In Between in Brooklyn

Labor Day weekend was perfect. It just was. I had a marvelous time with two of my oldest friends, easing through the day without any hint of being rushed, enjoying small things like a root beer float, a much-needed breeze on a stifling subway platform, and a cheery flower stuck into a bottle-turned-vase. There was so much to be thankful for, and I think we all savored those moments. I saw parts of Williamsburg I didn't realize existed, and I was introduced to hidden pockets in parts I had been to before. There's something fun about playing tourist in the city I grew up so close to, and I had two very lovely guides to escort me around.

This was perfection. I know that so few things in life are perfect, but this weekend was. Friendships need attention, and it's too easy to say that friends will be there and ready to pick up where we left off. Will they really? Maybe. But so much happens in between, so much of our life is made up of those in-between moments, and when we miss them for our friends, it's a loss. I am so thankful that I've been able to fill in a few pages, even if it took a major kick in the butt to do it. Here's to more of the in-between.

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Strolling Through Brooklyn Heights

When my sister announced a couple of years ago that she was moving to Brooklyn, I thought the world had ended. Why would anyone choose to leave the wonder of Manhattan? The noise, the energy, the proximity to amazing museums and restaurants-- how could anyone give that up? Brooklyn, in my opinion, might as well have been Siberia.

Of course, I have since some to my senses. Brooklyn is hardly Siberia. In fact, it's pretty awesome! It's quieter than Columbus Avenue, but it still has its own energy. As it turns out, it's also pretty darn charming. Last week, while visiting family, I went for a nice walk around Brooklyn Heights and admired the quaint carriage houses and pretty doorways. It was a bit overcast and actually started to rain a little bit as I walked around, but I didn't mind. You know that smell of hot pavement and earth when the rain starts to fall? That's what it smelled like. I love that!

Wouldn't you like to live in a cute carriage house like this?

I love the dark wood entryway.

I love the look of the torchlamp against the old stonework.

Hello, spring!

Pretty window box

Sometimes you just need a quiet walk around the neighborhood to feel at peace. This little stroll definitely reminded me that beauty is all around, if only we pause to see it.

What hidden treasures are in your neck of the woods?

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Brooklyn Daydreams

I just haven't had it in me to blog this week. Things at work were extra busy this week, and the combination of too many nights getting home after 9 or 10 in the evening was taking a toll. Last night I wearily thought of a post for today, but then I started to melt into the couch, buried my face in my cat's tail, and decided I was just too tired.

The good thing about being tired, though, is that it brings vivid, wild dreams. Lately those dreams have been about Brooklyn. My sister has lived there for a couple of years after over a decade in Manhattan, and I love the charm and quiet of her neighborhood. I'm headed up that way next weekend for Easter, and I can't wait to stroll along the Promenade and meander through the quaint streets. This might be my last time to do this, at least in a way that includes my sister's home, as she and her family might be moving to Westchester. I'm excited for them, but I'm also sad to think that the days of NYC adventures with my sister are changing-- not truly ending, but definitely changing.

This, of course, made me feel nostalgic for Brooklyn before it's even gone, and I found myself flipping through the engagement photos that the hubs and I did there last summer. Oh, BK, you have my heart (so does the hubs). So, if you'd like, let's take a little stroll down Memory Lane.

Le sigh. Cobblestone streets, brick buildings, and bright sunlight bouncing off the water... these are some of the things that are weaving through my daydreams.

Any other daydreamers out there today? Where are your daydreams taking you?

Photo Credit: Julian Ribinik Photography