An Abundant Life - A Journey Close To Home

A few weeks ago I had a meeting scheduled with a colleague from Rutgers University who is helping to develop a sustainable business model for the Love & Plenty project. She suggested we meet in Jersey City at Uncle Momo, saying that the food was really excellent and that she thought I'd enjoy it. We were meeting for a late lunch on a Sunday afternoon, one of the first really warm summer like days this Spring. I had made a reservation for outside, and when I arrived there I was glad that I had because many tables were filling up and people continued to arrive over the course of the afternoon. They seated us in a lovely shady spot under the restaurant's awning, and over the course of the afternoon we shared some lovely fresh mint tea and some delicious breads and hummus and when I saw that there was lamb tagine on the menu which is a favorite that I often make myself I decided to try theirs. It arrived full of fragrance and plated so appetizingly that when I posted a photograph of it there were so many people who commented on how delicious it looked. It was excellent and a large enough portion that I was able to bring some home though it was so enjoyable that I could have finished it if I hadn't wanted to save some room to try their desserts. We ordered the creme brulee and the baklava and finished the afternoon with some work on the project while enjoying some sweet reverie.

Places like Uncle Momo are what makes life in Jersey City so fulfilling. They describe themselves as a "slow food" restaurant and every touch of the restaurant feels like you're somewhere very much like someone's home. But there is a professionalism to what they do, to how well taken care of the customers are, and how carefully prepared the food is. We can go there and relax and enjoy a meal that was made for enjoying, while also having the comfort of knowing that everything is being planned and well thought out so that we can feel at ease.

After I posted some photographs in my stories, a friend who lives nearby said, "I'm happy to see you at Uncle Momo!" I'm happy to see me there too and happy that a place like this exists that we can visit close to home.

Uncle Momo

289 Grove Street

Jersey City, New Jersey

  https://www.unclemomo.com/

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - Natural Beauty

I met Caridad Sierra Kennedy at an Art show in 2019. I had seen her work at different shows before, and we may have met or seen each other, but it was not until we started talking one afternoon and she introduced herself to me that I was able to connect the woman with her work. After that day we started following each other on Instagram and I began to see her and her work at other shows, and then 2020 came and everything went haywire in our world and things were shut down. But through all of that time, she was still posting on Instagram, still creating and still putting her vision out into the world. She created a series of work inspired by the sunsets she was experiencing in a new way through the lens of her windows and areas close to home and seeing her posts of Pandemic Sunsets gave a richness and connection to the lives of those of us who were experiencing our own worlds in new ways. She also participated in various shows online that were curated specifically to bring art and light to people during a very dark time.

Last fall we sat down for a meal together, something that we'd been talking about doing but hadn't been able to schedule. Sitting outside on a lovely early evening we had a chance to talk more in depth. She has a BFA in Fine Arts (Painting) from Newark College of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University, and a Masters Degree in Art Therapy from NYU, and she is a mother and a professional Art Therapist, with a full schedule that would keep someone else too busy for creating art of her own, but she carves out time for herself and has shown widely in the New York Metropolitan area. She told me that her son encourages her because he likes what she creates and he is proud of her, and appreciates knowing that she is an Artist.

Her work is inspired by her experience and connection with the natural world, and after our dinner together she sent me a selection of photographs from her series "The Sierra Vistas". A word play of her name and the natural world they embrace and encompass and contemplate, these diptychs reflect her own consciousness and experience of the natural world and the part it plays in healing, prayer and meditation, and the historical significance and role of diptychs as devotional objects. In her own words, "'The Sierra Vistas Series' is the wonder filled story of a stranger in a strange land and every stranger in this strange land. . . .  It is the quest to integrate the body, mind and spirit through visual means." 

Now that things have begun to open up more fully, I'm looking forward to seeing more of Caridad and her work in person. The art she creates is so connected to her feelings about the natural world and to her seeking for connection with that world and the world of the spirit and of holistic connection and belonging, and that is something that I think we all need, especially now.

