I had dinner in Midtown with my old friend Brooklyn Sue last night. She told me about a wonderful escapade that she had been involved in, the kind of thing that smacks of the silliness I most appreciate. She's a fan of the group Erasure and through that, came to know a community of fans who have become friends. They must be quite a madcap group, for one of them decided to "borrow" a garden gnome (dubbed "Mr Smithy") from another fan's home and proceeded to send it on to other fans. Each new caretaker would document Mr. Smithy's voyage to their respective part of the world.

Initially Mr. Smithy stayed in the U.K., going to Newcastle and up to Scotland, but eventually he crossed the proverbial pond. Brooklyn Sue, being an commercial artist and very creative visual gal, put her bid in for a New York visit for Mr. Smithy. He arrived and indeed, Mr. Smithy looks like he had the true New York experience. Please enjoy Mr. Smithy's odyssey:

http://uk.geocities.com/theswan1989/photo.html

Sue gave me permission to share these. She also noted, wistfully, how much she missed Mr. Smithy. I can see why.