*birds flying high / you know how i feel
sun in the sky / you know how i feel
breeze driftin’ on by / you know how i feel
it’s a new dawn / it’s a new day
it’s a new life for me / and i’m feeling good

if you’re into numerology, this issue is for you. if you’re into health and wellness this, our annual issue dedicated to the theme, is for you. if you’re into spring, this issue is for you. if you want to step on the lighter side of life and into the art, music, culture and dining that will certainly refine your time but not weigh you down, well then, you’re really going to love this one.

let’s start with the trends. long island is waking up to bluer skies, warmer weather and the hope of summer coming any day now. for those looking to scratch a shopping itch, fashion takes an easy, laid back repose in island hideaway. tastes & trends profiles some of the biggest looks in red carpet attire. objects of desire features our best jewelers’ treasures—consider this your short list for mother’s day shopping. and, if you’re a planner, check out quintessential gentleman for the stuff dad, or any man, will have his eye on. also rising to the occasion, three new restaurants have been catching stars, both the kind that come out to eat and the kind our richard scholem uses to rate splashy new eateries. before you start taking your appetite east this summer, the trio featured in this month’s food reviews are worth a stop. countless others have entered our red zone, too. and in case you really don’t want to cook this month, i mean at all, check out the advertisers in our dining guide. for baseball lovers, we shine a spotlight on a star rising on the mets’ mound, matt harvey, who is giving fans everywhere a reason to tune into the amazins.

the music scene is also drawing the stars. shemekia copeland, reigning “queen of the blues,” will make a rare area appearance as will randy jackson and his fellow zebra. bryan ferry won’t be performing live in our area, but you can catch the former roxy music frontman’s latest music in the great gatsby. interviews with each appear in this issue. bonus: our west of li column is a musing on brooklyn’s dark knight (barclays center), if you haven’t been there yet, you won’t be able to resist it any longer.

and now for the numbers: laughing burns 400 calories an hour and there is a yoga style dedicated to it. 80 percent of us will know some kind of back pain in our lives, but something can be done about it. you should give yourself 40-60 minutes to prepare for sleep. brush 2 times a day. sex is good for your life—no numbers, just believe it. 5 doctors are making a huge difference at their hospitals… these are just some of the helpful stats you’ll find in our annual special section on health and wellness, starting on page 141. the omnibus includes 5 things to make you live better, finding your “om,” best doctors and the companion piece, doctors of distinction. in this section you’ll also find a comprehensive yearbook of the who’s who in medicine, dentistry and plastic and cosmetic surgery. you’ll want to keep this one handy for the next time you need a doctor.

by comparison to other snow-drifted winters, this past one is high in the ranking for the roughest in recent history. it started with sandy and ended with the bombings last month in boston and everything in between was a roller coaster of volatile headlines, volatile politics and volatile emotions charging our body politic. thankfully, there were also wonderful, inspired moments and laughs and love to keep our collective unconscious from falling off the brink. i don’t know about you, but i’m ready for a little something i can share with the important people in my life. these pages are just the place to start.

*and this old world is a new world
and a bold world,

-nada

*feeling good, ms. nina simone