Because it's the love month

That is how one of the teacher's greeted me first thing on February 1. She then presented me with the little rose in the little heart covered cup. She also gave me a chocolate rose- that was scoffed fairly quickly. However the rose in the cup sat in the lounge room on the coffee table for some time until the idea emerged to follow up on the comment that THIS is the Love Month.
This is in keeping with The Happiness Project's theme for the month that we are exploring.

This time last year

Gosh was it 12 months ago! The great pastry wars!
Checking back on Australia Day last year that was part of my day.
However today it is book club and who knows what that will hold.

No way known the following photo could be of today- so warm no gloves no hat and the scarf was merely dressing us the coat!

Wet and windy!

That's what the weather forecast said... and it was ...

It's not easy getting photos of people scurrying by when you are on the 2nd floor looking out through grubby school windows but I tried!


I missed photographing the two people labouring in opposite directions trying to manage the wind, the rain and the brolly.

However on my way to the subway after work, the wind had died and the rain had stopped and the victims of the storm were in evidence along the street particularly in this rubbish bin! About 6 of them.


Having whipped out the trusty camera I decided I'd got the shot for the day and then I came across this poor victim in the gutter.


Along with the apples- how did they get there? I have heard of raining cats and dogs but apples?!
I have to say I think the garbage bin shot with the rejected and skinless brollies is my favourtie for the day.

... And the flower's name is Amaryllis! (see Saturday's posting) Went back to the supermarket to do the shopping for lunches this week and there were some of the lovely plants in flower so I checked the labels. Who knew when Shirl and I named a character in one of our pantomimes Amaryllis (loved the name and really matched the character) that I would have one blooming on my window sill in NYC!

Sundays

My usual Sunday includes time when I reflect on my week by taking out my weekly planners and my diary and my reflecting journal and looking back over my weekly goals. I decide what has worked out and what was a complete disaster. Then I create new goals for the week hoping to address the parts of my life I mucked up during the previous week and move a bit further forward with my annual goals.
This week I set myself up for the second week in a row in my bedroom rather than at the dining table. I had been to the gym and felt truly virtuous. Then it struck me that perhaps the photo of the day should be me doing my reflecting so I set the camera up on the window ledge and here I am!
The day seemed to fly by and at 3pm we (Sue, Margie, Annie Julia and I) went to see A little Night Music. It is on at the Walter Kerr Theatre (the one next door) and is starring Catherine Zeta- Jones and Angela Lansbury. What a wonderful way to spend a cool Sunday afternoon. The show was great and so were the performances.
Truly wonderful!

A night out

Last night I went to the Manhattan Scrapbooking Meetup. I haven't been since before Christmas- in fact before Tighan and Pet's wedding so well over a month but I managed to make up for some of my diminished scrapbooking pages. I managed to get 8 done and they are now in their appropriate albums and all the bits from last night are put away! Gad how organized is that. Never fear I'm not posting them all!

I chose to use Debbie's sketch for layouts from last week on GIS and had been thinking- ahh I don't use ribbon- I'll make a mess of it and the pages will turn out looking ratty but I am really pleased with them. I tried ll three variations of the page- they'll be in different albums so all will be well.

The Bloomin' road
Part of our journey through Arizona on the final leg of Route 66, April 2009

I enjoyed doing the first one so much that I thought I would try the second one

Santa Fe
from our trip in August 2009 on our "way back" to NYC

Luckily Cheryl has some great punches so it's possible to make different embellishments.

The final sketch allowed me to use smaller details from the range of photos I took of the signs along the road

Neon
Some of the signs from Route 66 final leg

Today this lovely bulb is really showing all its glory. I have no idea what plant it is. Sue picked it up (bought it) in the supermarket and has been nurturing it (watering- as we have no idea what else to do!).

It was just two chunky shoots when she brought it home and now it is the most lovely thing.

Strange or just plain clever marketing?

We had our catch up drinks at the Armani Bar.


It is on the 3rd floor of the 5th Avenue store. So after work at this amazing school in NJ



we met up in the bar at Armani's.

Annie gave us the information of where to go and meet and gave us the option of the stairs or the elevator failing to tell us that it was on the third floor. So having huffed and puffed our way up the stairs we met in this amazing spot and had a couple of glasses of wine before heading back down the stairs and out through the store.


I made it out unscathed/ without purchases whereas a couple of others in the group couldn't resist the chocolates (a gift which we almost ate after dinner) or the sunglasses (which were left behind at Annie's and yet to be collected).

Dinner at Annie's was wonderful homemade lasagna!

Getting a cup of coffee

Things are so different most morning really but on this particular morning I was waiting for a lift to a meeting. Having made my way to the part of Brooklyn nominated my ride indicated she'd be a little late and to wait in the bagel shop across from the station. And so I did... in the process I decided I could have a coffee to keep warm and while away a little of the time. I made the mistake of asking at the counter and then was directed to the "self service" area at the back of the store.

It was one of the larger self service areas in a very little store that I have seen.

One was not short of things from which to choose.

I noticed on arrival the gate to the Gowanus Yacht Club!

I have no idea of the history nor the story of this one but it caught my eye- we were quite a long way from any yacht club that I could imagine.