NYC Life - Glass Half Full

Full Moon Over Manhattan

2012-02-18T16:14:00.000-08:00

photo Reuters

Pictures From Across the Pond (Not THAT Pond - the Pond in Central Park)

2012-02-08T04:44:00.000-08:00

NYC is experiencing mild weather this February - no need for the "Danger-Thin Ice" signs yet!

Times Square Flash Mob Tribute to Don Cornelius

2012-02-05T05:57:00.000-08:00

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's ??????

2012-02-01T04:54:00.001-08:00

On the Sidewalks of New York

2012-01-31T04:52:00.000-08:00

Color Blind

2012-01-08T06:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, corner of Irving Place & 15th Street...a blind man calls out for help crossing the street. I rush across to help him and he offers me his arm (which is great because I'm always afraid to initiate the touching).

As we cross the street he asks me what color I'm wearing and I say "Black, like you." He asks me if I'm wearing a black jacket? "Yes." Pants? "Yes." He says he's gotten used to the idea that women don't wear skirts anymore. When we get across the street he asks me my name. He tells me his is Pete and asks if I can walk him to the next corner because he's going to Dunkin' Donuts.

I apologize. I'm running late (which is true). He says it's OK... he'll meet someone new who will help him...someone wearing a different color. He tells me to have a nice day.
(P.S I didn't have a photo of Irving Place & 15th Street)

The Flat Iron District

2012-01-07T11:34:00.001-08:00

Looking out from 890 Broadway (@ 20th Street) at all the lovely old commercial buildings in the area.

Perspective

2012-01-04T14:09:00.001-08:00

There is a reason river cruises, ferry rides and scenic boat tours are so popular with tourists in NYC. Looking at the skyline from the water puts things in a unique perspective and provides the viewer scale.

Views from the waterways surrounding NYC juxtapose a vast horizontal mass against multiple vertical lines, put the "quiet"of the water up against the "noise" of the city and contrast the slowness of being off-island to the bustle and pace of being on-island.

These photos of lower Manhattan were taken from the Governor's Island ferry.

The Divine Cathedral of Saint John the Divine

2011-12-07T04:40:00.000-08:00

Photos taken from Manhattan Avenue & 112th Street

West Side Story Flash Mob NYC 11/11

2011-11-14T03:17:00.001-08:00

Help! Help?

2011-11-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

Do you know what "murmuration" is?

2011-11-06T10:23:00.000-08:00

Hardy Street Trees - NYC Style

2011-11-03T05:51:00.000-07:00

NYC trees have had a rough Fall so far...Hurricane Irene and then the freakish October snow storm felled many and damaged many more. But these "trees," made from colorful plastic ties wrapped around lamp posts around Cooper Square in Manhattan survived unscathed!

Urban Farming - NYC Style!

2011-10-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

New York Farm City from Petrina TV on Vimeo.

Five Hundred Years of Portraits of Women

2011-10-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

by Phillip Scott Johnson

'Nuff Said - Empire State of Mind - 9/11 Tribute directed by Spike Lee

2011-09-12T03:00:00.001-07:00

Great Spaces in NYC

2011-08-24T03:32:00.000-07:00

World Trade Center Site (7/22/11)

2011-07-22T15:10:00.001-07:00

Inspiration - Take it Down a Notch!

2011-07-21T05:57:00.001-07:00

The next time I start to complain about my wild, fly-away hair,

I will think of this amazing photo by Christophe Gilbert.

Art is Everywhere, Made by Anyone! Only in New York...

2011-06-08T16:40:00.001-07:00

Brian Brooks Moving Company - Gotham Dance Festival

2011-06-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

I saw this piece last night at The Joyce Theater with two others by this amazing choreographer. Brian Brooks is unique, intelligent and just plain fun to watch.

Like Gene Kelly in Singin' In the Rain - Only Different!

2011-05-23T03:36:00.000-07:00

Men and mustaches....who knew?

A Brief History of the Skyscraper - Symbol of NYC

2011-05-19T04:31:00.000-07:00

Talk About Street Art!

