Category Archives: Things To Do

Day of the Month

This year has been so beautiful in the Northeast. Very unusual, long stretches of balmy weather, blue skies, sunlit days. The Northeast is normally filled with unpredictable weather, ranging from cold snaps, to fog, rainy days and occasional blue skies.

“Climate is what we expect. Weather is what we get.” Mark Twain

In my mind, the best days are sometimes “good weather” days. Especially if the weather in a given month is unusual. I’ve decided to chose a “Day of the Month” every month. It’s another way to make yourself aware of the delight that each day brings. Something to look forward to, make note of and celebrate.

Look for the magical beauty of nature and light.

This month, November, I thought that “The Day” had already arrived on November 3rd. On a long walk through Central Park, I couldn’t help noticing how the autumn sunlight burst through the trees, amping up the contrasting colors of the landscape.

Such an unusual November!

On this particular day, I thought that the magical transition of seasons was so clearly evident. The floor of the gardens were covered with fallen leaves, while newly blossomed autumn plants and flowers were peeking through. The combination was startling and beautiful.

Summer passes the baton to Autumn as the seasons change

I find that the complexity of nature reflects the complexity of our lives and can be very reflective of our emotions too. It’s easy to lose yourself in the beauty of your surroundings, if you simply surrender to it. On this day, I fully enjoyed the wide range of thoughts and feelings, reflective of the landscapes.

The day mixed together a summer temperature of 72, the blazing reds and yellows of tumbling autumn leaves and the bittersweet reminder that winter will soon arrive. Yet, the promise of spring was also present in the newly blooming plants poking through. A truly perfect day. Perhaps the best “Day of the Month” for November. Well noted and captured in thought and memory for “A Table For One.”

Halloween

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You don’t have to have a crowd to celebrate holidays. If you find yourself on your own, for a holiday that you’re accustomed to sharing with lots of other folks, go ahead and explore the new and endless possibilities to enjoy it alone.

“Halloween is an opportunity to be really creative.” Judy Gold

Ghoulish Gang of Ghosts Gather to celebrate Halloween in NYC!

Halloween is a great example of a holiday that you can enjoy, regardless of who you may or may not be with. Hang a sign on your door indicating that you’re open for Trick or Treaters. Spend some time selecting special treats, other than the usual bags of candy. Wear a costume to answer the door. Make a note of the best-dressed costumes. Take photos.

NYC Townhouse wrapped in police tape “lockdown” for Halloween!

Or go out yourself, to explore and enjoy the activities that abound. If you’re in a city, it’s great to photograph all the decorations that folks set out on their doorsteps, for special attention. For example, in New York, the variations are endless and wonderfully creative. Every year yields more intrigue and imagination than the one before. It’s so easy to get caught up in the moment, so go wander and revel in the fun.

Trick or Treat!

Here’s a great “brainy doorbell” I rang this Halloween at a townhouse on the Upper East side that was wrapped tight in police tape (as a joke). Of course, no-one answered…that’s part of the spookiness of Halloween delight! Trick or Treat…”A Table For One!”

Stralimitata

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The Pope’s visit to the United States was amazing. In New York, the effect was electric. On his return to Roma, he was asked by reporters to describe the cities he had visited in the U.S. Washington, he described as “formal”, Philadelphia, “friendly”. But for New York, he found it necessary to create a new word for his experience!

“Loving your language means a command of its vocabulary beyond the level of the everyday.” John McWorter

Pope Francis In Central Park

The Pope called his experience in New York “Stralimitata. Roughly translated, it means “beyond all limits.” I think a lot of us who live here and lots of folks from all over the world, who visit New York would agree! And it’s a great way for us to describe his visit to New York as well!

Blessings from Pope Francis

At the last minute, I received a ticket to his quick drive through Central Park, on his way to the Madison Square Garden Mass. It was startling and moving. So many people of so many faiths joined in celebration. This particular part of his journey included all the people of New York, all faiths. The tickets were not only available to New York Catholics, the city was in control of most tickets, for anyone who wanted to attend.

A Day To Remember! Pope Francis in Central Park

I felt torn between receiving his blessing in the open and photographing him as he passed by. So I did both. I put my phone down as he passed in front of me and then picked it back up as he proceeded forward. So the photos are a bit blurred, but the experience of Pope Francis in New York remain forever clear and bright!

The Pope Project

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I think it’s a great idea to focus your adventures on something exciting, whenever possible. For those of us in New York, this week will mark Pope Francis’ first and historic visit to New York. It coincides with the UN Assembly, so the city is awhirl and gridlock will be at an all-time high.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” Helen Keller

Most days, New York is in full gear and locked in its well-known high energy mode. But for special events like the ones coming to our fair city this week, the electric frequency levels burst into full-on rocket liftoff mode! And the excitement it generates is unparalleled.

New York City’s Giant Pope Billboard near Madison Square Garden

At times like this, you can literally “feel it in the air.” So I decided over the weekend, to make this week my “Pope Project” and try to visit some of the places the Pope will see, while he’s here. I also find that the preparations for such events are just as exciting as the events themselves. And when you create a special project for yourself, such as this one, it gives you a full agenda for any and all time that you have on your own.

NYPD “blocks” all over the city in preparation for a whirlwind week ahead!

From the giant billboard hand-painted last week on a building near Madison Square Garden, where the Pope will say Mass, to the smallest detail of hand-hung “no parking” signs on the trees of the street where he will stay, you can see the anticipation take hold. There are honestly no contenders, in my mind, when it comes to the NYPD. And evidence of their hard work is already visible all over the city too. In anticipation of the crowds that will gather, starting on Thursday, there’s fencing, cement blocks, street closure warnings and all sorts of other indicators of what’s ahead for both the force and NYC residents!

Signs of preparation for the Pope and the UN Assembly this week!

No doubt all of the media will be out front covering the Pope’s every movement. But I find it really exciting to capture the week from my own humble perspective. Although I tried to get tickets to see him in Central Park or along his journey down Fifth Ave., I didn’t win any of the many lotteries that were held. So, now, I have a really perfect “A Table For One” week ahead, as I document my own experience. Maybe I’ll get lucky and catch a glimpse of him somewhere along his many routes. But if not, just getting out and about to see the preparations and experience the city as it lights up in anticipation is really very special. I think everyone should take on a special project once in a while, to enjoy their time with “A Table For One.”

Day Trippin’

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I think that day trips are highly underrated. While we spend hours planning for major getaways, we frequently overlook the fun that can be had from just spontaneously hopping in a car, taking a train ride or even a bus to a nearby location for the day. Taking a break from your own routine surroundings, even if just for a few hours, can rejuvenate and reenergize your perspective.

“I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read and all the friends I want to see.” John Burroughs

I have found that there are an infinite variety of things to do when you’re on your own. Breaking out of the scenery you live in is always invigorating. It gives you a different way to see your everyday environment. When you return, after exploring a totally different landscape, you feel that you’ve been far away, even if you’ve just gone an hour or so away from home base.

Break away for a spontaneous adventure, somewhere nearby!

The town of Greenwich, Ct. is not far from Manhattan. I grew up in Rye, N.Y. and attended elementary and high school in Greenwich, so it too is very familiar territory. Greenwich is a great choice for a day trip from New York City. Nestled in the northern end of Greenwich, there are acres and acres of meadows, lines of old stone walls meandering up and down hills, trees as old as those hills and a plethora of expansive fields to explore. And there, you will find the Audubon Center…an absolute treasure, so near and yet so far from the intenseness of city life.

The Audubon Center nestled in the northern corner of Greenwich, Ct.

The Audubon Center of Greenwich is a nature center comprised of over 200 acres of land and offers 7 miles of trails to walk. Who would suspect that such a rich resource as this would be so close to the city of New York? The beautiful welcome center has a gift shop, lots of reading materials, rooms for their regular talks and the people are lovely. Here is where you can rest after a long walk, sit on their back deck overlooking the property and enjoy the spectacular view.

The Audubon Center of Greenwich, Ct.

Pack up your favorite sandwich, snacks and bottled water for a picnic. Don’t forget your sunscreen, a hat and be sure to wear good walking shoes. This is a day trip made to order. The trails are long and complex enough to make it a return-to favorite. For me, the complete contrast from the concrete pathways of the city is a welcome relief. Open sky, earthy terrain, beautiful flora, fauna and birds…what a magnificent way to spend a day! It would be great to go with a friend too. But this is a perfect day trip just for you! Revel in the freedom of a very special adventure on your own.

Create your own backyard habitat!

