Kew Gardens Kitchen

I took a trip to NYC in November and stayed with friends Bill & Dale in their lovely rental house in Kew Gardens.







I took these pictures before they got up the morning after I arrived.



I think I then went out to see my cousins Anne Watkins & Watty Strouss @ the Met Museum to see the Vermeer show & wander around, eventually making our way up to the roof sculpture garden, my first time up there as I can recall, & then met Dale @ the Guggenheim to see the Kandinsky show there.

#491; In which Wendy is prepared

#491; In which Wendy is prepared

Snitch's favorite spot

Maybe she feels cozy?

Depending on whether you believe the weather babe or the weather widget (gender indeterminate), it's going to go up to 19F or 21F today. Right now 13F with a "feels like" of -7. I'll be wearing my sheep skin coat to acupuncture today. Hope all's well with you. OXOXO JR

Our house

Is a very very very fine house.

A man's home is his castle?

These folks left their Halloween decorations up a little after the actual, factual celebration (well, not that long - I took the photo on 04/Nov/2009). The house is on Melville Ave. a few blocks from the Dorchester Arms (aka 16 Tremlett St).

A delicious day of no running around other than my quotidian toddle. Too cold to bring the camera along these days - the temps drain the batteries in an instant. 33F now with a "feels like" of 25F & heading up, so they say, to 42.

Tootling & stitching (& toddling) here I come.

Pretty in Pinkish

Here's a house on Dorchester (aka Dot - don't ask me why) Avenue near 16 Tremlett - I think it's for sale if you're interested. They have foxgloves in their garden.

Heading out soon for the Whole Foods Trader Joe's Cambridge run - the rain has subsided & the blustery winds (up to 50m.p.h. by some accounts) are gone - as is all the snow - except in Merose where they apparently got more than we & there was some lovely fog (but scary driving through) blanketing the area last night. Potter just came in to join me - I think she's looking for a lap. :) Hope all's well by you. OXOXO JR

Things as was

I'm always sad to see a tree be taken down - esp. when there's no clear indication of disease. Happens a lot here & I'll bet the folks that took this one away will be sorry come summertime when they don't have the shade protecting their house.

Blustery/rainy day here - I'm hoping things clear up before I head to Melrose. And I've GOT to get to the vacuuming that I promised to do this weekend. Of course that'll mean picking things up off the floor to be able to get to it . . . . :|

Hope all's well with you. OXOX JR

Park

A fall rendition of one of the local parks I pass, depending on my toddle route.

32F with a "feels like" of 26F, heading up supposedly to 42F today. I'm heading out soon for said toddle to drop a Netlix DVD (Golden Compass* - despite Daniel Craig's** being in it I _much_ preferred the book) in the mail before the rain hits - nowhere near what the southwest has recently got, but deluges forecast beginning sometime this afternoon & lasting for 24 hours or so.

Strange dreams of late - one of living back in the manse, with mom thinking of starting to do photography, lines for the upstairs bathroom because so many people were living there (and I don't mean family!), and the laundry chute from the second floor to the basement (remember that?) having been boarded up cuz some building regulation expert had come in & required it. Last night traveling on a bus and having to try to repack all my stuff because I had _way_ too much to carry at once. Wonder what's up with that?

* http://www.randomhouse.com/features/pullman/books/books.html#gc
** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Craig

Now THAT's a big one!

Said the girl at the picnic. The last in the Ashmont Hill series - at least for awhile. Just finished posting to the various instrument groups the announcement of the Chamber Music Workshop that I'm involved in @ Wellesley College. A nice quiet weekend after the hectic running around of the week past. Just tootling, vacuuming (having done 4 loads of laundry yesterday), & stitching on the docket. Oh, and catching up on Fringe, Bones, maybe Ugly Betty, etc. over the internet. Sure beats the crappy/intermittent digital broadcast signal we get here. Damned conversion. You can bet the cable companies salivated over THAT one. Ah well, could be worse, could be raining.* Sunny & 30F here now - heading up, so they say to 33F today. 55F forecast for Monday or Tues.

* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AFf0ysgNiM

Another lovely house and lying

In throwing out a century's worth of legal precedent attempting to limit the impact of $$ on American elections yesterday, the majority on the Supreme Court showed how radical and reactionary they really are. So much for respecting past rulings or stare decisis (allowing Supreme Court decisions to stand). By their vote Roberts and Alito totally give lie to their nomination testimony.

Here's Bush nominee Roberts on stare decisis:

I do think that it is a jolt to the legal system when you overrule a precedent. Precedent plays an important role in promoting stability and evenhandedness. It is not enough -- and the court has emphasized this on several occasions -- it is not enough that you may think the prior decision was wrongly decided.

Here is Bush appointee Alito on same: “If ‘settled’ means that it is a precedent that is entitled to respect as stare decisis . . . then it is a precedent that is protected, entitled to respect under the doctrine of stare decisis.”

