Wolfgang Blank, 1928 - 2008

Our family said goodbye to Brian's dad on Wednesday in a beautiful cemetery in Erie, Pennsylvania. A friend of the family shared some special memories of Wolfgang and their common love for all things Brazilian (he was a missionary there, Wolfgang was born there).

He also shared some encouragement from the German hymn, "Nun Danket Alle Gott," ("Now Thank We All Our God") by the German composer, Martin Rinkhart.

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessèd peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!

All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;
The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven;
The one eternal God, whom earth and Heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

The Doughnut Plant

There is an ancient proverb - "All doughnuts are good doughnuts." Well, ok, maybe I just made that up, but The Doughnut Plant's doughnuts are nothing short of uh-MAY-zing.

After hoofing it through the rain and taking the F train to Delancey, I walked the few short blocks to the bakery with the smell of freshly baked doughnuts beckoning me.

Once I got there, I was not about to leave with just ONE doughnut. I figured I could eat one - and Brian would eat the other four (with my help, of course), so I got:

* Tres leches (probably the best doughnut I've ever eaten - with sweetened condensed milk oozing into my mouth with every bite)
* Hazelnut
* Peach
* Coconut glaze with coconut cream
* Peanut butter glaze with strawberry jam




Here's all that was left of those five donuts after about 24 hours in our home:

Cheers! Probst! Salute! to Heather at Pravda

Today is Heather's _______th birthday. (I am not at liberty to disclose her age without her permission.) Right now, she is probably sipping a margarita on the beach in Bermuda, but last night, we had a great time with a few friends at Pravda celebrating her *almost* birthday.



Heather, of course, was working it in some fabulous gold stillettos. You go girl!



Demian and Sarah Repucci (PS - Check out his website - he is an incredibly talented designer!)



Song and Courtney



A good night was had by all!

Drinks at Bemelmans Bar

Check another one off the list. A very EXPENSIVE one.

Saturday night, Cory, Carrie, Brian and I went out to a great Mediterranean wine bar in Hell's Kitchen called Kashkaval (translation: sheep's milk cheese. I mean, if you opened a restaurant, would you call it "Feta?")

Anyway, the food was great. Tapas. Fondue. Turkey meatballs and orzo. Yumm!

Afterward, I suggested heading over to the Upper East Side for a drink at The Carlyle Hotel's famed Bemelmans Bar. The bar is named after Ludwig Bemelman, the creator of the Madeline books and the artist who painted the mural that wraps around the entire bar.

It is supposedly the home to UES socialites, politicians, and the occasional visit by Harry Truman back in the day. I should've guessed it was going to cost us a bit more than a beer at the local pub.



$(cough, cough) later - we had an amazing night. I'd say it was worth the cost - and the week's worth of Ramen noodles we've all been eating for dinner ever since then.

Still smiling - even after the bill came!



The Craig Gillespie Trio played all night long - he sounded just like Frank Sinatra - and he even played "New York, New York" just before we left. I had a little moment with New York that night.

Thanks, Cory and Carrie!

Saw Olafur Eliasson's Waterfalls - for FREE

It took a month to get my free tickets to the Circle Line's cruise around Olafur Eliasson's Waterfalls exhibit in the East River - but we finally got to check it out this morning.

We couldn't have asked for a more perfect New York City day. Breezy, sunny, and hardly a cloud in the sky. It was a great snapshot - and a morning I will definitely remember when we leave this beautiful town.







Ella came along for the boat ride, too. 9:45 a.m. was early - but so much fun. Thanks, friend!



Someone should tell Olafur about this Waterfall. It was less Waterfall and more..."Scaffolding."

What happened to the water on this one guys?



Ella and I were imagining that there is some guy who is responsible for flipping the "on" switch for the Waterfalls, and we were picturing him running from the Dunkin' Donuts at the South Street Seaport (he overslept) to try to get to the switch before we saw the broken Waterfall. Oops!

Bought Some Tasty Treats at Economy Candy

Nothing like good chocolate to get the weekend started on the right foot.

You name it, Economy Candy has it (but sometimes you had to buy it in 1/2 lb. bags!). The longtime "local" candy store, right in the middle of the Lower East Side, feels like a step back in time. Pressed tin ceilings and antique candy boxes, games, and gumball machines lined the walls of the store, and kids (including us!) eagerly ran around grabbing their favorite sweet treats.



Ella, a fellow sweet tooth-er and candy fan, was the perfect friend to join me on this adventure. As soon as we walked in, both of our jaws dropped (just enough to fit in the GIANT gummy bear Ella found!)



One chocolate bar, a bag of Italian peppermints, a bag of chocolate toffee almonds, and a package of Beeman's chewing gum later, we found our way safely out of the store before a sugar coma set in.

Yummmm!

Ah, Maine

Last week, we took a much-needed vacation and roadtripped up through Maine and New England for our *belated* one-year anniversary. Love you, B!

The trip was all about food. Where could we find the best, off-the-beaten path hamburgers, lobster, or ice cream? That treasure hunt just about sums up every day of our trip.

And, oh yeah, I beat Brian at putt-putt golf.

First stop: Swanky Frank's in Norwalk, CT. Recommended to us - by of all people - the Avis rental car manager in Stamford, CT. They are only open from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., so that should tell you something about how good the burgers are.



Brian had lobster FOUR nights in a row on vacation. In Maine, lobster is as easy to come by as a hotdog in a bun in Yankee Stadium!



The New York Times recommended the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound if you're in Bar Harbor, ME. The 1 hour+ wait was worth it!





Maine is also about stopping to smell the roses, er, wildflowers...







Our first bed and breakfast - the Claremont Hotel in Southwest Harbor, ME. Highly recommend it.



The dock leading out into Somes Sound (America's only fjord!) behind the Claremont Hotel.



On top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Forest. You can see Bar Harbor in the background.



Sea kayaking



I made us pull over to take a picture. Maybe someday??




Oh, I almost forgot to mention. I beat Brian at putt-putt golf. Next try, B!





And our last stop before NYC - Louis' Lunch in New Haven, CT. Supposedly the first hamburger in the United States. If you can get past the women behind the counter screaming at you for your order, the burgers are pretty good!