Maggie's Farm

Nothing like a full-sized carpet to pull a room together. I found this antique 14X22' Kerman on eBay. It's just the thing for my double-wide. They want $120,000 for it, which seems quite reasonable for the size, the condition, and the age. The link and details here.

I did buy this very appealing semi-antique 9X12 Tabriz this week on eBay. Geometric and more shroomy-hallucinatory than the usual Tabriz. $230. How's that for a cost-effective way to bring beauty into one's house? I've seen old rugs like this go for $2-4000+ at auctions, and I really enjoy the look of this one. I don't mind if rugs are a bit worn. New rugs look terrible to me.

And here's one I really like. It is an antique 5X8 Caucasian Kuba. The seller claims it's 1890 but I am always a skeptic with the ages of rugs. The yellow looks unnaturally bright to me, but what do I know?

NYPD boat passing by Roosevelt Island, formerly known as Welfare Island, and formerly known as Blackwell's Island, and in future probably to be known as Obama Island:

Nice racks:

Around 71 st, East River. FDR Drive on left, East River, Roosevelt Island on right. Bridge in distance is the Triboro, which the City Council has attempted to rename the RFK Bridge. Why? I have no idea.

Spent today in NYC, around New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, (now known as New York Hospital and Weill Medical College, thanks to the Citigroup genius Sandy Weill Or is it properly New York Presbyterian Hospital - now that Presbyterian and NYH merged?). It was cold as hell.

That's Sotheby's building in front with the flags, and New York Hospital beginning just to the right of it.

A couple more below the fold -

In a way it's surprising that even one European Dark Ages manuscript survived, but in another way it's surprising that we don't have more of the doubtless many lost Beowulfs. (When you think about it, it's a miracle that we even have Boswell's letters from the 1700s. Some were found being used as wrapping paper in Marseilles. Long story.)

Prof. Sutherland inspired Mrs. BD to dig into this intricately-constructed story, but she elected to do it with Seamus Heaney's wonderful translation from the Anglo-Saxon instead of with the original.

The illustrated edition helps bring the times to life, but it comes in a plain version too. We like Seamus very much.

How many Army and Navy stores have closed over the past 20 years? Here's old Levine's, finally shuttered. My lousy photography makes it difficult to read the "Est. 1923" under the name. Note the signs on the little shop next door.

My mentioning a pied a terre in Manhattan motivated me to locate this nice little 2 BR place on West 81st, facing the Museum of Natural History. I want this (photo of LR with working fireplace).

They are asking $1.2 million. Details here.

I used to own a 1 BR place with doorman on West 82, but that was long ago. Bought it for $62,000. and, had I kept it, it would have been the best investment I ever made.  

Today is Candlemas. Thank you, Never Yet Melted.

Candlemas is when the badger checked the weather, and when you took down the Christmas greenery.

More snow coming tonight and tomorrow, and guess who is sold out of ice melter, salt, and traction gravel once again. Mind you, this is snow country here, especially with our global cooling. Guy said last shipment sold out in two hours. Is this nation short of gravel and rock salt? Is government action needed? Is this a case of "peak salt"? "Peak gravel"?

Maybe it's time to go back to the Saudis for a new deal on sand.

Using my lawn fertilizer spreader for salt and gravel has pretty much destroyed it this winter. I thought I'd pick up a new one at Home Depot to go along with the salt and gravel that they were out of. Well, it seems to be the wrong season for heavy-duty broadcast spreaders. What I need is one of these, but they don't sell them at Home Depot:

Barnard, VT. (pop. 958). Here's the Barnard Inn site. If you have cash, it's a good time to buy a VT getaway.

The first place is a c. 1850 hill farm with 65 acres (photo on right), so it would work for horses or cattle with plenty of room for a shooting range too. It's a restored 2300 sq.' Cape farmhouse with barn and outbuildings. As a farmer at heart, I'd check out the barns first. They are asking 1.1 million. Details here.

