Tomorrow's The Parade!

Sponge Bob, the popular Macy's ballon pictured above, is here with me to announce that the 90th Macy's Thanksgiving Parade will take place in NYC tomorrow! I began blogging about this event on November 15th 2016, with an entry where I included photos of various Macy's balloons including one with Woodstock riding on Snoopy; and ones rendered in the likeness of Thomas The Tank, as well as Spider Man. From what Sponge Bob tells me, Spider Man will not participate this year.

Change of Heart?

(Note the "scratches" you may think you are seeing are strings supporting "Bob")

It seems Sponge Bob (pictured above) was as surprised to see me as I was to see him yesterday morning, a "mild" one (weather wise) for Thanksgiving! For on this particular holiday, in bygone years in New York City, where I live, weather conditions have often been either rainy or windy or both, not exactly a "comfortable" atmosphere for a parade — especially one so huge as the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Sponge Bob is one of the participants in the parade, and since I have not watched television since the 1980's, I don't know much about him. I'm more familiar with good ol' Charlie Brown, the beloved Charles Schulz character who is pictured below, where he can be seen "marching" in yesterday's parade.

(Note the "scratches" you may think you are seeing are strings supporting CB)

Although I now live very close to part of the route of the Macy's Parade, it is an event that I prefer not to make an effort to attend, as the crowds are often massive, as well as aggressive. 

Be that as it may, one of the first times I made an effort to go to the parade was when my grandmother's sister (and hence my great aunt) Ruth came to New York City to visit me. 

The time period was during one of my first few years of living in Manhattan, and during those years I was living in a rooming house (or SRO as "we" refer to them in the city). It was a miserable place to live, but I managed to procure a room for Ruth, and she insisted we navigate the crowds to travel and to see the parade — even though it was very windy and rain was pouring down.

Remembering Henri Matisse ETC

Happy last day of the 2011 year, dear reader, and Happy Birthday to Henri Matisse, who was born 142 years ago today, in 1869. He died on the third of November in 1954, but it is Matisse's life that we (the 80+ things which I grow in my urban — NYC — garden) and I are recalling today.