What to do on a snowy/rainy day on Long Island?

Update: More stuff for a rainy day in Long Island:

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.)

Go to a small, independent coffeeshop. Have some coffee, tea and/or conversation. Ideas: Pisces Cafe in Babylon Village across from the railroad tracks; The Spoon in Lindenhurst on Wellwood Avenue; The Cup in Wantaugh.

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 giftcards); Canio’s Books in Sag Harbor (Their 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.

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. Write a letter – by hand, on stationary. Call a friend who lives faraway.

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 wilderside youtube: HERE. We have our own videos – good stuff about a Spring Day, also a sunny day at the park with music and hoola hoops at Elwood Stock – and lots of other people’s good stuff favorite-ed. Bet you could spend some time there and find something interesting…

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

Think sunshine: Elwood Stock Video – music and dancing from the other weekend:

__________________

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 Rennaissance 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 is an excellent painter and sculptor who also supports other artists with various gallery and art show projects. www.newrenaissancestudios.com

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