- My niece and her husband used to live at the corner of E. 43rd Street and 2nd Avenue in New York, a lovely area also known as Turtle Bay. The first thing my sister showed me on the night I arrived by cab was that the Chrysler Building (pictured above) was reflected in the glass of their dining table. My sister and I loved our visit. 
- She is sorting out two languages (English and Turkish) in her head, so this busy 16-month-old just says a few words right now, most notably "hi" and picking up the pronunciation of "hey" in two syllables from her southern aunt. Here in Central Park, in New York City, she shows us just how a stroller should be pushed. And later, from said stroller, she looks up at the photo below and calls out, "Woof woof!"
From the Elliott Erwitt exhibition at the International Center of Photography, New York City.
- Early one morning at my sister's mountain cottage, in Hayesville, North Carolina, I assemble breakfast at the kitchen counter and look up to see a deer watching me with interest outside this window. We make eye contact and neither of us move. The deer's head turns to look at something in the river and I edge to the left to pick up my camera. A second deer, much smaller, stands behind, catches my movement and in the blink of an eye, they vanish. 
- And in Thomasville, Georgia last weekend, as I set up the folding table and Pollyanna board game, my mother exclaims, "I'm so glad you girls like to play games!" We are always happy to play with her and to always be thought of as her "girls."
- It's Random Photo Thursday and we have three of them today - all taken on Saturday, May 21, 2011. (Click to enlarge.) This one was a bride on a photo shoot in Central Park.
- And there's the groom at the bottom of the steps. I love the boats in the water.
- Later that day, a man rather precariously washes windows.
- Kneeling, bowing.
- Silver sculpture on a bench.
- All silver sculptures...
- One of these bronze sculptures had a bit of a walkabout. See below. :)
- It looks for all the world like that sculpture came to life and just walked up to these men to listen in on the conversation. And they were so deep in conversation that they didn't notice they were being photographed (or apparently listened to!)
- Saturday in Central Park. Lots of (attempts at) sunning and street hockey that day.- Not to mention music!
- And festively adorned horses...
- The United Nations addition building in progress (partially hidden) with no flags flying today in front since the UN was not in session. My niece's husband works within the UN and tells me that the flags are hung in alphabetical order when flying. The Turkish flag is hung right next to the United States flag.
- Out walking on Sunday. A book I read as a Young Adult (a while back, that) talked about the lions in front of the New York Public Library. A proud one there.
- Beautiful Bryant Park where they used to hold Fashion Week events (now held at Lincoln Center.)
- A bit of media frenzy - not a good thing, but still an interesting part of our walk. We heard on the news that there was a collective cheer at 6pm in Times Square when there was no Rapture. :)
- Guess who used to live on this street???
- I can just imagine her on the steps of one of these brownstones, saying "The calla lilies are in bloom again..." I loved that film of hers, "Stage Door." :)- So having been to the top of a building where captains of industry continue to do business, sister and I wandered into Times Square to have lunch and buy theater tickets. John's Pizza: oh yum. And the line for tickets - well, we stood in the rain, but it was all good. The young lady behind us was a citizen of France and the United States, but currently lives in Switzerland. So interesting. And we got our second choice of tickets to the Broadway show "Rain." Oh the irony. 
- A blogger and her sister are displayed onscreen in this live shot of people in Times Square. 
- This band was playing some jazz tune nearby - fun even in the rain. Later, we wandered off to our Broadway show "Rain" - featuring The Beatles. Lovely. 
- On Friday, we gamely slogged through some rain to go to the top of the Empire State Building. I've always had a thing for this building, beginning with a favorite film, "An Affair to Remember." I thought about Deborah Kerr running across the street toward it, "looking up", as I carefully watched traffic signals. According to David Letterman: "Traffic signals in New York are just rough guidelines." It would seem so!
- The Statue of Liberty beckoning in the harbor. There was no wait to get up to the top (maybe because of the rain) - although that took awhile. A guard wanted to know where I am from - I guess my accent gave me away. :) Standing there - I thought of another favorite film, "Sleepless in Seattle" and the young actor who played Tom Hank's little boy looking through the viewfinder.
- The Brooklyn Bridge is up to the left. Something I read in the map I purchased seems to be true: "We are told that Manhattan is an island, but we experience it as a jungle. One can be here for weeks and never get near the water. Manhattan, you see, was built looking inward, with its back to the water."
- The flight was delayed and so I was around 10pm getting into Manhattan on an unfamiliar shuttle. So having been dropped off in a spot in which I couldn't get my bearings, I asked for help. A very nice lady pointed me in the direction of East 43rd and 2nd Avenue. This familiar landmark was like a beacon lighting the way.
- The view from inside the apartment, where sister, niece and niece's very nice husband waited with dinner. 
- The view from the other side of the apartment of Tudor City. I love that rooftop garden you can see there and have never seen anyone in it. It was lovely to sleep in a little on Friday morning and play with a very charming 16-month-old little girl who was sleeping when I got in the night before.
- And I discovered the song after taking this photo in Greenwich Village last December. 
- It's Random Photo Thursday. (I just made that up. Ha!) I took this photo on a Saturday morning in December of the Queensboro Bridge in New York City from the Mobil Station. I like that it has its own song "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" by Simon and Garfunkel. I've spotted it on TV and movies since then.
- These huge Christmas ornaments on the fountain of a plaza at an office building in midtown Manhattan, taken two weeks ago today. I like holiday decorations and NYC was full of the spirit. 
Bob Marley "Three Little Birds"
In memory of Ella - May her rebellious spirit live on
The lake in Central Park West, near Strawberry Fields
- Walking down the street in New York with my sister, looking for the bus, and happening upon Radio City Music Hall. A passing man looks amused when he overhears me say I have no wish to see The Rockettes. :)
- The view from my niece's dining room window. The first night I was there, my sister pointed out the reflection of the lights at the top of the Chrysler building in the glass on the table. The drive into Manhattan from the airport was a magic moment, too. The view of the lights of Manhattan from the Triboro bridge was gorgeous.
- Rockefeller Center and its giant Christmas tree, stumbled upon while we took the long way to Macys. 
- A Saturday morning excursion to see the part of Central Park known as Strawberry Fields. My New York family goes to the park all the time, but had never been to this section of it. This was my first trip there and I really loved it. More tomorrow. :)
