A cold. A croissant. A cafe au lait. And Nina Simone.

So here i sit, still nursing this poo-faced cold, in my favorite hole-in-the-wall cafe in New York City (and yes the best!!), the Hungarian Pastry Shop on Amsterdam and 111th, eating what i always get: a warm croissant with a delectable fruit jam , and sipping a perfect cafe au lait. To drone out the crowd of Columbia students, professors, and European tourists in this lovely little place, I decided to let one of my other favorites bellow her timeless classics into my ear. This favorite is none other than THE Nina Simone. (I'm thinking of one day naming my last daughter Nina. Seriously.) 

Not sure if I can put it into words... what about Nina Simone's music moves me so, and has always moved me in a such a private and profound way... the raw, graceful, full, unapologetic, sensual, desperate, bleeding heart, loveable, sometimes brash quality of her music is one-of-a- kind. And so it echoes in my ears even as I write this... just brilliant. I encourage you all to give her a listen, if you haven't already. I have so many favorites of hers, but I would have to suggest to a new listener, anything on disc one of her 'Misunderstood' CD. It's an experience. Her music is so welcomingly full that it requires nothing from the listener but to 'let go'. When in the palm of one of her ballads, I guess I would describe the experience as being akin to... Falling. Weightless, in some worry-free space and time. Where every emotion is allowed to be what it is, and in that state of permission, I am allowed to be moved, reminded of my own dreams, regrets, hopes, griefs, and longings--all without these feelings causing any type of sadness or pain. No... not at all. I find her music allows the reality of Need to be what it is, of Love to be what it is, of Rage to be what it is, of Hope to be what it is, with such clarity that I am then allowed to take a breath, sip my cafe au lait, and just be who and what I am. No apologies. Yeah...

Here's to a cold. A croissant. A cafe au lait. And of course... the illustrious Nina Simone. As fall sweeps in over the coming weeks, I hope you get a chance to spend an evening at home, cozied up with a glass of wine, or a cup of tea, and allow yourself to meet Nina as she pours through your living room, bedroom, or iPod. In the meantime, stay warm, and go get yourself something soft and chewy.