52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 36: All is calm

Very late Christmas night—and all the 
presents were unwrapped, dinner over, and 
family departed.  As I was clearing and cleaning up, 
I relit the candles and picked up my camera to capture 
the calm at the end of a very full, wonderful day.
(And I hope you all enjoyed the same.)


To see more of the 52 Photos Project, visit Bella's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

Haven't posted here in a while—just
too too much to do to prepare
for Christmas.  I'm still scrambling to 
get it all done, but at least the tree is up.
Happy Holidays, everyone!

[To see more reflections, visit James's excellent meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 35:
The Road I Travel

Well, it's not exactly the road I travel on
a daily basis, but just about a week
from now I'll leave the madness
of Manhattan and head down to Virginia
to celebrate the New Year with friends
and relatives in the peaceful
Shenandoah Valley (where I took 
this shot at this time last year).

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project,
visit Bella's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 34: What's Cooking?

It's a perfect pasta dish, just part of a
delicious lesson in pairing food and
wine to best complement each other.
Part of the appeal for me, I must admit,
is that someone else cooked it!

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project, visit Bella's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 33:  What do a morning
 and evening of the same day look like for you?

Lately as I've crossed the bridge from Brooklyn
to Manhattan in the morning, I've had mostly
blue skies for my commute.  I find myself going home
over the bridge way less often now that it's dark so early—
and especially when the weather is like this.

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project, visit Bella's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 32: The Skies Above

I took this shot as I was walking home at dusk
over the Brooklyn Bridge and the full moon
was rising over the Manhattan Bridge.

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project, visit Bella's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

This little guy (who's about 3 inches long) might
grow up to be more than 4 feet long and weigh over
600 pounds, and live to be 100 years old!  In the Galapagos,
giant sea tortoise eggs are collected and incubated.  Then the
hatchlings are hand-raised for 5 years, until their shell is
hard enough to protect them from predators.

[To see more reflections, visit James's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 31:  The Closed Window
{Try a portrait without showing your subject's face.}

The idea is to capture the emotions of the moment,
how your subject is feeling. This flutist was
playing at the home of a friend, where she and several
other serious amateur musicians were performing
for each other (and themselves).  I hope this shot
conveys her energy,  joy, and passion for the music.

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project, visit Bella's meme.] 

Weekend Reflections

If you're in the market for a neon sign 
(know anyone whose initials are ATM?), 
you can head to this place downtown. 
They're no doubt very glad that the lights are back 
on after almost a week in the dark after Sandy.

[To see more Weekend Reflections, visit James's meme.] 

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 30: illuminate

Madame G didn't mention moonlight in
her prompt, but this was the photo I thought
of immediately.  I took it recently, when I was
in the Galapagos.  Woke up at 4 A.M. on our
first night out, went to the bow of the boat
in my jammies, and snapped this picture of a
full moon so bright you could read by it.

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project, visit Bella's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

This pretty pond is at the Hacienda Cusin,
in San Pablo del Lago, Ecuador—a lovingly
restored 17th-century estate that may be the
most beautiful hotel I've ever stayed at.

[To see more weekend reflections, visit James's meme.] 

52 Photos Project

Week 29—Holding: Go out and hold something
—long enough to appreciate that special moment 

{Thanks, and great choice, Deb.}

My mom's house was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy 
and my family is focused on holding onto our 
memories of the home we grew up in.

This past weekend we began trying to salvage

what we can.   One of the things I'm hoping to 

save is this 92-year-old baby dress that I

found with some others at the bottom of a trunk.  

Managed to get it dry before mold took over and will 

find a pro to clean it.  Then I'll frame it and 

hang it in whatever Mom's new home turns out to be. 

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project, visit Bella's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

No, this wasn't taken after Hurricane Sandy came
through.  If it were, there probably wouldn't be
any reflections!  I finally got to work today on the
back of a motorcycle—a scary commute
without any traffic lights downtown.

[To see more Weekend Reflections, visit James's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 28: Celebrate

When I took this shot, everything was in 

place for my mom's 90th-birthday party

(and she wore that crown all night).

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project, visit Bella's meme].

BTW, she'll be 93 on her next
birthday, and is still a
force to be reckoned with.

