Category Archives: The Observer

Observations from what’s going on around me

Irene

Posted in The Observer, Thoughts by

We got off pretty easy. Irene swept through the neighbourhood and the damage was mostly power outages.

outages across Long Island

Which is not such a big deal compared to the 25 (last count I heard) lives lost or the houses flooded or the roads lost.

  

My main inconvenience is no internet, which, a drive to the closets Starbucks and a wait around for a plug solves. The trains were down so there was no way to commute to the city. Otherwise, everything was pretty normal.

I don’t know when my electricity will come back on, but every time I want to complain I think of those who were hit worse and I stop myself.

Sometimes my privileged self is pretty annoying.

Anxiety; Attack of the Telephone

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My car needed an oil change. I looked at my phone, willing it to make the appointment for me. How difficult is it to pick it up, dial the number, go through the motions? It’s not very hard, but, just the idea of speaking to a stranger on the phone brought on unwanted anxiety.

I took a moment to compose myself. “You can do this, just pick up the phone and dial the number.” My little pep talk to myself.

I punched the numbers into the phone as quickly as I could, trying to keep them straight and not mix them up as I sometimes do. It rang, the automated voice came on. Following the prompts I reached the servicing department, “Services, how can I help you?”

Once the appointment was made, I ended the call, put the phone down and let out the breathe that I was holding, finally relaxing.

I noticed my anxiety and wondered, why. Why, after all these years, do I still not want to talk on the phone? Why is it so hard to talk to a stranger, even if it’s to make an appointment? I don’t know the answer, but it’s something to think about.

Hello Blossoms!

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I have a new hobby.

Well, it’s not so much a hobby as an appreciation of my new mobile phone camera. Along with that came the want – and sometimes urgent need – to use that camera. Then, I downloaded FXCamera and with THAT came an even greater want to capture images.

Lately, I’ve been noticing trees. Trees are interesting, especially in a place with four seasons.

In the summer they are green and alive, waving their branches in the wind. Some of them look a little overweight, their branches practically choking with leaves.

In the autumn their leaves begin to change colour and fall. The odd thing is, the process of the leaves dying actually looks beautiful. Yes, there is cleaning up after them, but there’s something about driving down a highway lined with changing leaves that makes me want to pull over, sit on the hood and stare. There’s also something to be said about stomping through a pile of fallen dry leaves.

In the winter they are bare, yet, majestic. There’s just something regal about them as their branches stand, stark naked in the air. There’s also something beautiful about a tree after a snowfall. The way the snow clings to the branches, softening the barrenness if only for a moment.

Then comes the spring.

The days are a little longer and little buds begin to form on bare branches. Then, almost suddenly, the tree blossoms and there’s an excitement about them, like a girl putting on a new party dress. Like they are preparing for a dance.

And then comes the spring.

Blossom!

Posted in The Observer, Thoughts by

As I walked to the train station, I noticed buds on the trees.

“These are the signs of spring,” I thought and it thrilled me a bit.

A little further on I saw this tree beginning to blossom. It reminded me of cherry blossoms, something I’ve only seen in pictures. This year, I’ll try to go to a cherry blossom festival, or at least to see the blossoms. There’s something about a blossoming tree that makes me feel light inside. It’s a little reminder that after the stark nakedness of winter, comes life.

Strolling around the neighbourhood

Posted in My New York, The Observer, Thoughts by

The train sped away as I stood there taking this picture and wondering what to do next. Should I go to the library? Stroll along the little park near the train station to see whether the brook is babbling or sleeping? Just go home?

Finally a stroll around the surrounding areas won, so with my bag left in the car I took my phone started walking to the downtown area. There isn’t much of a downtown, it’s just a street really, but it smelt of lovely cakes and pastries.

I walked away from the business section of town and into what seemed like church alleyway. First stop was the Unit Church of Christianity. This little building isn’t the church, that’s the building next to it. I suppose it’s an office of some sort, but whatever it was it was cute and reminded me of a cottage.

Just across the street, on the corner was this building. I don’t think it was a church, it seemed an extension of the Christian Academy a few blocks away. I liked the peeling wooden steeple on the brick building.

Just around the corner you have the Roman Catholic church (there are at least two others less than a mile from this one). At this point it was getting cold so I made my way back to the car.

I happened upon this gem in the window of a store. For some reason there seem to be a lot of things wrong with this picture. Definitely not something I’ll be placing on my front lawn, though, truth be told, you won’t find anything on my front lawn, I don’t believe in decorating for Christmas. Call it lazy, I call it smart. =)