Yesterday I had to go to work to take down a summer bulletin board. So my mom and I decided to have lunch at our favorite restaurante in Lackawanna: Victoria Square. It is some place I grew up at. My parents are friends with the owners. They work very hard and it is a special place for me. Cindy makes homemade pies for dessert!
We were entering and I was completely flabbergasted because they changed the decor with new colors and new decorations. Cindy was heading home and we were like WOW!
They changed the color to shades of greens. The siderail is painted reddish brown, which really bring out the wood. As red and green are complementary colors they work together to make things pop. The decorations are an earthy mediterranean flavor. I was so overwhelmed with the decor I forgot to take pictures of our lunch! Me! I forgot the food!
Well here are the pictures, see for yourself the changes:

I thought this was so cool, because it is a special blend of regulars that enjoy Victoria Square. We ran into a fellow choir member out celbrating with his family. As I spasmodically took pictures all over me fave eatery.

I am always looking at their clock to make sure I am on time, maybe I will remember to eat on time too!

CAFFIENE! Here is Victoria Squares Coffee Station. Anyone who knows me, knows that I usually only order coffee during the winter or with the yummy delicious homemade desserts.

I thought these were totally cool. I somehow see a future art project evolving from these pieces.

I like collage compilations the interst for me comes with the individal piece working in tandem with the entire visual and yet keeping its originality. Very American feeling Individual Unity.

I thought this was so cool. My mom and I are noted for our flower pitures interspersed in our rolls of film and digital has not changed our behavior.

This is right after you come into the entry way directly to your right when facing the main window. I love booths so I have sat in everyone.

This turned out better than I hoped. I believe it was a gift to Louie and Cindy when thy opened. I would have to double check with them, but it looks great with the new colors.

I just love the decorations and the way they look. The employee was there who put them up said it only took an hour and a half. Which anyone who has hung artwork or pictures in their home is really good for that time!

This was the very cool decoration next to our booth! My mom and I discussed the decor until our food arrived. She ordered a House Salad. I was amazed I was actually there for a special on the special day. Thursdays is Cold Subs for $3.99. I ordered an assorted. I love the fact that they toast the rolls automatically. I learned from other travel this is a Buffalo thing.

Here is our view from our booth. I really liked the chages, but they really caught me by surprize.

I am finally remembering to take my camera with me when I do stuff. I have been having flashbacks to high school (I was yearbok editor) which means I had the headphones and camera out all the time. It was a wonder what I wrote about did not have a soundtrack.

Anyway I took some pictures in my neighborhood while struggling with rechargeable battery issues - they are not keeping there charge! UG.




The Adult Learning Center on its own block beteen Edward, Virginia and Elmwood. This ws the first of a series of photos from a moving vehical on the passenger side, of course!


Betty's Restaurante on Virginia. It has been a long time since I have eaten there, but there food was good.


This one hurts. Hispanics United of Buffalo New Addition to the old building had a muralist begin a mural several years ago. As an artist this hurts to pass almost everyday I leave my house. I do not know the story behind why the artist did not complete this mural. I did see scaffoldng go up and then what ever must have been done was minimal. From the viewers perspective it bothers me to see this work of art incomplete. From an artists perspective I am patiently awaiting payments for a mural I completed to the clients specifications from 3 years ago.


I thought this a cute picture of the mini playground on the corner or Virginia and West.

Well, I have been reading every spare moment I have had this summer. From author Chrlaine Harris I went to Jim Butcher. I had a few or six of his books on the nightstand to read. The Dresden Files was a show on the SciFi Channel that got cancelled after it's first season. Dresden Files Season one is out on DVD for purchase. I had picked up a compilation called "Many Bloody Returns" with like 10 or 13 authors short stories having to do with vamipires as characters or the things that go bump in the night theme. When I read the Jim Butcher story that reminded me to dig up the 6 books I had yet to read. I have just discovered he was also out in comic books and has a graphic novel I plan to get. Here is a full list of his current works on the Chicago Wizard in chronological order first to most recent:

The Dresden Files Book Titles:
Storm Front
Fool Moon
Grave Peril
Summer Knight
Death Masks
Blood Rites
Dead Beat
Proven Guilty
White Night
Many Bloody Returns (compilation)
Small Favor
Welcome to the Jungle (Graphic Novel)
Mean Streets (compilation)
Turn Coat

