Summer Hodge Podge

Isn't this a fun scene? It's a "beach" added to the north side of South Street Seaport Pier 17 in Manhattan, called The Water Taxi Beach.

Some information from the web site:

"Water Taxi Beach South Street Seaport is 18,000 square feet of fun, food, sun, recreation and relaxation. Located along the water’s edge on the north side of Pier 17, this Beach offers the most spectacular views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River in the city. Stop by and catch some rays or build a castle in the sand
During the day you can go under the tent and grab a drink or play a game of ping pong, or play skeeball or 9-holes of miniature golf.
There is a Fish Shack for respectfully priced beach grub like our authentic Baja Fish Taco, award winning Motz burgers or grab bucket of popcorn and an international soda pop at our Pop! Pop! Pop! Shop featuring fresh popped popcorn, soda pops from around the world and pop rocks.
After dark, Water Taxi Beach is a playground for the 21+ crowd with live music, DJs, as well as cultural and electronic music events."

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While walking in Lower Manhattan along Water Street, yesterday, I passed quite a few large air conditioned trailers parked along the street.

I knew this meant one thing: a "on location" movie shoot was about to happen! There was a large gaggle of girls behind barricades waiting for a glimpse of the movie star.

I stopped and asked this young lady who she was waiting to see and she held up her bag and told me it was Robert Pattison, the star from the film Twilight, who was now there to shoot scenes for a new movie titled "Remember Me."

According to this article in the Daily News gossip column Mr. Pattisson unfortunately is not enjoying all the attention he's been getting from his adoring fans. I guess fame does take its toll on personal freedom.
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Now, on to a fun meme passed on to me by Jenny, from the blog Supplies Overflowing, who asked me to list seven not-so-obvious things that I love.

Sorry it has taken me so long to reply Jenny, summer events have been keeping me very busy! Here, in no particular order, are 7 non obvious things I love, among many, many things that I enjoy:

1) Seafood -- it's my favorite thing to order at a restaurant.

2) George Washington -- our first President just fascinates me. He is one historical figure I would have loved to meet.

3) Red wine Sangria -- my favorite summer coctail

4) Growing fresh vegetables in summer! I'm limited in space and lack of soil in my city backyard but my potted tomatoes and peppers still do very well.

5) Summer flowers -- I grow lots of flower pots full of flowers as they make me happy.

6) My Crocs -- I bought my first pair this summer and I have really been really enjoying them as I work in my garden or hang around my house. So comfy!

7) My bird feeder. I buy giant bags of bird seed and re-fill this feeder every day as I get hundreds of visitors. The birds antics are so entertaining that my cat and I could watch them for hours!

Thanks Jenny! This was a fun meme!

Would anyone else like to join in doing this "seven non obvious things you love" meme? Please let me know if you do, as it's always fun to learn new things about each other.

I was happy to receive this package all the way from Norway this week! I was a winner in Tracy of the Pink Purl blog's Summer Stash-tacular Giveaway!

I won the # 4 selection of the give away --the " Merry Mix of Trims," which is a bag full of trims--ribbons, laces and rickrack in a great variety of colors and different lengths. Thanks so much Tracy! I have lots of ideas on how to use these pretty trims, for scrapbook pages and hand crafted cards. I also enjoyed the delicious chocolate you enclosed in the package.

Please visit Tracy's blog and enjoy her wonderful photographs, as she engages us in the special things going on in her life and shows us beautiful scenes from Norway, tempts us with her delicious vegetarian recipes, and delights us with her superb handcrafted and artistic jewelry, scarves, shawls and knitted crafts which she sells in her Etsy and Artfire stores.

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I hope everyone is having an enjoyable Summer!

Lounging On the Crossroads of the World

Times Square, located in Manhattan, New York, has also been nicknamed "The Crossroads of the World" because of all the people who visit this area of the city. It is usually a hustling and bustling parade of people on the sidewalks and traffic in the streets. So why were so many people sitting in folding chairs and lounging in chaise chairs in Times Square this weekend?

It is due to a NYC pilot program, called Green Light for Midtown, which is meant to simplify traffic and improve travel times through one of Manhattan's most congested areas. In Times Square the stretch of Broadway between 42nd and 47th Streets has been closed to cars since May 24, 2009. The city believes the move will reduce pollution, cut down on pedestrian accidents and actually increase the flow of traffic. The city provides an assortment of lounge chairs to sit in, all you have to do is find an empty one!

