Mini Metal Maker!!!

 

 

Literally, 'hot off the press!' is this new creation by my nephew, David Hartkop.  Please note my entire name is Liz Hartkop Aiken.  Hahaha.    Dave has created this application which is, well...  you just have to see it for yourself.   Search 'minimetalmaker' via any search engine & there you have it.    Already featured on CNN, Bloomberg News & in Business Week.

 

& then?  Let me know what YOU think!  (Photo below)

 

I want to make mini-lizards to sew into all of my knitted creations.  How would you use it? 

 

FYI:  Dave & his brother, Mike, are also the creator & roastmaster, respectively, of Solar Roast Coffee, ie  www.solarroast.com.   Check that out while you are on the web!

 

Make it an interesting day. 

 

 

www.wsoae.org.  Washington Square Open Art Exhibit.   What a nice way to spend time in the city.  Lasts through next weekend.  Strolling along University Place (which I LOVE), one can check out all representations of art & meet some great people into the bargain, literally. 

 

On NYU's campus, white tents adorn the sidewalks, east & west.  I particularly like to check out photos, glassware, ceramics & then I always find a surprise.  This is a fun way to pick up some one-of-a-kind holiday gifts, too.  Always one-of-a-kind.  These are artists exhibiting their wares, their talents.  I bought a few gifts from local artists & artists as far away as California.  At this point I will 'tell no tales' of my purchases, for obvious reasons, oh please!

 

I also made a stop at two of my favorite shops on University Place.  #42 U.P. is GIGI*K, Japanese fiberworks.  Always beautiful, always intriguing.  Giving away no clues here.   Well, I might just say one word: Polka Dot (or do they count as two?). 

 

Then lunch carryout at #1 U.P.:  Space Market.  Kiddy-corner to Washington Square, this place reminds me of my favorite market in Grosse Pointe, MI, where I grew up (& actually did a TV show episode): Fresh Farms Market  355 Fisher Rd.  So anyway, at Space Market I bought delicious, fresh carry-outs which I hustled back Uptown for a grand & glorious dinner (left-overs, no less!)!  

 

In Washington Square there are all kinds of music & musicians.  Flute, drums, dancers, even a baby grand piano rolled in for classical music.  It is such a sight - the musicians' collective.   Then I actually saw a man in a band play two horns simultaneously.  Man, this was so cool.  I spoke with him & taped a bit on my phone; now if I could just figure out a way to transmit what I saw & heard.  My bro, Tom, out west (doc by day, audio engineer by night) wants to see this phenomenon.  Rasheed Richard Howard.  Rasheed & the Jazz Collective.   On Youtube, he said.  Also, rasheedjazz@hotmail.com.  There you go, Tom!

 

I love New York.  

 

Post Script.

 

 

This is the PS to the previous blog.  Dig this taxi!   It is located in the surrounds of Grant's Tomb (UWS - RSD @ 122nd St.).  It is my favorite mosaic expression there - maybe because it is simply hilarious!  One can 'sit' in (actually behind) the taxi & wave to the crowd.  How absurd & delightful!  Take a picture.  Be fearless & fareless!. 

While you are cruising the tomb, check out the rest of the City Art creations.   I have sent countless pics to family & friends, everywhere.   I sent pics of the guitars to my brother out west who is mild-mannered doc by day & audio engineer by night (built a complete recording  studio in their geodesic dome - talk about under 'the dome').
 

Flowers & peace sign shots went to my friend, the presbyterian minister who has now seen the entire series of benches for herself & taken her own pictures.   The chess board & kingdom photo went to my son with whom, while in elementary & middle school, I played chess almost every night.   Looking at the scenic kingdom & separate chess table remind me of the 'Dimples Phenomenon', but that's another story.   The robots went to my nephew out west who has a fascination for them & has created his own.   The black kitty went to my daughter who has a cat with the same 'look'.  How did they know?  

Yet still, my favorite is the yellow cab.   Hey Taxi!



Hey Taxi!

 

 

I love taxis.  Anywhere, everywhere.  Conveyance of convenience.  More than just the car, which has several options & is improving (?) all the time, it is the drivers with whom I have a cerebral love affair.  I do! 

 

You want to get the vibes of the city?  Ask Taxi-man.  You want to know what is happening at the opposite end of the city?  Ask Taxi-man.   Which route is better-to-best?  Don't tell the man (or woman - I have met one so far!) his job.   Everytime I thought I knew better I ended up with my shoe in my mouth.  Ook, city shoe in my mouth.   They will sometimes ask you which route you prefer, absolutely.  But more often than not, just sit back & let the man drive, would you, please?   UNLESS... you want a truly great philosophical discussion.   Then speak up.   Now it doesn't happen with every ride but it does happen.  Pay attention.   

