Out of Bars!

I'm on vacation this week in a beautiful and rural part of upstate New York...my plan to blog from here has been foiled two fold... Couldn't locate a 'Camera Kit' from Apple for the iPad to upload photos because Apple can't keep up with the demand on this wonderful new product including all accessories. Maybe I could have purchased one online a few weeks before leaving, but I thought I would find one at the Apple store... Silly me!
Truly the biggest obstacle to communicating with the outside world is, NO BARS!... No Verizon bars, no AT&T bars...except for one little spot about the size of my butt (sorry, my kids say that), butt really and truly... It's where I'm sitting right now sharing a litle patch of grass with some ants, and the signal is iffy at best.
Yesterday I must have tried to text or call my 14 year old son all day and into the evening... It's his first day at a tennis camp for the week, but NOT, because he also has spotty service... And we kept missing each other with broken messages!
Oh no, it's showering so I'll come back to my spot with the ants in a few minutes...
I'm enjoying the deer, the corn, the lake, and even the occasional ant... so if you're checking into the blog this week and the posting date hasn't changed in a few days I apologize now, and will be back home next week.
Maybe having 'no bars' is the antidote to a busy lifestyle... Maybe I should appreciate and consider this a gift!
p.s. I'm enjoying time with my husband most of all.

It's a Wrap!

That's what they say in 'show biz' and that's what they said to me yesterday at Emily Sky Fashions in Commack, NY, when I said what's that?...in the pretty pouch...

these two photos are from my garden this morning

I bought navy to wear with my black, $39

... "it's a wrap", a 'Chilly Jilly' wrap... and more...

it's not only a wrap but a sarong, a scarf...

... and they come in these pretty silk pouches so you can just toss in in your purse...

Take it to a restaurant, an air conditioned restaurant, take it to the theater, an air conditioned theater, take it to the beach, an a  i  r... no sorry, but you know what I mean.

If you're traveling this summer it's great and it makes a beautiful gift!

I'll be traveling next week and I hope to be blogging from my husbands iPad, but if there's a problem I will be back on the 19th... have a great week!

Heat & Runny Eyes

Would you tell a friend or even a stranger if their eyes looked like this?!

I would and I think most women would, but I can remember many a time returning home, or in the ladies room mirror finding out I looked something like this... and no one said anything!

In the heat of summer when my eyeliner pencil gets soft it's more likely I will end up with raccoon eyes... that's why I wanted to tell you about 'Stila's Smudge Stick Waterproof eyeliners. New York Magazines' blog, The Cut, says they are richly pigmented and glide on easily...

'Stila' from Sephora online or in the store, $20

... I'm one who wears waterproof mascara all year because of watery eyes from allergies, so this is a WINNER for me!

Love to hear your opinion... 'To tell or not to tell?'.

If you're enjoying my blog regularly or even if this is your first visit, please vote for me on the side 'Top Mommy Blogs" button just by clicking on it, thanks.

Coke vs. Pepsi

I'm not a soda drinker, but once in a while, say,... on 100 degree days like we've been having this week in NY, I enjoy a cold glass of.................... COKE, sorry PEPSI fans, too sweet (with an after taste too).

My son loves it like his Mom

Of course, we know sugar doesn't really quench ones taste, so for that I stick to water and I do like a good cold beer also, especially with say a 'lobster roll' like the fabulous one I had this July 4th in Mattituck at Love Lane Kitchen!

Menu board at Love Lane Kitchen

July 4th flower arrangement at our table

Are you a COKE or PEPSI fan?

Mexican via Long Island

It was Saturday night the Saturday night before the 4th of July... yes, that makes it Saturday, July 3rd... when we went wandering around an all too familiar Huntington, Long Island, just a hop from our home.
We were spending special time with our 14 year old son (while his brother's in camp) before going our separate ways on Sunday for an all adult 4th which we were to spend with friends while he was having a sleepover with his cousins.
We love Mexican food, but it's very hard to find the good stuff this far north of the border!  It's been a few years since we had supped at Oaxaca Mexican Food Treasure, a casual restaurant with very friendly service and authentic food that really hit the spot, a guilty pleasure, what I mean by that is that when the check comes we ( maybe just me) felt guilty not paying more!
The first great thing I had was gazpacho, cool and refreshing (low cal)...  and oh so fragrant, with bits of apple, peach and jicama in a thick cilantro lime infused tomato base! The Mexico City Tacos, Oaxaca Mole, and Chile Rellenos were fantastic and of course Flan for dessert which we all split.

They're proud and friendly

Oaxaca Mole

Mexico City Tacos

Chile Relleno and Burrito Combo

Hope you had a great weekend!

A Different Bagel

I know it's the 4th of July this weekend and I probably should be blogging about something red, white, and blue... maybe something with strawberries... but I can't contain my excitement about a NEW (for me) kind of bagel I've never heard of before this morning...

A Montreal-style BAGEL...

                                                                photo by Wikepedia

Even after having lived on the West Coast for many years, and now back to New York for many more years, my view of life is a New York point of view, and I've nearly forgotten how culinarily obsessed people are, in a GOOD way, on the West Coast!  So here's my long-winded point... there is so much good food everywhere out there from small producers!
I came to a wonderful food blog, The Cookbook Chronicles, and saw this post about the 'Portland Farmer's Market' with these photos...

My mouth watered at the 'Porchetta Sandwich' created by Tastebud

... I had to find out what a Montreal-style Bagel was... Wikipedia gives a history and says,  "it's a distinctive variety, handmade and wood-fired.  In contrast to the New York- style bagel, it's smaller, sweeter and denser with a large hole."

There is life outside of New York and I want to taste it NOW!!!

Roses are red

Violets are blue

I love New York

and Portland now too!

I hope you have a happy July 4th filled with laughter, good company and good eats!

Times Square in Perfect Light

TIME & PLACE: Yesterday in Times Square on the way to a Broadway show...

I used to work on 46th between 6th and 7th Avenues... Times Square... a lot has changed over the years for the better.  In all those years I never stood on line at TKTS for discounted Broadway show tickets. Probably because I'm not a lover of Broadway theater, I prefer off or off off Broadway... I'd rather go to a museum, gallery, or a movie... maybe that's because I'm a visual artist, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the Broadway spectacle...
Yesterday I travelled from Long Island into the city with two friends on a mission to see a Broadway show... decisions decisions, that's what we did while waiting on line (about 10:30am) on the most beautiful day (sunny, mid 70's, no humidity) I can remember, we had to have our list of shows (listed on the board) we wanted to see in order of preference before we reached the ticket booth... Fela!, Memphis, South Pacific... Fela! it was (at 50% off) front row mezzanine!

My view of Times Square while waiting on line...

Fela! is a great story (based on Nigerian musician and activist Fela Kuti's life in the late 70's), and actor Sahr Ngaujah IS the show... he's worth the price of admission!

A sneak peak at part of the wonderful set design!

Oh, and when you go, check out the NEW Forever 21 megastore and billboard!!!

Thanks girls for a perfect day!