Black Friday 2011: Stopping to Smell the Roses

I wish this could be smell-o-vision, because I can't describe how wonderful these top two vintage roses were, located right at the entrance to the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Gardens. Nothing beats the smell of vintage heirloom roses. The ones you get from bodegas, florists, or in the mail may LOOK pretty, but most of them have no fragrance anymore. Give me a wild hedge-rose any day for the bouquet ... and the rush of nostalgia.

Please Mother Nature. Hold off on winter a while longer. I don't care that tomorrow is December. I need the roses to hang on a while longer. I need to make another stop, or 15, as we rush up to Christmas.

P.S. Sorry Christine. I had to. I just had to.

Black Friday 2011: Fall goes out with a Flare

Aside from the freak snowstorm last month, most of November has been wonderfully unseasonable, with some days reaching the high 60s. I've either been stuck in an office or busy on the weekends so I couldn't get away to enjoy it. Thank goodness for Thanksgiving breaks.

I grabbed one of my little friends (see her there in front of the glowing ginko?) and we flitted down to the New York Botanical Gardens to revel in the glories of a beautiful Black Friday away from family, malls, crazed shoppers, and, in some parts of the gardens, crowds. I managed to spend exactly $0.00 the whole day!

IT WAS GLORIOUS! I have proof. Look!

The gardens suffered a lot of damage this year, from various ice storms, Irene, and then the October snow storm. Nothing goes to waste. It's all part of the cycle of a forest. Personally, I think cross section of a tulip tree this would be a glorious coffee table. (Full disclosure: I did bump up the sat levels on these few so you could see what it would look like with some stain and varnish.)

More glories: There were still lovely roses - but more on those in a later post. The trees and branches that came down created some interesting effects.

Below: If you walk by logs too fast, you miss the catching a glimpse of a squirrel's cache. Doesn't this mossy log look inviting?

Reflections on the day: The sun goes down too quickly now. By 4:00 p.m. the sun hits a low angle and temperature starts to drop. You can't store up enough Vitamin D. Speaking of stores: This is the closest I've come to turkey for two Thanksgivings and Black Fridays now: those wild fowls that keep an eye on the shoppers behind the gift shop.

Dinos for Drew: An Afternoon at the Museum

Once upon a time, dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Then something* happened and now they don't. The bones of the dinosaurs lay buried in the ground until people found them and put them on display in special museums.

Once upon a time (much later), there was an auntie who loved her nephew very much. She lived in a magical place where she could stop by the actual real-live place from the Night at the Museum. That very special nephew, you see, LOVED dinosaurs. LOVED them so much, that the auntie found herself taking a friend to the museum with the intent of [REDACTED] shopping and to study up on dinosaurs so she could have a semi-intelligent conversation with a six-year-old. (It's been a long time since the auntie had younger brothers that were into dinosaurs.)

Hopefully this will end up being an interactive entry, with Questions from me and Answers later from Drew.

HEY YOU! Yeah YOU DREW! What you looking at? You lookin' at me?

I took a bite out of a section of the museum. There was so much to see -- I just flew through some sections.

What are these things?


And these? They look sort-of familiar!


I know what these are, but you tell me!


They wouldn't let me play with these models, or climb up on this guy. I was sad.


I thought about buying you a stuffed dino, but aren't you too big?


Is this a brontosaurus or a gigantisaurus?
All I know is that it was too big to fit in one picture.

This T.Rex looks awfully familiar. Is her name Sue?

Guess what happened? This guy scared my friend!
She screamed and then scared other people (Silly friend.)

Miss you bunches, my Drew. See you for Christmas.
Write soon.

love,

Aunt Nettie

*We'll stay away from the evolutionism/creationism/aliens from outer space theories conversations here.