 

Dulles to DC.  I made my way to the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars for seminars, a couple of times.  In & out the same day, returning to DTW, at that time.   I loved those early morning flights.  Easy.   Grabbing a taxi one of those mornings, I was most fortunate to have a driver who seemed to be engaged with life, his 'transportee' (me) & his city.  He loved DC.  He was working crazy hours to support & to educate his family.  Indian fellow, New Delhi.   He believed America was still the land of 'golden' opportunity for his family AND he knew, or he was convinced, that with a solid work ethic he could bring anything to pass, to fruition.  Three kids, two in college already, one more to go.  He was well-spoken, seemed to be well-educated; yet as with many immigrants whose degrees do not always translate well or proportionately in a new country, he was determined to create & to finance a whole new venture.  Failure was not an option.   You gotta like & respect a guy like this!   We chatted ninety miles an hour, all the way in to town & 1300 Penn Ave.  

 

In New York I have had the same fascinating conversations with many taxi drivers.  Let me tell you: many.  With some I know to 'zip the lip' & not ask questions.  Leave it alone (whatever 'it' is).  However,  it is my nature to ask questions of people. 

 

Einstein: Curiosity has its own reason for existence.

 

Exactly so.  Part of it is from interviewing people on TV for years.  Part of it is because I know there is, many times, a wonderful story just waiting to be told.  Or philosophies to be shared & discussed.  There may be a 'buddha' waiting to inspire me.  Certainly there is always something to learn.  So many times the driver & I have shaken hands at my destination & we have thanked each other for a wonderful few minutes of humanity & humility.   Who could ask for more?   

 

So I say, never assume.  Never.  Be open to the people on the paths you cross.   Listen to them & quite possibly, learn from them.   Just yesterday I hit the jackpot!   Both taxi drivers to & from a location were engaged with life & engaging.  Their 'greys & whites' were alive & sparkling, their synapses were firing & capturing beautifully.   The topics flew:  religion (see, you can talk about it with some people), education, the after-life, the now-life, teaching kids the golden values by example, these were the subjects covered in two taxis in the midst of a heat wave (yes, I suppose we must have covered the weather too, briefly.  Actually I may have mentioned SNOW!).  

 

We covered it all & I feel wiser for it.   Thank you, guys!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cafe Lalo

 

So, Saturday was a busy day.  A good friend in the design world was in town from CT.  We hit the Punk Couture exhibit at the Met Museum - I am a member & hit the joint regularly.

This is an exhibit to be relished; it is truly fascinating.  My advice to anyone planning to see this exhibit is to go online, www.metmuseum.org  to read about what you will see;   this will be time well-spent.   Of course, while you are there, take in a gallery or two & the gift shops - they are a wealth of information unto themselves.   I love that place. 

 

Now, this green fellow above has a lot in common with the designers featured at the Met Museum.  He designs his own home, his own 'couture' wear & offers beauty & pleasure to anyone catching him at work.   His green outfit for the day was a perfect match to his environment.  Besides he is organic!  His head was a shocking, glisteny orange.  Man, this guy knows how to dress!   He was in the wisteria vine along the fence in front of Cafe Lalo.  I am always studying things as I walk & love, particularly, the curling tendrils of this vine.  As I was walking & looking, here was the roly-poly guy doing his thing.  He was a fashionplate! 

 

Speaking of plates...

 

Cafe Lalo is a delightful place.  It looks, from the outside, exactly as it looked in the film, "You've Got Mail" with Ryan & Hanks.  Inside as well, with a little reconfiguration of seating.   Delectable food, pink lemonades, gorgeous desserts.  So fun for visitors & city dwellers alike.   The white fairy lights in the trees add the perfect touch.  I think green-guy agrees. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morningside Park

 

This is my favorite park in the city.   I know, with all the grandeur of Central Park it seems as if I am missing the boat yet this park is a true gem.  This picture looks as if you could walk right up those steps, yes?   When I first moved to the UWS I came upon this park - just east of Columbia University & St. Luke's - in my neighborhood travels.  Did you know there are more than 1100 steps?   I created a map & catalogued them.  Indeed.  I was curious.   This is the land of the original 'stair-stepper'.  Ha! 

 

              

 The Ghost

 

Usually on my way back to my apartment I cut through the grounds of St. John the Divine - 111th & Amsterdam.  The church itself is reputedly the largest church structure in the US; look it up.    The land around it is beautiful.  The interesting thing is, there is an albino peacock living in the greens, along with his two normally-pigmented buddies.  They live there, summer, winter, year round.  I came upon the white bird once, a year ago, the only time I did not have my cell (& hence camera) with me.   When I told a few people about the phenomenon I had witnessed, their expressions conveyed, 'uh huh, sure you did'.  The search (with the cell) was on; I was going to find 'The Ghost', no matter what!  Over this past year I had looked again & again, to no avail.  Hmmm...  Was I losing it?   Don't answer that. 

