You're welcome!! Happy Weekend, Everyone!!

Joining Carole and friends again this week for Three on Thursday...

True to the forecast, yesterday was the first really nice day we've had this spring! And that was really great because I'd made plans to pick up the big kids...

1 - We had a date at the park!

They're holding hands on the double slide. 

We met Kate at Noodles for lunch, and then went over to Petco -- we'd have gone to the humane society had they been open. Kate's been jonesing for a dog or cat...

2 - Adventuring!

Not quite finished with the outdoors-y stuff, we grabbed scooters and hiked through the ravine to the creek-side path near our house... and then hiked back up after Gin's diaper leaked and her pants were wet. And then we did it again (sans scooters the second time)!

We hiked down to the first bridge... and threw stones into the creek. (Naughty!)

Then we scrambled down and walked alongside for a while. No one fell in, but they did dip their hands in... and informed me that it was COLD!!

This was Maddy's favorite place to play when she was a kid. 

3 - Snowdrops!

I've never seen them at this stage. I don't usually notice them until they're already in full-bloom, carpeting the ravine!

Malina Rosalee
b. March 25, 2018, 7:15 am at home
7 lbs. 6 oz., 20"

Ali sent me a text at 2:46 am to tell me that her water broke and contractions had begun.

At 4:25, she let me know that things were progressing and she'd soon be calling the midwives. Would I be on call to come snuggle/take the kiddos?

(Of course!!)

At 5:35, things were moving along and would I want to come and quilt or something?

The kids awoke to a new baby sister! Junah was so excited and Gin... a little confused/jealous, but also so incredibly sweet.

I cut the cord! 

Kate came over and then at around 11:00, she took Junah grocery shopping with her and I took Gin home with me -- giving Mama, Papa, and bébé (not yet named) some time to rest.

Kate dropped Jün off, along with some flowers and balloons and treats! The kids & I had lunch, watched some Thomas, played with blocks and Lincoln Logs and puzzles and did dishes. It was chilly but sunny, so we went outside anyway, and found some tulips emerging!

I delivered the "big kids" back home around 5:00 and cuddled with my new granddaughter for an hour. (All of a sudden, Junah is ENORMOUS!)

It was a pretty good day!

The view from the 86th floor was spectacular!

We walked a couple of miles from our hotel to The Empire State Building on Saturday morning. They let you off on the 80th floor to see exhibits, take in the view, and queue up again for the elevator. There was about a :20 wait in that line, so we climbed the stairs for the last six floors (which was actually more like eight)!

And we strolled over to the Chrysler Building, only to find the lobby closed that day (BOO!).

On Sunday, we walked back up to Times Square where the Spring/Break show was located, through Washington Square Park, Union Square, past the Flatiron Building... so thankful for relatively nice weather!

I definitely earned those oysters and, especially, the beer that went with them! Yummy.

Food wasn't a huge focus of this trip, but girls gotta eat! We enjoyed a late lunch on Friday at The Cupping Room; a delicious cheese plate on Friday and breakfast on Sunday at our hotel; lunch at Heartland Brewery; a little snack & beverage at Kenn's Broome Street Bar; oysters at The John Dory Oyster Bar; Tribeca Bagels; and one very fine splurge at The Mercer Kitchen.

We never made it to the Whitney, Tenement (suggested by Carole) or MoMA museums, nor to the High Line or Central Park. We'd talked about going to Club Cumming (Alan Cumming's club!) for Sunday night Drink & Draw, but didn't make it. We were pooped by the end of the day -- everyday!!

The thing about NYC is that you'll NEVER do it all, and there will ALWAYS be something (many things*) for the next time!! And I love that. I can't wait to go back.

*Knit Night on Tuesdays at Club Cumming, for one!!!

This caught my eye, of course.

 And then I got closer and started to laugh!

Bureaucratinc Paintings (Red), from the series "Bureaucratinc Abstractions 2017,"
Marcius Galan, set of 12, acrylic paint on paper

They're all receipts from the dry cleaner, a book store, etc. I didn't have to deal with any bureaucratic stuff in Brazil, but I was witness to some of what Ann & Brian went through, and I quickly learned to always have a Plan B... crazy stuff, crazy life and this is perfect commentary!

I wish I could tell you whose painting this is (gah!).
Does anyone else see a squishy knit blanket?

