songbird's crazy world

Ever notice how many New Year's Eve songs are nostalgic and melancholy? Seems to suit my mood today. Let's start with Barry Manilow: A little Harry Connick Jr.: Not specifically a New Year's Eve song, but one that fits the mood: A classic Scottish tune, sung here by a Scotsman, Rod Stewart: And let's close it out with ABBA: Happy new year.  May the coming year bring us health and happiness.

Special holiday light show at Jones Beach. It's meant to be viewed from your car, you see the display on either side of the road. Christmas trees Foreign locations Snowmen Even planets Dragons Beach scenes There's a concession stand, of course. Outside you'll find fire pits, and you can buy ingredients for s'mores. Inside is "Santa's Warming area" where I bought hot chocolate. One of the neatest effects was the tunnel of lights, found at several spots on the route.

#skywatchfriday

Went out to dinner Christmas Eve, and afterwards we rode around looking at decorations. This first house was sad.   You can't really tell, but the item next to the word "ditto" is a sad face. I first saw the ditto house a few years ago, wrote about it Here Last year they even made the local news. This year they're sad, the house next door was not decorated. But other houses were: And don't forget Hanukkah. Wow, they even coordinate to music:

Loved, loved, loved The Last Jedi .  Must be seen in IMAX 3D to get the full effect.  So sad to see Carrie Fisher’s last performance, though.  I can’t wait for the next movie, I wonder what they’ll do about Leia. Right now I’m watching Duchess, she’s sitting on the dresser and looking out the window. She is an indoor cat, but she loves the backyard show, all the squirrels and birds.  She’s outraged that another cat came into her yard, outraged to realize she’s not the only cat in the world, and even more outraged that the other cat slipped under the fence and went to play in another yard before she was done watching him. It’s Christmas Eve, and I managed a quick trip to the supermarket without getting trampled.  Guess I got my Christmas miracle. Yeah, I know that was a bit sarcastic, but have you ever seen a Long Island supermarket just before a holiday?  Talk about crazy! My Christmas plans?  Japanese food tonight, a movie tomorrow morning, kosher del...

#skywatchfriday

I am a Jew.  I am a Zionist.  and today I am fearful, I am crying.  Because today the United States abdicated its role as leader of the free world.  Today it lost the standing to be chief negotiator for peace in the Middle East. Because today that corrupt politician, who holds his majority in the Knesset by a single seat, got what he wanted, but at a cost that is too high to bear.  I cannot wait for the day the Israelis vote Bibi Netanyahu out of office. Today the United Nations voted to condemn the United States' plan to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.  Despite Trump's threats to withhld foreign aid, the UN General Assembly voted 128-9, with 35 nations abstaining.  Humiliating, to say the least. And look whose support we lost:  Voting in favor:  the United Kingdom.  France.  Germany.  Belgium.  Denmark.  Italy. China.  Russia. Abstaining:   Canada. Australia. Arge...

Joyce  has another round of HodgePodge today: 1. Where have you found unexpected magic or delight this holiday season? Actually, nothing unexpected, but I have seen some wonderful things this holiday season.I always like the Chanukah party we have at my synagogue, and the outpouring of love I see as we collect toys for the hcildren of indigent families.    2. What's your favorite type of holiday gathering? Will you/have you gathered in your favorite way this month? The stereotype fits -- on Christmas morning a group of us will go to the movies.  Later we will have dinner, at a Chinese restaurant or a kosher deli.    3. Time has named 'The Silence Breakers' (women who came forward with stories of harassment)   'person of the year' for 2017 . Would you agree? If not, who do you think deserves the title? Totally agree.  It's time to change the culture of this society.  While I fear we will have an overcorrection...

After writing up this year's NYC christmas adventure, I realized how we do the same thing year after year anfter year.... want the full floavor of NYC at christmas?  read my posts from previous years. NYC Christmas 2016 NYC Christmas 2015 part 1 NYC Christmas 2015 part 2 NYC Christmas 2014 NYC Christmas 2013 NYC Christmas 2012 NYC christmas 2010 NYC Christmas 2009

So after Barney's we walked back to 5th Avenue.  And there, right in front of the Plaza Hotel, we saw the giant Menorah.  Yes, it's still Chanukah, but the Menorah wasn't lit.  On Saturday night they don't light the Menorah until 5:30, long after we were gone. And then, there's the giant snowflake that hangs in front of Tiffany's. Bergdorf Goodman is across the street from the Plaza.  Their windows were a salute to New York cultural institutions, like the Philharmonic, the Historical Society, the Botanical Gardens, the Museum of the Moving Images.... We headed down 5th, past Trump Tower (no, I didn't take a picture of the protesters) towards Rockefeller Center. 5th Avenue is very crowded between 49th and 51st, with Rockefeller Center on one side of the street, and Saks and the cathedral on the other side.  And if you're there after dark. pedestrian traffic comes to a complete standstill every time the Saks light show begins.  Yes,...

So Drew wanted to see the windows at Bloomingdale's.  Bloomie's is at 59th and Lexington, and in previous years we skipped this store because it's a bit out of the way.   But this year...we walked down 42nd, past Grand Central, and headed up Lexington. And when we reached 55th Street, we found something interesting. Central Synagogue .   It's one of the oldest synagogues in America, founded by Sephardic Jews in the 19th Century.  Drew is of Sephardic heritage, but he didn't know this synagogue was there.  I'd forgotten this little gem. The windows at Bloomie's are all about P.T. Barnum, specifically how Barnum is portrayed in the new movie, "The Greatest Showman".  Drew has a real interest in Barnum and circuses, and cannot wait for the new movie.  So I was very glad we made the effort to see these windows. There's even a fun house mirror: Next up was Barney's. on 60th and Madison. These windows are d...

So  once again it was time for the annual trek into the City for the Christmas decorations. It began, as it always does, on the Long Island Railroad.  Interesting view across the aisle: Yes, the guy was really in the spirit of the holiday, wasn't he? The LIRR brings you into Penn Station, at 7th Avenue and 33rd Street.  From there we usually walk to whatever sites we plan to see. Our first stop, of course, is Macy's.  Billed at "the World's Biggest Department Store", Macy's takes up an entire city block, from 7th Avenue to Herald's Square between 34th Street and 35th Street.  Macy's always does two sets of holiday windows.  The 34th Street windows feature scenes from "Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus", an animated TV special that Macy's sponsored a few years back.  They used to do scenes from the original "Miracle on 34th Street", and I'd like to see them bring those windows back. The Herald Square windows ...