This weekend I did two excursions where I interacted with people, more than just picking up the mail or shopping at the farmstand, although I did those also.
Yesterday (Saturday) I went to the Art Museum at the University of Saint Joseph to see "Ansel Adams: Early Works" which I definitely enjoyed. I love his photography and like many people know mostly the later works. Some of the early ones are quite stunning, and some we know primarily from later prints but the originals have additional depth.
Today (Sunday) I decided to join a friend who was taking a handful of people from New Haven on a bit of a walk around the city. Kerri said it would be a pastry-centric walk, but only the first two stops focused on baked goods. That isn't the key for either Story & Soil or Aurora's although they do have good options. I bought three things at Aurora's, intending to hold two for later meals, and enjoyed the concha as we set out. I was going to get one from the case but the server took my bag and added a fresh one from the kitchen. I haven't had a concha in a long time, and while it's different from the Mexican style with which I am more familiar, it was thoroughly satisfactory.
After starters we walked down Columbia Street, which is a historical district, wandered through Pope Park, and down Park Street to the Parkville Market for lunch, after a brief tour of the public areas of the 1429 building. None of those spaces were open, but we did some window-peeping.
The nifty thing about Parkville Market is that it is mostly a food hall, which does make it slightly problematic to decide on what to eat. I usually choose things I don't make at home, and this time it was Vegetable Momos and Samosa Chaat from Bombay Market. I love momos (Nepalese dumplings) and never had Samosa Chaat before, so they are good choices. And I have a lot of leftovers. We took one of the shaded outdoor tables, a perfect option on a breezy and warm day, and away from the crowds that were starting to fill the inside. None of us were ready for crowds.
Because we were full, further pastry-hunting was postponed for other days. The visitors loved my "Small State: Big Heart" t-shirt so I pointed them to Hartford Prints!, and they took the website for online ordering.
So.
Two outings in two days. It felt odd, but good. Yesterday I was mostly solo (the Art Museum limits the number of persons per hour, and I didn't go with anybody); today we agreed that re-entering society and learning to socialize might take some doing. As I said to Kerri after the others left, I remember days when I would be out and about the Hartford area on a weekend, nonstop from yoga class in early morning to one or more social, arts, or other events in the evenings. I still have the energy, but I'm not sure I'll ever do that much out-and-abouting again. I guess we shall see.
May Mini-Resolution Status
I did get my taxes filed, and not just on time but early! Now to await the refund.
More progress happened on the Omega Shawl, although mostly I focused on finishing this for my mother for Mother's Day:
It is just my usual pattern, done in a K3P3 garter rib, made from Lion Brand "Scarfie" because the colourway reminds me of my mother - she loves red, and wears red and black often. She's already worn this on a couple of unseasonably cool days.
I also worked on the items I've committed to make for the next Mittens for Akkol delivery, and am trying to not commit to anything else until I have the last two items finished.
Books: I have finally broken the block, and finished two books. The Cowgirl Aunt of Harriet Bean by Alexander McCall Smith is a very slim one, written for children, but it counts! It was the second book I finished this month. I'd started The Girl of Fire and Thorns Stories by Raw Carson earlier this year, or last year? It is three prequel novellas to a series I haven't read, and I hit a scary point in the first one and just couldn't go past. Last week I picked it up and managed to get past, then quickly finished all three stories and enjoyed them. I'm still slogging through Antonia Fraser's biography of Mary, Queen of Scots and while she is extremely knowledgeable, Ms. Fraser seems determined to show off everything she has learned, found, or determined. She said she wanted to debunk some of the things that were said about Mary Stuart, and that is possibly why she includes so much. I'm stubborn enough to finish it - and since the old paperback I have is falling apart, it will probably become a piece of book art, like this one:
That is one I created for the 2017 "Paper Possibilities" show by MakeHartford's Paper Arts Gathering.
