Staten Island Ferry

I don't know what it is, the light, the history, the mix of tourists and locals...but I love the Staten Island ferry.

For those of you that have never used this vehicle of transportation, I highly recommended it. Its free, its only 30 minutes, you can get drinks and snacks on the boat, there are indoor seats and outdoor seats and it offers the best view of the Statue of Liberty you can get.

There is something magical about seeing "The Green Lady" ( that is what my students used to call her) with people from around the world. They are so excited when we pass her, their cameras are clicking, they have an incredible look of awe and appreciation on their faces, and they are pointing like crazy for the kids to look! They remind someone like me who has seen her a thousand times how special The Statue of Liberty really is and also what she represents to this country. The tourists help me see her with new eyes every time.





Here is a perfect example of a local and tourist on the boat.

Making the Passover Gefilte Fish!

Any time someone hires me to do a job I feel honored. It is such a privilege to be allowed into people's personal lives. I felt extra privileged with this two day job because not only was I documenting something important, I was documenting a family's religious tradition.

I am sure many families that are Jewish prepare the Gefilte Fish for Passover every year, but what was extra special about this situation is that the fish was being prepared by GG, a 101 year young whipper snapper! GG has been preparing the fish every year since she was a little girl with her mother, and this year I was given the honor to document her preparing it with her daughter, her granddaughter and her two great grandsons!





Every year special cookware just for Passover is brought out and used. This pot still has its label on it from long ago!



Caleb takes his bottle while his great grandmother cooks- there is a 100 year age difference between these two- Amazing!!!



You have got to love the patience and determination of a dog!





Hayden loves to help cook. Above and below he is seen participating in the family tradition!





GG quickly and skillfully makes balls out of the fish with her daughter and granddaughter's help.







Although this shot is out of sequence, I have to close on it because an image of GG and her sweet and upbeat charm is a wonderful note to end this photo story on!!!

Thank you so much for allowing me into your lives for two days to experience this event rich in culture and tradition! It was a great honor to be there.

Work Distractions

Maybe you work from home such as myself, or you work in an office. Either way there will always be distractions. Meet mine....Maxi! There is nothing Maxi loves more than to be at the center of attention. She will do anything in her power to stop me from typing, using my mouse, or sitting comfortably at the computer. The funniest thing is, when I am not working and I am relaxing on the couch she wants nothing to do with me and would prefer to sit by herself!

Spring photo walk

Wave Hill- the Bronx



Riverside Drive



135th St



The lotto line, this guy must have been feeling lucky!



For those of you that may not know me, I love statues. They just really seem to speak to me. One thing that really bothers me about NY is that we have so many male statues and not enough of important historical women. But this statue of Eleanor Roosevelt is a little gem and she also gets her own garden!

A City Nature Walk

Yesterday finally cleared up and created a lovely evening. I decided to go see if I could be amongst nature even here up in Harlem! I had to be creative. There was a patch of grass inside a triangle created by two roads and a turn off. The highway department must have decided to make it look pretty and planted the flowers. To get a nature feel and not a city feel I decided to actually lay in the patch of flowers. When I told my Mom this she said that people probably thought I was crazy. Well here in NYC I think you actually have to be running down the street screaming to get the crazy label!



I then walked into Riverside Park which is a quaint little park. I love how the Pear Tree is in full bloom set against the other trees that are just starting to bud. It makes for a stark contrast.









This last picture was again in a little patch between roads...thanks highway department!
I hope everyone is enjoying this weather- soak it all in because before we know it will be the 3 H's- hazy, hot and humid!!

Spring 2009

I had started awhile back to post seasonal pictures and I should not have stopped. So I am now officially starting again, newly inspired by this image.

I was in a New York rush when I saw this flower on the ground and just had to take a picture, rush and all. The beautiful, yellow Daffodil is in perfect contrast to the wet, littered pavement. And it is crushed. Someone, in a New York rush stepped on it. Someone, maybe the same person or not, picked it, but didn't want it and tossed it. Yet, it's beauty persevered and was a wonderful reminder to me, on a cold wet day, that Spring is on its way. Hopefully when it comes we will be ready to appreciate it.

Buffalo Structures

Recently I had a trip back to Buffalo. While I was there I took a yoga class. From out the window of the studio there was this structure in the distance that was so amazing to me and also quite unusual. I could not stop staring at it or thinking about it during the class. After class a great family friend of ours navigated the side streets to bring me to this structure. The structure is abandoned and it was not clear what its function ever was. I just thought it was so beautiful.



While driving down a country road to visit a friend, we passed another structure that struck me. I didn't stop on the way there but on the way back we did a pull over. The sky was so blue and the structure was so white in comparison. My mind raced with images of what I am sure it is, a fruit stand or a vegetable stand during the peak season days. But that day, all closed up it was just like a sculpture, so still and so intriguing. Well, at least to me it was.



This is another shot taken from the weeds and made in infra red tones.
Enjoy

Happy Birthday Rose- Marie!!

Rose- Marie is the beautiful mother of one of my good friends. They invited me to spend the afternoon with them at Mambo Italiano in Brooklyn to celebrate her birthday! They are an Italian family and I decided that in my next life I want to come back as an Italian! Not only do they know how to eat, but they sure know how to have a great time and love their family!





Kissing Cousins!



Singing Happy Birthday to Grandma!



Here the men got up and sang "That's Amore"- it was hysterical!



The ladies sang back with "I Will Survive" and topped the men by singing AND dancing around the room!





The Puma Family! Thanks for letting me be apart of the special day!

My New Friend Mike

Today I woke up not feeling great and decided to skip the high energy of the St Patrick's parade and trade it in for a stroll around Harlem. It was so beautiful out and the blue sky was a gift for all this gray we have been having!!! Maybe someone up there is Irish??

So on this walk I saw this pharmacy and joking around in my head I called it the Pepto Bismol pharmacy!! As I walked by I looked in the windows and what I thought was a super clean window was an empty window!! I started laughing as did the guy inside! He yelled for me to take a picture...which I did, and that is how a made my new friend Mike. After talking for a bit he asked me to come with him to OTB to pick some horses. He thought I might have beginners luck. We lost. Sorry Mike- I'm English not Irish!!!

Lastly, I got yelled at in OTB by some crazy old lady who said she would find me in my home and kill me if I took any pictures and he jumped to my defense!!! Thanks Mike!

I had such a wonderful time talking to Mike. He was actually born and raised right by where I used to live in Brooklyn. He moved to Harlem 10 years ago. He gave me some great advice that I truly appreciate.



Mike explaining to me about how in Africa they race zebras and donkeys!



Ok- so this is place I smelled long before I saw it!! It is a place that sells live animals and then they kill them for you and send you on your way with some fresh meat!! Notice how high above the birds fly by this place!



Poor things!! I have chicken marinating in the fridge right now...but I am not sure how I will feel about dinner later!



This sweet lady told me all about how they kill them and pluck them and do all the dirty stuff for you!!






I love all the famous people in the windows.



You tell 'em kids!!!! Love that!!!



I was really interested in this. Wasn't sure if it was going up or down- but I really liked it. Harlem is so creative!!!



And well...this just speaks for itself!!! AWESOME!! Thanks Greg for finding this!!!