Sunny Thoughts on a Rainy Day

I am reading Jane Eyre and she consistently describes her life (and the weather, and her location) as "drear," not to mention "rude" and "sombre." At the moment it is certainly drear out, although it is warmer than I think ol' Jane was used to. I am also too lazy to walk next door for paper towels and am instead holed up with some tea and listening to "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me" on NPR.

And as I am not venturing from the couch anytime soon, here are some things I've seen recently that made me smile.

1.) We saw this on a stoop en route to the Whitney Museum. The note reads, "take one flower or take a bunch. Be kind to a stranger today. Enjoy." NYC = the city of sisterly love? Granted, the flowers don't look super healthy, but it's the thought that counts, isn't it?

2.) I tend to forget how awesome the Brooklyn Bridge is, both architecturally and as a spectacle itself, especially at night. We were at the Southside Seaport last week so I took a few pictures of the bridge, including one with a shark boat. (You can see the 3 bridges in this pic--Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg.) 3.) And here's the Statue of Liberty, as viewed from the Staten Island ferry. Every time I go on the ferry I think about how my ancestors must have felt, seeing all of this for the first time...and then subsequently getting quizzed and harassed by immigration officials and probably being incredibly scared. I think this picture is super touristy, which might be why I like it.
As for the poem associated with Lady Liberty, (you know, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore" etc.) it was revamped by a bar on Flatbush Ave: "'give me your poor, your wretched...' and I'll mix 'em a refreshing Gin & Tonic/Watermelon Martini." Mmmm.
Also, the Brooklyn Museum has a model of the Statue of Liberty in their parking lot. See, Brooklyn really does have it all!