For years I kept journals -- in composition, spiral bound, and French graph paper books. This blog is an attempt to get back to writing and documenting the world around me using photos, newspaper headlines, and other articles.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Our annual April trip to NY

First, before we left, Selim took his karate test last Friday night and was promoted to brown belt!  We are so proud.



I think this past weekend was our third annual trip to see Heather and family during April vacation.  This year was a bit different in that JT couldn't join all the activities since he had school.  But otherwise, we had a fabulous time.

This won't be a dear diary, hour by hour chronicle...I don't have time this evening for that.  But I do have some pictures to share.

We went into NYC on Sunday to go to the Met and see two exhibits: The Sultans of Deccan India and The Plains Indians, Artists of Earth and Sky. I highly recommend both.  All of went to the Plains exhibit first.  The boys found it somewhat interesting.  There were items that sparked Selim's interest: a bear claw necklace



a ceremonial headdress



and the big skins with battle scenes depicted right on them.  I found the use of porcupine quills really fascinating.  I had no idea that you could make such beautiful intricate and detailed patterns with quills.  One of my favorite things was a belt that a little girl would have worn.  It had pouches, tools, and other essentials.  Sweet isn't the right adjective...thought provoking, smile inducing.  I can't imagine being small and having this be my belt.



As I walked around, I had flashes of news coverage of the destruction of heritage sites in the Middle East going through my mind.  Civilizations have made art and functional objects beautiful. We are so lucky that the objects in this exhibit have been saved so that we can learn from them and have a better understanding of life before we were born.  To watch the willful destruction of other objects half a world away is sickening.  Such a loss that cannot be regained.

After lunch, the boys went to the armor section and then out for a romp in Central Park while the ladies meandered through the Deccan exhibit.  There was so much to see that I found it hard to concentrate. The New York Times had a big write up on the exhibit and that might have been a cause for it to be so crowded.  It was fun to walk through it with Heather.  She loved the beautiful, functional home pieces: door stoppers and pitchers.  I found myself taking pictures of the big photographs of architectural details that were on the walls.

Both of us spent long moments with the textiles.  And so did Tim Gunn.  Somehow we found ourselves looking at the same things as we moved through the different rooms.  There was one tent flap that I wanted to document, I couldn't believe that a tent flap could be so intricately decorated.  Well, Tim and a designer from a previous season of Project Runway also found a lot to enjoy about that particular textile.  I waited and waited and waited.  I didn't want to take a picture with him standing in front of it because I didn't want him to think I was taking a picture of him.  So I waited some more.  Then they moved on and I could take my picture.  And then we kept being in the same orbit.  I hope he didn't think I was a stalker.

Tent flap


I think one of my top five pieces in this exhibit was a prayer mat that was a long strip, with individual spaces marked by different pattern.  This one had nine spaces marked for nine people.  I could just imagine rows and rows of these beautiful prayer rugs.




In that exhibit I was also grateful for my spiritual path.  Growing up, attending services, I listened to stories involving Muslim saints, along with Sikh, Hindu, and Christian.  I heard about Emperor Jahangir in stories, and the devotion of Layla and Majnun -- depicted in some of the paintings and manuscripts.  I have a reference point for the art and objects of this particular display.  The museum provided magnifying glasses and I'm so glad that I scored one.  The detail in the miniature paintings came to life under the magnifying glass that was so surprising.

A family that visits museums together, eats ice cream afterwards by the fountain together and takes other photos.






Shoes!


Monday, Heather, Selim, and I went back to the city on a fabric quest.  We went to Mood first, keeping with our Project Runway theme.  What a place!  We fingered the silks and wished we had a project in mind so that we could rationalize a purchase.  But we didn't, so we passed.  We did find shirting fabric to buy.  Heather is going to make some tops for Grammy Bev, and I have visions of making a dress and a shirt.  At some point, I will have to figure out how to put in a zipper and make a button hole if I want to have success with clothes.  May be I can find a pattern without to start.

