Author Archives: TheRealTamara

For an opinionated woman such as I, blogging is an excellent outlet. This is one of many fori that I use to bloviate. Enjoy! Comment on my commentary.

Arts and activities

There is a hidden gem in Spanish Harlem that offers a peaceful cultural experience or rather experiences. It is rare and not as well-known as it justly deserves.

I apologize for the musical oldies  reference. PS109 ArtSpace is at the edge of El Barrio. It provides housing for artists, and studio spaces, as well as Salsa nights and art shows. It is gorgeous. It is pristine.

PS109 offers enough events to invite us, [you and me, everyone], to visit often.

Today, I made a repeat visit with my friend the artist LM, [we go to art  venues together] with a crew of another group of adventurers.

We were given a full tour of the galleries and other public spaces. Our friend F planned a return tonight with his wife to see a play in the little blackbox theater.

We went off to dine nearby on the recommendation of Rolinda Ramos, the director of PS109 ArtSpace El Barrio.

This is the 10th anniversary of PS109, located at 215 E 99th St, which gives you the excuse to drop by at least 10 times this year.

I don’t want to give away any secrets…Museum Mile edition

We pro-democracy types need to exercise our own flood the zone tactics. There’s theatre– the great arena of diversity, equity/ equality, inclusion- for starters. There’s the streets. Aka, protesting, peaceful protesting. Be careful out there. It might get dicey. There’s writing to right the wrong. This category, lord knows, includes writing your elected representatives. That […]

I don’t want to give away any secrets…

Lucky are we, here, in New York, to have so many opportunities to be quietly pro-democracy, pro-dei – quietly, although we are pretty loud in our support.

Salsa on the Avenue, Fifth Avenue!

Last night, it was a Museum Mile event. LM, EMcG, and a new pal met me in front of El Museo del Barrio to enjoy a night of distinct, divergent, all- embracing fun.

This old lady was wiped out by the walk, but blown away by the energy. BTW, check out El Barrio exhibit of Mestre Didi, an artist representing Candomblé, through his Spiritual Forms pieces. Also, there is a brilliant display of the works of Candida Alvarez. It will take your breath away; Circle, Point, Hoop spans her career to date.

Reading

My joke du jour is that pretty soon I will no longer know how to read. I have made books part of my everyday, but I enjoy them in audio form.

Books were absent from my life for many years. While Burt was well, we were busy together and I couldn’t immerse myself in a book. When he got sick, I couldn’t find the concentration.

Since Burt passed, I have raced through a small library of books. I enjoy them in clumps: a bunch of Sue Grafton’s [re-reads]; some Ronald H. Balsan novels; several Fiona Davis stories; a burgeoning collection of Lisa Jewell works; a smattering of Frieda McFadden’s grim p.o.v.; all lightened by Janet Evanovich. There are other titles I have devoured, like Yellowface, James, or The Street; I read a few Isabel Allende works, as well as Like Mother, Like Mother; the intriguing The Lady in Gold; I finished The Four Winds and Educated; I recommend the odd Elinor Olliphant is Fine and American Dirt, too.

In fact, I recommend the whole enterprise that involves hearing a lovely voice read Jane Austen, or Taylor Jenkins Reid, or Mark Twain aloud to you. It gives to the activity of reading an entirely new dimension. I find it very pleasant, this story hour in which I indulge.

My coffee trek goes on

The Fancy Kook

Kook? As in oddball? Or as in a nook? It’s a tiny space, elongated with tables well-spaced, toward the back. It’s Fancy, all right.

The cappucino I ordered is very high-priced. It was brought on a wooden tray with the tiny lovely glass of orange juice and a grand little cookie on the side. Just very elegant and perfection.

Cappucino was firm, hard-core, as strong as you want it to be.

We march in peace

When handed all the worst as we have in this socio-political moment, insist upon your rights.

We are not marching so much as we are rallying in protest. 

The counter to the grift, graft, illegality, unConstitutionality, are demonstrations by we, the people.

MAGA, Project 2025, MAHA, Plan 47 and commencement speeches about the pitfalls of trophy wives are all unseemly, uncalled for and anti-American.

Not necessarily in that order.

Open and shut

Limelight was padded but there was a Limelight Pizza that was open.

Back in the day, this Church was a nightclub. I went there once. It was loud and dancy.

Sunday was the day AFAM closed for “big changes.” I love the Folk Art Museum even if I only visit sporadically. On Saturday, I made a far- thee-well but also wanted to see what was on offer before the renovations shut me out.

The tapestries of Madelena Santos Reinbolt are spectacular. She also painted in a similarly intense and dense style.

My friend CS joined and enjoyed this remarkable exhibit.

The work of Madelena Santos Reinbolt is intricate, colorful and detailed.

Her work is sophisticated and intelligent.

Santos Reinbolt was a Brazilian artist who made her living as a cook.

The AFAM shop, which is a great source for the unusual, will be open for pick-ups.