Our trip to NYC

plus, Draw Tiny, a new book recommendation

Dear Frog Troublers, we hope you’re holding up as well as you can in the midst of these upsetting times: the cruel budget bill, the awful loss of life in the Texas floods.

We were in New York when the big bad bill passed, cat-sitting for friends who live on the east side of midtown Manhattan:

The handsomest boy on the east side

We loved hanging out with him in their beautiful apartment, and the girls adored New York. It wasn’t their first time visiting, but it was the first time they could choose things to do, board a subway train confidently, and really enjoy the art and culture of the city. For the first few days, we even had Mamie with us, which was extra-fun. We packed a lot of museum-going into those days, visiting the Met, the Whitney, and the Neue Galerie. Our average daily step count, according to my watch, was 17,000 steps, or about eight miles of walking.

Here are some favorite city memories from Harriet:

I really liked riding bikes in Central Park. There are a lot of hills, but you go downhill as much as you go uphill. If you wear your bathing suit under your clothes you can also go to a swimming pool.

I liked riding the elevators and escalators and going in the subway.

I also liked seeing Snowy, who is still a kitten and really playful. He liked to play with toys and playing with me. He got the zoomies several times a day.

I liked going Eataly, a big grocery store and restaurant with a lot of pasta and gelato.

One day I rode the subway a long time with Mama to a park and castle. There were these beautiful, very old unicorn tapestries and beautiful gardens that her friend told us all about.

Did you know that unicorn horns can purify water?

And from Bea:

I loved eating lots of delicious food, sometimes in restaurants and sometimes in parks. My favorites were kimchi udon, soup dumplings, sushi from Genkiya Mart in Nolita, pasta (from the Eataly), and Dubai chocolate gelato.

I really liked going to the museums. My favorite one was the Met, which had incredible Egyptian art. Or maybe it was the Amy Sherald paintings at the Whitney.

I also had a great time with my dad at the Spy Museum, where you learn about famous spies and tools that spies used in history.

I liked seeing all the cute dogs. We saw corgis, Yorkies, poodles, mini schnauzers, pugs, and a Saint Bernard.

I also went to see Stranger Things: the First Shadow with my mom. The acting and special effects were amazing. It was even scary, and I don’t get scared easily.

We saw a HUGE pitcher plant at a random bodega:

Snowy was a very friendly cat with a lot of personality, who was very playful and sweet.

Tips (from Belle) when you go:

-Get an out-of-town membership to the Met! It’s no longer pay-what-you-like (at least not for out of towners), but if you live more than 200 miles away you can get a discount memebership for $90. That’s still a lot, but it covers two adults to the Met and the Cloisters (kids under 18 are free) for a whole year.

-We always see something cool at the Whitney Museum of American Art. This year, the Amy Sherald exhibit was so very wonderful, a large retrospective of her career that included a great short film about her process.

The Whitney is also right next door to the High Line, elevated train tracks that have been turned into a beautiful park.

-New York has so many great bookstores, which can be a good place to take a break and do some shopping. We liked the basement kids’ and YA section of McNally Jackson.

-Definitely visit a rooftop garden for the view. The Met has a beautiful view of the city (below). Our friends’ apartment had one too.

-The subway is great for kids to experience. One night, completely by chance, we saw a free opera performance from Bizet’s Carmen.

Of course, we were happy to come home again, and our cats were happy to see us. The garden is full of tomatoes, and we made a simple pasta with fresh tomatoes and basil for our first dinner back. This book, Draw Tiny, by Anna Tjalsma-Pogorzelec, was waiting for us (thanks, Storey!)

It’s a book inspired by the author’s childhood memories and favorite images (mushrooms, flowers, cats), rendered small and on repeat to make beautiful patterns. Anna Tjalsma-Pogorzelec believes that anyone can draw, with just a little practice. At 8pm, just home from the airport, the girls fought over who could use it first: the sign of a very popular book.

Bea, who won the battle, says it’s very relaxing.

Also, a lovely surprise (right when I needed it) was this subway poem by Vievee Francis, a former visiting poet at NC State:

Lots of love from us on this rainy day, Frog Troublers.