View from Oyster Bay                                                    by Louis Comfort Tiffany
Stained Glass      72 3/4 x 66 1/2 in                                     ca 1908

This artwork was by far the biggest surprise and delight as I meandered through the Metropolitan Museum of Art last Tuesday.  I had my heart set on viewing tons of European/Old Master paintings (and I did).   But seeing more of Tiffany's works created a desire to learn more.  I just didnt realize his stuff would be there.   In addition, one of my favorite authors is scheduled to release her next novel in 2010.

The protagonist is Louis Comfort Tiffany.    Here's a link to Susan Vreeland's site.

Here's a larger view of the setting for much of stained glass display.    Inside that alcove is Oyster Bay flanked by two ivy-laden windows.  They're originally from the loggia at Laurelton Hall.  Here's a link to more information.               

Stained glass windows are not only popular, but affordable.  While we dont have any in our church, I believe that All Saints in downtown Atlanta is fortunate enough to have some original Tiffanys.  After clicking on the link, then click on *Campus* in order to see the information about the stained glass in All Saints' Nave.

At home, however, I think I have a spot for a Tiffany lamp?

What about you?

Do you own any stained glass?

Below you'll see Parrots and Magnolias, the first clue as I was walking from one section to the next that I might meet Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Finally, a link to a New York Times article, Out of Tiffany's Shadow, a Woman of Light, revealing new information about his creativity.

Nasturtiums, marigolds, a few black-eyed Susans, a butterfly bush blossom, a sole rose, and spearmint made the most delightful bouquet.

What is it about flowers that just make the day go more smoothly?

Here's a link to another bouquet (by the same artist).

And a reminder to count my blessings.

Last Tuesday I spent ALL DAY inside this wonderful museum.  That means I arrived shortly after 10 am and didnt depart until 5p.  I'm not embarassed to tell you that I covered only a small portion of the permanent collections, and recommend renting the audio guide.

I spent time in the American Wing, where I fawned over the Tiffany stained glass, the period rooms, and the Luce Center for American Art.  The visible storage section displayed Sargent's Madame X, and other famous paintings which I would not have seen otherwise.

The European Paintings and Sculpture (19th & 20th cent) section also caught my eye and I made a long list items to research.  I did stop and regard Michaelangelo's first (ever) painting, mainly because it was on the route from one collection to the next.

Have you ever visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art?

What do you remember the most? 

Sunday night's dinner plate looked like this mezze plate I copied from Google images.  I was famished by the time I got back to the apartment around 7:30p, and thankfully, so was my hostess.  We walked a few block to Beyoglu and dined al fresco.  Mediterranean salads (tabouli, eggplant, humus, yogurt, stuffed grape leaf, and olives) created a veritable work of art, which I consumed along with a fine Greek Cabernet.

Monday night we ventured 6-8 blocks for Chinese, the favorite dish being Chicken with Three Nuts.  Tuesday's dinner at Mumtaz's (authentic Indian cuisine) capped off my whirlwind tour of NYC. 

I would recommend all three of these restaurants and might even submit a review to this fun guide of everything UES, if I lived in the area.

Here's a link to my favorite NYC breakfast.

Finding this front door last Sunday afternoon made me a happy woman.

You see, I'd left the comforts of home that morning, flown alone to LeGuardia, negotiated the New York Transit System (bus and subway), plus added my own (questionable) navigational skills, all in an effort to arrive at #1 East 70th Street before the museum closed at five o'clock.

The reward was great.

The Frick was presenting a focus exhibition dedicated to the colorful and once controversial artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler and I got to see four exquisite full-length portraits.  The first was this Harmony in Pink and Grey: Portrait of Lady Meux.

Equally stunning were 2) Symphony in Flesh Colour and Pink: Portrait of Mrs Frances Leyland; 3) Arrangment in Brown and Black: Miss Rosa Corder; and 4) Arrangement in Black and Gold: Comte Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensaac.

Here's a link to a detailed description of the exhibit.

In about 90 minutes, I browsed through the rest of the fifteen or so galleries, soaking up the cultural rays cast from the plethora of Old Master paintings housed in this fine former residence of coke magnate, Henry Clay Frick....

Just in time to attend church at Redeemer.

In just a few days I'll be pounding the pavements of Manhattan, taking walking tours of SoHo, Grand Central Station, the Trump Tower, Ground Zero, and the like.  Quite a contrast to my recent forays into the woods of North Georgia. 

As usual, I'm concerned about comfort and the status of my feet.  My plan is alternate shoes, and thereby, relieve any pressure points and avoid blisters.  These (croc) Clarks are part of the plan.  Here's a link to to the back-up pair.  Wow!  I didnt realize I'd had those blue ones for two years.   

I've also invested in City Walks: New York: 50 Adventures on Foot.  High on the list are the four that take me through Central Park.  There's also an historic one related to the neighborhood where I'll be staying.

Museums, yes!  The Frick first and then The Met.  Reports will follow in the Fine Art Friday format.

No shows this time, but I did investigate options for Wicked.