2011-04-28T03:07:00.000-07:00

Artist juliana santacruz herrera has transformed the streets of paris by turning their cracks and potholes into beautiful eye-catching objets d'art.

photo: juliana santacruz herrera

She braids and coils lengths of colorfully-dyed fabrics into the shallow breaks in the grey streets.

photo: juliana santacruz herrera

Mayor Bloomberg, take note. Can we hire Ms. Herrera? Doing the same thing for NYC could become her life's work! It may only be a temporary solution to the problem but so is the asphalt that street repair crews currently use.

via designboom

Easter Baskets - NYC Style!

2011-04-20T05:26:00.000-07:00

Christopher Street shop, West Village, NYC

Pointing is Rude ;)!

2011-04-10T05:41:00.000-07:00

from the blog One Day...Broadway

Sit - Take a Load Off!

2011-04-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

NYC is user-friendly...really. It has to be, with 8 million residents and millions more people visiting temporarily. Since people walk a lot in NYC, that means there have to be places to rest...spontaneous, impromptu places to "park it."

These people-parking spaces (much easier to find than car-parking spaces) include chairs, benches and sometimes sculptures where you can rest and people watch and pet watch and you don't have to buy a thing!

One Minute to Save the World!

2011-03-15T06:38:00.000-07:00

I wish...but the submissions to Adaptive Arts' One-Minute Play Festival may raise some eyebrows or get some laughs or start some conversations. Good, right? My one minute play, Contraindications is included. Even better!

One night only.... Sunday, March 20th @ 7 PM. Suggested donation is $5 to help support all the other wonderful things Adaptive Arts does. Ooops...almost forgot to tell you where! IRT @154 Christopher St, #3B New York, NY Make reservations via rsvpadaptive@gmail.com

Tete a Tete - Window Installation by Fannie Allie

2011-03-04T04:07:00.000-08:00

Tete a Tete by Fannie Allie

	Chashama 266 Window installation from March 05-20, opening 03/05, 7-9pm 266 W 37th St., New York City

"Caught" Again

2011-02-05T08:20:00.000-08:00

It's getting to be a habit but I look forward to seeing Parsons Dance perform every year at the Joyce Theater in NYC. I have always enjoyed Mr. Parson's musicality, sense of humor and exquisite company and I never get tired of seeing his signature solo, Caught. At Thursday night's performance, it was danced by the amazing Miguel Quinones. Man can fly (and women too)!

Giant Flowers for Valentine's Day from Artist Will Ryman

2011-01-21T14:52:00.000-08:00

Starting this Tuesday (1/25) and running through May, a site specific installation of giant sculptures will "bloom" at several places along Park Avenue on Manhattan's upper east side. The 25 foot tall flowers (complete with lady bugs, aphids and thorns) are the work of artist Will Ryman.

All the Buildings in New York by James Gulliver Hancock

2011-01-19T03:20:00.000-08:00

All The Buildings In New York
1 Colour hand printed silkscreen on Hannemule paper edition of 20
56x75cm $100

Check out this drawing and all the other amazing work by Brooklyn-based artist James Gulliver Hancock in his online shop.

Inspiration - A NYC Dance Company that Celebrates Differences!

2011-01-02T16:15:00.001-08:00

One Reason I Love Dogs? They Don't Complain...

2010-12-29T07:44:00.000-08:00

...when their dog runs don't get plowed quickly!

Holiday Inspiration - Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!

2010-11-26T10:27:00.000-08:00

This never happens when I'm eating a greasy meal in a food court!

What is There to be Thankful for in NYC?

