Back from New York

Only in New York can one exhaust oneself so entirely that it feels great!  I'm dead boned tired and my legs are killing me (and my stomach too).  My yearly trip to the Big Apple is over and my entire body is trying to recuperate from the massive abuse I put it through, but I had a wonderful time. 

The first few days with my sister were a lot of fun.  We scoped out just about every antique store, thrift shop and tag sale on both the North and South Forks.   A lot of them were very pricey, but then again, dealt with merchandise probably from the rich and famous.  But there were some things to be found.  My sister found this:

She has blamed me for her new liking of flower frogs.  She's actually going to use this for her pencils or paint brushes (as her craft is painting) on her desk since she doesn't have my lust to use these for scissors.  I found a couple things, but I can post them later.

The weather was beautiful (almost 70 the first day) while I was there and it's a beautiful place.

The Lighthouse at Montauk and the Beach

Then we hit just about every winery on both the North and South Forks, but they were jammed packed (a lot of thirsty people there for the wine tastings), so we hightailed it to the roadshop stands and came home with this:

I can't even tell you how much seafood I ate while I was there - calamari, clam chowder, lobsters and clams, and a huge lobster BLT in Greensport.  Oh yeah, and then a wonderful Mexican dinner and margaritas the last night I was there (needed a change in food).  I don't dare get near the scale for a week or so. 

Sunday, I took the train into the city.  I just love it there!  There is so much to do and see!  Fun things and some funny things!  Food, people - it amazes me that the City, while crowded during the day, becomes even moreso at night!  Although I do have to say that the economy must be hitting hard.  I stayed at the Marriott Marquis and you could have almost rolled a bowling ball through the place.

What did I see?

Yep, the Naked Cowboy.  And that's not me with him!!!  I think that you're suppose to pay him for the pictures you take, so I hid off to the side and shot it. 

I had all sorts of plans to go scout out the trim shops, and a xstitch shop in New Jersey, but I ended up realizing that I really didn't need any more stash, so I walked and walked.

Times Square outside my Hotel

Central Park

The Guggenheim

This year's trip I decided to do a couple more museums - The Guggenheim and the Museum of Natural History.  The Guggenheim was showing a collection of works by Vasily Kandinsky.  While I didn't even know anything about him, his works were very interesting.  And because of the layout of the Guggenheim, his paintings started at the bottom and worked their way to the top from his earliest works to his later works.  It was very interesting to see the progression made in his paintings over the years.  After that museum, I had to stop for this at the Stage Deli:

You just can't go to New York without going to a Deli where the sandwiches could feed a family of four and the cheesecakes are as big as tire wheels.  Just so you know, there was no way that I could finish this thing, but I love Pastrami, so I made a noble attempt.  Didn't try the cheesecake though.  I don't think there was any way I could have found space for it.

After that, a trip to the Museum of Natural History.  This museum had so many interesting things in it, but there is no way you could make it through in one day and absorb everything that is in there.  Then it was more walking around, then back to the hotel, and then to a wonderful Italian restaurant (I did a French one the night before - don't tell my family - but a mom has to have a good time once in a while - I get tired of my own cooking - LOL).  I have to say that I've never had a bad meal in New York, nor a bad glass of wine for that matter, but I've always come home a few pounds heavier.  I guess the treadmill is going to become my new best friend.

Well, needless to say there was no stitching done, but I was still enabled on my trip.  Vonna started a new blog for the Prairie Schooler Alphabets right before I left.

I've wanted to do them, and now I have an excuse to ride along with the SAL.  I stink at them, but I'll give it a try.  Then Kim posted a quilt that she had ordered from the Threadbear and when I went to the website, I discovered one named Phebe that I just have to do!  I can't get a good picture of it, so when I arrives (yes, you know I had to order it the minute I got home), I'll post a pic.

Well, that's it.  I took a ton more pictures, but I still have to unpack and try to decide what to make for dinner.  Seems I got out of practice the past few days.  There's nothing like being waited on!  Have a great Thanksgiving and make a lot of X's.