"If light is in your heart, you will find your way." Rumi
Why is so much
of life a “feast or famine” thing? So
many great choices, so little time (and money!). But, if that remains my greatest problem in
life, I’m lucky. However, that’s not the
case, really. It’s how I choose to roll
with the punches on this roller coaster ride of life that counts, isn't it?!
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| "My" Sojourn |
On that note, I
spent a wonderful evening with some Sojourn Friends at a 50th
Birthday party. How wonderful is
that? Less than a year in my new
hometown, I get invited to celebrate very special occasions with new friends.
Dinner at Yofsi Estiatorio (www.yefsiestiatorio.com) a Greek-Mediterranean in our ‘hood was
another night of seemingly endless feasting.
(And, surprisingly, my clothes are all getting loose. My walks around
the Reservoir, and simply walking NYC, as well as more regular yoga classes are
paying off, thank God.) Of course, we
ended the night at our Sojourn
for music.
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| From The Shanty's website |
A simple Tuesday
night is when I had a tough choice: Food Film Festival Season kickoff at The Shanty at the NY Distilling Company in
Williamsburg Brooklyn, one of the FFF’s major sponsors and/or meeting up with
Communication and Special Events Director for VDay (my “Boss’ in February when
I was volunteer coordinator) who now lives in L.A. Her gathering
was at The Counting Room in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn is huge; but luckily both places were within walking distance,
so I was able to get to both!
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| Company @ my Kiosk |
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| Twilight over Conservatory Water in Central Park |
Still enjoying
my time in “my” Kiosk in Central Park really helps fulfill the frustrated tour
guide in me. It’s quieter now. Summer rush is over. Most guests now seem to be European which
makes me want to learn other languages.
Can my “old” mind do it?!
Perhaps, we’ll see.
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| Early Autumn in the Catskills |
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| Never too old for 'smores! |
Is there
anything better than the comfort of “Girl Friends”, the sharing, the laughing,
the wine, the food, the dancing (oh, "Paradise by the Dashboard Light"..always brings happiness!)? I don’t think
so. On a gorgeous early Autumn weekend,
I was invited to go with new Girlfriends, many of whom have become true friends
through my Sojourn, others whom became friends at a gorgeous home up in the
town of Wyndham. My first visit to the Catskills was wonderful. Leaves were beginning to change, a gorgeous
walk through meadows and fields, long luxurious soak in the hot-tub drinking
Prosecco, smores by the fire at night lent to a truly wonderful weekend. I am truly blessed and grateful.
Coming home
mid-afternoon on Sunday, the International Day of Peace, I missed the People’s
Climate March to coincide with the huge summit at the U.N. But, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in NYC
there’s a plethora of things to choose from.
I went down to Times Square for the Broadway Flea Market benefiting Broadway Cares. Loads of “stuff” from many shows that would
be very exciting for true fans. One
thing that I have learned after “downsizing” (that’s an understatement) is that
I no longer need, nor have room for, “stuff”.
It was fun to poke around and “be”.
I was impressed and delighted to see Tyne Daly graciously greeting
people and chatting with any who stopped.
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| Shinnyo Lantern Floating for Peace at Lincoln Center |
I then
meandered my way up to Lincoln Center where I had read about the Shinnyo Lantern Floating for Peace
Ceremony at the Paul Milstein Reflecting Pool
and Terrance in Hearst Plaza. Oh my, it
was yet another one of those NYC experiences that truly made me know I am right
where I am supposed to be, at least for now.
It was a moving, beautiful experience with Alphonso Horne, 26-year-old trumpet virtuoso, handpicked
by Wynton Marsalis to be one of his Jazz at Lincoln Center All-Stars
New, York
City Ballet’s principal dancer Wendy Whelan and fellow dancer Craig Hall
performing choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s “After the Rain”, students of
The Juilliard School, The Brooklyn Youth Chorus, ending with two young vocalists
from Broadway singing Alicia Keyes’ “New York.”
And, from its website: “At sunset, Her Holiness Shinso Ito, the head priest of
Shinnyo-en and one of the highest-ranking woman Buddhist leaders in the world,
presided over a special closing Lantern Floating ceremony, as hundreds of the
LED candle-lighted paper lanterns were set afloat on the Milstein Pool,
illuminating Hearst Plaza into one of the most captivating experiences in the
city.” Another
magical evening.