2010-11-24T16:30:00.000-08:00

- people who help carry strollers up and down subway steps
- people who use the garbage cans on every corner
- the mornings when the Fresh Direct truck parks under someone else's window
- scaffolding when it's raining

- people who give up their bus seats to the elderly
- people who pick up after their dogs

- the Saturday farmer's market at PS 183
- egg creams and bagels
- Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway theater
- Central Park
- city workers
- public transportation
- street art
- dog-friendly buildings
- kid-friendly buildings
- 24/7 everything
- diversity
and of course family, friends, students, colleagues, pets and New Yorkers

The Softer Side of NYC (and Paris)

2010-11-05T03:34:00.000-07:00

an amazing soft sculpture melding the skylines of Paris and NYC by French artist

Emilie Faif

New York City- Timelapse

2010-11-03T06:25:00.001-07:00

New York City - Timelapse from stimul on Vimeo.

A Gorgeous Sunday in the Park (without George) Again!

2010-10-18T06:07:00.000-07:00

It's a Sign!

2010-10-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

I've Decided What I Want to be When I Grow Up!

2010-10-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

I want to be: witty, generous, fun, low-maintenance, a risk-taker, a traveller, a grandma, someone people come to for help and advice, better at doing crossword puzzles, a vegan, considerate, open-minded, a life-long learner, someone who stays in touch with new things (even Lady Gaga), young-minded, easy-going, principled, polite, kind, accepting, someone who stays in touch with old friends, a drummer, an author, a photographer, an organ donor (that one is for way in the future), a non-acquirer(?) of new stuff, someone who doesn't hold grudges and did I already say grandma?

October Feast - PS 183 Flea & Farmer's Market

2010-10-09T06:56:00.000-07:00

The PS 183 (Manhattan) Flea & Farmer's Market is held every Saturday, year-round. The manager of the market pays the school's PTA for the use of the space and the PTA uses the money to fund the school library, after-school program, arts programs, teaching assistants etc. Several NYC public schools have adopted this model for raising extra money. PS 183 is located at 66th Street between First and York Avenues. Enter the market on the 67th Street side of the building.

The City That Never Sleeps - West 19th Street

2010-10-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

Gecko AND Baby Laughing! What Could Be Better?

2010-10-05T04:56:00.000-07:00

Falling for Fall Again - Hunter Mountain Ski Area, Hunter, N.Y.

2010-09-27T05:31:00.000-07:00

Leaf peeping? Fall foliage tour? I don't care what it's called...Autumn is my favorite season. The crisp air, the bright blue skies and, of course, the variety of golds, oranges and reds that the leaves turn. Sometimes one tree will have green, yellow and red leaves at the same time.

A great place to view them from...take a pre-season gondola or chair lift (like the Sky Ride at Hunter Mountain) ride at a local ski area. Don't you love the eco-friendly outdoor furniture made from recycled snowboards and skis?

2010-09-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

It's a SIGN!

2010-09-09T03:59:00.000-07:00

Inspiration

2010-09-01T06:18:00.000-07:00

Sit! Take a Load Off!

2010-08-24T04:27:00.000-07:00

It's probably a sign of my "advancing" age but now when I walk around the city, I notice all the inviting places there are to "sit and take a load off a while." (The toilet is in the ladies room at the New Museum.)

Fabulous Finale to the 29th Annual Downtown Dance Festival ~ Bravo!

2010-08-20T16:37:00.000-07:00

Amy Marshall Dance Company performing Vortex

Dusan Tynek Dance Theatre performing Fleur-de-lis

Jamel Gaines' Creative Outlet Dance Theatre performing Prize

What an amazing final day to this year's (the 29th) Annual Downtown Dance Festival. Congratulations to Jonathan Hollander, the Artistic Director of batterydancecompany, which presents the festival. Personally, I hope they return to One New York Plaza again in the future, a cooler, more spacious and luminous site than their previous one.

29th Annual Downtown Dance Festival Aug 14-20

2010-08-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

The 29th Annual Downtown Dance Festival presented by batterydancecompany kicked off its lunchtime series of performances today at One New York Plaza (Water Street between Whitehall & Broad Strreets) from 12-2PM. Today's performers included the binbinFactory (photo), a Brooklyn-based company which was founded to "investigate cross-cultural boundaries by harmonizing movement of the East and West and the exquisite Yuko Takahashi Dance Company from Sendai Japan. The lunchtime performances continue through Friday, August 20th. For more details, visit batterydancecompany.

