A New Jersey Thanksgiving

We went down to New Jersey on Wednesday morning to spend the holiday in the suburbs--where the grass was still green and the air chill and clear. We left New York on the Boltbus for the Cherry Hill Mall. We were duly picked up by Mike and offered Philly Cheese steaks for lunch. There are no pictures because they did not last long enough for pictures. We actually had snow flurries on Thanksgiving Day. But that was the day Cousin Marcy orchestrated a delectable storm--with seven courses! I didn't show you dessert: strawberry shortcake.

The backyard with the angel on the windowpane

It's cold outside.

Jon playing Scrabble

Jess: It's a word! I know it...

I need a dictionary...

Hey, man, can I help?

Do you think there's enough food for all of us?

Top to bottom: turkey with giblet gravy, sweet potato, twice baked potato, ham, cole slaw, asparagus with bacon and tomatoes, AND cranberry sauce

I think I'm good.

It's great to see you too!

Let's eat!

Thanks, Mom!

Subway Stomping Rhythms

The wait for trains seemed especially long this weekend, especially for the #6. There was this guy in the 14th Street Union Square Station playing these plastic buckets with a pair of drumsticks. He even included the big black garbage can next to him. I wish I had my movie camera with me. I wish you could hear the sounds and the rhythms. He made five bucks in tips by the time our train pulled into the station. He had to have had at least $50.00 more in the bottom of the bag.

What is stomp? "Stomp is a high-energy, percussive symphony, coupled with dance, played entirely on unconventional instruments, such as garbage can lids, buckets, brooms and sticks. It is a movement, of bodies, objects, sounds - even abstract ideas, made completely original through the use of everyday objects in totally non-traditional ways" (Broadwaybox.com).  If you want to see and hear what Stomping is about, visit YouTube. If you're in the States or Canada you can watch the movie on Hulu.com.

Fall @ Central Park

On Tuesday I walked west along Central Park South and this is what I saw.

The Pond

The colors of fall

Friends from Holland

Richard and Nicole

Our friend Nicole came to visit us in New York with her friend Richard. We have known Nicole ever since we went to Thailand. At the time, Nicole was in boarding school in Holland and we would see her  and her sister during the Christmas holidays. Now she is a nurse in Holland. Golf is what brought Andy and Jan, Nicole's dad, together. Her mom, Anne Marie, is a fantastic baker--we always have a food connection somewhere, don't we?  I'm so in awe of her walnut cake and her apple cake!