At My Fingertips

Since New England, October has been in full swing. Apples from the CSA, scarves, ghost tours, and they even turned on the heat in my building!


I went to NYC last week to see the Avett Brothers at Radio City Music Hall with Kayla and Kevin. I spent the whole day there, and got to see the Guggenheim exhibit Chaos and Classicism, which was awesome. I think they could have explained a little more of art before WW1 to the general public (ie, they mentioned Ingres a few times, but without any explanation of who he really was). But it was really very good, I was there for two hours! Then I ran to the MET to see the Jan Gossart show, which was pretty good too. Then the Whitney for the Lee Friedlander show with Kayla, Kevin, and Kayla's friend Ann-Marie. We walked around the whole museum, but two floors were closed. Good thing we all got in free on museum-employee passes! The Avett Brothers were so good!

I did start volunteering at the UPenn Museum last week, and so far its really great. My project is to identify, label, and log hundreds of 4x6 E6 (film positives) photos of the museum's roman glass collection.

I would have gone again yesterday, but Nanny came to see the Cleopatra exhibit at the Franklin! I found that the objects they chose were beautiful, but not necessarily displayed as well as they could have been with the text. I enjoyed reading the historical labels, but they were sort of haphazardly placed near objects that had little or nothing to do with that specific piece of the story, or it was a serious stretch. But then Celia met us for lunch and Nanny took us to Sabrina's which was delicious! AND I have leftovers.

I finally started moving some of the herbs inside.

I have even started riding my bike! AMAZING, JEN, GREAT JOB!, you say. Yes, its true. But, the real truth is that Erika and Jeremy are so good to me, that I asked Jeremy to fix up my bike. He did that and more, granting me not only the use of my bike, but even rode around with me for a little bit. Now, the city is at my fingertips (but, for now, I'll just stay in Fishtown).

I have to admit, I hate how dry and cold and dreary the winter is. But it might just be my best winter in Philadelphia yet.

A Long Awaited Trip to New England: The Boston Photos

Well folks, the days are getting shorter, the nights are getting colder, and the ghost tours are getting larger.

But finally, a moment to update you with my goings-on!

Boston was nice. I had imagined it to be very clean, and very new. Very nicely maintained. And it was all of those things, but in a sort of creepy way.

I only really spent two days in the city itself, and one of them rained all over my hopes of truly exploring the city. But I think I saw a pretty good chunk of it, all things considered.
I went to the MFA
Saw one of my favorite Matisses
And once again spotted an Alfred Emile Stevens!

Was surprised to find a Sarah Bernhardt sculpture.
A lot of Sargents!

And I went to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where I couldn't take any photographs.

This photograph of the atrium at the ISGM was just now stolen off the internet. I felt that a lot of the paintings on display in the building were poorly lit and difficult to see. But the building made up for what was disappointing in the paintings. Absolutely stunning, and inspiring. I'd like to see an artist residency built around this idea of environment and community.

Anna came to visit on Friday, and we went to the MIT museum, and saw the Robots exhibit!

That night we were joined by Anna's boyfriend as well as Julie, and we went to the Contemporary Art Museum, and then to see In the Next Room, or, The Vibrator Play. It was amazing. I'd recommend it to everyone. Yes, especially everyone.

Saturday Julie took me to Salem! Ahh!



It really just reminded me how much I loved The Crucible.
And there's not much else like hokey, historic tourism!

Sunday we stopped by Kerouac's grave. It was really moving, how many people leave things for him every day. We met two people visiting him, and we were there for maybe 20 minutes. People sure do love you, Jack.

Our next stop was Concord. We did tours of the Old Manse, Orchard House, and then stopped by Waldon Pond.

We didn't have enough time to actually see where Thoreau built his little house, but the recreation of it by the parking lot was good enough for me.



Then I caught a train to Providence. But I think that's best entered in a separate post, yes?

...And Providence!

Providence was nice too! Unfortunately it was entirely too rainy, and one day, we didn't even leave the apartment. But there was lots to do there, including Settlers of Catan, and lots of food to be baked, cooked, and ...souped?






I really, REALLY, don't know what I would have done if I had gone to RISD. Some of these hills are really dangerous! I imagined slipping down the hill with a big wet painting... no. no. Never.

The Rolypig made me SO happy!


Julie even came in one day to go to a TED talk at RISD with me. Well, not actually a TED talk, but rather a talk with the guy who started TED: Richard Saul Wurman. Julie wasn't feeling it, but I stayed the whole time. I find listening to interesting people incredibly enjoyable, even when they're just rambling (and sometimes, especially then).

I went to the RISD museum with Patrick, Noah's boyfriend. It was WAY more extensive than I had expected, and I really enjoyed it.

I even, once again, found a Stevens painting! (Twice in one trip! Imagine my delight!)

Patrick and I also went to the Culinary Museum at Johnson&Wales. It was actually a ton of fun. The museum itself was pretty small, but just packed with awesome old cooking stuff! The labels were well-written, even some of the individual exhibits were incredibly impressive. But, we had worked up such an appetite that we were prepared to pay top dollar for J&W cooked food, but apparently they have no such place on their own campus? Appalling.

The last night I was there, we went to an awesome Poetry Slam sort of thing. It really made me miss writing.
Kitty.

But I had to come home eventually: Hansie missed me soooo much!