have a wonderful weekend.

***

***

I have a going away slash birthday party for a good friend of mine

on Sat.  Yes moving forward and I'm the one standing still...

OK not so much but I had to add myself in a violin moment. 

But I'm looking forward to pies, smores, steak and
being around good people.

There was a motivation behind my 6am spin class today.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

***

"Someone Like You"

I heard
That you're settled down
That you
Found a girl
And you're
Married now

I heard
That your dreams came true.
Guess she gave you things
I didn't give to you

Old friend
Why are you so shy?
Ain't like you to hold back
Or hide from the light

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me it isn't over.

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
Don't forget me, I begged
I remember, you said
Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead.
Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead,
Yeah.

You know how the time flies
Only yesterday
It was the time of our lives
We were born and raised
In a summer haze
Bound by the surprise
Of our glory days

Nothing compares
No worries or cares
Regrets and mistakes
They are memories made.
Who would have known
How bittersweet this would taste?

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you
Don't forget me, I begged
I remember, you said
Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead

Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead.

Adele

( Here is a youtube Video of Adele's Song and a
little talk in her apartment. )
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAc83CF8Ejk&ob=av2e

Purity of Expression;

***

    The purity of Expression does not include a tweet, text, phone call or an e-mail (which are all great for quick exchanges on the most pertinent pieces of information).  What I'm speaking of is the pure simplicity of writing a letter.  The writing and reception of letters will always offer an experience that modern technology cannot touch.  But when it comes to sharing one’s true thoughts, ardent love, sincere sympathies, and deepest gratitude, words traveling along an invisible superhighway will NEVER suffice. Why? Because there is no real effort involved here.  When you send a true hand written letter, in your correspondence write with consistent ease and naturalness of expression. Especially in the long letters of friendship and love,the language should show that the heart is pure. Let your letter be a record of the mood of the hour; the reflex of your aspirations, your joys, your disappointments; your faithful and moral worth.   Your letter should be a representative of yourself, not of anybody else. The world is full of imitators, be original and sincere.
You keep a letter for always.  It's not a greeting card that has a one line expression on the inside saying why you might be sending it, receiving a hand written letter is almost as good as showing up in person.  My Grandmother Peggy has always written me beautiful letters and notes my whole life.  I still have every letter ever written from her.  The memories are precious when I smell the old envelope and read her writing. It's hard to find people who will take that effort now.  To write their true feelings on a piece of stationary which equals time and thought and yes snail mail once again.  

"You little dream how much that letter may influence your future.

 How much it may give of hope and happiness to the one receiving it.

How much it may be examined, thought of,

laughed over and commented on;

and when you suppose it has long since been destroyed,

it may be brought forth, placed in type,

and published broadcast to millions of readers."

***

BBQ

Manny and Steffy Gutierrez invited me to a fun BBQ last Sat with their family. 

It was HOT HOT HOT outside. 

But great food and great people equals a very good time.

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These kids were hilarious...so serious about their poker

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awww they didnt want to

go home

***



I always talk out loud to horses, and yes they answer me.

***

Every once in a while I get into my horse zone and I have to watch every movie I own with a horse involved.  Seabiscuit being the most cherished of course.  I found in a horse once what Red pollard found in Seabiscuit. You become inseparable with them, you become one. 

Most satisfying feeling is walking into a barn and being draped with that musty horse smell; cleaning, mucking or bathing horses is instant gratification that cant help but make me happy. 

Its hard to go from spending 9 plus years constantly around these resilient and intuitive creatures to hardly ever riding any more. Horses keep you honest, they are a mirror of who you really are. They are so loyal and loving and will often comfort you when you didn't even know you needed it.  I miss them.

***

"You know, everyone thought we found

this broken down horse and fixed him up.

but the truth is he fixed us.

 and in a way, we fixed each other too."

***

Ireland near the cliffs

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Sometimes Time stands still...

standing in the courtyard at Trinity College Dublin

***

Yes, I will go.  

I would rather grieve 

over your absence 

than over you.  

~Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943, 

~translated from Spanish by W.S. Merwin

***

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Lovely Weekend.

***

History Museum

***

I woke up this morning, and while I was drinking my coffee I thought about how nice the past couple of days had been.  I was up really early on Sat, drove into the city and walked in the park for miles and miles.  Met up with a friend and ended up at the History Museum and wondered without any purpose through all the exhibits. I took a rest on the bench underneath the Big Blue Whale and really watched all the family's and couples wondering around visiting the museum and the city for the first time.  After the museum we walked right into this neighborhood street fair on West 118 where I purchased very unique buttons, so now i have to find the perfect vintage jacket to sew them onto.  Had a late dinner at the wonderful Tarry Lodge up in Port Chester, said hello to Sam the head Chef and chatted a little about the wonderful beets that I ordered...again.

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Mandy, Me, and Cousin Craig.

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Perfect Bloody Mary

***

Got myself up pretty late on Sunday, hit the gym then met up with some people for Frisbee Golf.  Not sure what i was thinking there, I had to really motivate myself.  I was horrible at Frisbee in college, so nothings changed.  Went to Greenwich CT where a cute festival was going on, ate a beet salad of course with a fabulous bloody Mary and watched the USA girls.  That game was a pity.  Hung out with Krissy and Danny for a bit topped off by Whiskey on the Rocks. Or I should say Rock. One HUGE ice-cube to be exact that I was fascinated by . 

***

Krissy and Me

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Danny's perfect Whiskey

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cooking classes

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***

I would love to take a little cooking class at the Miette Culinary studio. It's located in the heart of Greenwich Village in a 19th century townhouse, offers cooking classes for adults and children, as well as private culinary events and corporate teambuilding events.  The intimate, comfortable and charming French countryside setting at Miette makes for the perfect culinary events and classes. 

Along with a staff of professional chefs, classically-trained Belgian chef Paul Vandewoude, formerly of West Village restaurants Tartine and Titou, teaches professional techniques and shares his most popular recipes with the class in hands-on sessions. Students learn and prepare recipes, and dine together at the end of each class.

***

http://www.mietteculinarystudio.com/

109 MacDougal Street,

Suite 2, New York, NY 10012
Telephone  (212) 460-9322        

Fax (212) 460-9579

***

a thought.

***

“Pride gets no pleasure out of having something,

only out of having more of it than the next man...

It is the comparison that makes you proud

the pleasure of being above the rest.

Once the element of competition is gone,

pride is gone.”   

C.S.Lewis

***

Painting by Joe Poe

of Brevard NC

***