Crossing the Line Festival - Willi Dorner's Choreography Comes to NYC

2010-08-12T15:06:00.000-07:00

Willi Dorner
Bodies in Urban Spaces
Sunday, September 26
@ Sunrise, 6:46am
Monday, September 27
@ Sunset, 5:46pm

free

The new New Museum!

2010-07-26T05:37:00.000-07:00

I finally got to the New Museum's new location at 235 Bowery. The summer heat the city has been experiencing necessitated indoor activities this weekend and although I had been to the museum at its original location many times, I had not yet been to it's new (since 2007) space.

The visit was a perfect way to "beat the heat." The contemporary art museum is a manageable size, affordable, easy to maneuver through and has a staff of docents and gallery guards who are friendly and knowledgeable.

Start at the top floor (where the "art" on display is the view of NYC from the roof) and wind your way down through the lower floors where the exhibits are a melange of audio, video, floor, ceiling, wall and exhibition case installations.

Lincoln Center ~ the New and Improved Version!

2010-07-24T05:27:00.000-07:00

East Village Blues ~ NYC

2010-07-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

It's SO empty in NYC today that...

2010-07-05T08:19:00.000-07:00

- Cabs are hailing me.
- I got in and out of the Trader Joe's on 14th Street in 20 minutes (and I bought stuff!).
- There were six parking spots on my block when I walked the dog this morning.
- There is no line for the noon showing of Twilight Eclipse at the Beekman theater.
- Not a single person on the subway ride downtown was standing at the top of the steps completing a cellphone call. As a matter of fact, not a single person was standing at the top of the steps!
- Not a single person on the bus ride uptown answered a cell phone call during my ride home.
- And I was able to take this picture.

Mini-Vacation ~ Upstate NY

2010-07-04T05:58:00.000-07:00

Flowers, fresh herbs, mountain air, rabbbits, chipmunks, squirrels, foxes, birds, deer (and even a fawn!)...nights so cool we lit fires and slept with a down comforter (even Ms. M). I couldn't even complain about having to do laundry!

High Five New York City ~ Enjoy!

2010-06-26T03:21:00.001-07:00

Who says New Yorkers aren't friendly? This wonderful video was created by natek213

Thank Goodness Creative People Like YouTube User brusspup Have So Much Time on Their Hands!

2010-06-22T02:39:00.000-07:00

Like half-time entertainment at the tea candle Super Bowl!

The City That Never "Stops" DOES and On Cue!

2010-06-19T16:08:00.000-07:00

Inspiration ~ Italian Sculptor Willy Verginer

2010-06-09T04:13:00.001-07:00

Wood, a fresh eye, a sense of humor, trompe l'oeil...

what else do you need?

Check out more of his unique work at http://www.verginer.com/eng/

Yes, It's Safe To Dance

2010-05-26T04:50:00.001-07:00

The Camera is My Pair of Rose-Colored Glasses!

2010-05-24T04:55:00.001-07:00

With the camera in my hands, everything becomes interesting

(if not beautiful!)...graffiti, construction, traffic etc.

It Takes So Little to Make Some Creatures Happy

2010-05-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

Street Fair ~ Lexington Avenue NYC

2010-05-07T04:17:00.000-07:00

Clark Kent Was Here!

2010-05-04T04:39:00.001-07:00

NYC Photo Ops

2010-05-01T04:06:00.001-07:00

Saturday in the Park WITH George (who I'm sure was there somewhere!)

2010-04-26T06:03:00.000-07:00

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Saturday was a beautiful day for the Parkinson's Unity Walk in Central Park...community, inspiration, fundraising and then brunch!

"The The Impotence of Proofreading," a poem by Taylor Mali

2010-04-12T16:04:00.001-07:00

So that's why spell check doesn't work!

