Not Doing

[mallorys_camera]

Yesterday was bleak and grey, but I went tromping anyway to prove my virtue to whatever invisible spy in the sky.





Now that the trees are bare, you get an unobstructed view of the Vanderbilt Mansion from the path along the river.

I think it’s hideous. No attempt whatsoever to fit the structure to the landscape. Sort of as though you’d plopped down a miniature Grand Central Station in the middle of nowhere:



Other than tromping, I did absolutely nothing that could be described as productive, and I enjoyed myself not doing it.

The next few months are gonna be all about enjoying whatever I decide not to do.

Sounds easy, right?

It won’t be.

Comments

[rebeccmeister]

"Gauche" seems like a fitting description for that thing.

The other day I clicked on a Twitter link for a real estate listing in New Jersey where the original poster said, "This hurts my eyes" and a friend of mine replied that it looked like the builders used an entire quarry in the construction of the edifice. Looking through those photos was regrettable in that it doesn't seem that people have improved at all in taste when it comes to the construction of ill-advised, enormous edifices as dwelling spaces in this part of the country. It was ugly as hell and just plain depressing - too much space and none of it put to any kind of real use. I don't see how anyone could live in that kind of space.

It all just leads me to wonder: is "tasteful mansion" simply an oxymoron?

[mallorys_camera]

Ah! Someone has finished grading her exams and papers! 😊

Yeah, it never fails to amaze me how the McMansions of yesteryear somehow are deemed to acquire attractiveness simply because they're old. This thing is as ugly and tasteless now as it was when it was first built 150 years ago.

[asakiyume]

giggling at your Grand Central Station remark. We tromped too. Maybe I'll post.

[mallorys_camera]

You should! I always love your posts.