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 27: on the table

I recently returned from a once-in-a-lifetime trip
to the Galapagos compliments of my younger daughter,
Katie. We traveled around the islands on a catamaran
and every time we came back from a hike or snorkeling,
the chef had a little snack and yet another kind of
yummy freshly made juice waiting for us on the aft deck.
(This was my fave, strawberry—delish!)

[To see more of the 52 Photos project, visit Bella's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

Haven't played for a couple of weeks,
but that's because I was Internetless in
Ecuador. I found this giant tortoise
(and its reflection) in the Galapagos.

[To see more Weekend Reflections, visit James's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 26: golden

And we've reached the halfway mark already!
For this one, I just had to choose these
jars of honey, complete with the honeycomb,
that I shot at a farmers' market in Virginia.

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project, visit Bella's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 25: still life

Must admit that this one stretched me a bit,
since I rarely "create" a photo, but just
shoot what I see.  In the end, I did that anyway—
this still life was right here in my living
room, just waiting for me to "see" it.

[To see more of the 52 Photos project, visit Bella's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 24: Orange

I came across these Tibetan monks on the
Brooklyn Bridge one evening. With a closet
full of clothes (mostly black), I found myself envying
them the simplicity of their colorful saffron robes.

[To see more of the 52 Photos project, visit Bella's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 23:  Withering Beauty

I found this dying bulb flower at my
mom's house this past weekend.  I'm
probably not the only one who thinks they
also have a certain beauty at this stage.

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project, visit Bella's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

I was on a vaporetto on the Grand Canal
when this boat passed us and I decided to try
for a shot—all I got was running lights
and reflections, but I like it!

[To see more weekend reflections, visit James's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 22: Season's Beginning

The trees here are still very full of green leaves, 
but the ground is littered with brown ones too.  
Clearly, Mother Nature is confused.  When I 
went looking for evidence of the changing seasons, 
I did come across this—is it weird that I find 
a dead leaf absolutely beautiful? 

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project, visit Bella's meme.] 

Weekend Reflections

Here's a reflection you can find
nowhere but in my hometown!

[To see more weekend reflections,
visit James's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 21: sparkle and shine

I have this glitterglass sign in my bedroom, 
along with my Eiffel Tower collection and more 
than 80 books about the city I love best—
they all serve to remind me daily of the promise 
I made myself that I'll live there again someday.

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project, or 
to play along yourself, visit Bella's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 20: Doorways
—an entrance, but to where?

These beautiful old burnished-wood doors
are in Paris (where I'd love to have a
doorway of my own). But we're not 
getting in here if Madame can help it—
I love the way she's using the umbrella like 
a screen as she punches in her door code.

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project,
or to play along, visit Bella's meme.] 

Weekend Reflections

They host lots of arts events here in the
atrium of the World Financial Center
(and never charge a cent for any of them).
But I like this place when it's empty and
you can best appreciate the majestic space.

[To see more Weekend Reflections, visit James's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 19:  We make, we create,
but where do we start? What elements
or ingredients do you gather to begin?

I'm not a good cook, but my cousin Kay is.
When I go down to Virginia, sometimes she makes
popovers for breakfast.  She gets up early and sets the
ingredients out so they can reach room temperature.
Eggs, milk, butter, salt, flour—mix them together, put 
them in the oven, hold your breath, and voila:

Popovers + butter + jam = heaven on a plate!

[To see more of the 52 Photos
Project, visit Bella's meme.]

People who live in glass houses . . .

. . . need some help cleaning all those
windows! This Richard Meier building is
next door to my own humble (and, I think,
more charming) red brick pre-war one.

[To see more Weekend Reflections, visit James's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 18: on the street

Hey, who's walking whom?
Here on the corner of 5th Avenue and
23rd Street, this cat and his man barely
warranted a second glance from
most of the folks passing by—
I just love this city!

[To see more of the 52 Photos
Project, visit Bella's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

After some heavy downpours one day
this week, it was good to see the sun the next
morning when I got up and headed to work.

[To see more Weekend Reflections, go to James's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 17:
Pause, Observe, Snap. Capture a moment in time.

I really like this prompt, because it represents
what I love most about photography.
I captured this particular moment in Central Park, 
where people come to tango every Saturday 
from 6 to 9.  There's probably a 50-year 
age difference between these two dancers, but
they were totally connected through their love of
the tango and absolutely mesmerizing to watch.