An interesting article about the pros and cons of this plan can be read in this New York Times newspaper article.

A row of orange barriers frames the new pedestrian plaza’s northern edge, where police officers patiently redirect traffic heading down Broadway.

On 7th Ave North /South vehicular traffic through Times Square was not impacted, and there is still the constant flow of cars, buses, cabs and pedi cabs on that street. Also, all cross-town streets remain open.

As night descends in Time Square and the bright lights of Broadway illuminate the area there are still large crowds enjoying the ambiance of sitting in the middle of one of the busiest places on earth. 356,000 people walk through Times Square each day on overflowing sidewalks, and the new malls allow more room for people to gather and enjoy the city.

New York is truly the city that never sleeps!

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has said the plazas are a work in progress — he will decide in December whether to transform them into something more permanent.

You can watch a short YouTube video here about the new pedestrian malls and see it in action.

Now wouldn't you love a chance to lounge in Times Square this summer? I know I will!

For the first time I am linking this post to Susan of "A Southern Daydreamer" blog's Outdoor Wednesday group! Thank you Susan for hosting this wonderful event. Please visit Susan's blog today to view more links to other blogs participating in Outdoor Wednesday.

Billy Elliot on Broadway, NYC!

One of the bonuses of living in New York City is access to an abundance of live theater, most of which is located near Broadway and the Times Square area. The collage above shows just a few of the marques for productions that are presently in production.

My husband and I met with a few friends this weekend to attend a Saturday matinee of the musical Billy Elliot being presented at the Imperial Theater at 249 West 45 Street in Manhattan.

I took some quick shots of the inside the theater. Part of the charm of seeing a play in NYC is that most of the theaters are old, decorated with lavish style, and are intimate in size, so that hardly any seat is without a good view of the stage.

The Imperial was designed by Herbert Krapp in his trademark Adam-style. The recessed ceiling and ornamental panels that grace the walls are elaborately decorated with a number of motifs, including florals and geometrics.

There are elegant ornamental crystal chandeliers hanging throughout the auditorium.

Billy Elliot recently won 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Choreography, and Best Actor, and the theater has been a sell out for the show ever since!

There are presently four young boys who play the demanding title role of Billy, and we saw the newest addition, Tommy Batchelor. He was magnificent! He really looked like an 11 year old boy, as the character Billy is supposed to be in the story, and his singing, acting, and most importantly his dancing, was incredible!

Some information about the musical from the Imperial Theater's web site:

"Based on the enormously popular film, Billy Elliot is a powerful new musical about a boy who discovers he has a special talent for dance, while the boys all around him are more interested in boxing. This funny and heart-warming celebration of a young boy's dream features astonishing dancing and singing by a cast of over 50 performers! An unprecedented smash in the West End, where it has won 9 Best Musical awards, broken UK box office records and continues to sell out nightly, Billy Elliot has been created by the film's director (Stephen Daldry), writer (Lee Hall) and choreographer (Peter Darling), who are joined by music legend Elton John, one of the most celebrated pop songwriters of the last 30 years"

It truly was an inspirational story! Billy Elliot will make you laugh, and cry, and you'll be amazed by the talent of the young performer in the title role.

I highly recommend seeing the show if you get a chance, it was one of the best on Broadway that I've seen in recent years!

I am joining Mary of the blog Little Red House Mosaic Monday for the first time today! Thank you Mary!

A Kitchen Prayer

A decorative stove in Betty Bakery

--Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY

"A Kitchen Prayer"

O Lord of pots and pans and things,

Since I have no time to be
a great saint by doing lovely things,
or watching late with Thee,
or dreaming in the dawnlight,

or storming Heaven's gates,

Make me a saint by getting meals,
and washing up the plates.
Warm all the kitchen with Thy Love,
and light it with Thy peace;

Forgive me all my worrying,

and make my grumbling cease.
Thou who didst love to give men food
in room, or by the sea,
Accept the service that I do-

I do it unto Thee.

~ St. Teresa of Avila

Five Years of Joy!

It is five years ago today that my son and daughter-in-law were married in Washington DC!

It was such a beautiful and happy day, followed by so many others......

Happy Fifth Wedding Anniversary V&V!

We love you!