LONGHOUSE

It's notcha ordinary garden tour.  In fact if you read information on the LongHouse website, the mission of LongHouse is to exemplify living with art in all forms.   As we were planning our excursion to the Hamptons, Aggie mentioned a visit to LongHouse and I knew it would be a memorable day.   Jack Larson, the international textile designer, founded LongHouse, and I'm going to skip all the narration and just share pictures.   You will see the sculpture of the falling woman that was added after 9/11, the chess set that was donated by Yoko Ono, and a circle of benches that reminded me of Cornwall's Merry Maidens.  Enjoy the garden and the art and IF you are lucky enough to make it to the Hamptons, don't miss LongHouse. 

I love the graceful mimosa in the background and these photos only begin to capture the gardens.  I hope you will venture out for yourself and visit LongHouse.

The Labyrinth

In some ways I got home this evening and was irritated with myself.   I intended to continue my post about the Hamptons.   In particular I want to share with you a very special place there that is amazing in many ways, though it will have to wait.   I downloaded all the pictures on my work computer AND my work computer is AT WORK so that post will have to wait.  

Meanwhile I saw something today and took a picture of it.  It is something that I want to share with you.  In the past I may have mentioned that I volunteer a lot and one of the volunteer programs I participate in is with is the Road to Recovery.   It's an American Cancer Society program that matches volunteer drivers with patients needing transportation to the their treatments and wow - what a rewarding experience!   For me it is is therapy.   I lost my best friend who helped me make it through my teenage years, my sister-in-law (though to me she was always a sister), in April 1987.  From the time I was 12 years old, she was the big sister I had always dreamed of and losing her was the hardest life experience that I've ever had to face.  She left behind a 5 year old son, a gaping hole in my heart and wounds for my family that remained raw for decades.  In fact I cry for my dear Elsa every few months.   One thing that happened after losing her was that I valued my sister Cathie even more and that was a good thing.   To me there is nothing more wonderful than sisters.

What does that have to do with today?   Well, I give blood (3 gallons or more so far) and drive cancer patients in loving memory of Elsa and today was a patient driving day.  While waiting for my patient to complete his treatment I spotted a beautiful labyrinth in the garden at the treatment facility.    There is something so spiritual about a labyrinth and when I saw it I got out of the car to sit at the bench beside the beautiful pattern.  Then I walked the grassy path.  In my mind I found my way out of the twists and turns and it gave me such peace.  It was as if I freed the patient that was traveling with me today and for just a moment, I knew Elsa was with me, smiling that we were sharing this moment of peace.

I had every intention of posting all about this amazing place in the Hamptons, and believe me, I will get to it, but today I had to share the labyrinth.   Isn't it strange that my dear Elsa and her Ionotti family was from Westbury, NY?  It was meant to be for me to share her story while I carry on about New York.  The world may be big but we are all connected somehow, and today it was with the labyrinth.

May the labyrinth give you peace.

A Trip to the Hamptons

UPDATE -  Check this out! http://taxidiaris.blogspot.com/2010/09/hammptons-new-york-usa.html

I've always wanted to go to the Hamptons so you can imagine how excited I was when my friend suggested we get up early, put on a sundress and head to the Hamptons.   We did really well with traffic early on Saturday morning, until we got near Sag Harbor.  We took a side road and decided to check out the beach. 

This was one of the South Hampton beaches.  We walked on the beach a bit and headed to the downtown.  Sag Harbor was full of all kinds of great shops, including an incredible hardware store.   I did get a little frustrated with the lovely French shop that had beautiful one-of-a-kind couture - all size 4 and 6!!!!  

Sag Harbor was a lovely way to start our day.   After plenty of looking around we decided to head to East Hampton for lunch.  After finding parking and walking around the East Hampton's LVIS Fair we found our way to a lovely restaurant called CittaNuova.  The restaurant was packed but we asked if we could get a table on the patio.  We were so lucky!   The only available table was in a perfect spot by the garden wall and it came with the cutest waiter too!

I didn't take enough pictures of the streets and storefronts (I was busy watching for celebs) but I did appreciate how everything was so well appointed.   Did you know they have their own home and garden magazine?  HC&G and for all you pink lovers, you might like reading the Pretty in Pink article in the current issue.

 And the architecture was exactly as I imagined.

 So guess where we headed off to next?   Take a look at the picture below and see if you recognize this place.  My next posting will be long and full of pictures.   Hope you come back soon.

New York. I Wasn't On Vacation But . . .

I must admit it worked out perfectly to have to be in New York for business on a Monday.  It's miraculous almost the way the schedule worked.  It left me with an opportunity for a weekend of opportunities and experiences that I couldn't have imagined.

One of my dearest friends from college days, truthfully a soul sister, lives just outside of NYC.  She's an incredibly talented textile designer who went to school in Georgia - first Berry College, then UGA.  My friend is an amazing person who knows how to experience life with feeling and more significantly, with an "eye that sees."   I can't do her justice by trying to describe her joie de vivre and the way she focuses on experiencing life but I can tell you about some of the amazing things we managed to pack into two short days thanks to Aggie.

Have you been to the New York Botanical Garden? 

It was my first time to visit and I loved it.  Martha Stewart is there!   Well, sort of.  Martha Stewart has designed an historical herb garden.  Guests at the garden can take a quick trolley tour of the entire garden or use the trolley to visit some of the many "gardens" within the garden. 

  
Outside the Conservatory, the planters were filled with eggplant, corn, peppers and lots of other edibles. 

There were several things I enjoyed about the purple and white garden.

Like thistle.

And Peter Rabbit was there too.

We left the gardens and headed to a nearby neighborhood fish market to pick up some fresh fish for dinner.  Was I surprised when I discovered that "fresh" was "fresh from Italy." 

How would you like some fresh mozzarella?  It's made fresh daily.  In case your wondering, yes, we bought some - yum!

I spotted something I'd never seen, or tasted before - rice balls.  Have you had them?  The are incredible!  These would make a perfect lunch for me everyday.  

UPDATE!  Patti at Bramasole....Yearn for the Sun posted the recipe for rice balls!  Click on the link above.

We planned to stop for some coffee but then I spotted a bakery lined with cases of pastries like this.  I'm not making this up - there must have been more than 100 different sweets to choose from!!!

And then I saw the gelato.  It too is made at the bakery.

Needless to say, I opted for a little more than some coffee.  

I also found it charming that almost every store or restaurant had a sign up that read something like this.  

Can't wait to tell you about our next stop!

A Trip to Scotts, AFTER the Atlanta Bloggers Gathering

Some of the Atlanta bloggers got together for a brunch yesterday and you can read more about the gathering by stopping in at Sue's place at Rue Mouffetard.

 (Sue, I hope you don't mind that I borrowed the group picture).  

We had such a good time visiting and enjoying some incredible food!  After the brunch a few of us headed over to Scott's Antique Market to do some shopping and looking.   Recently when shopping in the south building I met a lovely new friend, and I was so happy to see that she was there this month too.   Her name is Ava and she is a 5th grader.  Her mother is french and her father is American so she spends her school year in the U.S. and summers in France.   Her father owns a shop in Atlanta, Provenance Antiques, and has a booth at Scott's specializing in french provencial pieces. 

 

Ava, on the other hand is a young jewelry making artist.  Here are a few pairs of earrings that I purchased - all for $3 each!  

I love the little note that she tucked inside my envelope.   May I convey the same message to you, dear readers!   I hope you will stop back by over the next few days as I share some great adventures from my recent work travels.