"Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.
Always work with it, not against it."
Eckhart Tolle
My heart always breaks a bit when I met retirees who are
miserable and bored. Interestingly? most
of the time these people are men. My
heart sings, with some envy, when others tell me that they have no idea how
they ever found the time to work as their lives were so full. That is exactly how I feel about my
self-gifted sabbatical. I am so busy!
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| Pic from the spring |
On a Saturday night recently, with no real plans, I
decided to go down to the Village for some music. I again went to Club 55 to see Ayana since it
was the first Saturday of the month.
Andrew Yamato writes in New York magazine: “ Unlike other, more devoutly traditional venues,
this unpretentious basement gem showcases not only new players, but also new
styles—which is what jazz used to be all about in the first place. “
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| Late night Piano Man |
Had a bite to eat, great
bartender, cool place, underwhelmed with my food, so won’t mention the place. I may give it another try. Then I decided to treat myself to Marie’s
Crisis, as it always gives me a smile.
As I entered I was hugged by a lovely Lady, Director of Volunteers at
the Food Bank’s Food and Wine Festival last fall. I now really know people as I roam around the
city. Love it!
The next day at 4th
U’s planning meeting for the VDay weekend at the end of March (presenting Eve Ensler’s
“The Vagina Monologues” and “The Good Body”).
A beautiful young Lady directing one of the plays shared that she was
distraught as she has just been texted that the founding director of her small
theatre company had just died. Philip
Seymour Hoffman. Surprsingly, I felt
haunted, as I literally had “walked in his footsteps” the last night of his
life. I appreciate that many, many
people also did. My Ladies were true
fans. I always admired him. Such a sad waste of a talented life. My prayers are with his family, most especially his chidlren.
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| From the Boston Globe |
Superbowl. I could care less, even when the Patriots are
in it. I simply don’t like, nor
understand football.. Growing up with
two brothers, our home revolved around their chosen and beloved sports of
baseball and hockey. I did go
down to Times Square to explore “Superbowl Boulevard.” It was impressive. This
city knows how to go all out! So, with no interest in the game, I did walk a
few doors down to a Super Bowl Party.
Regulars at my Sojourn whom I had just met, invited me to their
Party. I hate cocktail parties with
strangers. God knows I can talk to a wall,
but put me in a “cocktail party” (like a net-working event) situation, I
freeze. But, I was in NYC to explore,
and God knows I had left my comfort zone behind in Milton last October. I am so glad, and as always, grateful I
went. I had a thoroughly wonderful time meeting
yet more new People, and learning fascinating things about my fellow Sojourners
and neighbors. And, who couldn’t love
the Yellow Lab Puppy add with the Clydsdales?!
(Casey, may you be having a blast in puppy-heaven..)
Another of my many dreams
in this life of mine has been to work in the Arts. I have no desire to be in front of anything,
although the huge story-telling movement is pulling at me?! Many people have told me over the years that
I’m a great story teller; my family simply raises their eyebrows. When I would share the dream of “not having
to work,” many people would ask, “What would you do?” Even now when I meet people and tell them of
my Sabbatical many (usually men) ask “What do you do all day?” Well, these days fly. And, my answer was, and still is “ a lot of
volunteering.” What’s fascinating, as I
didn’t plan this, much of my volunteering revolves around Films.
On yet another wintry day,
after having a lovely Thai lunch with a woman I did volunteer work with at
YearUp in Boston, I took advantage of the warmer temperatures!, and
took a very long, leisurely walk through Central Park. It was a true Winter Wonderland. I was on my way to another wonderful evening
with Rooftop
Films. Rooftop along with
Piper Heidsieck Champagnes was screening the beautiful and eloquent Roger Ebert
documentary “Life Itself” at the Paley
Center for Media. I was fortunate
to meet Chaz Ebert, Roger’s wife who graciously and beautifully took part in
the Q&A with the director, Steve James, following the film.
Athena Film Festival,
co-founded by Melissa
Silverstein (Women and Hollywood) and Kathryn Kolbert (Director
of Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College) approached Rooftop Films looking for good
volunteers. My name was among many
given. Oh, what a wonderful weekend I spent
on the Barnard College campus. Working
with many familiar faces and great people and meeting new wonderful Ladies, I
was on the hospitality committee and had the privilege and pleasure of guiding
some very interesting Ladies.
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| From the Internet |
Participating in a panel discussion “Barnard in the Biz,” Naomi Foner was gracious and friendly. From her bio at the
festival: “From Barnard’s class of’66, Naomi Foner is an American screenwriter who has
written for several feature films, including Running on Empty (for which she received an Academy Award
nominations for Best Original Screenplay and won the Golden Globe), Losing Isaiah, and most recently Bee Season.
She was involved at Children’s Television Workshop in the development
of Sesame Street and The Electric Company (where she played the character Naomi
in the Love of Chair segment and was associate
producer for two years). She is most
proud of her children, Maggie and Jake Gyllenahaal, her grandgirls, and the
Blue Ribbon she earned for her carrots at the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural
Fair.
