 'Cabbage on the car hood?!' "

I had to turn around and walk back to check. Yep. Cabbage spread out carefully on the car hood. And the weirdest thing is that I wonder if I would have even seen it, if not for this blog commitment of stopping and noticing.

Swinger

Found this tree swing to be very tempting......

Urban Wildlife - Black Squirrel

Here in Inwood (a.k.a "Upstate Manhattan"),

we have lots of black squirrels.

This one has obviously been eating well all winter.

Cool.