In replying to comments yesterday from Kym & Carole, I remarked that it really is interesting to walk around an art show (or four) just to see WHAT people are using and HOW. The color, texture, and SCALE of things... even if you don't "get" the art, something is bound to resonate at some point!

I married an artist and I gave birth to & raised three very artistic women, so I've been around art for a long time... I'm "creative" but not particularly knowledgeable about "art," so I've found different ways to let it speak to me.

And with that, we had a lovely few hours at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Saturday!

There was a secret thrill in getting into a cab and saying, "To The Met!"

Here are a few things that caught my eye.

Fighting Cows by Franz Marc, oil on canvas

Wisconsin Landscape by John Steuart Curry, oil on canvas

He captured so wonderfully that beautiful light through broody clouds on checkerboard fields.

The Café Terrace by Diego Rivera, oil on canvas

Concord, Barnett Newman, oil and masking tape on canvas

No. 21, Mark Rothko, oil and acrylic with powdered pigments on canvas

Flying Dutchman, Man Ray, oil on board

Clothesline, Fairfield Porter, oil on canvas

Mäda Primavesi, Gustav Klimt, oil on canvas

This was simply glorious; that straightforward gaze, those beautiful colors - bold & soft at the same time!

In addition to the textiles at The Armory Show, Volta NY, NADA New York Show, and Spring/Break, I was also struck by textures!

(And blue!) Unfortunately, I neglected to record the details of this piece (The Armory Show).

This amazing work is "cut out paper" from the series "Arquitexturas de sendas futuras y recorridas (A/T/02)," by Argentinian artist Gustavo Díaz.
The piece stands almost 3.5 inches tall, and approx. 31 x 17.

Such a Master, Zhu Jinshi, oil on canvas -- and we sure could smell it!

Unfortunately, once again, I neglected to record the details (Spring/Break).

A Study of Identity, Ryoichi Nakamura, oil & photo emulsion on aluminum.

These aren't really "textural," but sharing here anyway.

I love how these works by four different artists were displayed.

The Flower Lover, Aubrey Levinthal, oil on panel.

I have two more NYC posts in mind...

I'm distracted by taxes and, even more, thoughts & everything BABY (no news yet!)!!

Today is the 1st Day of Spring (yay!).

“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” ―Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

And the 1st Day of Spring means it's my blogiversary! I am marking 14 years of blogging!

Fourteen : a number that is one more than 13. --Merriam-Webster

I can barely wrap my head around that! Fourteen years -- so many things, good and bad, happy and sad.

Fourteen : A code word to alert someone that something embarrassing is hanging from his/her nose or mouth. --Urban Dictionary

Thanks.

Thank you for reading, even when it might be drivel (fourteen!), and for coming back and sometimes commenting and sharing your thoughts and ideas and experiences and advice.

The weekend began late Friday afternoon with an overdue & much-needed massage and ended on Sunday evening with a mopping of the bathroom floor after the toilet tank spontaneously cracked! Apparently, it happened just moments before we took a break from watching the conclusion of Borderliner, when Rusty went in and I heard him start to swear (very unusual behavior!). I couldn't believe how much water & how quick, but thankfully we were on it right away. A new tank was ordered this morning; we'll be flushing with a bucket for the next week!

This is when a second bath, even half-, would sure come in handy!

In between, I did a little work on taxes, cleaned up my work table a little, did some sewing, celebrated 13 years QUIT, had breakfast out with my girls yesterday, and enjoyed the sunshine & warmer weather. It's about 20 degrees cooler today than yesterday, but I spy another weekend warm up. Let's hope!

I've had a little elbow/forearm pain/strain, which seemed to worsen a bit after a couple of hours of nonstop knitting on Thursday evening, so I gave knitting another weekend off.

I sent Ali home yesterday with some leftover fabric from my bathroom curtains and next thing I know she's posting an adorable little pinafore. She even sent me a Snapchat with Ginny modeling... SO CUTE!!

In case you missed it, the main reason for the spontaneous trip to NYC was Art Fairs -- The Armory Show, Volta NY, NADA New York Show, and Spring/Break.

Kate's been sharing her favorites at (the newly redesigned/spiffy) yngspc, if you're interested in what caught her eye.

