Buffalo weekend

Spent the weekend at Dana’s in Buffalo, having an art experience with
our new friend Loretta, the talented supremo of the blog called PomegranatesandPaper. We arrived on Friday afternoon, browsed a while, and, let’s face it, spent some money at, Talking Leaves,
the wonderful local independent bookshop. And we had lunch there, and
coffee to revive ourselves, because, after our flight on Jetblue,
my favorite domestic airline, we needed a bit of stimulation. (Jetblue
is famous for their satellite TV service at every seat, and Loretta and I
both watched the Food Network–Paula Deen making a cheesecake and other
great stuff, like this peanut butter pie–without
sound, because we forgot to pick up earphones. Turns out the show is
perfectly good, maybe even better, without sound!).

Then the weekend was underway–Dana’s beautiful house, which is full
of art and color and books and the most perfect pleasantries for guests
(magazines and books picked especially for you! snacks! water! in your
own room! in a gift basket!). Artist friends came for drinks on Friday
night, and afterward we had a lovely beef stew for dinner.

Saturday morning we were hard at it: Loretta and Dana were
watercoloring, and I was wildly wielding a gluestick, as I tried to
finish up a half dozen not-quite-finished travel journals that I’ve been
creating over years. It was great fun to spread them all out on Dana’s
kitchen table, pasting in ephemera, designing pages, and remembering so
many wonderful days spent in various places around the world. It was
even good to get back to the tough stuff, like a jaw-dropping trip to
India, and my only time in Spain, which happened, most searingly, to
begin on the fateful date of September 11, 2001–to remember and to
re-experience and to document.

On Saturday (and Sunday), it snowed and snowed in Buffalo, beautiful,
wet snow that draped itself over every tree branch and, well,
stairstep–therein lies a tale. . . . We visited a friend’s apartment,
which is decorated in the most extraordinary colors, and filled to the
brim with exciting paintings (one got added to the budding McLellan
collection. I’ll try to find the link to her website–she’s a
tremendously talented painter.) Then we stopped by a great antiques
store/junk shop, which has wonderful jewelry, Bakelite, and I don’t know
what all. Last stop, Wild Things, a store with great jewelry.

Saturday night was chili and champagne, followed by art videos,
magazines, and reading in bed. Sunday morning was Sunday Morning,
breakfast burritos, and more art-making. All too, too much fun.
Creative, inspiring, battery-recharging FUN!