Red Apple Redux

Meanwhile, back in Newport Hills:  eff-stoplocal posted these shots from a momentous occasion.  They capture the most auspicious moment in the five year life of this blog so far.  I was actually able to step inside and experience the Red Apple Grocery Store, the namesake of Red Apple Elegy, for the first time since it closed five years ago.

In all its spooky Chainsaw Massacre glory I toured curious neighbors through the back loading docks and secret passageways, hidden closets and exposed wiring that was more Halloween than Christmas.  This was, after all, the venue for our annual Holiday Crafts Bazaar.  And we had our work cut out for us!

I especially like how eff-stop captured the red in Red Apple in a decidedly un-festive light.  It's been abandoned for five years now--what do you expect?  Hopefully, the tide is turning.  Stay tuned.

Holiday Season Kick-off

At the Holiday Bazaar in the old drugstore in newport HIlls last Saturday I spent a very cold day opposite
Daniel Santjer who had a booth selling his encaustic paintings and photographs.  They looked so much like  something Sean (over at Eff-Stop) and/or I might do that I had to go over and introduce myself.  A longtime Newport Hills neighbor whom I'd never met before turned out to be an artisan soulmate!  I got to meet his lovely wife Margaret and toddling son Joshua, too.  This is just the kind of synergy I love with fairs, markets and community events like this!

In this photo, Daniel (on the right) talks to another vendor.

The nicest thing about Dan was his good cheer, reaching out and talking to everyone around him, sharing secrets of his techniques, books about encaustic art and even giving me two of his matted photographs as a good-bye gift.  What a guy!

More holiday scenes from the annual Newport Hills Bazaar:

Past president of Newport Hills Community Club and recent candidate for Bellevue City Council Michelle Hilhorst chillin' (literally!) at the NHCC Membership table and sporting new purchases from the lovely ladies at this booth here:

We welcomed Kumon Learning Center recently to our somewhat less empty collection of storefronts and offices in the Newport Hills shopping center.  Wishing them well!

More wacky fashion attire here:

and here:

The local girl scout troops featured handmade candles for sale to support their activities and spread their own kind of holiday cheer....

Carla's stamp creations, the quilt lady's wares and lots of hats and scarves (as well as personal heaters) were much in evidence.  All in all, a good start to the holiday season here in the 'hood!

Kissing in the Library

A lovely Valentine from Chuck Pefley at Seattle almost one a day I want to pass along to you.

Most romantic urban community idea of the week calls for eking more space out from underneath (think the viaduct as drive-in movie) is pictured here at Pruned.

"Only connect" here
Valentine from the Small Expectations kitty here--don't miss the "Slicer!"
My funny valentine lurks here and shows us that Mr. Rorschach is no slouch in the looks department, either.

Finally, my not-so-secret valentine goes to Joshua Prince-Ramus, truly a prince in my book. When he was in his early 20s and just beginning to design the Seattle Public Library with Rem Koolhaas I was introduced to him at Town Hall during a model-viewing workshop. My then much-younger son was with me and Joshua leaned down to ask him what he'd like to see at the library. Shyly, Nick replied he'd like a "slide" from the fifth floor to the kid's book section on the lowest level off Fourth Avenue.

Deborah Jacobs, then City Librarian and client extraordinaire, gently but firmly shook her head, as if she knew Joshua would always be on the kids' side. "Better nip this in the bud right here and now," she seemed to be thinking. Joshua just led Nick over to the model where they had a private conversation about buildings and stuff.


There wasn't a slide, last time I checked, but the library is still one heck of an exciting place to be. More photos from a recent visit

here

Just for Valentine's Day, in the Seattle Public Library the "Juliet balcony" is hidden behind elevators on the top floor. Not for acrophobes, the view takes in all the lower floors and it's where Joshua proposed to his wife. Truly the most romantic spot in the library. Deborah used to say that the public library was the only place she could get away from her mom's watchful eyes and meet boys. Seems Joshua was listening!
Click here for Joshua's TED talk on the Seattle Library.

Happy Valentine's Day!!