On Friday (e:Springfairy) calls me and asks if I have anything planned. Just the usually clean and reorganize my home which is the current summer project. She just completed a title floor in the sun room. So we have something to celebrate. We both needed a sanity break and we wanted to head to the marina, so plans were set.
I completed my morming ablutions and headed to my cleaning for a few hours. Springfairy arrived and we chatted. Then it was lunch time so we headed to my parents for leftovers.
Our Sanity Adventure Begins:

I realized that I needed to start carrying the camera on me when I go places in order to post pictures. I thought this was a cool start

I believe this ship was called the uss Little Rock.

This was the first non-blurry shot of the lighthouse. It was actually a really bright day on Friday.

I really liked the clouds in this one. We headed to that part of the marina on our walk.

Here is my vertical lighthouse shot as we approached the Marina food area. We stopped at a bench here so that I could doodle in my sketchbook. We started talking about another tattoo design.

The Gardens of the Marina food area with the statues that (e:metalpeter) took in an earlier post, in the background. We decided to stop and have a snack.

(E:Springfairy) with a Strawberry Cheesecake Ice cream cone.

I choose the Rainbow Sherbet. We copped a squat at the triangular you are here sign and sat on the stones in the semi-circle across from the wooden statutes. The stones were actually really warmer than the benches.

To my left...

And to my right...

We decided to continue walking and enjoying the view. After our snack was finished we pondered what else we could do and (e:springfairy) remembered that the Ugly Truth opens today. We came upon a cool sculpture which I thought I captured the name of in the photo, which I did not, and I forgot it.

Passing us by as we continued to walk. We also realized we could take a Miss Buffalo trip, but we voted on the movie tonight and the trip another time.

We were heading toward the rocky shoreline and I snapped this photo.

Something here does not belong? Is that a sneaker? I wonder how it got there? You think someone threw it in there? Maybe someone lost it when they were out on the lake? Do sneakers float? Could have been sneakerwrecked? Needless to say we got pretty silly.

There was a lovely rock where the view was breathtaking and we wanted to talk about some serious stuff in our lives. She was telling me about a really cool party she had been to with some other friends and how she broke her shoe dancing the night away.

We both enjoyed the breeze with the wind blowing through our hair. We people watched as more arrived. We talked about many things. I was telling her about an art project experiment. So we headed back to the car to get supplies. We went to A.C. Moore the craft store for me to get the lead and color paint, but one was out of stock.

We continued onto the movie "The Ugly Truth". It was definately worth the money. I nearly passed out from laughing so hard. We could not believe the review only gave it one and half stars. What happened to a sense of humor? We talked about relationships after the movie until late in the evening.

Yesterday was Father Baker Day at Our Lady of Victory Basilica & National Shrine. I sing in the choir. Father Paul led the mass with other clergy. At the end of mass one of the Lackawanna City resentatives was there with a Proclamation that this be officially Father Baker Day. A moment to honor Msgr. Wurtz who past last year. Then a Tribute to Father Baker by laying a wreath on his grave by two living Father Baker boys, which always brings a tear to the eye. A final Blessing by Father Paul.
There was a reception at the Elementary School. There were lots of lovely finger foods and desserts. We spoke witha lovely couple that drove all the way from Pennsylvania. They were visiting their aunt who livs in South Buffalo. We said out goodbyes and headed home for a small rest.
My mom started her latch hook project and I continued reading "Dead Beat" by Jim Butcher.
We headed Romenello's South for our annnual choir dinner. We milled around talking to other choir memebers getting caught up on their personal news. We started with bread and an amazing olive, garlic, roasted peper butter and ministrone soup. Then we had a mixed greens salad. The entree I choose was the Prime Rib dinner, with garlic mashed potatoes and veggies. I had a glass or three of Merlot to complement my steak. After dinner we spoke about what we have been up to. That's when I realized my batteries were out of their charge. So no pictures from my camera. bummer, dude!
The dessert I choose was vanilla ice cream with cream de menth. My grandmother's favorite. I could not belive it we left around 7pm.
We headed back home for some much needed rest and relaxation. Mom continued on the latch hook project. I finished the book and started another.