DCEC and Wyeth

DCEC (the DC Explorers Club, formerly known as the DC Democratic Diners Club) met to view the wonderful Andrew Wyeth exhibit at the National Gallery. The focus was on his works in which he painted scenes with windows. We all liked it very much.

Afterwards we walked across the street to the cafe in the Sculpture Garden. We ate outside in the shade. I had a delicious cheddar and apple sandwich on a baguette.

It was a gorgeous day and the company was terrific, as usual. As Synthia said, however, we never seem to allow enough time for conversation!

                                                  Ginny, Synthia, Mary, Christine, and Jodi

After lunch we returned to the NGA and saw the Degas-Cassatt exhibit. For me it was my fourth visit but I enjoyed it all the same. I found the Wyeth exhibit more compelling, however, and definitely want to return to see it again.

Dona

Dona took me to one of my very favorite restaurants to celebrate my birthday. We went to Carrol's Creek in Annapolis. It was a gorgeous day and a happy time.

I always order the risotto. It is the best risotto I have ever eaten and this includes risotto I have eaten in Milan. It is out of this world and cooked in an acorn squash. It is always a very generous portion -really enough for two hardy meals!

Dona ordered pasta with seafood.

We shared a heavenly dessert - key lime souffle. It was delicious - covered with chips of white chocolate.

Ginny

I met Ginny at the Women's Museum and then we went over to Cafe Mozart for lunch. We talked about La Bella Italia and enjoyed our Austrian food!

 Ginny with her lunch

 Close-up

Chris

My potato pancakes

A Visit from Arthur and Paul

Our French grandsons came for a visit and here are some photos from their visit.

A Russian Birthday

I didn't know that this gathering of friends was actually going to be a celebration of my birthday. It was a joyous evening at the Russian restaurant Mari Vanna - four Americans and three Russians.

 The rocking serenade - Christine and Oksana

                                                               George, Christine, and Oksana

 

                                                            Ginny, Larissa, and Susan

                                                               Susan and Ivan

Lunch with Nancy

My friend Nancy and I met at Proof, one of my favorite restaurants in DC, for lunch.

 insert photo

We then crossed the street to the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery and Museum of American Art and enjoyed several exhibits.

insert photo

Birthday Lunch with Carol

My friend Carol and I always celebrate our birthdays together but somehow we are never very punctual with these special occasions. This year we celebrated Carol's November birthday on July 21. And since my birthday is in June, we celebrated mine at the same time! We had a three-hour lunch at the Silver Diner in Springfield. We ate but mostly talked and talked and talked.

Farewell Dinner

Nicoletta

                                     Nicoletta

Penne integrali con verdura - delicious!

Christine, Andrea, and Nicoletta

Assaggi Osteria is Andrea's very favorite Italian restaurant in the US. We enjoy taking special people there. Before our lovely daughter Nicoletta returned to Italy, we took her here for a delicious lunch. We had lovely time but we were very sorry that Nicoletta was leaving us. We did have a wonderful week together.

The Birthday Club

A marvelous birthday tradition! Andrea and I always celebrate our birthdays with George and Dal. This year Dal and I celebrated ours together at Cashion's with a very special guest from Italy: Nicoletta!

                                                  Dal, Chris, Andrea, Nicoletta, and George

We had a very happy time with wonderful conversation, delicious food, and excellent service.

My Birthday Day 2014

  The day of my birthday was very nice.

Andrea took me to lunch at Floriana's, a restaurant in the Dupont Circle area. I had been wanting to go there and this seemed to be the perfect occasion. 

Unfortunately, the Saturday lunch menu was brunch so it wasn't exactly what I had expected or hoped for. It was an interesting brunch menu but I would like to return for a "real" lunch or dinner in the near future.


                     My grilled cheese sandwich

                                                    Andrea's prosciutto and melone 





This restaurant is happily situated in a row house and therefore intimate and romantic. The service was very good.



After lunch, Andrea walked me over to Theater J where I met my friend Mary. My sister had bought tickets for us to go to see "Freud's Last Session." She had to change her plans at the last minute so I invited Mary to join me.


 The play was excellent. It was a dialogue between Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis. They had a surprisingly pleasant and productive conversation.

Chris and Andrea in front of the Jewish Community Center that houses Theater J

                                         Mary and Chris inside the Jewish Community Center

What is a birthday without birthday cake? The following day Andrea and I went to the Swiss Bakery in Annandale and bought a piece of white chocolate mousse cake. It was my birthday cake! And was it delicious!

For more birthday news, go to July 6th.

Museum Open House

I was invited to a Sneak Peak of GW's two new museums, the Washingtoniana Collection and the Textile Museum. The buildings are empty but it was fun to see the inside of the buildings.

 The building on the right was the former site of the GW Police Department. It has been completely remodeled and it will house the Washingtoniana Collection.

 The building on the left is a new building and it will house the Textile Museum that was formerly located on S Street NW. A bridge was created between the two buildings. The new building has four floors.

Sue and Bob in Town

Two WHS friends were in town and we spent several delightful hours together on the National Mall.

We met at the National Gallery of Art and enjoyed the wonderful Degas-Cassett exhibit. We then had lunch in the Cascade Cafe of the museum. Then we walked across the Mall.

                   Sue and Bob standing in front of the artwork between the East and West Buildings of the NGA

                                    Sue looking through the glass pyramid into the museum below.

S
   Sue and Bob standing with the US Capitol behind them



We wondered what this new structure was in front of the Air and Space Museum. I am still wondering!

After I left my friends, I decided to dash into the Hirshhorn to see if there was anything interesting there.

                                                                    The Hirshhorn


 
       A view of part of the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden

I took a few photos of the Smithsonian Castle.