Empty Nest Syndrome

2010-04-11T08:55:00.001-07:00

It's been four and a half weeks since they hatched and the young pigeons now wander and flap about my little balcony making short "flights" up to the air conditioner. Their parents still keep a close eye on them and feed them although they are beginning to peck at and swallow things on their own.

They sleep huddled together in the same planter in which they were born but they have grown into their beaks...somewhat. Ah teenagers (I mean fledglings!) Soon they'll be driving!

I've Decided ~ This IS Worth the Tree Pollen Allergies!

2010-04-07T05:09:00.000-07:00

The city is talking about planting hypo-allergenic trees and I don't have a problem with that. I wonder whether the hypo-allergenic trees will produce the bursts of soft Spring blossoms like these old trees do. I'm just sayin'.

World Pillow Fight Day ~ NYC Style (Union Square Park)

2010-04-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

I don't know New York...keep doing things like this and you may get a reputation...you sure you want to be thought of as silly, touchy-feely, West-Coast-ish etc.? I'm just sayin'.

Even the Sidewalks are Smiling!

2010-03-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

These started appearing on the sidewalks of Second Avenue last week. They are "monitoring wells." I have no idea what they are monitoring but it may have something to do with the construction of the Second Avenue subway. Isn't the design wonderful? The similarity to the ubiquitous smiley face had to be intentional. If it wasn't...I don't want to know.

The S Word ~ Author Unknown

2010-03-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

"This morning I was awoken by my alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the U.S. Department of Energy. I then took a shower in the clean water provided by a municipal water utility. After that, I turned on the TV to one of the FCC-regulated channels to see what the National Weather Service of theNational Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration determined the weather was going to be like, using satellites designed, built, and launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

I watched this while eating my breakfast of U.S. Department of Agriculture-inspected food and taking the drugs which have been determined to be safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. At the appropriate time, as regulated by the U.S. Congress and kept accurate by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the U.S. Naval Observatory, I get into my National Highway Traffic Safety Administration-approved automobile and set out to work on the roads build by the local, state, and federal Departments of Transportation, possibly stopping to purchase additional fuel of a quality level determined by the Environmental Protection Agency, using legal tender issued by the Federal Reserve Bank.

On the way out the door I deposit any mail I have to send via the U.S. Postal Service and drop the kids off at the public school. After spending another day not being maimed or killed at work thanks to the workplace regulations imposed by the Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health administration, enjoying another two meals which again do not kill me because of the USDA, I drive my NHTSA car back home on the DOT roads, to my house which has not burned down in my absence because of the state and local building codes and Fire Marshal's inspection, and which has not been plundered of all its valuables thanks to the local police department.

And then I log on to the internet -- which was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration -- and post on Freerepublic.com and Fox News forums about how SOCIALISM in medicine is BAD because the government can't do anything right."
(Author Unknown - I found it on FB) Let me add that the person in this "story" probably thinks that for-profit companies and corporations do things well! Like Enron, Lehman Brothers, Countrywide, Toyota etc. etc. etc.

Another Sunday in the Park With(out) George

2010-03-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

Who needs George? This is what Central Park looked like today, the first full day of Spring 2010. Just two weeks ago, there was 20" of fresh snow on the ground in the park. But today...the early Spring bulbs are blooming. It never ceases to amaze me how you can always find a place in the park where you can pretend you are the only human inhabitant of NYC for a brief moment of time.

Where Do Baby Pigeons Come From?

2010-03-20T05:57:00.001-07:00

This season, the answer to that question (for two baby pigeons at least!) is my patio...well it's not exactly a patio...my balcony...well it's not exactly a balcony either. I have to step out through my kitchen window to get to this well "well." Three windows in my apartment from three separate rooms face out on this "well."

As small as this well is and as hard as it is to get out to, I plant flowers in several window boxes and round containers on it every year. When I put the planters up on the ledge, you can see them from each of the three rooms and from the street.

