An Abundant Life - Gratefulness

A few weeks ago a lovely woman named Caren Lissner stopped by YES Gallery one afternoon and asked me if she could take photographs. I invited her in and as we spoke she told me that she is a staff writer for New Jersey Patch, and that she wanted to write about the gallery. Experiences like this, when people just happen to walk by and feel welcomed and are interested in the art and environment in the space are so encouraging to me. It's a place that is not like any other and to hear that people enjoy seeing it and being there is such a wonderful confirmation that what has been created in this place is inviting, beautiful and inspiring.

When I began planning the event for the Hoboken Artists' Studio Tour, I sent information to Caren, and she responded that she had been busy with other local news during the election season, but that she would have more time again after that. The Studio Tour was a little over a week after Election Day, and when I sent out the invitations the the event at YES Gallery, I sent one to Caren and heard back that she was just then in the process of writing about the Studio Tour.

With everything that was happening around that event and that day as well as some other projects that have been keeping me very busy I didn't have a chance to follow up about the article. Caren was kind enough to take the time to attend the evening event at the gallery, but it was such a busy day and a full evening and I didn't ask her about the article that night. There's a part of me that doesn't ever want to bother anyone, especially when they're doing something kind for me, and so I felt it better to wait until we both had more time to talk. She posts beautiful photographs and fun posts on her own Instagram page, and I had been enjoying seeing them and commenting, and then one evening I thought to just look up the article to see if I could find it and I did immediately. It had been posted on November 9, and it was so beautifully written and photographed that I was filled with gratitude for this wonderful writer and photographer who had taken the time to write about YES Gallery and me when her time and schedule were so busy.

Over Thanksgiving I was finding that a practice of Gratitude that I'd begun around 18 years ago was coming into my mind again as a way of reflecting during the holiday. There is so much to be grateful for, and the beautiful people who walk in the door to YES Gallery and share their time and inspiration and encouragement is a joyful experience. When someone takes the time to write about the gallery, it's truly a gift. I know from my own experience over the years that writing takes time and effort and to have that time and effort taken for YES Gallery is a very special gift. With so much gratitude I share the article Caren Lissner wrote, and I give thanks for the beautiful gift she shared with me.

A Beautiful Article

About The Hoboken Artists' Studio Tour

Written By Karen Lissner

In New Jersey Patch

Including Photographs And Information

From Her Visit To YES Gallery

https://patch.com/new-jersey/hoboken-art-tours-give-visitors-rare-look

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - Performing Art

Last week I wrote that on Sunday there was a celebration at YES Gallery during the Fall Hoboken Artists' Studio Tour and because the date of the celebration was the date when I was posting for the week, I wanted to follow up today with some of the videos from that gorgeous day. The marvelous Visionary Module had put together a wonderful line-up of musicians and performers, and all afternoon and into the evening there were wonderful people and Artists and performers visiting and making music and enjoying the art and the music and the beautiful golden Autumn afternoon and cozy evening. There were so many illustrious guests in the space, including the marvelous Anthony Haden-Guest and the marvelous Linus Coraggio as well as the gorgeous Nancy August who brought them with her to see the gallery and their work that is on display. It's so exciting and such an honor to have Artists like these visit and enjoy YES Gallery, and to have such wonderful music and visitors for a gallery celebration. The videos I was able to create caught a glimpse of the beauty of that very special blessing of a day and evening.

Visionary Module Performing

At YES Gallery

Followed By Dale

With Anthony Haden-Guest and Linus Coraggio

Photograph By Nancy August

Tapalaga Performing At YES Gallery

Followed By Rose Image

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

 

An Abundant Life - Fall Festivity

There is just something about fall that makes me feel so happy. I love all the changing seasons and have very special memories and times within each of them, but for some reason fall just seems to be a time that always gives me a deep feeling of excitement and contentment rolled all into one. YES Gallery is so full of blooming plants still, and there are more that have arrived to grace the front steps. With the nights getting cooler I sometimes bring them inside earlier, but as long as possible I keep the door open to let the scent of the fall breeze fill the space.

Today is the Hoboken Artists' Studio Tour and I planned a celebration that would begin in the afternoon and go into the evening. The Studio Tour is always such a beautiful time to celebrate art and community, and as the days become more golden in their light and the air is filled with the sounds of whispering falling leaves, the celebration is also part of my own way to welcome the fall into the place itself.

