Keeping Warm Thoughts...

I realized tonight, that our faithful blog-readers didn't get a fair dose of Texas this year. Given that we were supposed to be in SA both this week and next, I am going to treat us all to an impromptu cyber visit to the Lone Star State. This is my first time around with One True Media and I can't figure out how to do the music, so feel free to hum the Oscar Peterson tune of your choice (may he rest in peace, dear soul), I picked Bye Bye Blackbird.

I also couldn't figure out how to do the captions. Below are highlights of our Texas vacation in August 2007:

Scene 1: Lunch at Blanca's with Baby
Scene 2: Playdate with Rosemary and a trip down sepia-toned memory lane
Scene 3: Harvey practices for his next gig
Scene 4: Genevieve takes Harvey to the Childrens' Museum. Harvey bakes a pie with a little help...
Scene 5: Tasty peach pie
Scene 6: Joe's gig at the Continental with Elana and friends
Scene 7: H puts on shoes, getting ready to go home
Scene 8: Back in PA - we had a "grape" time! (sorry, bad pun, but aren't those grapes divine? I do declare that they look rather biblical)

By the way, I am on heavy doses of Percodan and Advil to manage sugery pain. This has caused cloudiness of my brain function and increased daytime sleepiness - hence the 3:30 AM posting and inability to figure out how to keep up with the latest blogger technology. PS Thanks KKH for the idea to do this. I LOVED yours!

Free MySpace slideshows, photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I think we eat better than rabbits!

Henri Rousseau, The Meal of the Rabbit, 1908

It was a blast of a weekend. Our friend Cindy was visiting from NYC. Friday night we kicked off with a late supper (Joe's red beans and rice and Cindy's mixed greens with Orange Muscat Champagne vinagrette) and played just about every song in Lullabies and Night Songs (music by Alec Wilder and full-color drawings by Maurice Sendak) while conducting taste tests of various ports from the liquor cabinet.

We spent Saturday afternoon at the Barnes Foundation which is one of the world's largest collections of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and early Modern paintings, with extensive holdings by Picasso (46), Matisse (59), Cézanne (69) , Renoir (181) and Modigliani (11). Oh, and it happens to be in our neighboring township, Lower Merion. Did I mention that there are an eye-numbing 181 Renoirs!!!? It was founded in 1922 by Dr. Alfred C. Barnes (pharmacologist, chemist and M.D. ) who made his fortune off of Argyrol, an antiseptic silver compound he developed in 1907. If you want a REALLY good excuse to visit Philly (other than seeing master harvey) come be our guest and go check out the Barnes before it moves into center city. (controversial subject about why it is moving click here for the scandal and soap dish...)

We continued the day with a Tango concert at the Kimmel Center and then off to dinner at a local Trattoria (Grilled marinated vegetables, Osso Bucco, Seafood Risotto, Veal Scallopini and Tiramisu).

Sunday began with Cindy's granola, yogurt, fresh pomegranate (a new favorite for Harvey) and pineapple and a refreshing walk to the park where Harvey insisted on going down the wet slide that we had to dry off with the tissues in our pockets - oy! I guess we have to start bringing towels with us to the park during the drizzely season.

Last night we bookended the weekend with a Belgian film masterpiece- La vie en Rose (2007)with Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf and directed by Olivier Dahan and of course dinner (Frenched Pork Chops with herbs de provences, home-made Cranberry-Orange Sauce, Wild Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto, Tiramisu ice-cream)

The only thing better than living...is living!

From Karaoke to Taci-oke

Joe calls Karaoke the "Instrument of the Devil". No matter how good your voice, somehow you wind up sounding like crap on that microphone. Everyone seems to think they can do better than the last person. Do they put something in the drinks? Across the street is Taci, where everyone sounds sublime. Iya, Russian WonderWoman at the piano, makes it even better. The sinful chocolate desserts and incredible host Leopoldo (center) makes for hedonism to the max!

Date Night is KING!

Once a month we live it up. Here was our last fab venture in Manhattan a few weeks ago. Joe's friend was living at his apt on and off while she waited for her Dec. 1st lease and in exchange gave us some babysitting "gift cards". I love date night. I never realized just how important it is. How can I describe the beautiful feeling of rejuvination. No worries. Just fun and fancy free. After dinner in Chelsea we joined some friends in the Village for Karaoke and then on to Taci for some bottomless glasses of vino, hugs from Leopoldo and unforgettable arias from up-and-coming stars of the stage. The best part was that we didn't have to drive home. New York - I LOVE having CABS!!!!!