Here's Roberts on activist judges (judges who impose their own personal opinions in their rulings): Judges need to appreciate that the legitimacy of their action is confined to interpreting the law and not making it. And if they exceed that function and start making the law, I do think that raises legitimate concerns about legitimacy of their authority to do that.

Here's Alito on same: Well, I don't know exactly what Justice Souter was referring to when he said that. But just speaking for myself, I think that it is our job to interpret and to enforce the statutes that Congress passes and not to add to those statutes and not to take away from those statutes.

Who's activist now? Can we impeach Supreme Court justices who, in light of subsequent actions, prove they lied while under oath? Off to acupuncture and an attempt to calm down.

Pretty blue

I tried to get a detail shot of the upper window but it came out all blurry.

Already had my morning toddle - on the way home from mailing something to Andy's mom. A bit nippy but wanted to get it in before heading out to an Alexander lesson & thence to a doctor's appt. Busy day. Probably won't be back until 4ish. 32F now heading up to 38 so they say.

Listened to another installment of Closer to Truth this AM. This one concerning life after death as seen by Christian (two flavors), Muslim & Hindu philosophers. The version I found least appealing (probably not surprisingly) was the gentlemen who believes that the Bible is the literal truth from God. For some reason in his version in the afterlife we'll have all our physical capabilities and will eat but no sex. What is it with Christianity & sex? If we do exist in some corporeal sense after death how does it follow that we'd be able to eat but wouldn't be interested in sex. Bollocks.

Anyway - I've tried to find the video or transcript link to the show on the website, but it's annoyingly opaque in tracking down that info. http://www.closertotruth.com/

Pinky beige

Here's another looker. Like our new senator. Massachusettsites surely are suckers for tall, good looking reactionaries. Here's hoping he drops trou again soon. Off soon to a dental cleaning & then (I hope) to pick up the Mac mini. Apparently it was a memory problem? Like moi. Then some tootling & catching up on TV shows via the web. The piccolo is playing wonderfully.

Hanging on - was Silo 3

ETA My Mac mini was in the shop so I was working with another computer - uploaded the same Silo image twice - so I've replaced it with this - leaves bravely hanging on on 2009/11/04.

The third in the series of silo houses. Just got back from voting - there was an "observer" there writing down people's names as they came in to pick up their ballots - all the people handing out the ballots were black - she was white - why do I think she was there for Republican Scott Brown. Now it's all over but the praying. And the trip to the computer store since my Mac mini died after just 6 months. Here's hoping it was just the power cord.

Silo 2

Here's another house with the popular (around here anyway) silo construction. Heading out for In the Heights (and hoping the sleety rain forecast for when we're shlepping about on public transportation isn't too bad). Should have known better when they advertised "original B'way cast" - at least two of the cast, and that includes the main character in the musical - aren't original - and there was a slighting reference to the band accompanying the production - which will be a big disappointment. Stay tuned to see what your local (meaning moi) critic has to say. :) JR

Pink 'n grey

One of my favorite color combos and get a load of that carriage way. 32F ("feels like" 24) supposedly on its way up to 42.

Cadet blue

Courtesy of Ashmont Hill. Made it to & from Carlisle, MA yesterday without incident & the picc is playing much better - I only have another few months of free under-warranty adjustments so best I begin practicing on it regularly to discover any possible kinks.

Coral belle

Another lovely Ashmont Hill abode. Sorry for all the power lines.

Heading up to Carlisle, MA, about an hour's drive away to have my piccolo worked on. (Why does that sound vaguely off-color?)

Another lovely Ashmont Hill abode. (You can click on the image for a larger version, in case you don't know). Heading up to Carlisle, MA, about an hour's drive away to have my piccolo worked on. (Why does that sound vaguely off-color?) 24F today (with a "feels like" of 24, too - woo hoo, I'd better play the lottery) heading up to 35F so they say. Bye bye snow.

I was reading Jeanette Winterson's review of Joan Shenkar's recent bio of Patricia Highsmith (she of The Talented Mr. Ripley, etc. fame). And happened upon a brilliant passage: "[A]rt is always about relationship -- to the material, to the self, and to the world in all its chaos and intrusion, its terror and its glory." What a wonderful idea - whether looking at a painting, sculpture, or listening to a piece of music. And isn't it also true of life? Where would I be without my relationship to you? I shudder to think how lonely. As difficult as relationships can sometimes be, we all would be lost without them.

Bare Tree

Upper porch

House with a strange little upper porch on Ocean St.

Silo

I think this house is on Ocean street (though you certainly can't see the ocean from street level.

Martian in disguise?

