Weekends are Made for Fun!

Sometimes you just have a weekend that is laid back and mellow. That was this last weekend. (This one can't possibly top it!)

It began with dinner with good friends on Friday. Then Rick and I enjoyed another episode of "Slings and Arrows," a Canadian TV show shared with us by our friend Mike L. It focuses on a Shakespearean company in a Canadian town -- I think they had a couple of festival models in Shaw and Stratford. There are lots of crazy moments -- a comedy? A drama? A little bit of both!

 

Saturday my friend Kate and I headed off to Ann Arbor to celebrate her birthday.

 

First, lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, Amadeus, where I have enjoyed blog meet-ups in the past. (HERE and HERE).

 
Our lunch was delightful -- potato pancake spaetzel with a wonderful salad and their delicious dill soup for me, borschst for Kate.
 
And it was a birthday -- so of course there was dessert.
 
A turtle for Kate...
 
...Apple for me!
 

Then time at Hollander's -- the ultimate in paper stores.

 

I was not a good girl. But I had a good time!

 

Then we were off to Trader Joe's, then home to make Rick a great dinner with the spoils of shopping (pushing a cart there was akin to driving on I-96 in rush hour.)

Sunday, after tea with my friend Richard to talk about his book, Rick and I headed to Flint. The ultimate goal was to pick up Greg from the airport, but we started with the movie "The Sessions" (very good), then enjoyed the Flint Institute of Arts.

 

This is a case of a city that has clearly seen better times, but you wouldn't know it from the museum.

 

It was simply glorious, from the magnificent Rubens angel in a room filled with tapestries...

 

...to Impressionists and some of my favorite painters, including Pissaro, Matisse and Mary Cassatt...

 

From this delightful painting by German Fritz Von Uhde called "Les Chiens Savants" (The Performing Dogs)...

 ...to the Chihuly ceiling.

 

All that, then dinner with Greg. Yes, a very good weekend!

Gray Skies, Sunny Heart

It's a gray Saturday morning and I'm in the car, cruising down the highway toward Ann Arbor.

Everything is gray, black or white. The charcoal-gray stretch of pavement beneath my car is anchored by expanses of white snow. Rising from the snow are stark black trunks of trees, with branches spreading like tangled spider webs. The sky is only a half-shade darker than the snow, the overpasses somewhat darker.

Even the cars are all silver, white, gray, black, pewter. The only colors present are occasional green mileage signs and the goldenrod signs that say "Watch for Ice on Bridge." A lone bright blue sports car whizzes by, a welcome relief.

But my mood is as sunny as the other bit of color in this scene -- two bunches of yellow daffodils, resting on the car seat. These are for my luncheon companions.

But before lunch, a couple of stops. First to Hollanders, an amazing paper and gifts store in Ann Arbor's Kerrytown district. And while I'm there, an unexpected farmer's market beckons.

At this time of year, most of the vendors carry things like artisan bread...

Pretzels...

Some craft items, like these hand-made rugs, kissed by the snow...

And even ice cream -- no cooler required.

There's still time before lunch, so a quick trip to Treasure Mart -- the most overcrowded resale shop on the planet. (You may disagree; I'm sure there are others!)

I leave with a few treasures myself -- more on those at the end of the post.

Then I reach my destination -- Amadeus. I've written about this restaurant before, when I met blogger Anno in the past. And today we will meet again, along with blogger Becca, whom neither of us have met before.

Ah, but don't think that means we don't know one another well. In some ways, I know both these women better than people I see every day.

As we sat at this table right in that left window, wonderful light spills onto the table, warming us against the winter chill. We laugh, we smile, we eat!

Between bites of the Amadeus pancake, dill pickle soup, tasty rolls and lots of tea and coffee, we talk about family, blogging, writing, and so much more.

I feel very fortunate to have a lot of wonderful friends -- both locally and out of town. they are people in whom I can confide, laugh, enjoy a great night out. Some are extraordinarily special and have provided a wealth of support during the most challenging times of my life. They are sounding boards on the phone, at tea, on a road trip -- and I do the same for them.

Yet bloggers form a unique bond. You may well have experienced that -- in writing a post about something deeply personal, you are amazed by the outpouring of support. A surprise in the mail. An email off-blog that continues the conversation.

We may not spill our guts in full on our blogs (well, sometimes we do, but that's because we feel safe), but we share our dreams. We share our work and our creativity, our art and our poetry and photography. For some of us, the blog is the first, gentle foray into sharing our work with a wider audience.

And we share our hearts as well.

So, when I met Becca, I felt -- as I did with Anne before -- that I was meeting up with a friend I just don't get to see so much. One who has listened to my rants, raves, problems, concerns and dreams and who has shared hers.

But the Napoleon above, elegant, beautiful, sweet, delicate, beautifully textured is a fine representation of our time together.

I think we could have talked for hours, but we parted and I went off to Trader Joe's (where I proceeded to leave a bag of groceries on the bottom of the cart -- and had a terrific experience with their customer service when I called them from home) and here...

Yes, one of the closing Borders bookstores. I wondered, as I stood in line for 45 minutes to buy books I could probably get for less on Amazon, how our world will be with fewer bookstores. For me, there's nothing like feeling the page under my fingertips.

I told you I'd show you my Treasure Mart finds -- a small pink Depression glass for my bathroom; a silver-toned (not real) jug, also for the bathroom and this apple pitcher.

A story about this apple pattern -- my mother had this dish pattern; it was sold when my dad moved from our house. Years later I regretted I didn't keep it -- or a piece (preferably the teapot!) Marilyn at Delights of the Heart suggested I might someday find a teacup, and I liked that idea -- it was the memory that mattered, not eight place settings. So when I saw this -- perfect for flours or juice, and only $6 -- well, I was happy!

I found this, too. Silly, isn't it. But it made me happy.

A final word -- this is my 700th post. Not a milestone, I suppose. It seems 750 or 1,000 will be more so. But things with two zeros seem important -- so it seems fitting I should share this post with you, speaking about the bonds of blogging. It has meant a great deal to me knowing you -- and I so look forward to much more posting in days to come!

Amadeus

Tell me to pick my favorite classical composer and more often not I'll say, "Mozart!" I love the life and color and energy in his work -- and his dramatic pieces are pretty powerful too! My mental picture reverts to the film "Amadeus," which so vibrantly showed a part of his life, with all the beauty and opulence that period brings to mind.

So, when Anno suggested we meet at an Ann Arbor restaurant called Amadeus as I began my journey to Artiscape, I was thrilled!

For those of you in Michigan and who may get to Ann Arbor now and then, take note! A visit to Amadeus is simply divine!

Located on Washington Avenue, the tiny pink storefront shows lacy curtains framing the two tables nestled into the front window corners.

And, when you walk in the door, this is what you see: A charming, beautifully decorated haven, perfect for a cozy, leisurely lunch!

Beautifully decorated -- but not overly thematic.

Yes, there is the portrait, and a wall with Mozart-themed art.

Yes, there are marvelous wood carvings of musicians.

But one also finds an upright piano with a collection of creches, patterned tablecloths, lovely vases with fresh flowers on each table.

We are greeted with our own little basket of tiny and delicious rolls. And of course, we pursue the menu!

Amadeus features many Eastern European dishes -- pierogi, potato pancakes, schnitzels and more. I had the "Amadeus Pancake," which was an herbed potato pancake with dill sauce and topped with smoked salmon, all sitting on a bed of greens.

For dessert we split a "Constanza," an orange-liquour sponge cake underneath a small mound of chocolate and then vanilla mousse.

Here's a side view!

And even the bathroom is wonderful!

Now, this post could easily be just a restaurant piece -- Amadeus certainly merits one. But it really is something more than that.

You see, as I was planning my trip to Artiscape, I knew I'd pass through Ann Arbor -- and so when I contacted Anno about meeting for lunch, and it worked out, I was thrilled. Very spur of the moment.

Five months ago, we'd never even met.

As a wonderful blogger whose words I followed, I got to "know" her right here in this Land of Blog. Last December, she and Jen of A2eatwrite and I had a holiday lunch in Ann Arbor. And it was wonderful.

So, as we sat savoring our most delectible lunch (Anne got the Dill Pickle Soup -- it rocked!), we spoke as though we'd known one another forever. We spoke of family and food, writing and blogging. Of the things with which we filled our hours. We could have continued far longer than my travel schedule allowed.

And, a bit later, as I hit the road for points south, I kept thinking how very wonderful it is to find a new friend. One who shares common interests, and one whose skills and talents I so deeply respect.

We should never be too old for new friends, but often, at a certain point in life, we have established our routines and our interests -- our clubs or our colleagues. We stick with the folks we know because we love them and sometimes we don't have the opportunity to discover what we might share with someone new.

Blogging has opened that door to me. Anno is one of the bloggers I've met in the two and almost half years I've done this, but there have been others and I trust there will be more in the future.

We are friends and finding new a new friend is a gift.

I am very blessed.

(Over the next few days, I'll be taking you to Columbus for a fun visit, some shopping, and several Artiscape workshops. But my next post is one dear to my heart -- honoring my mom! Please keep coming back for the next week or so to check up on some great art techniques and more!)