Second is the c. 1791 Cape farmhouse (photo below), also completely restored with additions bringing it up to a generous 7600 sq.'. I think they did a good job expanding the living space without altering the  humble appearance of the old farmhouse. Those metal roofs aren't charming, or in keeping with the style, but they are practical as heck in snow country - and they last forever. It's on a paltry 12 acres with ponds and stream. Too little land for cattle, but I'd guess there's some good turkey hunting there. They are asking only 3.9 million. Details here. (Prop. taxes a hefty $35,000)

Since I already have a fine New England farm, if I had a few million burning a hole in my pocket I think I'd consider picking up a pied a terre in NYC just about now, or later in the Spring when prices will drop even further. Trouble is, with boats it's not the price - it's the maintenance, and with houses it's the property taxes (plus the maintenance).

Gwynnie and I have been trying to get a clean copy of this email for several days. This is from a Partner at Heidrick & Struggles who was on Flight 1549. Note the 4 life lessons learned, at end.

"Gerry McNamara (New York/Charlotte) was on US Airways Flight 1549 last week. We caught up with him to discuss the harrowing incident and - in a departure from our usual format -present his stirring account as told to us:

Thursday was a difficult day for all of us at the firm and I left the Park Avenue office early afternoon to catch a cab bound for LaGuardia Airport. I was scheduled for a 5pm departure, but able to secure a seat on the earlier flight scheduled to leave at 3PM.

As many of us who fly frequently often do, I recall wondering if I'd just placed myself on a flight I shouldn't be on!

Just prior to boarding I finished up a conference call with my associate, Jenn Sparks (New York), and our placement, the CIO of United Airlines. When I told him that I was about to board a USAirways flight, we all had a little fun with it.

I remember walking on the plane and seeing a fellow with grey hair in the cockpit and thinking "that's a good thing... I like to see grey hair in the cockpit!"

I was seated in 8F, on the starboard side window and next to a young businessman. The New York to Charlotte flight is one I've taken what seems like hundreds of times over the years. We take off north over the Bronx and as we climb, turn west over the Hudson River to New Jersey and tack south.

I love to fly, always have, and this flight plan gives a great view of several NY landmarks including Yankee Stadium and the George Washington Bridge.

I had started to point out items of interest to the gentleman next to me when we heard a terrible crash - a sound no one ever wants to hear while flying - and then the engines wound down to a screeching halt. 10 seconds later, there was a strong smell of jet fuel. I knew we would be landing and thought the pilot would take us down, no doubt to Newark Airport.

As we began to turn south I noticed the pilot lining up on the river still - I thought - en route for Newark. Next thing we heard was "Brace for impact!" - a phrase I had heard many years before as an active duty Marine Officer but never before on a commercial air flight.

People are not buying luxuries these days, so such things are becoming quite inexpensive. I used to like beautiful antique rugs, but now I prefer attractive rugs that I don't mind walking on with boots, or the dog scratching at. I know we have some readers who might be offended, but these non-fancy runners I found on eBay (mostly roughtly 3'8''-4'x10') looked good to me. And cheap enough to tramp on with shoes, or for the dog to roll on.

(I know our rug expert readers will find fault, but these are hand-knotted 100 KPSI not-new Iranian rugs.)

We have highlighted New York's CSC in the past, but, after seeing their Uncle Vanya, this remarkable place deserves another pat on the back. Classic Stage Company.

Their short runs work well to attract distinguished actors who long to sink their teeth into classic works. The Long Wharf Theater in New Haven used to do that too. I don't know about now.

Pretty good guess, unlike most of such things (h/t, Right Wing Prof):

Asa Yoelson, aka Al Jolson, one of the top American entertainers of the 20th Century. A reader reminded us that Dylan thinks of Jolson and Sinatra as his role models/inspirations for making a song come alive with good phrasing.

Here's some Jolson: