Avant Garde

This week has been really busy and included some off the beaten path experiences.

I was invited for a house meeting at the synagogue that I am taking classes at to talk about Social Justice. I met some really nice people and we talked about some really important issues and how we can get involved to lobby for change.

Esther and I had dinner at Nikko's, a really cute Greek restaurant where you can order fish grilled on wood planks. We also went to see Glenn Close speak at the Paley center which was very fun. Esther and her friends were hosting a trunk show for their mutual friend, Radmilla. She works as a designer for a lot of the major lines in Paris (Dior, LaCroix, YSL, etc). She also designs her own accessories and handbags.

This week was also a week for some exploring. I went to the Earth Room in SoHo which is a large art instillation. It is a loft that has been filled with soil www.earthroom.org The first thing you notice (other then the fact that there is soil all over the room) is the smell of clean air. You can even stick your hands in and play in the soil. I know this sounds odd but remember I don't live in the Midwest anymore. :) I also went to the Morrison Hotel which is an art gallery that specializes in photographs of rock stars. Some of you may recognize the window from a album cover of the Doors.

Today was nice and low key. I went to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens which may be my new favorite place. It is beautiful and meant to be enjoyed all four seasons. Some of the highlights include the Japanese Gardens with the Cherry Tree Esplanade, the Fragrance Garden where I am convince Paul Simon wrote Scarborough Fair (because it smells of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme among other things), and the Shakespeare Garden full of flowers that Shakespeare mentions in his plays. There is also a celebrity walk of famous people who were from Brooklyn.
It is so beautiful and quiet. I adore Central Park but I love that you can walk around the gardens and not see another soul. Later I went to a local coffee shop (no Tommy, not democracy and coffee, although I promise to take you there when you visit sometime) and I started writing. I used to write for fun all of the time but have done little since starting graduate school. I started writing a book while in college. I had about 90 pages finished and then felted block. So far I am not revisiting that but I did start writing something new. I am interested in seeing where it will go. Well yawn, I am old and it is almost bedtime. Time to sleep so that I can work, play, and explore more this week. :)