OntheWilderSide

More stuff for a rainy day on Long Island (and beyond):

So many people find this post on a rainy day. Thought it was time to add some more ideas:

(Check first to make sure things are open. Museums in particular are finicky.)

Peruse the music and info, and go shopping on-line at Peace Couple. The Peace Couple website is our newest project to support compassionate shopping. We highlight sustainable fashion, peaceful music, and fair trade items.

Go to a small, independent coffee shop. Have some coffee, tea and/or conversation. Ideas: The Spoon in Lindenhurst on Wellwood Avenue; The Cup in Wantagh; Tiger Lilys Cafe in Port Jefferson.  [check Tiger Lily’s hours, since they often close at 5pm]; Green Earth Natural Foods Market and Cafe des Artistes in Riverhead — the food is wonderful with a lot of interesting, vegetarian choices.

Go to an independent bookstore and browse. Ideas: The Book Revue in Huntington (They are very airy, they have a little coffeeshop, and little extras to buy such as calendars and gift cards); Canio’s Books, located in Sag Harbor. (Canio’s motto is: “A literary harbor for the arts since 1980”). Okay, though, if you must go to a chain store, go to a chain bookstore, pull up a chair, and read stuff without buying anything. Let the corporations that take so much from you and our government give you a treat.

Go to the library. Do something you don’t usually do there. Read a magazine. Take out a video tape. Think of a research project you have been meaning to do, and ask a librarian for help.

Go to a museum. The Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington is fun. (Closed Mondays! But, opened on weekends.). There’s the Long Island Children’s Museum in Garden City, it’s great place for giving the kids space to bounce around and climb. And, there’s the Long Island Museum at Stony Brook.  Atlantis Marine World [Riverhead Aquarium]also has a lot to do on a rainy day, but some outdoor activities would be closed.

If you are stuck inside, do something different to change the energy in your life: Make crafts. Color. Paint. Write a poem. Clean out a closet. Redecorate. Play music you haven’t listened to in years. Take out the instrument you used to play in high school. Write a letter – by hand, on stationary. Call a friend who lives faraway.

Re: Redecorate – Look around your house for some funky textiles you have not been using. Find a pretty blanket to throw over a chair. Find some old scarves you don’t wear anymore and hang them on hooks or drape them over furniture. Pull out the pretty towels you have been saving in the back of the linen closet.

Re: Clean out a closet – Make a pile of clothes or housewares for the thrift shop or goodwill. If the weather is okay for driving, deliver the stuff.

Okay, if you had the ambition to look up choices, good for you. And, yes, you should probably get off the computer. Though, if you are going to hang around on line anyway, you could check out our fun, musical, and/or informative videos at the Wilderside youtube: HERE.

And, please come back to onthewilderside again. We like company!

Visualize sunshine: Elwood Stock Video – music, hippie-dancing, and fun from several summers ago…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OB9aurrDFY]

__________________

Old post from the winter 2009:

KW: There’s snow on the ground here in North Babylon, Long Island. Though, I don’t think anything is falling now. Anyway, it is kind of messy out there and I guess some people are stuck home.

I heard that what some people are doing is taking the NY State English Regents – yuck! I hate standardized testing, overall. And, it seems a big and ineffective production to test students on a day like today.  Perhaps a good reason why everything – even testing – is more beautiful when smaller. Wish the teachers and kids weren’t forced into the snow by state scheduling.

Want some fun for today? How about browsing through an art gallery? Just thought art would be the perfect thing for a blustery day. And, I had wanted to share two interesting ones…

New Renaissance Studios is an art gallery in Amityville, NY. Their card says “Fine art created in the tradition of the masters.” The artist is our friend, Ron Thomson. [Ron passed away Feb 20, 2011]. Ron was an excellent painter and sculptor who also supported other artists with various gallery and art show projects.

While strolling around Port Jefferson the other day, I stopped into another local art studio, Synergy Art Gallery.
Update: I think Synergy Gallery is entirely closed. Oh, well…there must be other galleries!!!!
Synergy Art Gallery is currently featuring two artists: one photographer and one painter. Very nice pieces. The paintings are engaging abstracts. I especially enjoyed photographs which were of reflections or skies, so that they appeared to be paintings. The gallery’s focus is on experimental collaboration, and they have occasional music and art happenings at the gallery. They have a youtube featuring music and art: here. Contact info: Synergy Arts Gallery located in the shops at 148B Mariners Way, Port Jefferson, NY 11777.  Phone is (631) 331-3570. E-mail is synergyartsgallery at verizon dot net. The Artistic Director is Justin Comito.

It’s also a good day to browse through pictures, buttons, and writings at the PeaceSmiths, Inc. archives. Lots of material there celebrating the peace, justice and environmental movement on Long Island. The project is close to my heart, since I am the interim Coordinator of PeaceSmiths.

————-Background and silliness. Why I wrote this post:

KW: One reason that I did this post, was that running through my head is a song I sang as an Assistant Music Teacher at a nursery school in Virginia.

“What can we do on a rainy day, rainy day, rainy day? What can we do on a rainy day, when we can’t go out to play?”

Then, you add verses:

“We can study art on a rainy day, rainy day, rainy day. We can study art on a rainy day, when we can’t go out to play (or work.)”

;)

Kimberly

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