and, now, for something completely different....

 Kudos to my Blogging friends who survived my last post of dull muddy roads and rushing water. The last couple of months have been like that in Vermont. Mud can be beautiful but, my sister, hearing me absolutely moaning with cabin fever decided that what I really needed was a city. What better city than....

New York!!!

That's right! My sister convinced my mom to trundle us both off to the great Big Apple. Of course, we had so much fun. Talk about a change of pace.... I can still hear the beep of the taxi horns and the roar of traffic.

We enjoyed some fine dining experiences. One, at Colicchio & Sons and, another, at Taureau (Fondue taken to new levels - YUM!) My mom, who grew up in NYC, got to meet up with her best friend from high school. (There they are in the bottom right corner - chattering away - joy!)

We went to see two wonderful, wonderful shows. Wicked and The House of Blue Leaves (with Ben Stiller, Edie Falco and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Phew! You could have heard a pin drop, at the end.) While I was off having an adventure on my own, though, my mom and sis "snuck" off to see How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying- starring Daniel Radcliffe (I hear he's short) and John Laroquette. My sister reports that she hasn't laughed that hard in ages and that Dan-the-man looked right into her eyes (they had seats right down front.) =D ...Okay, so, she's laughing about it, too!

We got lost in Bloomingdale's...

We had a hysterically fun time getting makeovers at the Estee Lauder section with this gorgeous woman and I got a new Channel perfume - Chance.

...and we weren't the only puppies shopping at Bloomies!

We went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art!!!

(oh, oh, oh! I LOVE it there!)

This time, we went straight to the Impressionists section. (Why do we usually leave it till last?) It's odd how we're starting to view some of these paintings as old friends who we're so happy to see again.)

While we were there, we went through the new special exhibit - Savage Beauty of Alexander McQueen's fashions. (Madelief, I thought of you and your love of fashion. You would have loved it, too.) It was gothic and more that a bit macabre and frightening and grotesque and gorgeous and flowing and beautiful and moving and haunting and powerful and connected to some kind of psyche!

It was otherworldly!

And, speaking of fashion,.... how in the world did these ladies survive walking through the Met in these shoes? Gasp! Fashionable women EVERYWHERE! (Of course.)

I got good and "lost" in Central Park (on purpose, of course).

It's always a good adventure!

Things like this appear unexpectedly around corners all the time.

There were musicians, break dancers, models being photographed - people, people, people!

Joke, anyone?

(I just looked at him and cracked up! Then, he cracked up! Then, he let me take his picture! =D)

My favorite group of musicians (a blend of classical, eastern European flavored pop.) They were good!

Shopping in the Upper West Side.

Zabar's of You've Got Mail fame.

etc....


It all ended (to make a long story short - heh) with a gorgeous trip to the NYC Botanical Gardens to meet a Blogging friend and photography mentor - Mary - from Little Red House and In a Soft Light. Mary is just as gracious and down to earth as she is in her Blog. She's one of those people that you just immediately like! I don't know, I just must be the most fortunate girl in the world!

and, the gardens? They are truly a gem!