Monday, March 29, 2010

City Views, Country Dreams

Good evening from New York on a night lit by a full moon.

Even if the weather has retreated into a moist chill, we are a few days deeper into our springtime. I thank many readers of my previous post for their comments. I went back to check my photos of those white flowers in Central Park to see if I had some closer view that would allow you dear readers to have a more even chance of identifying these charming blooms.
Here it is. Perhaps the foliage will assist?

Even with the rather grim weather, I so enjoyed having this day off. It was a day that did not require me to prepare for the next visit of the meticulous painter. He is having a week off to observe Easter with his children. Bravo to that.

I had the great pleasure of meeting up with a great friend, a fellow artist, to take a look at several exhibits at the Museum of Modern Art. The admission fee for this museum (not a public museum) is high. Over the years that I have lived in New York, I sometimes take out a membership in MOMA, entitling me to unlimited visits. I time these memberships to my budget and to the exhibitions on offer for the 12-month free-entry period. I recently received an offer for a 14-month "annual" membership. That did it. I was hooked. I renewed.

Today's visit allowed me to see two exhibits that I will want to see again. One is a rather pop-oriented show devoted to Tim Burton. It was lots of fun, crowded with families looking at drawings and film clips and even some costumes from some of Mr Burton's films.

The other exhibit was the one that was the true draw (in every sense) for me featuring drawings, prints, and films by William Kentridge. If you all are not familiar with this man's talent, I encourage you to take a long look at whatever journey the MOMA website might offer as a starting point. There is a very interesting article about Mr Kentridge in a recent issue of The New Yorker magazine.

On the way home, I stopped by a grocery store and picked up a few frozen items to stow in my new fridge. If the weather warms up, I will soon be stocking up on ice cream.

How wonderful to realize that I also have tomorrow as a day off from the shop. And also to realize that the sunlight and blue sky might also be on offer.

Best wishes to you all.

20 comments:

  1. I hope you enjoy your well-deserved day off, Frances.
    I love the thought of you filling your new, giant freezer with lots and lots of ice cream to get you through a steamy New York summer. Your customers will all be thinking that your cool elegance is owed to your perfect self control - they'll never suspect ten flavours of ice cream and sorbet!

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  2. They loook like white Scillas Frances, very Spring like.

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  3. Those exhibitions sound very tempting.

    Enjoy your day off, I hope the sun shines.

    Celia

    PS - still plumping for chionadoxa 'alba' http://www.easytogrowbulbs.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1008

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  4. Enjoy your extra day off Francis, and the Spring weather that must surely arrive soon!

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  5. Hooray for spring!
    Hooray for you getting some time off from the shop!
    I'm just about to go out like Lear into the storm.
    Greetings.
    Yes, I agree that the flowers may well be scillas!
    A lick from Buster!

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  6. I wish I could just pop over to New York and visit those exhibitions! Enjoy your day off.

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  7. Hello Frances, thanks for your comments over at mine today. Yes, I too think they are white Chionodoxas - lovely. I shall go to look up William Kentridge now - your recommendations are always worthwhile. Hope you are getting some nicer weather on your day off - here it is peeing down :-(

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  8. I think the white flowers may be white scillas now I can see them a little more clearly.

    Many years ago we went to the MOMA, I don't remember an admission charge. The galleries in London now charge for the major exhibitions so I guess that the MOMA is doing the same?

    Your decorator must be making a great job as he seems to have been there some time now, how lovely it will be when it is finished!

    Enjoy your holiday.

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  9. Hello Frances,
    I trust you enjoyed your day off.
    We are looking forward to our Easter weekend, the weather is not playing. Today non stop rain, then lightning and hail stones the size of marbles.
    The spring flowers are really taking a battering.
    I am happy to stay indoors until the sun shines again.
    Always lovely to catch up on your activities and news.
    milly x

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  10. Thank you for all the comments on this and the prior post.

    Pondside and Kate, I have finally got some frozen tortellini and a bag of peas in the freezer. Still too cold for ice cream, but bread ... or waffles sounds good.

    Celia, I have done the research you suggested, and based on the shape of the folliage, I think that you and Sue are correct. Chionadoxa alba ... got to be.

    Valerie, MOMA is a privately owned museum, so can charge what the traffic will bear. Yesterday, the place was full of visitors from abroad and assembled school groups. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a public building, operated by a privately funded trustee-governing board...That's why admission is pay what you wish there.

    Thanks to you other commenters. Just wish that our NYC spring would warm up. I have got new sandals to wear, and regret that it seems more like a time to keep on knitting socks.

    xo

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  11. Glorious as ever...time off, no need to shift things around for Mr Painter and that freezer - wonderful!

    Here at the moment we just stick things outside the back door, the weather will do the freezing for us!

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  12. Well that Tim Burton show would have been enough for me. I often wonder if he is peeping through my window with me, with all the weird and wonderful goings on here.
    You sound cosy and all stocked up. My dear friend Mrs Bancroft is making her way to NY at the end of her Grand Tour. Give her a wave from me!

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  13. I'm so envious of your MOMA subscription. It's one of the things on my to do list..
    Spring? What is that? All we seem to have are bitterly cold northerly winds and icy rain..........

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  14. You've brought back more happy memories for me, but, to be honest although I enjoyed my visit to MOMA, the trip to the Met Museum was something special.

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  15. Lovely to hear you're taking full advantage of some of the many artistic jewels your city has to offer on your well-earned day off. Beautiful spring blooms.

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  16. Having a day off and being in New York – that is a winning combination – and in the spring…

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  17. What a wonderful walk through the park. I have been to many of the places you are describing. Delightful!
    Have a good holiday!
    Ingrid

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  18. My chunky little book of Bulbs, Corms and Tubers agrees - white scillas, or even a species of dwarf tulip, going by the elongated, solid green leaves. And, propelled by your blog post, I looked for and found this little gem of a book again!
    It must have been March going out like a lion. I hope things warm up this week so you can enjoy those sandals.

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  19. As always, I envy you your abundance of culture on the doorstep, with Central Park providing the rural feel when you are tired of traffic.

    I scrolled back to your previous walk and admired the many pretty herbaceous plants returning to life.

    If the strap leaves belong to the white flowers then they are probably scillas, if not, they might be white anemonies. White anemonies are very special and I hope that is what they are.
    You deserve special treats.

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  20. Enjoy you day off, Frances. Don't know what the flowers are, though. If they were smaller and the flowers were different I'd say wild garlic but they aren't so I won't. Hope the warm weather comes soon. Enjoy the ice cream when it does. Miserable here too.

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