Yesterday, I had one of those "only in New York days" and loved every minute of it. The dog walker was hired to walk Sienna, so I was free for the better part of the day.
I haven't been drawing, though it is one of my big loves, I just sort of slid out of the habit and haven't done it. I am most decidedly NOT a landscape kind of person. For me the challenge is figures and on Wednesday afternoon at Spring Studio in Soho, they have a model in costume. This is one of those amazing places in New York. Minerva Durham has been on Spring Street forever and EVERY morning, EVERY afternoon and EVERY evening except Sunday evening, there is a model on a model stand and you can draw for 3 or 4 hours. That means 20 models a week and 20 different opportunities to draw them. And just for good measure, on the first and third Saturday afternoon there are 2 models.

My prepaid card was prepaid back in 2002 but Minerva said it was still good. Even without the prepaid card, the sessions only cost $14 a session. The final icing on the cake is the quality of models is generally excellent. Why it took me so long to get back I don't know, but Nicki gave me a kick in the seat and there I was again.

my long layoff shows.
Just LOOK at that wizard costume..it was blue and gold if you want to really imagine the full impact and had a standup gold collar.

Then, since we were in Soho we went wandering a bit and dropped into the MOMA store, Kate's Paperie and the Housing Works bookstore. The only treasure that followed me home was this book of Bruce Chatwin's photos and journals. He is one of those writers whose prose I envy and whose mind I would have loved to pick, so this was great.

Then, since we were in the neighborhood and it was just 6 pm, we found ourselves out front of .............
How could we not go in? We were so hungry that I forgot to take a picture of the goat cheese and onion tart appetizer, but the lamb stew with spring vegetables and gnocci

was not lost in the shuffle. It was delicious. and the dessert... the picture is shaky, sorry but Strawberry Rhubarb TART!! I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
When we left we both thought we were going to die from good food. Fortunately there was a short walk to the subway uptown and on the way, in addition to the dalmation at the firehouse I saw these little guys.
And, as the real topper on the day, by the time I got home, Sienna was so glad to see me that she had arranged a little early Fourth of July celebration for my entertainment.

I am not sure WHY there were fireworks from New Jersey.... maybe they celebrate early across the river? But it was a fitting top to the day......