East Coast, This Go Round

The Atlantic, my old Friend...

I went, I saw, I conquered. I came back with a mean head cold, I am still processing conversations, hard fought get-togethers with precious friends, how many times I ate Japanese food, having some alone time to see some of my old haunts and an afternoon @ The Met, seeing my Goddaughter, Jennie, star in her first lead role on Broadway as Nettie in 'The Color Purple', (she was beautiful and perfect, see Jennie, if you can!), celebrating my Aunt's 95th birthday in Baltimore, and totally touched that she was totally touched when she saw me, I was a surprise...lots of happy tears shed.

Sunrise looking north from Chelsea and, below, the full moon over the City...so beautiful!

I stayed with my cousin in Chelsea. She is 88 1/2. Just to give you an idea of her energy, on Friday's, she has 4 exercise classes, in 4 different locations, all before one in the afternoon. I stayed with her from Saturday-Saturday, and every night we would hug, so pleased with ourselves that we still liked one another. It was very sweet. We did so well together. I decided that she lives in the center of the universe, because everything anyone could possibly need, juts out, like spokes on a wheel, from her building. But, that is what a neighborhood is. Definition: a district, especially one forming a community within a town or city; synonyms: district, area, locality, locale, quarter, community; part, region, zone; informal neck of the woods, hood, nabe, stomping ground, stamping ground. 

Lobby of the Met, fresh flowers, always...so beautiful!

Jennie, in 'The Color Purple', so beautiful!!!

When I went back East last summer, I decided that I simply had to go back at least one time a year. So, when the idea of going to Baltimore was presented to me, I knew it was the right time, and I worked backwards, as Baltimore was the last stop. This was such a different trip than last year. When I said 'hard fought' get-togethers, what I mean is, we are doing this, the arrangements might be last minute, and then change on a dime, there was allot of improvising, texting, and phone calls, but every 'Okay great', made the way for me to spend time over pizza, Japanese, Greek, Vegan, Spanish, and Japanese food again, with people who wanted to see me as much as I wanted to see them, and we all made it work. I loved that with my whole heart. Discussions ranged from getting older, more than once, to hearing about a friends surgery for a large brain aneurysm and the metal which is now in her head, to lovely fellowship and sharing of hearts, firming up old relationships and building on some new ones, and of course, as if no time had passed, (because what G_d does, He does well), with many.

So, this happened. It was a week ago Tuesday. I went to The Met to see the Jerusalem: 1000-1400, 'Every People Under Heaven' exhibit. I went up the grand stairs, made a left, looking down @ the American Wing, hung a right @ the statue, walked down another hall, and there it was. The exhibit. It was a little dark, as there are slides being projected on to the walls. I thought I heard my name, but, really, what are the odds? And then in the next moment, a clear voice calling, 'Auntie Amy!' I turned around and it was Mari Harney (older sister of my Goddaughter, Jennie), working @ the exhibit!! Hand over mouth, other hand in the air, leaning back a little, then ginormous hugs. This visit, this meeting was not scheduled by either of us, but clearly, well appointed. Imagine, in a little corner of a massive museum in a City of 8 million. Just too too good!!!

Pot for cooking lentils, brass, 11th century, Caeserea...so beautiful!

Spending a short 24 hours in Baltimore was full, it was joyous. I was with my Cousins and it was perfect. I felt my body telling me that it had had enough, as I began to get emotional about leaving, all guards were way down. I do not know what the future holds. I do know, that New York, the East Coast, will always be home, that I cannot be in 2 places at one time, that coming back to the quiet of Colorado along with all of its gifts is exactly where I am supposed to be, so, in that I rest and recoup from all the running around, eating, talking, loving on my Friends and Family, and receiving equal portions in return. I am so thankful, so grateful, so deeply appreciative. Until the next time New York; you can take the Girl out of the City, but no way can you ever take The City, out of the Girl...but you already knew that...

Betsy and Aunt Sue, and below Jennifer helping to blow out candles, joy overflowing, so beautiful!

Descending into Denver, Rockies in the background, so beautiful!!

'To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.'

                                                                                                 Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

Fishin' Jimmy

My book...Copyright 1889

'Fishin' Jimmy'

Annie Trumbull Slosson
1836-1926

We just found out that I was pregnant. It was late January. We were living in The Village and decided to go to the historic Rhinebeck, NY, to a B&B for the weekend. It was unusually warm that weekend, even though there were large chunks of ice floating down the Hudson. It was perfect weather for wandering around town and visiting the many quaint shops. We came upon bookstore full of not just old books, but antiques as well. Rummaging through this store, we found a small, very old, thin book, called, 'Fishin' Jimmy', by Annie Trumbull Slosson, written in 1889. It cost us no more than $2, from what I remember. We bought it only for the name of the book...seriously. When we moved to Colorado a couple of months ago, I found that unpacking had it's share of surprises. One of them was stumbling upon this 'little' book again. It is a short story, only 53 pages. I sat outside the other day and read it again, and I was reminded of what a treasure we found so many years earlier in Rhinebeck.

Here is a small portion of the book, from pages 8-9 (from my book). The narrator speaking of her sons: 'They are older now, and are no mean anglers, I believe; but they look back gratefully to those brook-side lessons, and acknowledge their obligations to Fishin' Jimmy. But it is not of these practical teachings I would now speak; rather of the lessons of simple faith, of unwearied patience, of self-denial and cheerful endurance which the old man himself seemed to have learned, strangely enough from the very sport so often called cruel and murderous. Incomprehensible as it may seem, to his simple intellect the fisherman's art was a whole system of morality, a guide for everyday life, an education, a gospel. It was all any poor mortal man, woman, or child needed in this world to make him or her happy, useful, good.'

I Googled the author, Annie Trumbull Slosson. She, it turns out, was considered a significant author in the 'regionalism' movement of the late 19th century. Slosson devoted much of her time to entomology later in life, especially after 1886. In 1892, she was one of the founding members of the New York Entomological Society (and its first female member), and it met for some time in her home in Gramercy Park in New York City. She died there in 1926.

If you click here or on the title of this post, you can read this wonderful book. The story of a simple fisherman and the lessons he learned and lived, all very clear to anyone blessed enough to cross his path!!

Noted angling story teller, Henry Van Dyke said this about Fishin' Jimmy:

The loveliest of all her simple narratives is that which I have chosen to stand near the end of this book,--a kind of benediction on anglers.

Artist Way Easter Egg

This Easter egg was done 2 years ago with my Artist Way gals. Last year, we made May baskets. I remember as a child, even though we didn't celebrate Easter, my cousins and I would dye eggs together in Garrison, New York , always outside, with such a beautiful landscape surrounding us. So, sitting and dying eggs in Rhode Island, as an adult brought back a flood of wonderful childhood memories.

A Happy Easter to all who celebrate!