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project,
or to join in yourself, visit Bella's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 16:  gift

When I began blogging four years ago,
I never realized how many friends I would
make—and I've been fortunate to meet quite
a few of them actually and not just virtually.
The light-up addition to my Eiffel Tower collection
was a gift from my good blogpal Marylène, whom
I got to spend time with last year when I was in Paris.
Merci encore, Marylène!

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project or
to play along yourself, visit Bella's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

When I was down in Virginia recently, I stopped
with some friends to admire this pretty
little mid-19th-century church and the cemetery
around it. The church was closed but
we were able to peek in the windows.

[To see more Weekend Reflections, visit James's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 15: delicate, ethereal, fragile

This is all of those things—
one child-size puff and it's gone.

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project, or
to play along yourself, visit Bella's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 14: white

I'm always impressed with European women
who will step out in high, high heels on
cobblestone streets.  (I'm not above wearing Crocs.)
These intrepid feet belong to a woman in Siena, Italy,
who was also wearing a white dress. Her best accessory 
was a gorgeous man who appeared to have been 
surgically attached to her at several strategic points.

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project, or to
play along yourself, visit Bella's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

This is part of a big "Here Come the Olympics"
display in a window at Rockefeller Center.
What's reflected are a series of paintings that
decorate the facade of The Today Show's 
space, directly across the street.

[To see more Weekend Reflections, visit James's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 13—growth

Back on Week 1, I showed you some of the cards I've 
made that feature my photos (this allium growth cycle 
is one of them).  Since then, a friend has put them in her store 
down in Virginia where, I'm told, they're selling like hotcakes (!).

Weekend Reflections

Almost didn't take catch this reflection,
because my camera's battery had just died.
I think maybe I should use my phone more often.


[To see more weekend reflections, visit James's meme.]

52 Photos Project

The prompt for Week 12: circles

These colorful cloth-covered lanterns and parasols
(found in a garden center in Boise, Idaho)
made me wish I had a place with a high peaked
ceiling.  Wouldn't it make you happy to
 look up and see this every day?


[To see more of the 52 Photos Project
or to play along, visit Bella's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

It's the end of a hot summer day, we're
 back in a safe harbor, and the sun
is definitely over the yardarm.


[To see more Skywatch, visit James's meme.]

52 Photos Project

Prompt for Week 11: A Different Path

I came across this sign while walking through a
public garden, and my first thought was, "No, thanks!"
If I had stayed on the path, I never would
have gone to live in Europe, or raised
my kids in a loft in Manhattan, or made a
midlife career change—or started blogging.
And I can't wait to see what the next
diversion from the path brings!

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project, visit Bella's meme.]

52 Photos Project

Prompt for Week 10: Release

After a long, hard day slaving over a
hot magazine, I like to head home 
over the Brooklyn Bridge, pour a
glass of Chateau Cardboard (i.e., box wine),
put my feet up, and play a round or two
of Draw Something with my friends.
Can't wait to see what the rest of you do to chill.


[To see more of the 52 Photos Project, or to
play along yourself, visit Bella's meme.]

52 Photos Project

Prompt for Week 9: Summertime Colors

Just in time for this challenge, I traveled
to Virginia last week and found this
colorful collection of kayaks and canoes
in a creek off a river off Chesapeake Bay.

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project, or
to play along yourself, visit Bella's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

You almost wouldn't know you're
in the middle of Manhattan!

[To see more weekend reflections, visit James's meme.]

52 Photos Project

Prompt for Week 8: shadows

I caught this brief non-encounter in
Grand Central Terminal.  You might almost
think that they (and their shadows) are the
only two people in this huge terminal—which
is what I like about this shot, because
they most definitely were not!

[To see more of the 52 Photos Project, or
to play along yourself, visit Bella's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

This pretty yellow house—and the one
that's reflected in its doorway—are
in Greenport, a sweet little town on
the North Fork of Long Island.

[To see more weekend reflections, visit James's meme.]

52 Photos Project

Prompt for Week 7 -- Black and White

These eggs caught my eye at the greenmarket.
They're all different shades, from pure white
to coffee brown, but you don't need to see
that to appreciate their perfect ovoid shape.

[To see more monochromes, or to
play along yourself, visit Bella's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

My daughter Lila snapped this shot of
her little pal, Louie, who can't resist a good
puddle (I know just how you feel, Louie!).

[To see more Weekend Reflections, visit James's meme.]