THE PROMPTS FOR THE MONTH
WEDNESDAY 1st SOMETHING BLUE: We were
wandering the laneways for one final time today when it occurred to me that
this street art is not only something blue but looks almost three dimensional.
Hosier Lane is still my favorite with the most diverse and most frequently inundated collection. Thumbs up for Melbourne
THURSDAY 2nd MY BREAKFAST: I was on the
first leg of our Air China flight to the states this morning and my breakfast
looked like this
FRIDAY
3rd UPSIDE DOWN: Maybe we just turned upside down from Southern Hemisphere to
northern and from autumn to spring but I still fell right side up
SATURDAY 4th CONTRAST: The West Rose window of the
National Cathedral with the light shining through it so brightly the white
stone work appears black. The contrast between the view from the outside
and the view from the inside couldn’t be starker
SUNDAY 5th A PICTURE OF ME: It summarises me! This is a
picture of me in Washington DC and I do wonder if I belong in this
neighbourhood but I'm glad to be challenging myself
MONDAY 6th IN THE AIR: The obelisk type sculpture with
antennae up in the air is located in the front of the National Air and Space
Museum. I spotted it today when we were in The National Mall for the first time
this trip
TUESDAY 7th ON: There were no tickets available ONline
so we got ON the metro early, to get tickets released ON the day for the Yayoi
Kusama "Infinity Mirrors" Exhibition. Her art was displayed ON the
walls, ON the floors, ON screens and even we appeared in the mirrors. What an
amazing experience
WEDNESDAY 8th FAVE PART OF MY DAY: was definitely taking
advantage of the warm sunny weather in Rock Creek National Park and hiking the
Boulder Bridge Trail and Milkhouse Ford Trail. Thanks for the recommendation
Mark LaPrairie
THURSDAY 9th MINIATURE: I really struggled
with this prompt today. Here in America it seems to me everything is supersized
and enormous. We stopped for coffee in Washington's Georgetown District in the
afternoon and I received a huge latte, but Ian's espresso came in a miniature
cup and was only half full. That really was a miniature coffee. Nonetheless we
were both happy with our choices
FRIDAY 19th DRAW: The language teacher’s response to
this one... I can't draw
SATURDAY 11th TWO TONE: In the American Indian Museum
today the photographs of Horace Poolaw were a captivating two tone insight into
the experience of growing up in the 1930s and 1940s as an Indian in Oklahoma
SUNDAY 12th GLASS: My giant glass of gin and tonic on a
beautiful glass plate from Peru, on a black glass table. Just a few of the
stunning aspects of this Washington apartment
MONDAY 13th HORIZON: Even on the viewing platform of the
sixth floor of the Newseum, there was very little horizon visible due to the
impressive structure of The Capitol Building
TUESDAY 14th IN MOTION: We took refuge from the snow
storms in Newseum today and while these displays were not in motion the way
they were displayed allowed you to see the motion they were once capable of
WEDNESDAY 15th OVER: The geometric patterns of the
reflection of the glass and steel roof over the James D. Wolfensohn Atrium in
the World Bank Building where we visited a friend from Bhutan days today
THURSDAY 16th KEY: First day in NYC and Anthony's
beautiful Harlem apartment. Found this incredible "church key" in the
kitchen. A term I learnt in Ireland in the 1980's. Do you know what it is?
FRIDAY 17th OFF CENTRE: The view from the 14th floor
apartment on 145th Street where we are staying has an excellent perspective of
downtown Manhattan albeit slightly off centre. I do love the contrast of
the park and steam from the boilers though!
SATURDAY 18th DAILY: We are of no fixed address and
travelling with little prospect of acquiring jobs (our pre-tirememt) so the
daily routine is a thing of the past, but since arriving in NYC 3 days ago we
have walked through these doors and across this foyer (lobby) in the Hillview
Towers daily if not several times daily
SUNDAY 19th ORANGE: I'm a big fan of the colour orange
as is obvious from my hair, jacket, bag and laces and we just happen to be
staying on the orange subway line in NYC at the moment. Thanks to Ian for
taking the picture for me
MONDAY 20th WALL: The back walls of the ubiquitous NYC
brown stones with their fire escapes are the quintessential NYC image. Since posting this is have discovered that these are more likely to be front walls but still walls nonetheless
TUESDAY 21st BUTTON: My brand new black denim jeans with
only the button telling what the brand is. I hate clothes that advertise their
labels and due to this prompt realised that I have very few winter clothes with
buttons
WEDNESDAY 22nd STRIPES: Just one of the over the top
souvenirs in the World Trade Centre Observatory today when we took advantage of
the clear blue skies and sunshine whilst simultaneously avoiding the winds and
freezing temperatures. Stars and Stripes are the symbol of America
THURSDAY 23rd ANYTHING: Not just anything, this is the
Chrysler Building up close and personal. Still the most striking of all NYC’s
landmarks as far as I am concerned and today’s stunning blue skies only made it
more of a stand out attraction
FRIDAY 24th STARTS WITH N: It just has to be the New
York night lights and skyline from uptown in Harlem. I just love these views
SATURDAY 25th HALF: a world away from where I was born
and grew up. Marvelling at just how small the world really is today. Glad to
have been able to see as much of it as I have and still hoping to expand the
boundaries
SUNDAY 26th AROMA: An enticing aroma always emanates
from the street carts and vendors' vans in NYC. All that charcoal grilling and
warm bread and pretzels are the culprits. Thus far we've succeeded at not
indulging and have continued to eat healthily
MONDAY 27th A QUIET MOMENT: Every afternoon or early
evening when we walk back through the door to this living room in Anthony's apartment
in NYC, I like to spend a quiet moment thinking over what we did during the day
and feeling grateful for the opportunity to stay here and discover more about
this amazing city
TUESDAY 28th SHARP: Due to it being a wet and windy day,
we chose to go to the American Museum of Natural History today and there was no
shortage of teeth, claws, antlers and horns that all fit the sharp prompt but
these white rhinoceros in one of the African mammals dioramas won the day for
sharpest of all
WEDNESDAY 29th FLOATING: An enlightened Buddha sitting
in the lotus position and floating above the open lotus bloom. This is a detail
of a huge piece from the "Voice of the Thunder Dragon" exhibition
currently hung on Bowery on the Lower Eastside of Manhattan. I believe it is a
work by Gyempo Wangchuk but I am not completely sure as the work of four
artists from Bhutan was in the exhibition
THURSDAY 30th STARTS WITH P: Painting starts with P and we saw this one today at
the Fraunces Tavern Museum with a mission to create an appreciation of the
Colonial History, American Revolutionary War and the Early Rebublic. It depicts
Washington in conference with the British to settle the terms of the British
evacuation after their defeat. Dunsmore was the artist
FRIDAY 31st NUMBERS: It's wet and windy outdoors today
and that has put paid to our usual minimum of at least 10 kilometres a day on
foot. The subways have enabled us to get out and home a couple of times and the
numbers of the streets and avenues allowed us to navigate so that we spend the
minimum time in the rain