Another lovely house in the Ashmont Hill area. Sixteen Fahrenheit with a "feels like of 3F" right now. Already did the grocery run and am getting a rather late start on things this AM. Not sure if I'll do my neighborhood toddle today or wait until tomorrow when it's supposed to be a bit warmer (and just go up & down stairs a bunch of times to make up?).

Blessed symmetry?

This house is anything but symmetrical, but I think it's beautiful. 20F with a "feels like" of 9F - maybe I'll postpone my walk today until we more closely match today's projected high of 23 (woo hoo). :) A wonderful day of doing only what I want - which has to include practicing, tackling the box(es) o' stuff next to the desk - gotta get all that paperwork into the computer before tax time, & of course stitching. I'm working my way through The Celluloid Closet <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Celluloid_Closet> on Netflix now. An interesting exploration of scenes from Hollywood movies and their interpretation from a non-hetero point of view. Still working my way through Wolf Hall, the Henry VIII story through the eyes of Thomas Cromwell. One complaint - the author always uses "he" when talking about Cromwell, which is very confusing when she's describing a scene with more than one male in it or depicting a conversation between two men because often not clear to me which "he" she is referring to.

Two views of an enormous house on the corner of Ashmont St. & Alban Streets.

Major facade

Heading out soon for an Alexander lesson - then to the grocery shopping I was supposed to do yest. afternoon & totally forgot. Or maybe I'll decided to forgo the pleasure & just wait until the weekend when I schlep out anyway for the papers. Not much to practice for the Melrose concert. We're doing two pieces with a koto (sort of a Japanese cross between a marimba & a banjo) player, which should be interesting but the orchestral parts are minimal. As is his wont, the conductor is totally ignoring the "ma non troppo" part of the Allegro ma non troppo indication for the first movement, but the part is nonetheless pretty manageable - I'll never know why we have to play tempi that even professional orchestras aren't asked to do - is it because the strings can't sustain the melody otherwise? So, thus proving the point, I kvetch when I don't get work & kvetch when I have it. :|

Ruby Red

Brightly sunny with 24F & a "feels like" of 14 - guess I'll wait awhile before heading out for my constitutional stroll (makes it sound all legal & all). :) Some grocery shopping (postponed until I can combine it with a medication pickup - they RAN OUT of Norvir?? I'll never understand how that happens when they know they have a customer who refills it every month. Oh well, it was just a couple days but still. I'll have to call the clinic again today, too, since they failed to respond to my initial request last Wed. to send a bunch of Rxs - thought even with the 48 hour turn-around, given that the next day was New Year's Eve, they surely would have done it Monday, but no. And who loses if I don't do this leg work? Not them. Fortunately I don't have to schlepp over to the clinic to hash this out. Thank God for the telephone. :)

Blue house

Strange dreams last night - one was we were presenting a get together for gay kids but somehow not advertising the fact as focusing on the "gay" part - several showed up with their gay pets, but drifted away as some "helpful" artist began an artwork that made it clear that it _was_ for gay kids - then I discovered the animals that had been there were being prepared for slaughter & the future of the kids was ominous. Where did _that_ come from? Then I was sharing a loft apt. above some sort of club space with Ellen Degeneres & Portia de Rossi, which came with a punch key access code - I found some $$ on the floor near the ladder leading to the loft & I picked it up (the $$ not the ladder), which made me feel guilty, brought it up with me & it turned out to be funny money from the club (sure didn't look like that when I picked it up!) & somewhere in the mix Ellen was very unhappy with her relationship with Portia & was trying to figure out how to dump her. Not sure why Ellen shows up so often in my dreamscape, but she surely does.

Impressive chimney

Said the girl at the picnic. This is another house on Alban St. I lied when I said yesterday's house was on the corner of Alban & Ashmont Streets - it's _another_ large house on that st.

Is it a barn?

Here's a house on the corner of Alban & Ashmont streets. Is it just me or is it HUGE?!?! (Said the girl at the picnic.) Just got back from a lovely trek in the snow - it's a winter wonderland out there - to pick up the morning papers. Now sitting down to send this & get a little tootling in. 20F feels like 4 - actually it wasn't that bad on my walk so maybe it's warmer here than @ the airport where they take the official reading.

Morning frost

Another beautiful wake up present from Mother Nature from 2009/12/30. The cross is one that dad made and that lives in front of that pane. Snow forecast all weekend here, though no huge accumulations predicted. It's beautiful outside, and I'm glad my student is coming to ME today & not the other way around. I'll most likely toddle down to Tedeschi's tomorrow to get the papers rather than get in the car for grocery shopping. The first rehearsal of the next Melrose concert is Monday and it's forecast to have stopped snowing by then. We'll see.

New Year's morn

Here's a shot from our Gannon room (the name of the man who apparently
plastered the house & left his signature with the date 1889 in one of
the upstairs rooms that we now use as a walk in closet. May today and
always bring you health, happiness, and your heart's desire.