Fabric and more glorious fabric

My 2 pink stripe choices


Happy with our choices, we walked another 10 blocks to City Quilter.  I found it harder to be economical with my choices, but I did a pretty good job.  Selim found some ninja fabric that he wants to become a pillow.  I picked up a couple New York City prints and a couple of bag patterns.

After lunch, Heather headed back home to pick up JT from school and Selim and I continued our adventure.  I wanted to find bread pans the same size as I bought in London.  Surely I could find them.  We tried four different shops that took us from Chelsea Market, down to Greenwich St and 13th and then back up to 22nd and 23rd streets.  No luck.  But I did find an off-set spatula, mini doughnut pan and a teapot cookie cutter.  Selim bought a mug with the image of the Welsh flag.  In total, we walked close to 4.5 miles.  We picked up the subway at 23rd and then hopped on Metro North to go back to Harrison.

Chelsea Market


Fountain / water fall Chelsea Market

Grand Central Station

Selfie on the train

Train reflection, wearing his new Real Madrid jersey


This morning, I sewed on the brown trim on Selim's karate uniform and Heather started the shirt pattern.  It was so fun drinking tea, sewing, singing, and just being together.  We need a family compound, for realz.  Seeing each other once a month or every other month is better than once a year...but I wish we could bop over just for a cup of tea or to borrow a cup of sugar.  May be some day.

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Easter

My Lovey Lamb and I spent a much needed weekend at the Ashram.  Heather and JT had driven up on Wednesday, so they had a head start on us.

Yesterday, the adults hid eggs outside and our two boys plus one, braved the gusty north wind to hunt.  Some eggs were more visible than others.








This morning, I took the boys downstairs to the classroom and we hid the eggs for Mom and Robert.  Again, some were able to blend in with the science stuff and presented more of a challenge than others.





This weekend felt like a tonic to what has been such a difficult past six weeks to two months or so. Most of it isn't my story to tell, but I've been affected by it none the less -- so much so that good sleep can be illusive for days at a time.  When I manage to relax enough to let my mind stop and I've drifted off --I've woken up from dreams, my pillows twisted in knots, hands clenched, and screaming in rage.  Going back to sleep after one of those episodes is difficult. I've been so heart sick that the pressure on my chest has manifested in the physical sensation where I find it difficult to breathe.   Being tired on top of the stress of the situation is not an optimum condition for me. Life has not been easy.

I'm trying to model my Mom's behavior.  When I have been in turmoil, her response has been, "I love you.  I support you -- whatever you decide.  And how can I help you?  Is there anything I can do to make it better for you?"  Now that the tables are turned,  I'm trying not to press my own agenda and feelings onto the situation, but be supportive of the decisions that Mom and Robert make.  I love them. I've tried my best to accept the way forward that they have taken.  I have listened, gave my thoughts when asked, and will be on their team to do whatever I can to alleviate any burned that I am able. They have taken the high road and have been mature, dignified, and remained true to their hearts and faith.  I've been schooled in the right way to react to adversity.  I am humbled.

On that front, I'm hopeful that we turned a corner at the end of this week and that progress has been made to resolve some difficult aspects of all this.  And maybe tomorrow we will get more positive news if one of my colleagues can return on a part-time basis.

And at some point, spring has got to come and make it more pleasant to get out and walk and eventually get back to running.  Since I've been hunkered indoors, I've chosen sewing and baking to soothe and relax and get me through these bad weeks.  I've made quite a bit of progress on my Birdbaths at Sunset quilt and have kept our family in home made bread for at least a month.  I guess some good has come out of this trying time.

Seagull centers

Pink pattern centers

Large shell centers

Close to finished, under 25 squares left to sew

Different camera, from a bit higher up

Moving bread dough to the sunny spots.

In the spirit of Easter, I need to be strong in my faith and trust that with His grace and mercy, this painful episode and transition to a new phase will work out to my/our ultimate spiritual benefit.  But man, trying to remain content in His will is a struggle.