Gratitude

A few weeks ago, Bec and I had a great day in the city.

We started at SFMOMA for the Richard Avedon photography exhibit. I don't follow photographers very much, so I didn't know his name, but his stuff is recognizable as soon as you see it.

He worked for Harper's Bazaar for many years and then Vogue. Many of his photos of models have movement in them. Like this lovely one.

Carmen - Coat by Pierre Cardin 1957

But the reason I bought the book of Avedon's work was for the two Bob Dylan photographs in the exhibit.

NYC, 1963

I love this first one as it seems to show Dylan as very simple and innocent, two adjectives that I've never thought of in relation to him. I don't know exactly when this photograph was taken, but it's close to the time of Dylan's release of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. He was pretty much a complete unknown at the time. He looks pretty carefree in this shot.

NYC, 1965

A few years later, you can see a change. Certainly, Avedon composed the photograph differently, but I think Dylan shows himself as more of an artist here than a country boy. I love how in both he has hands in his pockets, but for me, they resonate differently.

I am thinking that I will remove these photos from the book and have them framed. I am no artist, but Bob Dylan inspires me more than most. And when I get up in the morning, I want to be inpired! I require it!

After our time at the museum and some wandering through other photography exhibits, we headed to Cafe Gratitude. This is a vegan and mostly raw restaurant that knocked my socks off, given that everything we ate was vegan and raw. First off, Bec had been trying to go here for some time and no one will go with her! Their loss, because now, we're going to go there whenever we want and have awesome meals that don't make us feel bad about ourselves. Bec had a smoothie called I Am Luscious (hazelnut milk, cocoa, figs) and I had a "milk"shake called I Am Eternally Youthful with fresh strawberries (made with almond milk and almond ice cream). I was very sad when my shake was gone as itt was probably the best milkshake I've ever had.

We were soon going to eat dinner, so we only had room for a little bit to eat. We chose I Am Present, a mushroom bruchetta with cashew mozzerella on sourdough buckwheat flatbread. I have no idea how you make things that seem like dairy but are not, but I thought it was all so delicious. The service there is not rushed and there is a game you can play that is all about being grateful and present and honoring your life. We didn't do too much of that, but the vibe at this place was perfect for a Friday during summer vacation. Sometimes, you just need to take it slow and unwind a bit. I've heard their raw, vegan desserts (e.g. Key Lime Pie, cheesecakes, etc.) are amazing. I can't wait to return! There's nothing wrong with showing a little gratitude every now and again.