Spring is coming to New England in fits and starts. I warned Stuga40 before she left Sweden to visit Providence that she might need to bring clothes for anything from balmy days to a deep freeze. She was glad to know that, as it turned out we did have both.
The day we walked with her over the Providence River pedestrian bridge (above) it was cold but warm enough to eat our lunch outside at a nearby vegan restaurant. We were dressed for it.
When the I-195 highway was rerouted, Providence had a big debate about what to put in the old Jewelry District area where land was freed up. I’m so glad the pedestrian advocates won out. The bridge is truly magnificent, a model that other cities would be well to emulate. We don’t need to enable more cars and driving. And the bridge has become a major attraction, which helps local businesses.
While our Swedish relative was at Suzanne and Erik’s house, my husband and I stayed at a rental apartment nearby in order to have more time to explore the city with her. Below are two photos from our rainy day at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum. The RISD Museum is a quirky collection of buildings featuring photogenic nooks and crannies that I like. I also liked this Georgia O’Keeffe. When I showed the photo to my 7-year-old granddaughter, she knew already that many O’Keeffe paintings are close-ups of flowers. She’d heard about the artist in school.
Stuga40 and I also walked the downtown area and chatted with the shoemaker at the new cobbler shop, recently reviewed in the Boston Globe.
The other photos are just things that caught my eye, both in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Note that signs of Ukraine solidarity are popping up everywhere. You might be interested in a Kyiv messaging project that Asakiyume and I (and many other volunteers) are working on. Podcast here.
Suzanne's Mom's Blog 
Excellent pictures. The dog with the basket of flowers is sweet. Sounds like you are having a wonderful time with Stuga40. And what a fantastic bridge!
I’m hoping Boston will consider something more like that than the current car-centric plan when it replaces the old, walkable Northern Ave bridge.
I love seeing glimpses of your New England life, thanks for sharing!
I like your California life, too. Especially the flora.
Shoe repair shop.. I don’t see many of those shops anymore. Love the old stairs with the flower arrangement,and the cement dog is adorable. Great photos enjoyed them!
The cobbler is a young guy, very enthusiastic about carrying forward an ancient profession.