City Views, Country Dreams

Good afternoon from New York.

Many thanks to you all for all your words of encouragement on the retirement news I included in my previous post.  I've now less than ten work days left, and this month of March seems to be moving at a very quick pace.  I am pleased to report that the weather has been mostly warm and sunny.

I'm also happy to report that I finally completed the cardigan that had been occupying my knitting needles for many months.

I knit it in a four-ply Shetland style wool, using many closely-hued colors.  Since two strands of yarn per row are used throughout, this cardigan is going to be a perfect weight to wear as spring arrives.

I tried to keep lots of notes during the projects, and hope to eventually be able to reconstruct what I actually did, loop by loop, to create some sort of instructions.

One of the reasons that this project took so long was that I stopped progress in order to make Christmas gifts and paint Christmas tea cup cards.  I also spent quite a few days during November figuring out the maze involved in obtaining Medicare Supplemental Insurance and Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage.)  I had been informed that after New Year's Eve, my employer would no longer offer insurance coverage to folks like myself who worked only three days per week.

Then, in December, I got involved in Christmas cookie baking, party going, and catching up with my reading and found that the cardigan's design was too complicated for my being able to read and knit simultaneously.

I actually had to return quite a few books to the library unread, with requests that the librarians add my name once more to the reserve list.  I think that my future days as a retiree will give me some more reading hours.

Meanwhile, I have two borrowed novels waiting to be read.  I don't know much about A Little Life, but think I saw a good review of it somewhere.  On the other hand, Ginny Gall's author Charlie Smith is married to a friend of mine.  I have not yet read his poetry but have read one of his prior novels, and would recommend his writing to you all.

My upcoming additional free time will also allow me to visit more art exhibitions than has been recently possible.  As a member of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (now apparently calling itself The Met) I was invited to a preview of its newly opened Breuer building.  This building formerly was the home of the Whitney Museum, which has recently relocated to very grand new space downtown.  The Met is going to use the Breuer space to display "modern and contemporary art through the lens of history."

This morning I walked across Central Park to meet my friend Elizabeth, so that we could have a look at the Breuer and form our opinions of the new venture.

I could not resist taking a few photographs of the Park's model boat pond.  It was unusual to see it clear of both model boats and ducks.

It's usually about this time year that the little gangplank above is used not only to launch the model boats, but also to give adorable little ducklings a chance to follow their mama ducks into the pond for some swimming lessons.

 I liked the looks of the hellebores in this street level window box on the front of an elegant Upper East Side townhouse.

Elizabeth and I were delighted to discover that we'd chosen a viewing time at which the galleries were uncrowded.

It was interesting to see some familiar works of art in a new setting surrounded by some new neighbors.

There are three floors of exhibition space, with an as yet unopened coffee bar and bookshop on the top floor, and a performance space on the ground floor.

I am looking forward to returning for longer looks at the exhibitions and a testing out of the coffee bar.

Two of the Breuer floors are devoted to an exhibition entitled Unfinished: Thoughts Left Visible.  That title can embrace a wide variety of art, including Leonardo da Vinci's exquisitely drawn studies, to Smithson's shifting sand on the floor.

Back home again this afternoon, I returned to one of my own current unfinished projects.  It is to be a fair isle v-neck vest.  The color scheme will develop as I go along.

I admit that I've already unraveled a bit and then re-knit that passage in colors that pleased me more than the original version.

Once again, I will attempt to keep enough notes so that I might eventually be able to write down some clear instructions.

Next Wednesday will be St. Patrick's Day, and it is my hope that my request for having that day off from work will be honored.  It's also my hope that the weather next Wednesday will be as fine as today's has been.  I want to take my camera to the Fifth Avenue Parade so that I'll be able to share a bit of this year's celebration with you all.

Meanwhile, thanks for your visits and comments.