"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."
George Bernard Shaw
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| "My" Sojourn |
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| The Roof Garden Commission at The MET |
Coming back
to NYC on trustworthy Megabus with a very dear Friend got us into to my Hx3 around
11:30pm. My Sojourn was open, and very willing to provide a
nightcap! It was fun to see some friends,
and introduce some very special people from two of my lives.
Having a
leisurely wakeup we then took a long walk in my Park
(Central), and I played
“tour guide” with some of the information I have studied and learned. (Again, my poor little brain has been working
on overload since May, but that is all a very good thing.) Ending our trek on the Rooftop of the MET we enjoyed a glass of Prosecco while
perusing the views and The Roof Garden Commission of Dan Graham
with Günther Vogt. Interesting.
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| Agata & Valenta |
Picking up
some provisions for one of my favorite dinners: crackers, cheese, meats (already
had thecwine!) at my favorite neighborhood store, Agata
& Valenta, we
munched until my Philosophy Friend joined us, and then off to Industry City in Brooklyn for a Rooftop Film. This was the first time I was a guest, and
not working with them. It was fun!) I know my Dear Milton Friend loves seeing me
in my elements of my NYC life, and my Philosophy Friend had never been to a
Rooftop Film, either. Great film, (The Trip to Italy
with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon) created a great evening with two of my
Special People. What more can a Girl ask
for?!
I have
mentioned, many times, that I can get lost on the Internet for hours, wasting
precious time, but also finding treasures.
It was somehow, somewhere on a time wasting mission that I discovered
Feastly. I had been reading about the “underground
restaurant movement” that is popping up all over the world for a while and
Feastly seems to be a clearing house, or a “dating sight” of sorts for
some. So, it was that I saw this event
for the Saturday that Dear Friend would be in town, and we decided to give it a
try.
“Live Jazz & Bagel Brunch! In Boerum
Hill, Brooklyn|. Classic New York Jew-ish fare, all
done from scratch. The meal will be served buffet style, and guests will be
seated in our air-conditioned, all-brick garage turned dining room/performance
space, and will be treated to an intimate live jazz performance by one of NYC's
best Traditional Jazz groups, Sneak Thievery. The group is led by
accomplished trumpeter, Jason
Prover.”
We were
so not disappointed. On the contrary, it
was a truly wonderful afternoon. We were
the Mothers, yet again, but I’m getting very used to that. Out of the 16 Guests, 10 were wonderful and
it was easy to just deal, or not, with the others. The Hosts were amazing. The Chef (a music therapist and musician by
day) simply loves to cook. The
“Dishwasher” (contractor by day) loves that his roommate loves to cook. They both love to entertain. These great guys, and the leader of the Jazz
Trio met in college in Florida. The
Hosts found this great space in Brooklyn, and the Contractor of the two
designed their home and they worked together to create a wonderful space. (There
is a great Huffington Post article on the apartment.)
I will
be going to more Feastly events. As a
matter of fact, these great Guys want to do more. I will look for them!
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| Sand Artist in Washington Sq Park |
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| Ayana Lowe and Band |
Our musical odyssey continued as we left Brooklyn content and full. Meandering
through Washington Square Park, people watching, enjoying the amazing day, we headed
to Bar
55, which touts itself
as a prohibition dive bar with incredible live jazz, funk, and blues is just
that. Being the first Saturday of the
month we caught Ayana Lowe’s early show, a lady I have come to
enjoy along with her great band. From
there we hopped across to Marie’s Crisis for awhile, which never disappoints. Happily rounding out our great weekend
playing, we tried a new Irish restaurant in my neighborhood for brunch on
Sunday. Flights is a nice addition. I will try it again.
Then it was
back to “normal” Whatever that
means. My self-gifted Sabbatical has
truly been the one of the best gifts I have ever given myself. It was so very needed. Now, I am ready for some normalcy. So, I have thrown myself into my new job at Initiate Care. I guess it’s a bit of a risk. The first one I have ever taken
professionally. It’s heady, interesting,
and a bit scary. I am finally putting
some trust into the universe!
That being
said, I really loved teaching another Mommy & Me class in Brooklyn. The
maternal Grandparents were part of our class having moved recently form Berkeley,
California to be close to their first grandchild. And yet another small world story,. I read Granddad’s book 23 years ago!
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| "My" Kiosk |
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| Great Jazz on Great Hill |
My official
start as a Greeter Guide in Central Park (you will find me at the East 72
Street Kiosk on Thursday afternoons from 4-7pm for the foreseeable future) was
very enjoyable. I get to help over 200
people in a shift with not just Central Park questions. This week a Swiss Lady wondered what to do
with her 13 year old daughter when they realized there was little hope of
seeing Shakespeare in the Park. I sent
her off quickly in a cab to the Intrepid to see Captain Phillips (Broadway was
too expensive.). The Park will also
provide me with other opportunities to be involved. For instance, I was able to provide my
services at Great Jazz on the Great Hill on a warm Saturday afternoon. Eventful, and enjoyable, to say the least.
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| From the NY Times |
Speaking of
Shakespeare in the Park, Meeting friends and standing in line to try our luck
for tickets at the Delacorte Theater on a perfect summer evening paid off in
many dividends. Our few hours there, in
line with some truly interesting a great people, felt a bit like Shakespeare’s All’s Well that Ends Well. It was a true exercise in karma. John Lithgow, Annette Benning, et al. were
wonderful, powerful, and mesmerizing in King
Lear.
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| A piece from Rachel Feinsteins' "Folly" |
All of this
along with some writing classes, and my regular habits, morning walks around
the Reservoir in the Park, yoga classes, and of curse my music nights at
Sojourn, make for a full and interesting new life her in my city. Picking up
dinner at a Mexican Food Truck, and meandering the Park enjoying Rachel
Feinstein's art exhibit "Folly". Such are some of the
many joys of this new hometown of mine.
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| Deepak Homebase at ABC Home |
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| The Paradise of Medicine Buddha |
One of the
many things that has helped so much in my healing, besides my Philosophy Class,
and the gift of friendship that our class has formed, is meditation. It was on that note that I attended Deepak Chopra’s Global Meditation
at one of my favorite spaces in NYC, Deepak’s
Homebase in ABC Homes in Union Square.
It was rewarding on many levels.
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| Super Moon |
I would
like to share an interesting thing that happened this week. I chatted with a man whom I have met before. He got up to use the rest room, and mumbled
something I didn’t hear. A good friend
told me he asked me if I wanted to bump.
“Bump? I asked. “They band’s not playing disco.” My friend explained that I was asked if I was
interested in doing ‘coke’ in the bathroom?!
Oh, my, I certainly do learn something new every day! (Which made me giggle and think of what
Kristi posted on her Facebook page the day after Christmas: “Had a wonderful Christmas
cavorting about New York yesterday. Favorite part of the day: Upon exiting
American Hustle with my mother I'm told, "So I thought that movie was
going to be dancey-dance movie. You know, like 'the hustle'" Adorable.”
Maybe it’s a good thing, once naïve, always
naïve?!
