Monday, February 9, 2009

A Shimmer of Possibility

February Blues. I've got 'em.

I can't remember the last time I was so bummed out. The fact that I'm blogging at 3:30 in the morning should tell you something!

Sometimes when I feel like this, it helps to keep a running list, in a special little notebook I have, of things that make me happy. Maybe I'll do it here instead. In November, I did a post a day--Thankful for 30. Maybe I'll try a sort of Thankful for the Remaining Days in February. I'll just call it 20 Days of Cheer. My gloomy hunched anxious negative NY Jewish (and not in the good way) pessimistic self can just suck it up. Instead, I'm dragging out, kicking and screaming perhaps, the Hebrew Princess with the good haircut and sunny disposition.

To kick things off, let me share that, once again, I had a lovely day yesterday at the Museum of Modern Art. The best thing I've done this year, one of them, was to get a MOMA membership for myself and Sarge and Hedgie. The museum admission is 20 bucks, so visiting regularly would have been impossible without my card, my little key to happier times. The return on this relatively small investment has been enormous, and I can bring guests in too for 5 dollars each. So, yesterday, my wretched cold finally having abated, I spent an afternoon there with my mom and sister. I left Hedgie behind with Sarge, and it was a good thing to go off on my own. Really.

There's nothing like spending time in a museum, a lot of time, over a long period, to really feel like you own it. I liken it to living in a foreign country, in an apartment, shopping, cooking your own meals, using the public transportation there...when you're a tourist, it's different. You can't really get at the essence of a place with a quick stop-over and glance-through, which is why I'm not so keen on being a brief tourist when I travel. The same holds true for a museum. One visit can be overwhelming and not too illuminating. Several, or even many, and you begin to know the place, like I'm beginning to know the MOMA. I can find my favorite paintings now, and they're always there, just waiting patiently for me! The strange angles of the architecture are becoming familiar. The cafe menu (honey crisp apple sorbetto is the very definition of icy manna). The guys at the coat check. The crazy, precipitously dangling helicopter



The view from a second floor window, the one that I always like to pretend is my living room window



Do you notice how clean our glass is? It's quite a chore.

And the brilliant reflection of those same buildings



The stout, reliable bull-man-thing in the Sculpture Garden



We saw a grand exhibit of photography, by Paul Graham, poetically titled A Shimmer of Possibility.

And on the way home, it was so warm and sunny that we walked for awhile down 5th Avenue and stopped to look at the Saks windows, where they had a display of costumes from the Met (if you look closely you can see the reflection of my MOMA bubble ring--I doubt any piece of six-dollar plastic jewelry has ever given a girl more pleasure than this brings me)





And in a decidedly NY-ian juxtaposition, this van, belonging to the man who sells movie scripts on the street



...so hang in there Leah! Spring is on its way...eventually...

p.s. I'm steadily amassing a great collection of postcards, so if anyone would like to receive a really awesome art card in the mail, direct from NYC, just leave me an email with your address and I'll happily oblige. "theweatherinthestreets@gmail.com" Seriously!

24 comments:

The Mistress said...

Postcard for me please.

I heart New York.

*counting the days 'til I move back east*

Karen ^..^ said...

THAT is sooooooo COOOOOL!!! I want a postcard!!! I'll leave you my address in an email! I love the window at Saks.

I'm so homesick. I love the reflection of the buildings in the window. Beautiful.

Great post, Leah!

I wish I were your hairstylist.

Leah said...

MJ--of course! I'm starting to think that I heart NY too--it's an on-again, off-again relationship, but after nearly 40 years, well, it's in my blood! I still have the postcard you sent me. I treasure it! It made me laugh.

Karen--I wish you were my hairstylist too! Too bad you can't work your magic in NYC--but I must say, although the hairstylists' pay must be so much higher, the insane real estate precludes having a real life here. We're only here because we were "grandfathered" in, almost literally!

xo

Barlinnie said...

It sounds as though you have a nasty case of the winter blues.

Not long to go now Luscious, before you can enjoy the spring, eat alfresco, and make love outdoors with the bugs being squished under your petite little butt.

Gig said...

I really enjoyed this post...the pics out your window, WOW, I love the buildings!! The windows from Saks, cool. I would love to go to the MOMA, but I do agree that 1 quick tourist trip does not do it justice. I still am hoping to get to your city this year with my BFF. When I do I will let you know, in the meantime, I would be thrilled to have a postcard...please.

xoxo

Megan said...

Me too, me too!

I actually owe some other bloggers some postcards. I should start collecting some of my own!

I agree wholeheartedly about the museums. A whirlwind tour, while it can be rewarding, is not the same as really getting to 'know' the place.

Heck, I've been to the Getty (just to name one) a ton of times, and there's still stuff there I haven't seen.

Effortlessly Average said...

The stout, reliable bull-man-thing in the Sculpture Garden look suspiciously horny. You sure that's not Trump?

Barlinnie said...

The stout, reliable bull-man-thing.. definitely freudian.

Leah said...

Jimmy--what lovely images...sigh...but how do you know it won't be the oul fella's petite little butt squishing the bugs?

Gig--I hope you do get to NYC! If you have time I'll treat you to an apple sorbetto!

Megan--I think in another few visits I'll have seen every bit of the MOMA. The Met...now that's another story...I know there's a ton of stuff there that I haven't seen...

Effortlessly Average--you know, I'd heard that Trump commissioned a likeness...

Jimmy--no question Freudian. But my wording, or the sculpture itself?

Anonymous said...

Hello! When we were teens we pretended we'd be moving into one of the buildings we could see from the sculpture garden at MOMA. Do you remember? I think it turned out to be the British embassy. So we had good taste then, too!--MJE

Anonymous said...

I have never been to your city, but I loved reading this post- got a little flavour of the place:)

Mr. Shife said...

Well I certainly know about the blues. Hope you are feeling a little less blue. And thanks for sharing the pics. Never been to NYC so it is always nice to see real pics of the city and not the movie or TV images.

HoodChick said...

I love your view! Of course if I had windows like that I could never keep the nose prints off.

The Girl from Lokhandwala said...

Hugs! Spring will be here soon!

Old Knudsen said...

I've been doon for the last 4 or 5 months I think its a mental virus or something. Winter is a time for ...... reflection.

Barlinnie said...

...oh definitely the wording.

just bob said...

The helicopter is cool, but the bull thingy is actually a little bit scary.

Megan said...

Oh and p.s. - I would have totally been drooling over those Saks windows, as well.

Too Little Time said...

Love the dresses in the window. Toward the end of living in NY I was very anxious to get home again (lonely) however, now I am so grateful for my time there and miss the adventures into the city.

I like your countdown thru February idea - actually once I get through January its pretty much downhill.

Today its 60 and beautiful - I'm bringing in the groceries coatless!! Don't even mind the wet at the bottom of the jeans from all the melting snow :) K

Queen Goob said...

Definitely the blues....and for nothin'.

I love the view from "your living room window" and may I point out how much cleaner yours are than those at Saks? They may be displaying FABULOUS clothing but really, when one notices the windows one wonders how young the window display girl is.....

I love, love, love museums. My favorite artist just recently passed away - I had a day of mourning in his honor.

We miss you Andrew!

Leah said...

Queen Goob--we were standing in front of one of my favorite paintings by Wyeth in the MoMA and feeling very sad...

I hope you're feeling better sweetie!

Leah said...

Karrie--it's 60 degrees here today too! Woohoo! Positively balmy.

xo

Knitting it Out in an Urban Zoo said...

Lovely photos! As always. I'd love a postcard...want one from Chicago?

Leah said...

NSCG--I'd love one from Chicago too!