Mushroom Christmas Tree

 There is a tree in Manhattan’s John Derian shop that is decorated entirely with blown glass mushroom ornaments. Mushrooms have long been associated with magic, folklore and fairy tales. Old illustrations show gnomes hanging around with mushrooms, using them as furniture or even as an entire gnome house. They must surely be related in some way to Santa’s elves, who also seem to like mushrooms. Amanita Muscaria are a natural fit for any holiday decor, with their jaunty polka dotted caps. I would love to have this tree in my house, but then I’d want to enjoy it every day of the year. Who knew there were so many (and such varied!) Christmas decorations celebrating fungus?

SantaCon

 On a Saturday in December, midtown Manhattan becomes overrun with Santas. It’s a jolly bar crawl which raise money for charities but mainly it’s a chance for people to dress in holiday-themed costumes and stand in long lines. There were male and female Claus Family members ranging from traditional to sexy--and so skimpy that I wondered how they stand the chilly winds. The Clauses were accompanied by elves, reindeer, gingerbread men and grinches. Evidently, this particular line of Santas really needed a margarita.

Tree Netting

 It's that time of the year when families go searching for a Christmas tree. Once they have made the choice, the tree must be readied for its trip home. After a fresh cut on the bottom of the trunk, each tree makes a trip "feet first" (or would that be trunk first?)  through the machine that slides it into a sort of fishnet stocking, slightly  compressing it for the ride home. At this garden center, the netting enrobes each tree in red and white stripes. I wonder who invented this machine. It’s a once-a-year essential for safely transporting a scotch pine or a fraser fir.

Well-Used Watercolors

 A new set of paints is a thing of beauty, with perfect, jewel-like pans set in a pristine tin. They hold the promise of all the ideas that the new owner has floating in her head. The beauty of the untouched colors can make a new set become a precious object. It’s intimidating to wet a brush and violate that perfect beauty. But THIS is what a set of watercolors should look like. They are a tool, to be used and enjoyed, to bring an artist’s ideas out onto the paper.

Amsterdam Canal

 

We took a walk through a quiet neighborhood on a day when the leaves were turning yellow. Amsterdam is part earth and part water, with canals instead of streets as the thoroughfares in many parts of the city. The bridges span those canals in  graceful curves. Somehow, the buildings look as if they could be cut from gingerbread, as perfects  as an illustration in a storybook.

Autumn Bikes

You see them in all big cities, bikes ready to rent, docked all around town. Rent one in Washington DC and you are free to pedal past monuments, museums, federal buildings and other historic sites. On a nice day in the fall it’s a good way to enjoy the last of the color before the leaves drop from the trees. Soon the cold gray days of winter will be here. The docked bikes will still be there, waiting to be taken for a spin.

 

Late Season Hydrangeas

At the height of summer the hydrangeas were a brilliant blue. Their crayon-bright heads poked through the fence and those walking by stopped to admire their exuberant show. Now the winds are chilly and the skies are gray. The hydrangeas still put on a show but it’s a quieter one. Subtle shades of mauve and dusty violet coordinate with the weathered wood of the fence . Soon the leaves and blossoms will drop off and blow away. But in the spring, the show will start again.