Stacy Horn

I tweeted this picture a week or so ago. Sometimes I go to work before dawn. When I do I curse my life as I talk myself into getting out of bed (how will you feed the cats??). But it’s a lovely, magical stroll sometimes, as the sun comes up.

I’ve always loved walking down 11th Street in the spring, to see the cherry blossoms. I even included this in my book about singing. But a number of those trees fell down in a terrible storm a few months ago. Thankfully, there are enough left to still be a lovely sight to see, but they no longer create a canopy over the block.

The section from my book, Imperfect Harmony:

“I’ve become intimately acquainted with the changing seasons on 11th Street. For instance, there’s a stretch where for a brief time during the spring the cherry blossoms are so abundant and so lush they make a big, fat, fluffy white and pink canopy that stretches from sidewalk to sidewalk. It’s a dazzling display. The best part however, is when the petals begin to fall. It makes me wish New York City were car-free.

“I want to be able to walk down the center of the street like I’m in the middle of my own botanical ticker-tape parade. I’d raise my arms to the skies and twirl around in this confetti-like explosion of renewal and possibility and pretend it’s all for me. The spring is when choirs all over the city are singing lines like “deliver the souls of all the faithful departed from the pains of hell and from the bottomless pit.” Or “I tremble and fear at the coming desolation and wrath. Day of wrath, calamity and misery, great and exceedingly bitter day.” Choral singing was once exclusively a church thing and it would appear that this is the message the religious want to give us this lovely time of year: don’t get too excited about those cherry blossoms that have already begun to perish, because they won’t last forever and neither will you.”

One of the remaining cherry blossom trees on 11th Street.

I had the opportunity to go to a ballet rehearsal before a premiere. They needed singers for the rehearsal because, in the ballet, at the end, the audience sings. The dancers had never practiced dancing with a live audience, they’ve been dancing to a recording of people doing it. So there was about 8 of us there to be an audience singing.

Here were our instructions: take a breath and then sing any note you want, but then change it to a note you hear around you. Do the same thing with every new breath.

It was great, and I got to see a ballet up close and it was just as exciting and cool as you think it would be. GO if you can. You will be one of the instruments the dancers dance to! But mostly go to see an arresting and exhilarating new ballet. The performances are: 5/18, 5/23, & 6/1 at 8pm. You can get tickets here.

A book party I walked past recently. I asked who the author was and the person who answered only gave me a first name, like that would be enough to identify her. I’ve already forgotten what her first name was! That her inside, in the center, with blond hair. The gentleman outside, third from the left, gave me the nicest smile when I stopped to ask.

Look what just came in the mail!! Bingeworthy British Television: The Best Brit TV You Can’t Stop Watching by Sarah Cords and Jackie Bailey. I put it in the window to take a picture for this post, and Bodhi immediately jumped up to check it out.

It’s the next book I will read after I finish The Heavens by Sandra Newman.

Bingeworthy British Television is written by Sarah Cords, who is the author of the great book blog, Citizen Reader, and her Brit friend Jackie Bailey. I can’t wait! AND, I’ve been meaning to explore Brit TV for real. With their guidance I will finally be ready!

I looked down and saw this the other day. It had an enchanting Alice in Wonderland-like appeal, and so I looked around …

And saw this! I’ll bet this was a lot of fun for the children who got to participate. Good luck today children of all ages on all your Easter eggs hunts!