Caridad Sierra Kennedy

 https://www.caridadkennedy.com

Photograph Courtesy Of

The Artist's Profile Page

On Saatchi Arts

https://www.saatchiart.com/account/artworks 

Selected Work From

"The Sierra Vistas Series"

Photographs Courtesy Of The Artist

Photograph Courtesy Of The Artist's Website

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - Spring Green

When I was visiting Niantic, Connecticut a few weeks ago, another of the lovely places I discovered was Smith's Acres, a Garden Center and Farm Stand that is family owned. Their website describes that they are "all about everything local and carry exclusively Connecticut grown annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs," and that "the vast majority of vegetable and herb plants, annuals and hanging baskets come right from our farm in East Lyme."

It was such a lovely surprise to find this oasis. I love to go to garden centers and this one had such a wonderful variety of items, plants and different kinds of decorative home and garden objects as well as a well stocked farmstand with fresh produce and specialty cooking items and things like honey and fresh and dried herbs and spices. The staff were so friendly too, and I picked up a few things, wanting to plan a trip when I could go back and buy more. It's the kind of place I grew up with, and that I wish was nearer to where I live now.

On the day that we were there it was still early Spring, but walking in the lovely large glass enclosed greenhouse made it feel like a much warmer day. It was peaceful and bright and so full of beautiful touches that I kept discovering new things around every corner. The quality of everything was excellent too, and the prices very reasonable. I always love finding a deal on a discount table and there were many that I could have bought if I had the place and space for them. Places like this for me are always places that help me dream, remembering childhood and looking to the future, taking with me what I can for now with a promise that this Spring will be a sweet one with greener days to come.         

Grape Hyacinths

From Smith's Acres

4 West Main Street

Niantic, Connecticut

https://www.smithsacres.com/

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - All For God's Glory

I wrote about the marvelous Graffiti Artist Jesus Saves a few years ago, and it seemed a good time to write an update because he's been creating so many new and wonderful things. He always does, because he lives and breathes art and creativity, but just recently I've been seeing some new videos on his Instagram page that are like nothing I've seen of his before. Looking back in time to the 1930's these videos remember a time in New York that was so different from the world of today, and he takes us there with his costumes of suits and hats and cigars and photographs that dissolve in the video frames to show us what life used to be like. He's also been making art on Subway maps, something that I'm very fond of seeing. New York City subway maps are art in and of themselves, especially if you've ever lived in New York and ridden the subway as much as those of us who love the city do. The thought that every picture tells a story definitely defines the subway system maps, and with the art of Jesus Saves over them they become something truly iconic.

When I first met Jesus Saves I was newly born again and he was attending the church on the lower east side where I found myself one June afternoon in 2006. He has a story to tell that he willingly tells because it is the story of what God can do in a life. Every one of us has our stories, of the miraculous saved by something beyond our understanding times, and when God is the one who we recognize as being the savior the stories and our lives become not just miraculous but filled with grace. I will leave Jesus Saves to tell his own story because it is his own to tell, but look him up and you'll understand why this born and bred New Yorker who is as tough as they come can be kind and loving and forgiving even as he travels through the subways and boroughs and around the world dealing with all kinds of people as he tags and creates murals and canvases with the art of Jesus Saves.

Jesus Saves

In Astor Place

With The Keith Haring Sculpture

"Self Portrait"

In 2015

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

  

An Abundant Life - Hudson River Views

A week ago an Artist friend of mine who I hadn't seen in a while asked if I was available to meet her for a gallery show in Jersey City. She invited another Artist friend along who I asked for a suggestion for a place to have dinner, and she suggested several places. Her husband had recommended one of them to me before, and I hadn't had a chance to try it yet. When I went online to look at the menu and I saw how good everything sounded and that it had outdoor seating with beautiful Hudson River views, that was the place where I wanted to go. 

The day that we had planned was a lovely one, with temperatures in the low 80's and a breeze that kept things comfortable. Hudson & Co. was a wonderful choice, and after the gallery we walked there easily, finding a table with beautiful views. We were lucky that we had planned an early dinner because just after we arrived it began to get very busy. The food was inventive and excellent, very fresh and creative ingredients and combinations. The cocktail list looked wonderful, but I decided on wine and the list was full of great choices for every palate. The service was as excellent as the food and our time there flew by in conversation, with enjoyable flavors and tastes and a beautiful view.

