Paying closer attention

That there, is my everyday view of an autumn sunset when I stay late enough at work when the sunsets come earlier. I probably have a couple of hundred different shots of the view from this perch and in our former building a few blocks down. I have two different views of the same landscape, and I can’t quite make up my mind which one is the better one.

Once upon a time, I only saw this on the screen and in postcards. You’d think that after almost two decades of looking at this cityscape, it would’ve become ordinary in my eyes. And yet I find myself continually awed by this breathtaking skyline.

I normally take pictures at the end of the day to capture the sunset, but from time to time, I’d do it when the skyline becomes a silhouette in the rain or under then clouds.

There is no view of this cityscape that is ever ordinary. Be it the play of lights or the shadows that the sun casts on the buildings or the water, nature’s brushstrokes never fail to amaze. You just have to pay closer attention to what you think might be ordinary– and there you will find the fabulous..

Simply breathtaking.

Gorgeous Sunset over Manhattan

Gorgeous sunset over Manhattan and the Empire State Building couldn’t stop dancing! The lights kept changing as if in a never-ending dance. What a glorious way to end what was a beautiful autumn day.. #empirestatebuilding #empirestate #mynyc #mynewyork

Looking out my window

This was the way the skyline looked as the rain started to fall at around 6pm last Friday. Menacing clouds threatened Manhattan with some serious rain.. Just the type that would make you think twice about heading out. Not that I was in any particular hurry to go home. I had work to do.

Last night, I saw this glorious sunset in Manhattan.

There is so much to see just looking out your window.

I’m staying at a hotel downtown because of a work event, and at least I get the perk of getting a room instead of having to commute at the start of the day and late at night when it ends. Still, it’s all work to me. I worked over the weekend pulling together materials for the event. It was better putting in the extra hours rather than stressing out over everything come Monday. So while there remained quite a lot to be done, I didn’t feel totally overwhelmed come the start of the week.

In the midst of everything we do during our day, we should always take the time to see what’s out there and appreciate it for what it is.

I see storm clouds and I marvel at the power of nature to cast such a pall of gloom (and doom) onto this great city I live in.  You would think that the concrete jungle that Manhattan is would not look any smaller but it does when Mother Nature towers over it with such a foreboding of a real downpour.

Sunsets always make me stop and look, be it from the view from 40 storeys above Midtown or beyond the rooftops of the houses I walk past as I get off the bus and make my way home.  Maybe it’s because I come from a place where we are proud of our glorious sunsets that make our skies glow back home in the Philippines so I grew up looking towards the setting sun.

 Have you looked out your window lately?

On my way home

I took the local route tonight because I had to send off my invites. And now as I’m writing this, I just realized I failed to take photographs or scans of my owl, so I will have to create one for my craft blog, Gotham Chick. It was another busy, busy day.

Our days are shorter now. Where it used to be that the sun didn’t set until after 8pm, now the sun is lazier to crawl up in the morning and quicker to retire at the end of the day. It’s still warm but no longer scorching hot — and the evenings are getting chillier. It isn’t even surprising anymore to find dried, yellowing leaves strewn on the ground. Precursors of fall.

I stole a shot in the normally “photography-not-allowed” subway car. Two other people on their way home. Between them and myself, three different races on one ride. That’s one thing I love about New York — we are all so different and yet so alike.

With my invites on their way to Manila, I have some swaps to take care of. I’m going to slow down because I want to concentrate on the shop over at Etsy. The “ber” months are here. Time to think about my Christmas card, too. Every year for the last 5 years at least, I’ve handmade my holiday cards. With my Grand Calibur on my shelf now, I am even more excited to design my card. I’m wishing out loud for the yet to be released Brother Scan ‘n Cut which Julie Fei-fan Balzer had already talked about in her blog. How lucky to be able to get the manufacturer to send her one in advance so she could try it out! As a novice crafter and an expert crafter-of-all-trades, my only prayer of getting one free is if there were a random giveaway or raffle draw and I won it. (Dear Brother (USA)— the company, not Abril or Nikki, please send me one of your gorgeous Scan n’ Cut machines and I promise to post about it EVERYDAY!!). You never know who is listening or reading or scanning meta tags, etc…

Almost home and it’s dark. Dusk has fallen. I’m getting off a few blocks early to grab some bars for my boy.. And to exercise a little, too. I’m trying to be good.