See ya later, alligator!

Does this line make you think of lyrics to a particular song?

It does for me.

But I'm not breaking up with anyone or anything.

The point of this entry is to announce that I figured out how to backup my both my Blogger and Xanga Archives to my hard drive and thereby preserve my thoughts for posterity. 

Filing is not one of my favorite tasks despite my stellar administrative and organizational abilities.  So, while I may have in my possession a certain item, I may be the only one who can find it.

So, if you've read this far, you now know *backing up* is NOT hard to do.

Because I figured it out!

Locally grown vegetables purchased at Cherokee's Fresh Market made for a colorful dinner plate after church yesterday. 

It all started with the gift of some crook-neck yellow squash from a patient.  I steamed them with a large vidalia onion and made the typical casserole (cheese, eggs, breadcrumbs) to anchor the meal.  Then (continuing clockwise) there are some creamed potatoes, pickled okra, steamed white-runner green beans, and the piece-de-resistence!

Sliced home-grown tomatoes!

As I was browsing the booths at the Canton market, I stopped to chat with some friends who were selling blueberries.  Just as I was making my purchase (of a gallon of them), someone said *You're a Jordan*   I looked up to see my high school chemistry teacher!! 

We caught up with one another's families and he insisted upon sharing some tomatoes with me, before he set up his own booth.  At his invitation, I'm planning to visit his garden very soon.  I know he is an excellent science teacher.  Plus those tomatoes....precious produce

In the spirit of full disclosure, I didnt buy the eggs at the fresh market (or the whole wheat flour for the biscuits) even though they were for sale.  I just already had some at home.

Here's a link to dessert:  Blueberry Crisp!

Veggie plate combinations are endless.

What's your favorite?

Isabel Dalhousie's personality, whom I first met in February, continues to intrigue me in this Alexander McCall Smith mystery.  Friends, Lovers, Chocolate is the second of four in the Sunday Philosophy Club series, providing commentary on a wide-range of ethical issues without offending my sense of right and wrong.

Here's a short clip describing how Isabel's philosophical moorings got her *involved* in solving a crime and relieving the anxiety of a heart-transplant patient.  In short, a friend comes to the aid of another.

"Why are you doing this, Isabel? Jamie asked mildly.  "What's the point?"

She looked at him.  It was her duty, was it not?  If this was really information about who was responsible for the hit-and-run incident, then surely she had a duty to do something about it -- any citizen would have that duty simply because he or she was a citizen.  And there was more to it than that.  By listening to Ian's story, she felt that she had been drawn into a moral relationship with him and his situation.  Isabel had firm views on moral proximity and the obligations it created.  We cannot choose the situations in which we beome involved in this life; we are caught up in them whether we like it or not.  If one encounters the need of another, because of who one happens to be , or where one happens to find oneself, and one is in a position to help, then one should do so.  It was a simple as that.  pgs 121-122

That explains the first word in the title.  Now for the third.

Early in the story Isabel connects chocolate to the solution.  As she's listening to Ian (heart transplant patient) describe his dilemma, he confesses his yearning for chocolate which he must avoid.  Isabel comments:

Chocolate involves major philosphical problems.  It shows us a lot about temptation and self-control.  Yes, chocolate is a great test. pg 67

*Lovers* seems a bit dramatic in the title as there is no explicit romance; only hints and references to past, present and future relationships between characters.  But I have already purchased book three (from PaperBackSwap, no less)  in hopes of finding out how Isabel solves her own lack of a love interest.

How does Isabel strike you?

Copper, expertly crafted by sculptor Trailor McQuilkin, makes up the bulk of this beautiful trillium flower.  Over two dozen such displays are exhibited at the Virginia Hand Callaway Discovery Center where I just finished a week-long vacation with my nuclear and extended family.

Here's the rest of the flower complete in a natural habitat recreated by McQuilkin with real twigs, rocks, and pine cones.  Dont skip this link to his website where you can see photos of his more recent work without the distractions of my poor photography.

Unfortunately, I failed to record the name of this pretty yellow and white flower.  But you can see how the artist captured the lifelike essence of the natural setting.

Years ago Deen Day Smith, the benefactress of the Butterfly Center, first encountered McQuilkin's work at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.  She promptly commissioned him for Callaway.  The research, design and execution took ten years to complete.  It is interesting to note that McQuilkin's name is no where visible in these displays.  I had to inquire of a docent who gave me information sheet.  That's when I knew I had to highlight his sculptures.

For almost ten years myself I've been walking for exercise and fun.  One of my first woodland hikes was a guided one through the Cason J. Callaway Forest, which I did again last week.  This Spring I happened upon a guided wildflower tour at a local State Park where I learned about a dozen endangered Georgia species and photographed the rare dwarf larkspur.  There are more photos in one of my Facebook albums.

 It's been fun to combine my walking/hiking for exercise with the mental task of learning more about the flora and fauna of my area. I've already claimed the historical value.  But I think this entry shall be my inaugural in the 100-Species Challenge started last year by Magistramater.

Who's captured your attention artistically this summer?