Monday, January 6, 2019. Sunny and mild for early winter, yesterday in New York, after several days of rain and drizzle in the greyest time of the year.
That was the week that wasn’t. Christmas and New Year’s have always felt like weekend days even when they aren’t. I was more aware of this for some reason this year. The past two Wednesdays felt like Sunday. I found I didn’t know what day it was. If I were working for somebody other than myself, I’m sure it would have been clearer.
However, there was a quiet-ness about the city that is similar to a summer holiday. Traffic was lighter, and the angst of the Big Town didn’t seem as apparent. I also didn’t go out except to market or restaurant for dinner. The restaurants were quieter too.
I’m a daily reader whenever there is a space of time free. Producing the NYSD weekly for the last two decades is naturally very time-consuming. JH and I are a two-man show, with contributors enhancing. It daily consumes many hours of work and attention.
However, free time, or no time, JH makes the magic today’s with his photos of the neighborhood at the end of this two weeks of Sundays.
We ran a photograph of Nancy Collins’ Christmas tree extravaganza on last week’s page of Christmas cards. Yesterday she sent me this photo knowing my deep affection for the canines (and the felines too).
Photo Memoir. Harry Benson took this photo at Michael’s a few years ago. It was later used in a book he and Hilary Geary Ross did on New Yorkers. When he asked if he could photograph me, I suggested we do it with some women I know who early-on were actively involved with City Harvest – the great food re-distribution program. I first learned of it back in the mid-’90s from Joy Ingham (on the right with Emilia Saint-Amand, me, and Topsy Taylor).
I don’t know what was going on in this photo although I can see Joy is laughing, maybe at something Topsy just said. I was more concerned about Harry taking the photo. He was sitting with his camera about ten feet away from us. Finally, I asked him: “Harry, when are you going to take the picture?”
“I already did,” he shrugged. He’s fast, and with the sharpest eye.
Meanwhile, down in Palm Beach. You may have heard, Robert Caravaggi of Swifty’s, formerly here in New York, has partnered with The Colony hotel in opening a Swifty’s pop up. They opened on Christmas Day with great fanfare, with many loyal fans stopping by. Steven Attoe, former partner and chef of the New York restaurant, is the consulting chef for the menu. The peripatetic Annie Watt was in PB at the time and made it her business to get some photos of the once-again devoted Swifty’s clientele during its first week in business. Hurry down and get your Swifty’s fix as it is a limited engagement!