This year, a pigeon laid two eggs in one of my dormant containers. The eggs were watched over diligently by Mom and Dad (even I could tell them apart) and they hatched two weeks ago. For the longest time, I couldn't see the babies because they were always being sat on by one of the adults. Lately, the parents have been leaving them "home alone" for longer and longer periods of time so I was able to take pictures of them. I can see how they are losing the soft yellow down they were born with, getting feathers and they have very prominent beaks. It's OK, they'll grow into them!

They know not to make any sound while they are alone, but when one of the adults comes back to feed them, they make a peeping/cheeping racket. I don't know exactly how long it will be until they can get out of the container on their own, how and where they will learn to fly and I worry about their future...the city is a tough place. In the meantime, they let me open the window and throw out various baked goods (I have resisted putting out hamantaschen for them...you know, the Purim pastry!) which the adults eat and then feed to the babies...actually I think they are pre-teens now! Ah, the miracle of life!

Brooklyn Artist (Beriah Wall) Makes Tokens And Gives Them Away ~ N Y Times Article 3/17/10 by David Gonzalez

2010-03-18T06:57:00.000-07:00

photo: Librado Romero/NY Times

Read the complete article here.

What Happened to Not Letting Your Kids Jump on the Bed?

2010-03-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

Is it OK to let them sleep with us now too?

Leon and I (and a few hundred other fans) at B. B. King's 3/7/10

2010-03-09T08:40:00.000-08:00

Yes, the man has still got IT! And he shared IT with us for more than 90 minutes. It was wonderful hearing all his stories about encounters with other music "greats." Only bad thing was the warm-up act, the Funky Nights (Knights?) who, as the announcer said, put the FU in funk. They put the FU in funk and everything else.

Inspiration ~ An Artist and His Vision (Literally) A Short Film by Danny Gregory

2010-03-03T04:17:00.000-08:00

I also need "readers" now. I have to laugh because when I'm buying a new pair I have to put on the old pair to be able to see the magnification level of the pair I'm thinking of buying! And the way things are going I am going to be off the typical magnification scale sooner rather then later!

What do Grown-Ups Do On Snow Days? Pt II

2010-02-26T03:57:00.000-08:00

What do grown-ups do on snow days? They act like kids of course...or puppies! Ms. Molly and I went out for our usual morning walk at 5:15 today and found 10" of new snow. But even at that early hour we weren't the first human/animal pair that had been "out and about" in the city that never sleeps. We found tracks made by our fellow 2 and 4-legged New Yorkers and followed them.

We may be a bit old to "gambol"... Ms. Molly is 13 and I'm a lot older than that, but she was still so excited she wouldn't stand still for a good picture. Me too! I can't bring myself to do one thing that she always does when it snows though...eat it! And I did do that when I was a kid.

Inspiration ~ "Discarded" Art by Sayaka Kajita Ganz

2010-02-23T03:41:00.001-08:00

Japanese born artist Sayaka Kajita Ganz creates sculptures from reclaimed plastic. This piece, called Emergence (2008) is an installation of two separate sculptures called Night (black) and Wind (white).
"My working process is reminiscent of my experiences growing up in several different countries, of being disconnected from the place I was born. Then, I began searching for a new community where I truly belong. I find discarded objects from peoples’ houses and give them a second life, a new home. For my sculptures I use plastic utensils, toys and metal pieces among other things. I only select objects that have been used and discarded. The human history behind these objects gives them life in my eyes. My goal is for each object to transcend its origins by being integrated into an animal form that seems alive. This process of reclamation and regeneration is liberating to me as an artist.
By building these sculptures I try to understand the human relationships that surround me. It is a way for me to contemplate and remind myself that even if there is conflict right now, there is a way for all the pieces to fit together. That even if some people don’t feel at home here and now, there is a place where they belong and that they will eventually find it." I would love to see these in person!

This is NOT Tiny Tim's Ukelele!

2010-02-19T18:00:00.000-08:00

Jake Shimabukuro plays Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody

sNOw MAS! Si, Mas!

2010-02-16T08:01:00.000-08:00

No snowpocalypse this time, no snowmageddon, no snowzilla...just 1-2" of wet snow with flakes so large even the smallest child will be able to catch them on his or her tongue. Makes even the rooftops on the upper east side of Manhattan look soft and pretty!