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| From Robin's website |
Robin Marantz Henig moderated the discussion following the
film Decoding Annie Parker.“She is a contributing writer for The New
York Times Magazine. Her articles
about health and medicine have appeared in numerous publications. She has publishes nine books, one of which, The Monk in the Garden: The Lost and Found Genius of Gregor Mendel,
was a finalist for the National Book Critics Award. She received a Career Achievement Awrd from
the American Society of Journalists and Authors as well as a Guggenheim
Foundation fellowship.” (And, she was the Barnard college roommate of Kitty
Kolbert!).
![Rebel_Poster[1]](http://athenafilmfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rebel_Poster1-240x135.jpg)
Maria Agui Carter, a fellow Bostonian,
introduced and had a wonderful discussion following her documentary Rebel.
From the program: “Shrouded in mystery
and long the subject of debate, the amazing story of Loreta Velazquez,
Confederate soldier turned Union Spy, is one of the Civil War’s most gripping
forgotten narratives. Who was she? Why did she fight? And what made her so
dangerous that she has been virtually erased from history?” This is one film I did not
get to see, but definitely will, It has been shown on PBS, and will also be
shown at several National Park sites.
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| From the internet |
Finally on Sunday, I had the pleasure of
spending time with Director Susan
Seidelman and her husband Jonathan Brett with whom she often collaborates (most
recently the short The Dutch Master for
which Mira Sorvino won an Oscar).. She
gave a great Q&A following her film The
Hot Flashes: ‘An unlikely basketball
team of unappreciated middle-aged Texas women challenge the current high school
state champs to a series of games to raise money for breast cancer prevention.” I watched the film in its entirety
that night at home on Netflix. Fun
movie, providing good giggles with a great cast (Brooke Shields, Wanda Sykes,
Daryl Hannah, Camryn Manheim, Virginia Madsen).
Susan’s other films include: The
Smithereens, Desperately Seeking Susan, and Boynton Beach Club.
The movies I was delighted to see:
Opening
Film, NYC premiere: Belle: Belle
is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the illegitimate mixed
race daughter of Admiral Sir John Lindsay, an 18th Century Admiral in the
British Navy.” This
was beautiful, highly recommended. The
Director, Amma Asante, introduced and had a wonderful discussion following the
film.
Centerpiece
Film: DecodingAnnie Parker: “Based
on actual events, Decoding Annie Parker tells the story of two very different
women on seemingly similar paths towards ground-breaking discoveries affecting
women with breast cancer.” It was devastatingly
beautiful, gut-wrenching, and of course, important. Another interesting discussion moderated by
Robin Marantz Henig with Director Steven Bernstein (Monster, Like Water for Chocolate), Robert Benezra of the Cancer
Biology & Genetics Program at Sloan Kettering Institute, and Dr. Alison
Estabrook who is Chief of the Comprehensive Breast Center at St. Luke’s and
Roosevelt Hospital and Professor of Clinical Surgery at Columbia-Presbyterian
Medical Center.
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| From imbd.com |
In a World, Directed by and
starring Lake Bell: “In A World… brings its
viewer into an idiosyncratic world where one woman fights the odds and finally
finds her voice.” Great fun, a wonderful way to end a long day
The
Book Thief: “Based on the bestselling
book, The Book Thief tells the inspirational story of a spirited and courageous
young girl who transforms the lives of everyone around her when she is sent to
live with a foster family in World War II Germany.” It was devastatingly beautiful. One of the best adaptations, of book to film,
I think I have ever seen.
Closing film: Geraldine Ferraro: Paving the Way “tells
the story of this trailblazer who served as role model for women and men across
the nation and around the world.”
Director Donna Zacarro (Geraldine’s Daughter) and Marie C. Wilson,
founder of the White House Project and Athena Center Fellow joined the audience
for yet another discussion following the film.
I had no intention of staying for this film but am really glad that I
did!
(A fun aside for me...I ran into a Lady who came to
the Superbowl Party at my neighbors at every event I went to that week. She didn’t talk much, to me, at the Party
other than to say she worked in the film world. By the end of the week, she had warmed up a
bit.)
Kris
and I finally caught up, and lunched as ladies at the little French restaurant, Lucien, in the East Village. It was a long, leisurely one with wine. The perfect French onion soup and cassoulet,
followed by tarte tartin were just what the doctor ordered for a drizzly, foggy
day. A lovely nap was the icing on the cake.
Walking to my train through the LES into Soho, enjoying the mild weather, I
passed a gritty little bar, Sweet and
Vicious, advertising hot spiced cider and a heated patio. Don't mind if I
do! I thoroughly enjoyed my first outdoor cocktail (spiked with whiskey) while
catching up on some reading. Lovely way to end a nice Sunday.
