Thursday, April 17, 2008

Spring Play

Yesterday was a simply gorgeous day in New York. A real SPRING day.
The kind of day where you want to go out and play just like this funky band in Central Park is playing to the girl in the very French scarf.
PLAY BALL!
Where are the slides for grownups?
Where is our grownup sandbox?
The New York Times had an article on the importance of
Taking Play Seriously By Robin Marantz Henig, particularly how play effects the developing child. But also how important play is for the adult. Play creates "one who believes in possiblilities - an optimist, a creative thinker, a person who has a sense of power and control."
This dog is showing great control as he waits to go play while his mistress gets a suntan...ahem
Snacks are play food aren't they? That hot dog's calories don't count! It's all imaginary.
These people are too busy to look in Bergdorf's playful windows - quelle triste.
Now this is playing - walzing along 5th Avenue on 57th Street - care free!
Here too in front of the Plaza Hotel - just enjoying the breeze...
Oooops! Rushing New Yorkers take no notice of the New York Public Library's lovely tulips.
Down in Union Square Farmers Market you can't neglect the tulips!
Nor the busy flower seller...
"Spring Cookies" in the Farmers Market.
So many playful shapes - butterflies, frogs, tulips, but I wish they were macarons...
Come out and play!

25 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:11 PM

    I’ve never written before except with compliments, but today is different. I don’t mean to sound curmudgeonly, but I love Paris Breakfasts, and I love it because it’s about PARIS…not New York. I can see New York in any of a hundred different ways, including visiting when the mood strikes. Except for a couple of annual visits, I am left to visit Paris in my imagination and through wonderful blogs such as yours. Thanks for listening.

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  2. Thanks for the New York Times article tip. I am researching Serious Leisure (Stebbins is a big researcher in the area, just google scholar "serious leisure").

    Love the dog photo...all of it...so nice, thank you so much!

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  3. ahhhh lovely Spring photos of a lovely City in it's own right. I just saw on TV that in England there is a play ground that is for Seniors only. They fought for it and got it. They can go and get some exercise at anytime. No kids allowed. I think that is brilliant. Love the window shot and tulips.

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  4. I see the pear trees near the Plaza are are blooming! Those trees, the tulips along the median of Park Avenue, the magnolias and daffodils of Washington Square, come to mind when I think of Paris, er, Manhattan in springtime. Thanks for refreshing my memories! A cello and a harp in Central Park, I try to imagine what they are playing, Stravinsky's Rite of Spring or Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un Faune," perchance?

    I love how you interweave New York and Paris, like a tale of two cities, I really think those two cities have more in common than would expect. Most of the scenes you captured here could have taken place in Paris too, don't you agree?

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  5. Anonymous1:24 PM

    Oh Carol!, Pleezzzz!, go back and shoot some detail shots of the mannequins, buggy, etc. in the window! Pleezz?

    It look so interesting and creative.

    Thanks!

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  6. Anonymous1:35 PM

    Spring always make playful music from my heart strings.

    yes, you are right, we should never be too old to play.

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  7. I do love the picture of the dog! They did Spring cookies?????? what a funny idea!

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  8. Anonymous2:31 PM

    Carol -- Love the Spring shots but your teaser on the Passage Jouffrey has me on the edge of my seat!!! I stayed a short time at the Hotel Chopin and am dying to see your post on the Passage. Please don't make me wait too many days! ;-)

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  9. Oh Carol, I don't care how busy it is... I simply love NYC!

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  10. Love the expression on the little dog's face.

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  11. Oh how wonderful!! Breath of lovely spring NYC!
    Love this line: Play creates "one who believes in possibilities "
    We all need to play to keep that wonderment alive. :)

    Thanks for the tulips and the walk in the park. Huge smiles of Ahhhhhh from me.
    Jan

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  12. Anonymous3:42 PM

    Spring ANYWHERE, Paris, New York, in Merisi's Vienna is always a joy to see.
    Thank you!

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  13. Those little frog and tulip cookies are sweet! Some of your photos of NY had me feeling homesick for that area, Carol. Beautiful! The dappled shadows of those trees on the pavement, the tulips, the colorful trees...sigh...thanks for taking me back.
    sue

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  14. I am one of the NYers that does take time to notice the tulips, and cherry blossoms, and daffodils this time of year. I absolutely LOVE your blog...it's my moment of Zen everyday. : )

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  15. Anonymous6:31 PM

    Spring in New York. Simply beautiful. Hope all is well!!

    xo
    C

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  16. To whom it may concern:
    Paris Breakfast is my playground.
    It's my dollhouse.
    It's where I get to play any games I want.
    I get to play tricks too sometimes.
    Not to sound curmudgeonly or anything...
    Ahem :)

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  17. Anonymous8:00 PM

    Love your blogs because they make me dream about my two favorite cities. Love your photos, stories and best of all your water colors.

    Thanks for sharing every day.


    Doris

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  18. why are americans always rushed?

    is it true
    that the french have 6 weeks of vacation
    while most americans are fortunate to have 2?

    :-(

    if you start a new job
    you must work ~~forever~~
    to *earn* a vacation...
    maybe that is why so many americans are not
    In The Moment...

    what do you think?

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  19. Your playground makes me giggly.
    Add to that the prospect of "a diet" - all I see is macarons dancing in m y head. I wonder if there's more than one diet in the world, er, playground.
    Philosophical in the morning,
    wishing you another great spring day in NYC,
    M.

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  20. somepinkflowers
    Very good point and I am a prime candidate for the watch-the-clock crowd.
    I was constantly looking at my watch in Paris, sad to say, timing my Metro rides and
    Rushing
    Rushing
    Rushing
    I thoroughly exhausted myself and came home to spend 2 weeks recovering from my mad Parisien rushing :(
    Type A all the way and proud of it but paying the consequences.
    Please join me next trip SomePink so you can put a leash on me!

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  21. I Love your NYC pictures. For me, you bring the Parisian sensibility to wherever you go and that reminds me that we can see beauty everywhere---not just Paris.

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  22. Me in Central Park on a warm Spring afternoon - HEAVEN!

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  23. Anonymous8:53 PM

    It's Friday, and tomorrow our weaather is finally supposed to be sunny and mild, and I plan to play, play, play! Even though my brain may be too old to benefit, even though it could be dangerous (I might fall off the ladder!), even though they really don't know what good it does, I know it does! Good! Play!

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  24. Don't listen to G, I do love your photos of New York, thank you a thousand times for sharing your small village with us.

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  25. PB: we must have been in the Park on the exact same day! i also took a bunch of pictures. i just returned from Paris (see your last entry on the weather there -- that's when i was there. AND i took a photo of the same wine shop with the corks and heads! freaky!). for some reason, Central Park reminded me of Paris that day. i'm going to be blogging about all of that very shortly.

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