Just Say No to Nay!

2010-02-06T14:55:00.001-08:00

David Parsons, artistic director of Parsons Dance, is my favorite choreographer. I enjoy his sense of humor, his musicality, the way he moves dancers on and off stage and the amazing partnering he creates. I have seen his signature solo Caught performed at least ten times and each time it is thrilling. I see his company at least once each year at the Joyce Theater.

At today's matinee I was sitting in the loge area and had several empty seats next to me. Just before the last piece on the program, called Scrutiny, Mr. Parsons took one of the seats. Although the music and costumes dated the piece, which was created in 1987, I enjoyed seeing how Mr. Parson's choreographic style developed from his "early" days as a choreographer. The program notes and the choreography made it clear that the piece was about "societal pressures to conform."

After the performance I congratulated him on another brilliant production and told him that the only piece I had not seen previously was the finale. He said that it was the first time he had revisited the work since its creation. He told me he choreographed it at age 26 just as he was thinking of starting a company. The dance was his response to all the nay-sayers who said he would never be successful with a company of his own. I wonder where all those people are 23 years later?

We are often discouraged from following our artistic dreams by a variety of people for a variety of reasons. I have taken several of my high school students to see Parsons Dance over the years and wanted to share with them that even someone as accomplished and talented as he is, had pessimists and defeatists "looking over his shoulder" along the way...hence this post. Thank goodness Mr. Parsons didn't listen to the nay-sayers.

Apps Needed ~ ASAP!

2010-02-01T04:11:00.000-08:00

To all you tech-savy, 20-somethings out there, I would like you to develop the following cellphone apps for me ASAP:

an app that signals loudly to warn me that I am about to cross the path of a bicyclist either riding illegally on the sidewalk or against traffic in the street

an app that randomly generates fictitious names for me to give to baristas that also stores the name so that when I pick up my order I can remember the name I used

an app that will map out for me a way to get from one address in Manhattan to another so that I will be under street scaffolding and therefore protected from rain and snow for the entire trip

an app that will store the exact location of the 'safe place' in my apartment in which I have just put something that needs to be kept in a safe place

an app that enables my phone to surreptiously take a picture of every new person I meet and store it along with that person's name

an app that tells me the ATM closest to my current location that will allow me to withdraw cash without fees

an app that correctly identifies the sex of babies I am cooing over before I put my foot in my mouth

and most important, an app that temporarily disables the cellphones of anyone within a 15 foot radius

Caution ~ Causes Extreme Smiling & Laughing!

2010-01-25T16:55:00.000-08:00

Please check with your doctor before viewing to make sure you are healthy enough to perform belly laughs! Laughter is the best medicine!

Timing is Everything!

2010-01-19T15:11:00.001-08:00

I'm the kind of person who washes all the windows the day before a major rainstorm. Speaking of rain, I never seem to be carrying an umbrella when it is raining but always have one when it isn't (which is why I lose so many of them!). So, it was no surprise when we spent our winter vacation in Florida last week during one of the coldest (and longest) cold spells in that state's history. It was so cold the iguanas were falling out of the trees. No, this isn't a quaint Florida saying as in "How cold was it? It was so cold that yada yada yada. No, the poor things were "stunned" by the cold and couldn't grasp the tree limbs like they usually do!

Leaving NYC in January, we wore hats and gloves and scarves and many layers of clothing to the airport. We just didn't expect to be wearing them for the whole trip in Boca Raton amid the palm trees. To look on the bright side, we spent time with good friends, ate great meals, the beaches were empty and residents got to test their home heating systems. We also visited two lovely man-made wetland reserves called Green Key and Wakodahatchee (photos above) where the birds, turtles and alligators seemed impervious to the cold even if the iguanas were a bit more "grounded" than usual.