The Audubon Center also offers great ideas on how to create your own backyard habitat. It doesn’t have to be fancy. These are great ideas from the best experts. Since the Center also offers interesting talks and tours, this will be something to consider doing for another “A Table For One” experience. Try not to waste any time, if you find yourself alone, set out on a day trip! You’ll find it’s one of the best ways to enjoy “being” on your own!

Summer Daze

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Let’s face it. Summer ends way too early and not according to the actually season. The hectic pace of our society demands artificial deadlines, starts and finishes to almost every season. Most noticeable among them, is summer.

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” Mahatma Gandhi

When you’re on your own, you have a unique opportunity to follow the rhythm of the seasons as they’re meant to be. Even if you have to adhere to the artificial timing of a season, due to work or other obligations, feel free to follow the flow of mother nature too. Indulge yourself.

Augustine’s Farm

I have found that the best bounty is available on the cusp of every season. While you have to wait for a season to begin without knowing the exact time and day it will blossom, the change of seasons is something you can sense, feel and predict more easily.

Farmstands speak mother nature’s language of the seasons

If you follow the farm stands in your area, you can connect with this precious phenomenon in a very real way. To my mind, there is no better way to celebrate the seasons than to simply find a local farm. Get on their calendar. It’s perfect. It’s accurate. And it’s true to the earth’s own finely tuned clock. Farm stands speak mother nature’s language of the seasons. They are also very specific to your exact location.

Seasons Change on Mother Earth’s clock

Today, I woke up with an anxious feeling that summer was escaping and I may not have captured its essence in every way I hoped to. So it was time for “A Table For One” adventure. I wanted to bottle the flavors of summer in a fresh tomato sauce and to freeze summer’s sweet corn to brighten the coming winter’s days. I could have gone to my local market, to shop. They’re still stocking much of summer’s delicious bounty.

Augustine’s Farm in Connecticut…simply the best!

But instead, I made this a special outing. It’s such fun to go hunting for a local farm. You can meet the farmers, experience the delightful sights and smells of the harvest and learn more about the foods you love to prepare. Most of the people who run these stands will also have time-tested and proven recipes to suggest, if you ask them. On this trip, I came away with pounds of heirloom tomatoes for my sauce, lots of ears of summer’s last sweet corn, ripe yellow peaches, all kinds of fresh berries and the delightful experience of a day fulfilled. Summer at it’s very best. Never pass by an opportunity to break out and make something ordinary, extraordinary. “A Table For One”.

Look Up

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Sometimes, being alone can leave you wondering how to change a melancholy mood on your own. It’s much easier when you’re with friends and loved ones, to lean on them for some help and encouragement to pull you up, into a more upbeat mood.

Sky over Manhattan

“I believe that if one always looked at the skies, one would end up with wings” Gustave Flaubert

I love horseback riding and pursued it as a favorite sport for a very long time. I loved jumping and practiced three times a week, hoping one day to vacation in Ireland on a horseback riding trek. One of the techniques that I found very difficult to master was to look up, rather than down, as I approached a fence or wall to jump over. Keeping my head up would help develop my skills enormously and improve my performance. It was challenging.

Sky’s no limit!

So I kept working hard, by going over and over the approach in my head. I visualized “looking up”, when I wasn’t actually riding. I think it was also a matter of trust. I knew that I was too much in charge and I wasn’t completely allowing my horse to play his own part in the jump. It’s a team effort. There’s an inexplicable moment when you have to transition and let go. That’s the looking up part.

When I finally mastered the art of “looking up” in the sport of jumping, it was a huge breakthrough! It made all the difference in the world. It was noticeable and I moved quickly, as a result, to a highly advanced level.

You see all sorts of new things when you look up

I often think of this exercise when I’m feeling a bit blue on my own. If you look up, it’s amazing what happens. We’re all so buried in devices, hunched over, walking intensely and not paying any attention to what’s around us. We all spend a lot of time looking down. Looking up is such a great discipline. We have to be reminded of it. And it’s amazing what happens!

Remind yourself to look up, find the sky if you’re feeling blue.

The sky is a natural draw at sunrise, sunset and on a dark night when filled with stars and moonlight. But the sky that graces the day can also be an uplifting and fascinating sight. It’s constantly changing. It’s a great reminder that things keep moving.

Try looking up at it, anytime and see what you find. I call it “skyscaping”. Look beyond the obstacles and find the highest point. And then go for it! Your mood will change almost immediately. And that’s “A Table For One” great moment.

