Bermuda Trip - Day 3 New York City and Board Carnival Venezia

Good Morning!  It is another change venue day for us and an errand has to happen before we check out of our hotel.   Hello Empire State Building - perhaps next visit we'll make our second journey up to your lookout.

Bermuda Trip - Day 2 New York City - Statue of Liberty Crown Visit

 Good Morning!!!  We have looked forward to today since I bought tickets last March.  However, they have to be picked up at Will Call early this morning.  We hit the subway early and have arrived at Castle Clinton for retrieval of said items.

Bermuda Trip - Day 1 New York City - Back We Go

 Vacation Day is here!  We have a SUPER early flight and are thankful that a Lyft person wanted to pick us up at 4:30 a.m.  Whew.  We made it in plenty of time and are now up, up, and away.

Road Trip - Days 39 - 40 - Road Trip Home

We are officially on the road back home, but . . . coffee.  Yes, coffee.  Mister found this place earlier in the week and wanted to share it with me.  Come along for a step back in time.

The Road Trip Begins - Days 1 and 2

 It is the first of June and we are hitting the road.  This one is a LONG trip.  We will be back sometime in July and then I will leave again the very next day for the rest of that month.  Let's get on the road.  See ya around the states.

Ducks and a Gorgeous Sunset at White Rock Lake

 It is time to get out of the house.  A trip down to White Rock Lake always calms the soul and allows nature to permeate and relax us.  As we approach the Pelican viewing point, a Mama Duck and her little ducklings catch our eye.  Do you see them?

Still Birthday Season

 My birthday weekend continues.  Today Mister has started out with a brand new coffee/pastry shop and it is sooooo yummy.  I guess calling it a bakery is more apt and they are working to enlarge their offerings.  

A Weekend in the Life With Rain

 There are just some times when ya gotta get out no matter what.  We are having rain, rain, and more rain, but every so often it lets up enough to make a dash someplace.  This morning we are off to breakfast at a new-to-us coffee shop, Middle Ground.  We spotted it last night while at dinner in the same shopping center and want to check it out.  Along the way - ya just never know what you will encounter.

Artscape at the Arboretum and a Beautiful Sunset

 We have tickets to the Member Preview of Artscape at the Arboretum this evening and the weather has given us a small window with which to enjoy it.  Come along for some fun and an evening walk.  Century plant preparing to bloom.

The Impressionist Revolution - Monet to Matisse at DMA

 For those who follow this blog and my quilt blog, you will know that I LOVE Monet.  When this new exhibit was announced, I instantly wanted to see it and cannot believe it has taken me two months to do so.  At any rate, today is the day and you know the drill - I'm going to educate you against your will as this is how I remember and learn.  If you only wish to look at the pics - go for it - they are amazing and these are some of the greatest artists in my humble opinion.  It is the 150th anniversary of the first Impressionist exhibition and this is a fitting celebration for it.  The core members of the Impressionist movement included Claude Monet, Edgar Degas and Berthe Morisot.  They set the foundation which following generations of avant-garde artists reacted, from Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh to Piet Mondrian and Henri Matisse.  Come along with me today and see how many you recognize BEFORE reading to see.  I'll place the pictures first this time.

So - how did it all get started?  In 1874 an artist's collective that called itself the Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Printmakers, Etc. opened the first of what became eight group shows held over the course of twelve years.  The participants in each exhibition varied, and, beyond a shared rejection of artistic tradition, so did their subjects and approaches.  What unified these independent artists we now call the Impressionists was the desire to publicly exhibit their work.  Read that again --- all they wanted to do was exhibit.  Seems innocuous enough.  However, the only public exhibition venue for living artists in 19th-century Paris was the annual Salon organized and juried by the state-run Academy of Fine Arts.  Artists who diverged from Academic tradition (the styles and subject matter favored by the Academy) frequently experienced rejection and were left with no other avenues to garner critical and financial success.  By organizing their own exhibitions, the Impressionists bypassed the official system, an act that was as rebellious as it was entrepreneurial.  Despite the artists' efforts, the Impressionist exhibitions scandalized the Parisian public and were generally considered a failure.  Apart from a few forward-thinking critics and collectors, there was little appreciation or market for this subversive artwork until well after the last show in 1886.  Read that again --- Subversive.  Oh how I laugh when you think of what is subversive today.  Okay - here we go and I love this first one.