Jersey City is a wonderful place, and during this past year I've felt even more blessed to live within walking distance of so many beautiful and interesting places. Just having the gorgeous waterfront walkways is something that makes every day better, and with great places to visit for great meals life feel much sweeter. Now that the days are getting warmer, having a place like Hudson & Co. to visit is a gift, with the very special menu items and the very special views that make it a place where everything feels better.

Hudson & Co.

3 2nd Street

Jersey City, New Jersey

https://www.hudsonandconj.com

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - A Treasure Of Wearable Art

I met the Belgian Couture Designer Jean Paul Knott through the Artist, Designer, Photographer and Producer Eugene Galles one afternoon in New York City. Jean Paul had just arrived in New York to show his first collection for Fashion Week and he needed a model. Eugene called me and asked me what size I wore, and as I have never really paid attention to sizing and just wear what is comfortable, including often wearing men's tailored clothing, I started to explain the long version of how I dress. He cut me off politely and asked if I had time to come up to meet a friend of his, and that is how I first saw and wore the beautiful couture designs of Jean Paul Knott.

The friendship that resulted from that first meeting changed my life, taking me to Paris for Fashion Week for future collections and introducing me to Artists, Designers, Photographers, Stylists, the highest level Buyers for boutiques and major department stores, and top Editors for every major fashion magazine. For several years, twice a year I'd meet Jean Paul when he came to New York with his new collections, and the way I began to understand clothing and fashion and design has affected the way I shop and dress ever since.

Recently I saw a post on Instagram that Jean Paul has a new store in Brussels. He has been in different locations over the years and has also collaborated in spaces, but there was something about this new store that caught my eye in a way that brought me back to his earlier collections when we first met. Jean Paul is an Artist, and my favorite designs of his are those that are one-off statement pieces, some that I have in my own collection now. His ready to wear is always lovely and striking, with classic lines that take a detour into his creative vision within their simplicity. But it's the true couture, those pieces that I have always felt could be hung on a wall when they are not being worn, that for me are his most exciting works of art.

Beautiful clothing is something to be treasured. The way it feels to be dressed when the material and the cut and the stitching are of the highest quality is an experience like no other. Walking into a room wearing one of Jean Paul Knott's designs makes a statement that wherever you are is the place to be. The touch of the fabric, the way it moves and drapes, draws attention to the wearer in all of the right ways. The clothing is seemingly very simple, but it is the years of experience and knowledge that Jean Paul Knott has that takes the designs to a much higher level. Before starting his own collection he had worked as an Assistant to Yves Saint Laurent, and his dedication and craftsmanship show in every fold and drape and cut and stitch. Clothing like this is wearable art, and it lifts the wearer up to experience it.

With Jean Paul Knott

In New York City

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - Daily Specials

When I was in Niantic with some friends a few weeks ago, one of the many nice surprises to find there was a restaurant that had a menu that was so full of special selections every day that it made every day feel special. When I first sat down to have a meal at the Black Sheep at the recommendation of the Inn where I was staying, I was impressed by the sound of things I was reading and became a fan as soon as the first flavors started arriving at the table. The cocktails were inventive and lovely and delicious, the variety of foods well thought out, creative and blended perfectly with each other. The first night I was there, after having a martini, I decided to have a Guinness because I saw one arriving at another table and though it has been a favorite for many years I hadn't had one in a while. When I returned on another night I looked over the beer selection and saw that they had some impressive choices, and I went on an adventure of tasting some of the most flavorful and freshest brews from their carefully curated list.

Great clam chowder is one of the things I always use to decide on whether I would recommend or return to a restaurant and this one makes a fine one. The Bacon Lobster Avocado and Tomato sandwich was a deliciously welcome surprise and the Lobster Truffle Mac and Cheese was something so enjoyable that my friends and I ordered both time we were there. With large chunks of lobster and a very flavorful mac and cheese it was comfort food and an epicurean delight. Our first night we sat indoors because it was later in the evening when we arrived and the nights were still chilly, and on the second night we arrived earlier and sat outdoors. Both times we felt well taken care of and so comfortable, that I really felt like I could make this a regular place if I lived closer by. It was such a great find and a place I'll definitely want to return to whenever I'm passing by that way again.  

The Black Sheep

247 Main Street

Niantic, Connecticut

http://theblacksheepniantic.com/

Blessings,

Jannie Susan