Another lovely Charlotte day

Monkey stirrup spout vessel. Vessels such as these were apparently used as ceremonial drinking vessels for alcohol or blood.

Today we went to the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte. I had looked them up online, and they had a collection of antique American cut glass on display. Not only perfect for the 4th weekend, but pretty much tailor-made for yours truly. They didn't have a huge collection on display (it was a traveling exhibit), but what they did have was exquisite. Lots of Bohemian-inspired glass mixed in for color too.

They had a very nice collection of newer paintings which I wish we had had more time to spend viewing. We spent too much time in the excellent South and Central American collections they had going back before the Spanish Colonial period, set up by region and roughly in chronological order. Fascinating.

We also spent a good amount of time in the china and porcelain exhibit. The antique china was fairly extensive, and Lee loves dishes as much as I do, although I like old dishes and he seems to skew towards new stuff. He and Clayton have traveled enough that he has a perspective on the influences from different regions that I don't.

After the glass and dishes, we did the fashion exhibit, which was interesting, but too much modern stuff for my taste, although they did have some lovely things. By that time, I was flagging a bit after getting relatively little sleep last night, and I still had beans to make. We stopped off at Fresh Market for fresh flowers for tonight, and to pick up some lunch. I had my favorite lunch, Fresh Market pimento cheese with crostini and tomato.

After that, I took a nap that I apparently needed, sleeping about two hours. I had another very vivid dream involving a street festival and a ne'er-do-well boyfriend. I don't know where all that is coming from. Street festivals have been on my mind since I read about the madness they were putting together in downtown Greenville this weekend. Then I got up and put my beans together. They look lovely. We tasted the potato salad too, and it is good. So I've had a good weekend in the kitchen, as long as I don't burn my beans.

The guests are coming 6ish, and Marvin will be here. I'm thinking I probably don't have to worry about whether or not I have onion on my burger, but hope springs eternal....