A Day in the Life of Mister and Lady - Beauty and Destruction

 Life is so interesting sometimes.  Our day started out like many weekend ones do.  An early morning walk around the Arboretum.  Time together just appreciating the beauty around us.  I am so thankful to have this incredible garden to just roam whenever we wish.  Sooooooo glad we don't have to reserve to attend anymore.  Spur of the moment is just fine.  At any rate, off we go.

Member Morning Walk at Dallas Zoo

 Taking time for each other never gets old.  With our membership to the zoo, we are blessed to enjoy the early morning member days.  Today the special presentation is in the aviary and it's wonderful.  So much to constantly learn about the animal kingdom that surrounds us daily.  Take a peek at a few pics from today -- not too many today.

Sunset at White Rock Lake

 Evening walks need to come back.  Here we go - off to the lake tonight to check on the birds and watch the sunset.  By the time we get there, we are bit too late for the sunset, but it's still dang pretty.  As we walk up to the dock, a nutria is nearby having his/her dinner.

Dallas Blooms w/Mister

 This year has been challenging to find time to thoroughly enjoy Dallas Blooms.  Some years we manage weekly visits and, yet, this year, not.  I went with my niece last week and have finally made it here with my sweetie.  The tulips are about gone, but the azaleas are FABULOUS.  Enjoy the eye candy and I'll share some fun along the way.  Upon our arrival, we were sent through a different gate for the early morning walk.  At the front gate, people were lining up for an Easter event that included breakfast, pictures, and an egg hunt.  This was our first view.

Mister's Bluebonnet Pictures - A Bit Behind

 Mister's pictures from our 2024 Bluebonnet drive.  His eye is always so cool.  To compare to my picks - here is the LINK to my post.  Enjoy.

2024 Bluebonnet Drive and Waxahachie

 Apparently, the bluebonnets are making an early appearance in Texas and since we have some plans for the next two weekends, today is our day to hunt for them.  At first we were worried that it was just too early, but . . . enjoy the eye candy.  We did.  (All my pics except where noted and I feel like bluebonnets would rather be seen with the eye than the camera - they see the lens and hide.)

Artiste at North Park Center

 This just happened.  An advertisement peaked my interest, I mentioned it to Mister, and when work was finished for the day - we made it happen.  In case you can't read the sign:  "Experience the artistry of flowers like never before in Fleurs de Villes ARTISTE, the bespoke floral exhibition on view in Texas for the first time at NorthPark Center.  The exhibition features a curated collection of 15 one-of-a-kind fresh floral mannequins, all created by North Texas' most talented floral designers with themes chosen by the region's vibrant arts and cultural organizations.  Each floral display distinctively showcases the featured institution, encompassing the disciplines of dance, music, theater, visual arts, and more.

Out and About - Shopping and Such

 Upon my return to Dallas this morning, Mister and I were off for some breakfast upon my request.  Dallas Diner it was and then we decided to hunt down a washing machine - or at least try to.  We haven't been to Nebraska Furniture Mart up in The Colony.  Perhaps this will work.

Celebration! Or Not?

 A few months ago, I spotted an upcoming event on Facebook and tagged it.  Here is what it read:

Back in Dallas and FABULOUS Weather, So . . .

 Dallas weather is soooo beautiful today that we cannot stay in the house.  When at the airport in New York yesterday, I was craving a donut and do you think I could find one?  So sad.  By the time I gave up the hunt, Mister wanted one, too.  He was as sad as me.  So . . . first thing this morning, he is off to find donuts and we even visit two places to test taste.  So funny.