Search For Sweet Sounds

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I love music. All kinds of music. Listening to music is one of the best pastimes you can embrace when you’re on your own. Music elevates your mood, transforms your day, sets you on a path of wondrous self discovery.

“Without music, life would be a mistake” Friedrich Nietzsche

Throughout my travels, I’ve found that music is everywhere. On subway and transit platforms from New York to Paris. On street corners, in parks and even in the tunnels under bridges in places like New York’s Central Park.

Trio Uses Acoustical Advantage of a Tunnel

In open areas I’ve heard music played, across a full range from classical music to jazz and hip hop. Sometimes, I’ve even discovered a bag piper practicing his skills in an open field or by The East River in New York. Musicians will gather to play their tunes in the most unusual places. On occasion, I set aside an afternoon to go and look for music. It can be anywhere, but on a sultry summer afternoon on a weekend in New York, music fills every corner of the vast expanse and quiet niches of Central Park.

Jazz Quartet Cool Vibes on a Hot Day

Not only is it easy to find, it’s delightful to come upon these talented groups and so easy to linger with a gathering crowd, to enjoy their gifted offerings. With so much to enjoy, try treating yourself to an afternoon of fine music wherever you are. Set out to find it and you’ll have yet another great experience of “A Table For One”.

Music is Everywhere!

Find A Bench

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I’ve always loved benches…looking at them that is. My life is always in such a rush. I’ve always wondered why people seem to love sitting on them so much. Recently, on my walks, in my travels, everywhere I go, I’ve started to notice them more, especially when I’m alone. And so I’ve come to experiment and have acquired a new appreciation in their potential to inspire.

“With an eye made quiet by the power of harmony, and the deep power of joy, we see into the life of things.” William Wordsworth

I think benches are a subtle invitation to join the party. Benches ask you to slow down and take the time to just “be” in a setting. Benches ask us to become a part of the picture. To think. To contemplate. To just exist freely in the moment. To observe. To see what’s around us and to take it all in. When you sit on a bench, you join the scenery.

Benches Are Everywhere!

I notice benches now, wherever I go. If I’m on my own, I’ll try to carve out some time to sit and enjoy myself. Sure, you can also bring along your coffee, take time to read the morning paper or and afternoon with a book. But for me, just taking the time to look around me is transporting. It’s not passive. It’s an active and purposeful engagement with everything I see.

Take a Front Row Seat!

I also love to take a step back and think about why someone actually took the time and effort to plan where a particular bench is placed and why. And I understand better now, why people put plaques to loved ones on benches. Benches are places where you can go and sit on your own yet feel a part of all that’s around you. You can completely connect with the environment.

Benches in Beautiful Settings

Benches are a wonderful discovery for “A Table For One” experience. They provide a unique opportunity to take a front row seat to your surroundings, to relax and and to join the setting. Treat yourself. Go out and find a bench for yourself…and enjoy the art of being alone!

An Unusual Garden

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When you think about nurseries, you may not think of them immediately as gardens. The first thing that may come to mind is that they are a landscaper’s haven. And the source of supply for gardens other than their own. Here, plants, bushes and flowers of all sorts are stocked by season. They offer an abundance of choices.

“Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake”. Henry David Thoreau

Nurseries are Gardens too!

But on a recent trip to a local nursery, I was taken with the notion that visiting a nursery can also be incredibly inspirational and so uplifting. And so easily done on your own. The visual impact of so many varieties of plants and flowers, assembled together in their own categories is very different from the impact of a carefully curated and landscaped garden.

Nursery displays are a bit of a riot of colors, sizes, shapes and forms. They have an energy and life that more or less shouts out “look at me”, “pick me”. With pathways and squared out areas of display, walking around a nursery is quite simply, a feast for the eyes. The wide range of robust fragrances also delight and transport you.

It’s a great alternative, if you don’t have access to public gardens…plan a morning or afternoon visit to a nursery. You will thoroughly enjoy it. Take your time there, linger and look for a lovely plant to bring home, nurture, and grow, as a reminder of your “A Table For One” visit. Remember, you’re learning the art of being alone!

A TABLE FOR ONE

THE ART OF "BEING" ON YOUR OWN

Category Archives: Things To Do

Day of the Month

Halloween

Stralimitata

The Pope Project

Day Trippin’

Summer Daze

Look Up

Search For Sweet Sounds

Find A Bench

An Unusual Garden