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| From the GELL website |
Having
a volunteer orientation for OHNY (Open House
New York) in the West Village on a Tuesday night made me get up to the Highline for something I’ve been wanting
to check out for quite awhile. From its
website: Open House New York (OHNY) is a 501(c)3 organization that promotes
a greater appreciation of the city’s built environment; broadens public
awareness by exposing diverse audiences to distinctive examples of
architecture, engineering and design; educates and inspires discussion of
issues of excellence in design, planning and preservation; and showcases
outstanding new work as well as structures of historic merit. The orientation was held at PS41 which itself is
very interesting for it’s rooftop garden.
From the school’s website: “As a first-of-its-kind NYC Greenroof Environmental Literacy
Laboratory, GELL provides PS41
students empirical lessons designed to enhance science, math and aesthetic
education in an outdoor observational learning space.” I do believe I will go tour it during the
OHNY weekend.
Following
the interesting and quick orientation, where I literally sat behind a Rooftop
Films Friend (I love when stuff like that happens to me as it makes me feel
like a real New Yorkah, although Kristi tells me that’ll never happen with my
Boston accent.) I wandered over to the Highline to stargaze. Members of the Amateur
Astronomers Association of New York set up their telescopes for any and all
to view from, for free. It was wonderful
as I got to see a gorgeous view of Saturn (red with its rings), Mars, the
double star Alberio, and triple stars: the brightest stars of the Big Dipper:
Alcor and Mizar. In researching for this
post, I have just discovered that this wonderful group sets up all over NYC. I will be checking out more interesting
things with them. See, never a dull
moment!
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| Teaching in a gorgeous Gothic building in Brooklyn |
Having
a true NYC hair experience (5+ hours in the chair!), and all of my jobs are also
keeping me busy, and fulfilled. After my hair odyssey, it was a shame to go home and “waste” the ‘do, so
I met Sojourn friends at the owners’ newest restaurant, Selena Rosa also in the ‘hood. (Sammy’s becoming a tycoon of UES
restaurants!). Teaching
more, organizing, etc for the Food Film Festival fill up my days and
evenings. Never, in a million years, did
I think all those years doing the All Night Graduation Party for Milton High
School would actually prepare me for new career opportunities. Life is certainly “interesting.”
Apparently yes! Remember when I observed my new Boss teaching
at the Standard West, a foo-foo hotel on the Highline? Well, he got us a reservation in the Boom Boom Room for a sunset
cocktail. Oh, my, yet again. It is not normally a “scene” I would like, or
so I thought. It is magnificent, with live
jazz playing. NYC expensive, but worth
it for a special occasion. I want to go
back on a snowy afternoon for sunset and sit next to the fireplace again. Thanks, Boss!
Saturday morning we had brunch with some NYC
Ladies at a neighborhood Belgian Restaurant, Brasserie Magritte. It was long, leisurely, and
lovely. That evening we headed to the
theatre district to see a play that I got tickets at $4 each through my Theaterextras. Billy Porter’s (Tony-winning star of Kinky
Boots and Angels in America) play While I Yet Live which he touted as “..a love letter to my
mother, my sister, and the women who raised me..” hit breathtakingly close to
my home. But, when my friend asked if I
wanted to leave at intermission, I said no, as it was excellent. I received one of the best compliments of my
life after the play. The final soliloquy was
especially beautiful. My friend said she
had heard something similar once, from me!
(I am healing, thank God.) We
simply ended the weekend having a simple brunch at another neighborhood staple,
Hi-Life.
Getting my dog fix with Central Park’s Paws was a wonderful way to
spend a Saturday at their annual Fair. Unfortunately
the weather wasn’t cooperative at the start of the day, but relented a bit to
bring some people out. Even on a rainy morning,
my Park was beautiful in the early Autumn.
I’ve often said that I don’t need, nor want to be reincarnated, but if I
were I wouldn’t mind coming back as a spoiled Puppy-head, especially in NYC,
believe it or not. Some of these NYC
pups are better dressed than I ever could be!
