making connections

While the biggest moment in NYC was receiving the Jane Addams honor award, there were plenty of other big moments as well. I reconnected with friends I haven’t seen in years. Decades, even. Dessert on our first night in town at Cafe Lalo with Genevieve completely sweetened the trip. I first worked with her ages ago in Boston and we are in touch annually, around her almost solstice birthday. So many moons, so little time. We met her adorable Cormac at last.

Next day, it was lunch at Brasserie with fellow RISD alum, Bob de Michiell, who looks younger every time I see him.

We talked about mutual friends, the fickle illo biz, unexpected renovations, and the fact he and Daisy are both real Mainers, by birth. Bob also managed to get us tickets to 13, a fantastically relevant musical about the pressures of adolescence with an amazing cast of kids singing their hearts out. We loved it. Thanks, Jeff!

And luckily, there is great public art to be found everywhere. Look, a weepy bunny.

It’s just plain fun to find out of scale cuteness in a cold world. Hello Kitty!

Speaking of scale, these heads by Jun Kaneko on Park Avenue were eye-catching.

I loved this one best, being the sucker for black and white that I am.

Daisy spotted this crop of peeps at Dag Hammarskjold Park after we left the UN Plaza. Sort of a cross between Keith Haring and Harry Nilssen.

We also peeked in at the New Bamboo exhibit at the Japan Society and browsed the Babar show at the Morgan Library.
We not only saw art, we bought it. Here’s the $5. sketch involuntarily bought in Battery Park of guess who with her pal, Peggy.

Our last night in the city, I saw Madeline.
As she says, “we’ve come to that age when lipstick is so necessary!”

We caught up on life, sharing gossip and teaching anecdotes, showing off beading products, being comfy, all while the Red Sox were on TV, winning game 6 of the ALCS.

This trip was a blur of impressions to savor for a quite some time.

Sunshine, freedom, public art, whimsical elephants speaking French, my heart in my throat……so glad my family was with me. From island to island!

Thanks for the photo, Nicole!