Large Birds Create Serious Problem at Major New York City Airport

2010-01-15T15:01:00.001-08:00

Yes, it's that time of year. Snow birds are heading south and in such great numbers that airport staff are having difficulty keeping up with them. On a recent afternoon at LaGuardia airport, this flock, flying in formation to Fort Lauderdale (say that three times fast!), required so many wheelchairs it set a record for Jet Blue Airlines.

There Ought to be a Law!

2010-01-14T10:22:00.000-08:00

Remember “quality of life”? Remember consideration and kindness? Remember what it means to “walk in someone else’s shoes? I do and I have come up with ten things “there ought to be a law against” (TOTBALA) in NYC starting in the new decade in order to make all our lives kinder and gentler.

TOTBALA:

~ laying wet umbrellas on subway and bus seats

~ coming to a complete stop on subway steps in order to take and/or complete a cell phone call

~ pre-theater cell phone announcements that try to be funny, clever or are linked in some way to the production

~ misspelled words on shop awnings, windows and signs

~ baristas who ask you for your name

~ people who, while making purchases in supermarkets, do not move along the conveyor belt with their items preventing the person behind them from placing their things down

~ people who tie their dogs to parking meters when they go into stores

~ more than one nail salon (or day spa) per city block

~ people on the bus who check their watches when wheelchair passengers are getting on or off

~ and people who create acronyms like TOTBALA

Don't Let Anyone Stop You From Dancing ~ Ever!

2009-12-25T04:25:00.000-08:00

Just find the right time and place!

My Pic Selected for Schmap New York (9th Edition)

2009-12-21T05:22:00.000-08:00

This photo was selected by the editors of Schmap to appear in the 9th edition of their online guide to NYC in the section on Union Square. What's Schmap? Check it out here.

Sunday in the Park (Again) Without George!

2009-12-20T10:14:00.001-08:00

Looks like NYC will have a white Christmas this year...at least in Central Park!

This 10" accumulation won't all be gone by Friday.

It's Not Exactly Avatar but It's Charming!

2009-12-19T11:46:00.000-08:00

Waiting for the first big snowstorm of the season to hit the city!

Frank and Gene do New York, NY

2009-12-06T07:03:00.000-08:00

City Sanctuary

2009-11-26T05:23:00.001-08:00

The beautiful church and gardens of Saint Luke in the Field parish

on Hudson Street in the West Village...the day before Thanksgiving.

Art Everywhere & Anywhere!

2009-11-21T08:08:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about living in NYC is the amount and variety of public art in public spaces. Walk anywhere and if you look carefully (sometimes it's right in your face!) you'll see that someone with an idea or message or distinctive point of view has figured out a clever, imaginative and inventive way to communicate it.

Charleston, S.C.

2009-11-03T07:10:00.000-08:00

My dearest friend suggested a long weekend in Charleston, S. C. to celebrate my birthday.

It is a lovely city, full of history, charm and great food. We stayed downtown in the French quarter so I was able to do as much walking as I normally do in NYC. The people were friendly, the flowers still blooming and the Spanish moss (or Spanish beard - named by the Native Americans when they saw the Spaniards' facial hair!) still hanging.

The anecdote that epitomizes our visit: As we were walking back to our hotel one afternoon, we noticed a horse being groomed on the sidewalk (center photo). We realized that it was being "gussied up" for the Blessing of the Animals ceremony a church on the corner was having in another hour. We began to notice several people bringing dogs towards the corner and as we passed one well-dressed man and his dachsund (also well-dressed in a pink bandana, collar and leash) we asked if she was going to be blessed. His answer, "Yes, although I think she needs something stronger." When he saw my puzzled look, he continued, "like an exorcism."

Fall is always an amazing time to see dance in NYC!

2009-10-26T09:57:00.001-07:00

Orbo Novo (excerpts) from Caleb Custer on Vimeo.

Excerpt from The Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet's performance of Orbo Novo, a new work by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui @ the Joyce Theater.

Sunday in the Park (Union Square) Without George!

2009-10-26T04:26:00.000-07:00

Enlarge the photo "mosaic" by clicking on any photo!