A Busy Week...

The past week was a busy one, actually I am a week behind in posting this. We had a couple of visitors in town this week, and so had a busy time seeing friends and family.

Sara, my cousin Steve's wife, was in town from California for work. It was such a treat to have her join us for dinner on Thursday. We made a chicken and enjoyed dinner and chatted about the recent inauguration and she was kind enough to bring dessert - these hilarious and yummy Obama Cupcakes:



The other visitor was my friend Sammi. Sammi's a friend of mine since middle school, and I was super excited for this visit - she and her mom came here from Wisconsin to scope out the city because she is moving out here in about a month! Yay! We had a nice dinner with them on Wednesday night after they arrived to town.

We were planning on going to our favorite NYC restaurant Virage with them on Friday night for dinner. In the meantime I was suggesting to a friend at work that she take her friends (also visiting) to Virage during the weekend. In the process of this, I was showing her the website for the restaurant and noticed that they had pictures of Felipe and I on their website! See below:

A Dream Within a Dream

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow--
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream:
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand--
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep
While I weep--while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?


Today is Edgar Allan Poe's 200th Birthday, or rather would be if people lived so long! Poe is of course one of my favorite poets, his writing has an amazing detail and imagination. This poem, A Dream Within A Dream was published the year that he died, he was 40 years old at the time. Poe had an amazingly tragic life, never really finding love or happiness.

My interest in Poe is directly attributable to my Dad. We used to have him read us his stories and poems, sometimes even as bedtime stories! My dad has such a wonderful way of reading his works, and I will never forget his recitation of the Raven.

Mmmmm...Sunday Brunch

Had a lovely Sunday morning brunch with Felipe (who else?!). The muffins are some zucchini muffins I made yesterday, they're pretty yummy (I like to add just a touch of salt to them to enhance the taste a little).

The recipe is from Simply Recipes.

A Calmer Hudson

A nice view of a calmer, less airplane invaded Hudson River. Bravo to the pilot on Flight 1549, amazing to be able to land an airplane in the middle of a river safely and avoid going down over midtown Manhattan...that is a job well done!

"The Element"

Felipe and I went tonight to see Sir Ken Robinson speak at the Barnes & Noble in Lincoln Center. He spoke about his new book called "The element". We haven't had the opportunity to read the book yet, but he has many interesting ideas about creativity and fulfillment. I could explain it more, but he does a much better job of it! Go here to his TED Talk:


He gave a super funny, well thought out presentation, and is a thoroughly enjoyable person.