Climbing out of winter

Not long ago I posted about the signs of winter and just a few months later we are heralding the signs of spring. A visit to Central Park on Saturday was a testament to how excited New Yorkers were to have a little sunshine. Every lawn that was open was filled with people. Children were chasing each other, parents were relaxing on blankets and the brave were exposing their very white bodies to the sun. The not so brave tried to walk by without staring.
Even Times Square was celebrating the approach of the new season with an outdoor spring concert featuring Mary J. Blige. I just happened to be walking by when the concert started and stopped to listen to just one song. The good news is that the concert was being sponsored by Dial Deodorant and I came away with coupons for my next purchases!

A visit to a "Pop-up" store

Target has come to Manhattan for just three days. They were previewing their partnership with Liberty of London. I had some errands to do and decided to walk by and see what all the buzz was about. Much to my surprise the line to get into the store stretched for two blocks, but it was moving fast, so I stepped in line. Once inside there were dozens of articles made with Liberty of London fabrics---pillows, purses, dresses, pajamas, umbrellas, dishes, storage bins, bikes, boots, underwear, swimsuits, comforters. Women were filling their bags like they were contestants on Super Market Sweep. It was an amazing thing to see. I walked out empty handed knowing that on Monday all these same things will be in a Target store in every neighborhood in America. Even though we have only been in the city for two years, I identified with the frenzy of being able to buy Target merchandise without having to go to New Jersey.

And that's a good thing

A good friend and I went to see the Martha Stewart Show. Inspired by others who had attended, we got tickets and were very excited about the possibility of coming home with a bagful of Martha treats. On the application for tickets it asked about ones interest in crafting, cooking and gardening. I have minimal interest in all of these things and said that I just wanted to see how the show was produced. That was the wrong answer. There was great care in seating everyone and it was obvious by our placement in the back corner that we hadn't impressed Martha. During the commercial breaks, a lively fellow named Jay ran through the audience handing out some of Martha's favorite things. He always ran out just before he reached our back corner. The production of the show was interesting and it was fun to see all that happens backstage to make it a successful show. If there is a next time, I may have to tell a few white lies such as "I wear my glue gun in a holster 24/7,"I only eat what I grow in my garden," "I love spending a couple of days making my own gift wrap for my homemade gift, or "I am an avid follower of the blog titled 'Oops, I craft my pants!'"

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

We had 30 inches of snow in Central Park last week and it was beautiful. Snow is so much better when you don't have to drive in it or shovel it. New York has an amazing system for cleaning the streets after a snowfall. The garbage trucks are equipped with plows and rather than pick up trash, they head out and plow the streets. It is illegal to have snow on the sidewalks in front of buildings, so the even the sidewalks are shoveled clean before you have to go outside. The threat of snow doesn't even bother us, but we won't complain when we see signs of Spring.