I was visiting these shows with a much less critical artistic viewpoint/aesthetic, and with no real expectation except that it would be all contemporary work and some of it edgy. I immediately honed in on the textile-related pieces and, for some reason, was surprised at their number.

Chromatic affinities X, José Patrício, 2013,
buttons on canvas on wood

Igshaan Adams

State of Being (Children's dress), Chiharu Shiota,
metal frame, children's dress, thread

And then I was dumbfounded...

Ode a L'Oubli, Louise Bourgeois,
deluxe fabric book; 35 detachable compositions with collage, embroidery, applique and lithography

Matter, Sanford Biggers,
antique quilts, oil stick, spray paint, fabrics, acrylic, tar, glitter, and silkscreen

also Sanford Biggers (I didn't get the titles)

Quilt Painting, Giordanne Salley,
oil and paper on canvas

I neglected to get any information at all about this piece (NADA Show)

or this one (Spring/Break)

I believe there was an "antique quilt" at all four shows -- and I was surprised! Oh, that fabric book tho...

Stay tuned, I have more to share!

_ _ _ _ _

This weekend, I'm looking forward to some sunshine and a thermometer reading 50°F at some point. Also, I'm beginning to feel on pins & needles about the baby! What's ahead for your weekend?

Well, that was a crazy-fun trip. Kate & I drove to Chicago in the wee hours of the morning to catch our 9 a.m. flight. It's about a 3.5-hour drive and we like to be early, so you can do the calculations (yep, it was very early). The great thing, though, was that it was an early non-stop flight (also a great fare) so we had time to actually do stuff when we arrived! We also bought advance tickets for almost everything, and that really helped to maximize "doing" time. The Soho Grand Hotel was fantastic (thank you, hotwire!), but not really in the best area for all the shows; we got around by taxi on Friday afternoon & Saturday morning, then on foot after that. We lucked out in the weather department, and it felt great to be outside!

On Friday afternoon, we hit The Armory Show and Volta NY -- they were in very close proximity, so that worked out great!

On Saturday, we visited the Empire State Building and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the NADA New York Show.

On Sunday, Spring/Break and Purl Soho.

Window shopping near our hotel... the CUTEST, but $150 for a pair of kiddo jeans. Um, nope.

On Monday, Tribeca Bagels and return flight!

We never made it, as hoped, to the High Line, Central Park (proper), the Whitney Museum of American Art or MoMA -- we were in visiting distance of each, though. There's only so much time (and energy) in a day!!

Trust me, there are tiny green buds on those trees!

There may have been 8" of snow a couple of days before we arrived, but spring is springing in NYC! I'll be back with more now that I've sort of figured out how...

Meanwhile, I found this #throwbackthursday playlist on Spotify this morning and had to share:

SISTERS ARE SINGIN' IT!

Joining Carole and friends again this week for Three on Thursday...

#1, #2, #3, etc. -- If it's fun once...

The kids were over for a while last night -- I had to get my fix before taking off for a long weekend away -- and we had a blast!

• Redecorating the "holiday" tree
• Eating supper (and ice cream) (the kids quickly discovered that they could open the "freezer on the bottom" and all the treasures within, so ice cream has been a regular feature of visits lately)

• Playing with dolls & trucks & motorcycles & Lincoln Logs
• Reading books
• Coloring

• Painting "pet rocks" and Easter ornaments

• Mugging it up & taking selfies
• Jumping off the footstool
• Playing hide & seek

So, hide & seek is new, and Junah is crazy excited about playing that game. He can barely contain himself when he hides so, of course, it's pretty easy to find him. He doesn't realize yet that he doesn't really want to be found... all the excitement right now is about being found!

Jün hid; I found him (under a chair).

Jün hid; I found him (behind a chair).

Gin & I hid; she also made little noises, which made it easy for Junah to find us... in the coat closet by the back door... which delighted him no end! It was so cool, you'd have thought that I'd invented ice cream.

So then Jün & Gin hid... in the coat closet... and I found them!

Again and again and again and again and again!!

He wasn't any less excited that I found him there for the sixth time than he was the first. So freakin' fun.

Then Rusty got involved and I had the brilliant idea to hide the kids in the tub, and of course they thought that was also very cool. And then Gin started playing around with the faucets and they were both cool and WET!! OMG, it was hilarious! Gin was only a little bit damp, actually, but they need little excuse to strip down for a little nakey time.

