picture pages 4

Photo by: Letneo

picture pages 3

Photos by: Mav

picture pages 2

Photo by Jim Green

picture pages 1

no words, only photos, for the rest of the week before i fly away from all this.

photo by: little brother 2

keeping it local

RJR and I have been trying to stay local in these days of high gas prices so this weekend's holiday leisure time was kept close to home. We ventured out to Hudson, NY on Sunday. According to a story in a Boston paper, Hudson has become a go to place for antiquing and wandering: "Along this one-mile stretch of Warren Street there are 65 antique dealers, 28 restaurants and cafes, 27 gallery and exhibition spaces, 15 architectural styles, plus gift shops, clothing boutiques, houseware emporiums, thrift shops, junk shops, convenience stores, bookstores, and one vacuum cleaner retailer."

We thoroughly enjoyed the jaunt (Noun - a pleasure trip or outing). One of my favorite stores was Neven and Neven Moderne, populated by mid-century finds, including these fantastic chairs.







There was an especially nice selection of Herman Miller pieces. You can see more of the history of this company and its '50s design aesthetic here.

Another great aspect of Hudson is the architecture. It ranges from Georgian to Carpenter Gothic to Arts and Crafts. This particular home was also on Warren Street and a bit anachronistic in color, but what a hue!





This place was a jumble of industrial and farm tools.



The Spotty Dog Books & Ale has hit on every intellectuals dream shop by combining beer, books, and art supplies. I purchased a red journal for the London trip and some ink pens to add to my pack of drawing and painting supplies I'm bringing to document our journey.

Hudson is a fine location for a weekend trip, there are a range of Bed and Breakfast options and dining opportunities. Our lunch at Mexican Radio (also a restaurant in NYC) concluded with a scrumptious flan rated Best in America by Latina Magazine.

being a part of it

I am Roman Catholic. Our religious tradition is grounded on seven sacraments. The first three are organized under the heading, Sacraments of Initiation. Yesterday, RJR and I participated in one of these, the Sacrament of Baptism, with his childhood friend and his wife. Their son Gavin Charles was initiated into the Church with this rite. I have never been to a baptism like this one, it was a special gathering with just the family surrounding the baptismal font. Why water you might ask, well, according to the Catechism (our Church's marching orders as it were): "Since the beginning of the world, water, so humble and wonderful a creature, has been the source of life and fruitfulness. Sacred Scripture sees it as 'overshadowed' by the Spirit of God: At the very dawn of creation your Spirit breathed on the waters, making them the wellspring of all holiness."

Too often in our white bread culture we have lost sight of these amazing gathering points in family life. Traditions and celebrations have been left behind in favor of shopping and other consumer pursuits. We barely slow down to think about rites of passage. Heck, much of my generation has sworn off children altogether.

This was an incredible tradition to be a part of, and I was immensely proud of RJR for standing up as Gavin's godfather. He has a lifelong responsibility to this little guy and I look forward to being around to support them both in their faith journey.

new city soon

I will be visiting a new urban space very soon and I can barely contain the excitement.

London in nine days.

There is laundry to be done, packing, cleaning (who wants to come home to a mess?), weeding of the garden (who wants to come home to a jungle?) and much more...the countdown begins!