 

Two weeks ago there I was, as usual, cutting through the grounds, on my way home from Morningside Park.  I was on the path which, as a rule, has minimal foot traffic.  As I was intently studying the yard to my right (the quieter of the two fenced areas) I heard a rustle just ahead.  Ta Da!  The Ghost.  See? 

 

 

 

I was not hallucinating at all.  Phew!  I was beginning to wonder...

This is a 'quick-drop' note today.  After I recently posted the citibike pic (becuause I love the precisioned line-up) I saw a piece on the local news just this morning about the comedian who is 'teaching' spin classes on the parked bikes as they wait for real/'reel' customers.   Good one! 

 

 

citibikes.

 

Popping up everywhere in the city. 

This group is on West 20th in Chelsea.  I dig the 'graphics' of the precisioned line-up.

 

I have my own lovely bike, circa 1961, made in Nottingham, England, called a 'Sprite 27'.

I named it 'Green Lizard'; it is a glossy, mossy green - perfect.  As I live on the UWS right along RSD, it is very easy to hop on & ride along the Drive.  Better yet, I am allowed, by NY law, to ride it on the RSD sidewalk & into Riverside Park, through which I may gain access to the Greenway Bike Path.   Otherwise one must stay OFF NYC sidewalks or incur a stiff fine.   Not doing it.  

 

Sunday morning streets on the UWS (Upper West Side) are pretty quiet, traffic-wise, so the cyclers can enjoy a more leisurely ride minus competing with weekday cars, buses, trucks, city vehicles, etc.   Up the street two blocks is Grant's Tomb which is actually located on its own island-in-the-street.  Every now & then one can catch a bike race in progress; what a perfect location.   But... that location is another story.  Absolutely. 

 

 

 

 

So I went!  Andrea t. S. (the Storm) did not show up.  Yea!   Hence I enjoyed the afternoon in Washington Square.   My friend, Esi, came over from Brooklyn, we knitted & chatted & then lo & behold yards & yards of the most beautiful silks began to cluster.   A PARADE!  The Celebration of INDIA!   I have a particular fondness for the people of India (another story) so this was pure delight.   The floats were, as you can see by this one, full of color & fun; what you can't see is that this float (& all the floats) were being pulled by the men.  Go men! 

This was a most festive & peaceful crowd.   Noisy with joy & music, coupled with the delicious aroma of the classic Indian cuisine - my favorite in all the world, I could hardly remember to knit. 

Speaking of fibers, I have to say, again, how enjoyable it was to see such colors, exquisite fabrics, embroidery & the impressive array of styles of dress: wrapped, draped, pleated, tucked, flowing.  International couture.  Sublime.

Such a day!  Oh yeah, the knitting was great!  

Okay!   Tomorrow is my WWKiP Day at this gorgeous Square.   Hmmm...
The problem is, we have one very uninvited & unwelcomed guest who may crash the scene:  ANDREA.  The rain from this storm is unceasing though it is projected to end sometime in the next 12 hours or so.  Or not!  Flash floods are projected into tomorrow afternoon.  Seems a contradiction.   

From my window I watch the rain coming straight down, just pouring.  Did I mention I live in a much higher elevation in Manhattan than most of the island.  Yea for that! 

So then, the problem becomes - do we continue, reschedule or just call it a day?   The general opinion is still to be OUTSIDE in the spirit of the KiP shindig.   So we will do it!
We shall brave the elements, though on my way there you can be certain I will be casing the neighborhood for a Plan B location.  I am not knitting with wool in the rain (or lightning); I am not that much of an idiot.  

Wherever you are, have a dry & superb weekend & ... wish us luck! 

 

 

 
World Wide Knit in Public Day is actually a week, beginning Saturday, June 8th.   I am hosting a 'Knit in Public' shindig on that very day, June 8th, beginning at 1pm.   I chose Washington Square (NY, NY) as the site because it is a small but gorgeous public square near many places of convenience.   We will meet under the Arch & then find benches, patch of green, anywhere, to sit & to knit.   Join us if you are in the area & in the mood!

This photo remains one of my all-time favorites, taken on my cell phone.  I shot it on the west coast (Oregon or California), on a path leading to the ocean.   I have no clue what the vine is, but just look at the spiny pods above the curlicues.  Lyrical, yes?   Enjoy!

Greetings & Salutations!

This is opening day for me on my new blog site, River Lizard.   The name is a natural: 1st because my name is Elizabeth, the nickname Lizard has been with me since genesis & 2nd, I have always lived near water.  Currently it is the Mighty Hudson River, right outside my apartment window.

I will be blogging about creativity, media, nature, whatever crosses my mind.  Today I will offer one of my favorite quotes, this one by Anais Nin: Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. 

Ciao for now!