The marvelous musician Visionary Module decided to curate a lineup of performers and bands for the YES Gallery celebration, and there was a familiar face who arrived at the gallery door a little over a week ago to say that he was going to be performing there. Rose Image had his first YES Gallery performance on the weekend of the Hoboken Artists' Studio Tour last year, and as I wrote about at the time he had also inspired me to find a vintage turntable for the gallery by lending me his portable turntable to play over the weekend when he wasn't performing. He had been such a wonderful addition to so many of the events I'd had monthly, and then his schedule changed and he hadn't been there in a while. It was so good to see him and to hear that he was going to be back again to share his wonderful creative spirit and inspiration!

I'll be posting more from this beautiful day, but for now here are a few of the images that have been created to celebrate the celebration of art and life that is filling the world of Hoboken and the world of YES Gallery.

YES Gallery Celebration

During The Hoboken Artists' Studio Tour

408 6th Street

Hoboken, New Jersey

Beautiful Visuals Created By

The Marvelous Hoboken Cultural Affairs

The Invitation I Created With The Wonderful Visual

From The Marvelous Hoboken Cultural Affairs

A Wonderful Flyer Created By

The Marvelous Visionary Module

For The Band and Performance Line-Up He Curated

A Beautiful Post Created By 

The Marvelous Hoboken Business Alliance

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - A Little Precious Jewel

I had been hearing from the marvelous Chef Seadon Shouse that he and the team of Halifax in Hoboken were planning a new small restaurant and bar with light bites on 14th Street, and I knew it would be wonderful so I kept watching to see when it was opening so I could go for a visit. When I heard from Chef Shouse that if I was available on a Wednesday night I could stop in, I enthusiastically said yes. It was such a wonderful invitation to receive, and because I know how wonderful everything is that Chef Shouse and the team at Halifax does I was so excited to go to this newest place they'd created.

Chef Shouse had told me where it was and described that it was on the corner of 14th and Shipyard, but I hadn't been by yet so I didn't know anything about it. When I first arrived at the door I felt immediately that I'd found something so wonderful, and as I walked in through the deep blue violet drapes the world outside seemed to be far away as I entered a very special and beautiful space. Everything inside was lovely, with an elegance and comfort and every attention to gorgeous detail creating an immersion of lovely and special hospitality where even the names of offerings on the menu bring a smile of delight, with history and local culture and lore updated in beautiful serveware and glasses.

I'm a lover of the waterfront and of sailing, and in some ways I felt as if I was on board a very beautiful ship, or perhaps in the private dining room or lounge of an ocean-front or seaside hideaway. Memories of lovely places I'd been in Europe and in my favorite seafaring coastal places kept rising up and being added to by the wonderful experience I was having in this very new and uniquely special place that has its own very special vision.  

To say that I could have ordered everything on the menu is a testament to the excellent curating of flavors by the marvelous Chef Shouse and the marvelous team at Halifax Hoboken who have created a place that is a lovely combination of charming, elegant, comfortable, welcoming, inviting and somehow both inclusive and exclusive. Anyone who knows me knows that those qualities are what I strive for at YES Gallery, and when I discovered them when I first met Chef Shouse a few years ago at Halifax, those qualities along with his marvelous culinary art made it a favorite destination. At Little Bar I took his advice and instead of ordering everything I chose a smaller selection of the delightful choices, knowing I can visit this very special jewel box of a place again and again.

I began with the selection of Serrano ham, salami and duck rillettes from the cures section on the boards menu and tried a marvelous "Did The New York Yacht Club Serve Grog?" that not only has a wonderfully and creatively fun name rooted in its seafaring history that was shared with me, but was also so lovely and enjoyable as a crafted Mixologist's dream creation could be. That was followed by a selection of artisan made salted anchovies, squid in ink, cockles in brine and eggplant caponata served with sesame thyme lavash crackers and house made hot sauce which hit every lovely layered flavor filled note, and the "I Think Tom Collins Lives On 14th Street" that was as refreshing as its name is joyfully fun.

As I finished the evening's selections with a chocolate pot du creme with ganache and a topping of chocolatey espresso cookie crumble that was honestly one of the most delicious desserts I have had anywhere, I was so grateful to have had this opportunity to visit this very wonderful oasis of culinary delight. The Mixologist's selection I chose to accompany it appeared with a cacao fish stenciled on top, such an inventive, fun and lovely touch in a creation that was as flavorful as it was beautiful. This is the place to be! It's such a dream of a space, and so beautiful to visit, and the food, service, and everything about it are wonderful and excellent in every way. The two small and simple words in the name Little Bar mean a very, very big success.

Little Bar

1401 Hudson Street

Hoboken, New Jersey

https://www.littlebar.com/

Blessings,

Jannie Susan