Auntie Nettie's Attic Merchandise 2011 - November

Another month gone, and suddenly November is over too. A brief look at the calendar reveals that I was busy:

~ Dealing with too much work, work-related events, and other issues too boring to mention;
~ Fighting various allergies, office colds, or flus that are a result of commuting and the bizarre weather cycles that make it snow before Halloween and then 65 degrees a month before Christmas;
~ Catching up on hours of television viewing either thanks to On-Demand cable or programs on-line;
~ Busily crafting, working on Christmas cards, blogging, baking, or out and about doing social things like dining with friends or attending the following:
- A viewing of the documentary "Pianomania" at the Film Society, which made me realized, once again, that I never did have the temperament to be a solo pianist;
- A special evening of music at Carnegie Hall with Jane, watching Joshua Bell coax some incredible sounds of out his fiddle, and envying his pianist his technique and score on an iPad;
- A viewing of "Being Elmo," also at the Film Society, which brought grown men and women to tears in one moment and laughter the next;
- The ritual known as Pre-Thanksgiving shopping at a CostCo in the suburbs the Sunday before Thanksgiving; and then
- Enjoying a glorious Black Friday at the New York Botanical Garden with Christine.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I was graciously invited to partake in many Thanksgiving gatherings this year, but was able to take part in my new tradition of Chinese Food and an afternoon of Skyping friends and family.

But by FAR, the highlight of the month was getting two letters in one week from Drew, along with special school pictures from Amber and Elle.

In the meantime, these are the few things I managed to make with yarn this month:

ANA 2011-64: Rainbow Tie-died Bear
(Combination of mystery tie-died yarn and left-over white sport weight yarn, and fiber fill)
(no longer available, Toys for Tots donation)
ANA 2011-65: Maroon Scarf
(3 skeins of Mimosa Merino Superfine boucle, polyamide and virgin wool merino superfine)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless)

in close-up

ANA 2011-66: Rainbow Tie-died Bear
(Combination of donated mystery tie-die yarn and Caron Simply Soft white, and fiber fill)
(no longer available, Toys for Tots donation)
ANA 2011-67: Forest Green ribbed scarf
(2 skeins Lambs Pride Worsted, wool and mohair)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless)

in close-up

ANA 2011-68: Mini Grey Owl
(various leftover yarns and fiber fill)
(as of 12/2011, no longer available)
ANA 2011-69: Mini Yellow Birdie
(mystery leftover yarn and fiber fill)
ANA 2011-70: Mini Maroon Birdie
(various leftover yarns and fiber fill) (no longer available, gifted)
ANA 2011-71 & 72: Mini Maroon and Gold Holiday Stocking, trimmed in White
(various leftover mystery yarns)
(no longer available, holiday gifts)
ANA 2011-73 & 74: Mini White Holiday Stocking: Trimmed in Maroon and Gold
(various leftover mystery yarns)
(no longer available, holiday gifts)ANA 2011-75: Variegated Purple Pullover Hat - Child Size
(mystery yarn)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless)
ANA 2011-76: Mini Blue Bird
(various leftover mystery yarn and fiber fill)
(as of 12/2011, no longer available)
ANA 2011-77: Variegated Purple Pullover - Adult Size
(mystery yarn)
(as of 11/2012, no longer available, donated to Hats for the Homeless)

Seen together

ANA 2011-78: Mini Cream Owl
(various leftover mystery yarns and fiber fill)
(as of 12/2011, no longer available, gifted)
ANA 2011-79: Mini Blue-flecked Bird with Blue Eyes
(leftover mystery yarn and fiber fill)
(as of 12/13 no longer available, gifted)
ANA 2011-80: Mini Blue-flecked Bird with White Eyes
(leftover mystery yarn and fiber fill)
(as of 12/13 no longer available, gifted)
ANA 2011-81: Brown and Black Color-Blocked Purse
(2 skeins Lion Brand wool and a handles from Joannes, Purse n-alize it brand)
Still in Progress:
2010: Multi-colored, multi-fiber chevron blanket
2011: Next Valentine's Day Secret Cupid gifts (shhhh, don't tell anyone!)
Maroon Diamond Scarf

As ever, if you see something that interests you, please let me know.

The on-line shop will be on hiatus until after I get back from my holiday vacation.
I'm just too busy with all my salaried jobs to run it right now.