Getting Outside.

Hello everyone. I hope this post finds you in good health both mentally and physically. As the days pass in these strange times I feel its important to make sure we’re paying attention not only to the body’s needs but to those of the mind as well. One of the things I love to do for my sanity during the quarantine is to get outside in nature. I’m lucky enough to have a backyard, yet I also venture out to a few places where I can hike or sit in solitude for a few minutes. There have been countless studies on the effects of nature on the human body and our need to connect with it. If you’ve been out driving on any recent weekend and tried to drive by some place like Bear Mountain State Park, you’d have seen the enormous amounts of people trying to get out into nature. It seems that nature is a basic human need as much as food and water is. It calms the mind and restores the soul. I’m sure someone has said that before.

As New York and other states open up we’ll be able to get outside more and more. If you’re feeling a little anxious about being outside with other people that is understandable. Many people will still be wearing masks and practicing social distancing. There will also be others who will not be wearing masks or practicing social distancing. We’re each going to have to come to terms with things on our own and at our own level of comfort. I’ve never wanted this blog to become political so I’m going to leave all that stuff out of todays post. I’m not a doctor but my niece is and she has told me one of her biggest peeves is people not wearing masks properly. If you’re going to wear a mask please make sure it covers your nose and mouth! This would seen elementary but you’ll notice some people wearing them only on their mouths. Out in nature and not being near anyone there’s no need to be wearing your mask. Have it handy just incase you encounter people.

I’ve been ordering takeout from local places a little more lately and I encourage others to do it also (if you feel comfortable doing so). Our local businesses need our help and I for one would hate to see any of them disappear. Restaurants have everything in place to limit your contact with anyone. My experiences have been very easy and stress free. In most cases it goes like this, I call in my order, they take my credit card information, I go to the door of the restaurant and say my name or order number and my food is either there waiting or it is brought to me by a gloved , mask wearing server. No other patrons are allowed in my space and the whole exchange takes place in an orderly civilized manner. Most of the restaurants also have hand sanitizer available at the pick up spot. If going out doesn’t interest you then try using delivery either from the restaurant itself or one of the many services like Door Dash, Grub Hub or Uber Eats.

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Today I’m not going to share any recipes. I will be sharing a few photos from my outings in hopes that they may spark a little joy in your life or inspire you to find your own little spot in nature where you can recharge and relax. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “A nobler want of man is served by nature, namely, the love of Beauty. The ancient Greeks called the world {kosmos}, beauty. Such is the constitution of all things, or such the plastic power of the human eye, that the primary forms, as the sky, the mountain, the tree, the animal, give us a delight in and for themselves; a pleasure arising from outline, color, motion, and grouping.“

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Until next time, Boone Appétit!