Last week's garden party

On Saturday July 21 (Harry Potter 7 reading day), there was a party in the garden. I passed by - between 2 chapters, took some photos - only remembered them now:

Family Day downtown

Maya and Victor went to this event for kids and Maya made this family tree and a scrap book (first page shown)Click for larger size

Pottermania 3

Home with the book - Maya's turn to read a chapter loud (I had already read that one last night) so I am updating the blog. The party was great! Maya was Padfoot - the dog Sirius sometimes transformed in, I was a dementor. We made a 20 second video, Maya gave an interview to CNN ("why did you pick Padfoot? "I like the character and I have a crush on Sirius")
Finished the book last night at 3:30 AM - exactly 27h and 15 minutes after I bought it!

Pottermania 2

Lots of fuss - with New York Times swindling an advance copy from some thieving bookstore (that will be sued) and publishing on the first page (on line) a spoiler ridden review ....(SEE MY COMMENT AT # 45)
Meanwhile, we've been working on our costumes for tonight, as Maya is catching up with re-reading book 6 (I'm done!). I stood in line for numbers at Barnes & Noble - hoping a shorter wait tonight - but I missed some secret handshake somewhere - so. I'll kust buy the book from a worthier bookstore (Shakespeare&co). Maya & Victor went to their recorder teaching class...

Pottermania

With a new movie and a new book - this month for us is definitely Harry Potter month. We have already enjoyed the movie - and will go again tomorrow.
We are now fighting for book 6 - to be ready by midnight Friday when book 7 goes on sale at the end of the mother of all costume parties at the bookstore (Maya and I are also planning our costumes). The bookstore already is getting ready for it - complete with countdown clocks (days and hours) until midnight Friday:

Midsummer Night's Dream

Another - unknown to us- children theater company - had the ambition to put on Shakespeare, for toddlers, in a playground in Prospect Park. Big fans of Shakespeare in the Park from our NY Classic theater experiences, and of Prospect Park, Maya and I went. The average age illustrated by one of the audience members in this photo. The abridged version of the play was fun and inventive - using muppets for Puck & the fairies, throwing them around to show their flying. There was a puppet making workshop on a statue after the play.More photos from both plays here

DANDELIONS (Paperback Players)

Yesterday, a children theater company that we love very much was performing in Madison Square Park so we went. It's a good thing we had already seen this year's play, because the noises (babysitters loud talk, jackhammers, babies crying) were drowning half of the sound. Still, it was fun!
Can you spot Maya and Victor in the crowd? I of course, had a better spot, having brought my trusty folding chir with me - but had to do battle with babysitters who promised to "spank" me if I ask them to be quiet again !

Happy Birthday, Brian!

May you have a wonderful day - and year!

Also, on Saturday, we went to Governeur's island

This little island between Manhattan and Brooklyn - that had a military base on it since the civil war years. A few years ago, the feds sold it to NYC for $1 and the city finally decided to use it. There's an hourly ferry service to it (20 minutes wait to get on it, 3 minutes ride), and there are events going on - most notably an Odetta concert last Saturday

11th anniversary mushroom walk

Under protest I allowed myself to be schlepped on the DePew mushroom walk on a day with temperatures in mid 90s. I only gave in because it was on this walk, 11 years ago that Victor and I met (how comes we skipped the 10th???)
Not many mushrooms found - if you don'y count the many ganodermas - here's the gano now, drawn on the mushroom derma (upper right)...ID session and guests...More photos here

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Congratulations, Tania!

It seems she got to teach her teacher - a famous polymer clay artist who taught in Israel a few things. So she is now featured on her website

Happy Birthday to me!

Our Sacher Torte is made, celebrations to come...Did I mention Maya also rode her bike? She handed my presents - twice (once at midnight when she woke up - to groggy to remember - then this morning.
Ava sent a nice letter - she is going to the sea shore.
off to the garden to plant my alpine strawberry seedlings!
We went to the Wai Cafe, had the cake at our place - and all in all it was a grand day - with cool breezes as wished by Ava.