This grandma thing is THE BOMB! It just gets more and more fun all the time. Counting the days (16) 'til #3 is due!

1 -- Saturday morning, a text from Kate:

2 -- There is almost nothing I love more than a spontaneous trip -- near or far! It doesn't always work out that I can be this spontaneous, with less than a week to departure -- previous commitments, getting time off at work, prohibitive cost are the usual culprits -- but this time, it worked out wonderfully! Yahoo!!

3 -- NYC?? I've flown in/thru/out once or twice in recent years, but it's been almost 10 years since I actually set foot on a New York City street. I'm so excited! I think I was a New Yorker in a previous life... or I'm gathering steam and will be in another.

3 -- Saturday evening: airfare confirmation (at a great price)!

4 -- Sunday afternoon: hotel booked.

5 -- Monday: Tripit itinerary filled in.

6 -- The Armory Show, Volta NY, Spring/Break, and the Whitney Museum of American Art are on the short list.

7 -- The High Line, Central Park, and MoMA are on the longer list.

8 -- Also a visit to Purl Soho (on my list, anyway), and within walking distance from our hotel! And bagels.

9 -- We're going to hit the ground running on Friday afternoon and GO-GO-GO until, exhausted, we board the plane for home on Monday afternoon.

10 -- NYC, here we come!! (All suggestions are welcome!)

Anticipating... A new grandbaby arriving on the scene in something like 23 days!! Will Gin & Jün welcome a new little sister or brother? Ali says that she has no clue...

Celebrating... MARCH! February, like January, flew right by (not usually the case with February)! That fun little interlude with my sis in Nashville in the middle of the month certainly helped.

Enjoying... noticeably longer days! Spring is still a ways off, but we're also enjoying some warm-ish days here & there.

Itching... for garden fresh veggies! I just signed up for a CSA share for the first time in a few years, and planting started last weekend!! This farm is new to me, though I did attend a dinner there a few years ago. It's the extras/options that swayed me... we're able to say NO, from the get-go, if there are things we really don't want to find in our box. Ever. We'll have the ability to swap things out and/or add items, based on availability. And there's a mushroom option! We'll get a 'shroom share every other week.

Knitting... I'm still working on my Parallelogram Scarf! It's slow going, but it's going! It's Knit Night tonight, so progress will be made...

Swatching... I swatched for the Lunar Phase MKAL, swapping the original blue-green for a lighter one that gives a little more contrast.

I think "orange" will still be the pop color, but tested a dark red and pale gray, too. There are a bunch more photos on my project page.

Needing... to buckle down and Do.The.Taxes. I finished & filed Maddy's the other day, had a meeting with Ali's tax prep person last night & have a "homework" list, and need to keep the ball rolling so I'm not complaining about this for too long!

Speaking of Maddy, she messaged me yesterday to say that she "got the Oregon winery job!!" When she returns from NZ, she'll be working the summer at camp and, hopefully, supplementing with a bit of waitressing, then heading out west! What's that about a rolling stone...?

Planning... Easter dinner already! Well, just beginning to think about that (realizing that it'll have to be made)... mostly, I'm figuring out logistics for the watching/recording/re-watching of Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert! I cannot WAIT!

Reading... (pages) Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Listening... to Sing, Unburied, Sing.

Sewing... not quite #dailystitching, but stitching nonetheless! Crafting time is pretty limited on any given day, and tends to be knitting or sewing; rarely both, though it sometimes happens.

I can't even imagine how much little crafting time I'd have if I actually did housework...

Watching... Day 2 of the Best Picture Festival is on Saturday!! On deck:

• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• Darkest Hour
• Dunkirk
• The Shape of Water

I've already seen Billboards and loved it, especially Frances McDormand (always a fan) and Sam Rockwell, and it's the first time I actually liked Woody Harrelson in a movie. I'm looking forward to Darkest Hour and re-watching Dunkirk right after; historical context and all that. I've been iffy about The Shape of Water, but I've heard that it's pretty good.  :)

Admiring... Kate's brand new, just launched today, redesigned and gorgeous yngspc.com website!! She worked with Vickie Vainionpaa @ Brave New Creative in Montreal on everything from logo & rebranding to web design & development -- quite the process !

Wondering... what's up in your world this March 1st??