Back in NYC

So much packed into a three-day visit. Some favorites: the windows at Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue, the delicious lunch at Hummus Place in the Village on Christmas Day, the Art of Style at the Met (accompanied by a Chopin piano piece arranged for strings), and the colors and lights all over the City.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

We were surprised at work yesterday with a slightly early closing. I got home with this song in my head and relished watching the snow falling down fast as I sipped a cup of homemade hot chocolate (cliche as it may sound. It was lovely to me.) While I have long thought that I was ready for spring, I also thought the trees and streets looked magical yesterday. I'll hold out until spring and be grateful that I have more opportunities to cherish the nicest aspects of winter.

Three-Day Weekend

From a full weekend that flew by all too quickly. From one that included a visit to the City Bakery for the Hot Chocolate Festival and a chamber music concert featuring Beethoven, Mozart, and two modern composers. A library trip, a creative salad with sriracha dressing, and violin. A long walk in Central Park. A latte and The New York Times at Venticinque Cafe (nice atmosphere). A macchiato at Cafe Martin (small portions) and Duolingo, for learning French. Another item added to my NYC bucket list and gratitude for the weekend.

Weekend

This past weekend was really nice. I caught up with a friend over a Nutella Fitzgerald at a coffee shop and met a quiet husky named Shadow. I also squeezed in a quick visit to The Strand and a trip to the library to check out an armful of books.

Snow Day

Maybe I shouldn't be surprised that it's snowing so much. After all, as much as I'd like to think that we're quickly approaching spring, it happened last year too. I'm fortunate not to have to go into work today and I greatly appreciate being able to take back some of the weekend. I also appreciate how nice the snow looked when it was fresh yesterday afternoon, and how I can continue enjoy it from my window, with a cup of hot cocoa in hand.

Holidays

Evidence of the holidays from the past three weeks. We're really celebrating over here in the City. I think all these lights and bright colors are the best response to the darkest winter days. 

Holiday Windows at Bergdorf

The streets have been getting a lot more colorful lately, and this past weekend, I decided to celebrate a bit by looking at Bergdorf Goodman's holiday windows. I enjoyed them even more than I did the fall windows because they had more character. This year's theme was The Arts, and there were windows for film, music, dance (with a spinning ballerina), literature, sculpture (with ice), and theater. I admired the level of detail in each window, as well as the bright colors.

Coney Island in the Winter

I was inspired to visit Coney Island while there was still snow on the ground this past weekend. There's something about seeing the same places in different seasons.

Definitely Still Winter

The snow fell hard this morning, but we went to work anyway. (We're no strangers to this weather.) Later, we closed early, and I went home for some homemade hot chocolate. 

Silent, and soft, and slow*

If the weather this past weekend had us fooled, it's definitely still winter. The snow doesn't seem to be falling as hard as it did last year, though it does seem to be falling more often. I still think it's pretty, and I'm especially glad it hasn't been accompanied by too much cold.

* from "Snow-flakes" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow