Surrounded by family and friends and I am doing excellent.
Arleen
Happy New Year. I am so grateful to the new and old friends who have passed though my life this year. Bless you all and may life be good to you!
Arleen
Laughing through the changes and accepting what life has for me after retirement. My elevator might be going down, but I plan to get off on every floor, even if it's just for plumbing supplies.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Quiet Day
Mellow Yellow.
Grabbed myself a nice cup of tea, and am doing OK.
It's raining out today. Inside, the grandchildren and their parents are busy playing with their new toys and the atmosphere is very mellow. There is no need to rush anywhere, nothing to buy or wrap, nothing to bake. There are enough leftovers in the frig to feed a small country, but we just might order out for pizza anyway. It feels good not to have to think or make any decisions. I have been tired for the past few weeks but today is one for relaxing. I am writing my blog on my new iPad, hubby is watching cat videos on the computer, my son is playing guitar on his iPhone, one granddaughter is reading a book on her Kindle and another is playing a game on her Android. Who would have thought this would be the scene a few years ago. It is a brand new world.
Grabbed myself a nice cup of tea, and am doing OK.It's raining out today. Inside, the grandchildren and their parents are busy playing with their new toys and the atmosphere is very mellow. There is no need to rush anywhere, nothing to buy or wrap, nothing to bake. There are enough leftovers in the frig to feed a small country, but we just might order out for pizza anyway. It feels good not to have to think or make any decisions. I have been tired for the past few weeks but today is one for relaxing. I am writing my blog on my new iPad, hubby is watching cat videos on the computer, my son is playing guitar on his iPhone, one granddaughter is reading a book on her Kindle and another is playing a game on her Android. Who would have thought this would be the scene a few years ago. It is a brand new world.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Off to the Races.
Tree up, house decorated, cookies made, still much more to do, but I am doing OK
Next week at this time, my house will, once again, become a home. All my children will be here, my grandchildren will be running about, there will be hubbub in the kitchen, music will be playing (unless there is some "game" on) and all the women will look tired. Let the festivities begin.
I will be taking a break from blogging for a week or two so that I can spend some time with my family and make merry. I am looking forward to having them all around me as this only happens once a year. There will be days when it may be hard to keep my stamina up, but I do love mayhem and noise. I am just crazy that way. Besides, it keeps the juices going.
I wish you all the joys of the holiday and may you all be surrounded by warmth and love.
Monday, December 12, 2011
A Merry Christmas To Me
Tis the season to be jolly, and I am doing OK
Everyplace you travel around this time of year, there is music playing. We all get very nostalgic during the holidays and sometimes there is one song above all that touches us deeply. For me it is The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole. It just reminds me about home and my family, many of whom are now gone. There is no sadness as I only remember the fun, laughter, and good times. It's funny how memories have a way of filtering out the negative and centering on the positive. I had a wonderful childhood and was raised by exceptional parents who taught me the meaning of love and compassion. There is no greater gift.
This year a friend sent me a new Christmas song that was written by her brother. It is called "A Merry Christmas to Me", performed by Danny Mitchell, written by Dan Rodowicz
and Phillip Keveren. It's on Danny Mitchell's new Christmas album called "Savior
on the Way. It is just beautiful and evokes the same feeling in me as does The Christmas Song. It makes me all fuzzy and warm. Give it a listen, I am sure you will enjoy it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaLNXL3-wws&sns=em
Oh, that is sweet! It is nice to have a new song for the holidays. Now I am going to get myself a cup of tea and one or two newly baked Christmas cookies and spend the rest of the day "in the mood". Heck, I just might get on Amazon and order a few more gifts that people neither want nor need.
Everyplace you travel around this time of year, there is music playing. We all get very nostalgic during the holidays and sometimes there is one song above all that touches us deeply. For me it is The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole. It just reminds me about home and my family, many of whom are now gone. There is no sadness as I only remember the fun, laughter, and good times. It's funny how memories have a way of filtering out the negative and centering on the positive. I had a wonderful childhood and was raised by exceptional parents who taught me the meaning of love and compassion. There is no greater gift.
This year a friend sent me a new Christmas song that was written by her brother. It is called "A Merry Christmas to Me", performed by Danny Mitchell, written by Dan Rodowicz
and Phillip Keveren. It's on Danny Mitchell's new Christmas album called "Savior
on the Way. It is just beautiful and evokes the same feeling in me as does The Christmas Song. It makes me all fuzzy and warm. Give it a listen, I am sure you will enjoy it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaLNXL3-wws&sns=em
Oh, that is sweet! It is nice to have a new song for the holidays. Now I am going to get myself a cup of tea and one or two newly baked Christmas cookies and spend the rest of the day "in the mood". Heck, I just might get on Amazon and order a few more gifts that people neither want nor need.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Christmas in New York
Enjoying warm weather and doing OK
New York, New York, it's a wonderful town!
There is nothing, and I mean nothing, like New York at Christmas time. It is MAGIC. Last Wednesday, accompanied by my 10 year old granddaughter, I went on a bus trip (2 1/2 hours) to the Big Apple to see the show at Radio City Music Hall and enjoy some of the sights. There was so much I wanted to share with her, but time was limited, so I decided to curtail our activities to the Rockefeller Center area. We started off with a visit to the Lego store, then a walk-about to see the Christmas tree that was to be lighted that evening in an celebrity-filled ceremony. There was hubbub all about and it was fun to watch all the preparations as lighting and props were assembled. We dined in the cafe looking out on to the stage (which is usually a skating rink), and my granddaughter and I delighted in all the activities.
Next stop was the Top of the Rock, otherwise known as 30 Rock. After a brief movie about the skyscraper, up we went in an elevator to 850 ft above street level. From the observatory, we could look over the whole city and take in all its magnificence. I have to admit though, I had few butterflies in my stomach looking out at that height. But it was cool!
When we got to street level, we were off to look at some of New York's
holiday decorated windows. We stopped at Saks and passed by American Girl Store.
Well, we did more than pass by the latter, we went inside just to see what it
was like. As we entered, we were greeted by a lady with her three children who
remarked that my granddaughter, with her long, waist length blond hair and blue
eyes was the real American Girl Doll. She looked at her daughters and said that
they should have invited their grandmother along so"Bubbe" could buy them AG
stuff, which she assumed, I was there to do. I shook my head because I knew
that my gd had no interest in dolls and therefore my life savings was not in
jeopardy. The store has 4 floors, but by the time we got through half of the
first, she was in love. However, that little girl who is not so little any
more, told me she just liked the look of them but really did not want one,
"Really, really, no Mamama, I don't need one". I will take her at her word.
We had one last stop before the show and it was the famous bakery, Magnolia's. We bought a dozen of their famous cupcakes to bring home and share with the family. I never ate one, but I did lick the icing off my fingers when I passed them out when we got home, and the word "heaven" comes to mind. That lick was probably 2000 calories, and worth every one of them.
I have to say that when we arrived at Radio City Music Hall, I was disappointed. I grew up in New York, albeit the Bronx and not Manhattan, but I have memories of that great theater and of the wonderful times we had when my parents took us there. It looked a little shabby to me now and certainly not as elegant as I had remembered. The lobby was beautiful with it's crystal tree hanging from the ceiling, but if you look at the picture closely, you will notice "Chase" written across the wreath in the background. How sad that today we are bombarded with advertising everyplace we look. When we got inside, there were no chandeliers like I thought I remembered, but rather a modern, dull, rather ugly stage and facade. Lights gave the look of snowflakes on the walls, but there also was the word "Chase" scrawled on both sides. The day may come soon when "Coke" or "Honda" may be superimposed on Lady Liberty's derriere.
At four o'clock it was time to head home. There was already a large crowd gathering at Rockefeller Center for the nights festivities. By 7 pm, a quarter of a million people would be there. Leaving early made it very easy to get out of the city, as there was little traffic going that way. The traffic coming in though was a different story. As much as I would have loved to have stayed in town for a little longer, I was delighted to miss the mob.
Going to the Big Apple in December, awesome; having great weather (in the 60's), outstanding; spending a day with my granddaughter and showing her the sights I remember, PRICELESS. My heart overflowed with emotion.
New York, New York, it's a wonderful town!
There is nothing, and I mean nothing, like New York at Christmas time. It is MAGIC. Last Wednesday, accompanied by my 10 year old granddaughter, I went on a bus trip (2 1/2 hours) to the Big Apple to see the show at Radio City Music Hall and enjoy some of the sights. There was so much I wanted to share with her, but time was limited, so I decided to curtail our activities to the Rockefeller Center area. We started off with a visit to the Lego store, then a walk-about to see the Christmas tree that was to be lighted that evening in an celebrity-filled ceremony. There was hubbub all about and it was fun to watch all the preparations as lighting and props were assembled. We dined in the cafe looking out on to the stage (which is usually a skating rink), and my granddaughter and I delighted in all the activities. 
Next stop was the Top of the Rock, otherwise known as 30 Rock. After a brief movie about the skyscraper, up we went in an elevator to 850 ft above street level. From the observatory, we could look over the whole city and take in all its magnificence. I have to admit though, I had few butterflies in my stomach looking out at that height. But it was cool!
When we got to street level, we were off to look at some of New York's
holiday decorated windows. We stopped at Saks and passed by American Girl Store.
Well, we did more than pass by the latter, we went inside just to see what it
was like. As we entered, we were greeted by a lady with her three children who
remarked that my granddaughter, with her long, waist length blond hair and blue
eyes was the real American Girl Doll. She looked at her daughters and said that
they should have invited their grandmother along so"Bubbe" could buy them AG
stuff, which she assumed, I was there to do. I shook my head because I knew
that my gd had no interest in dolls and therefore my life savings was not in
jeopardy. The store has 4 floors, but by the time we got through half of the
first, she was in love. However, that little girl who is not so little any
more, told me she just liked the look of them but really did not want one,
"Really, really, no Mamama, I don't need one". I will take her at her word.We had one last stop before the show and it was the famous bakery, Magnolia's. We bought a dozen of their famous cupcakes to bring home and share with the family. I never ate one, but I did lick the icing off my fingers when I passed them out when we got home, and the word "heaven" comes to mind. That lick was probably 2000 calories, and worth every one of them.
I have to say that when we arrived at Radio City Music Hall, I was disappointed. I grew up in New York, albeit the Bronx and not Manhattan, but I have memories of that great theater and of the wonderful times we had when my parents took us there. It looked a little shabby to me now and certainly not as elegant as I had remembered. The lobby was beautiful with it's crystal tree hanging from the ceiling, but if you look at the picture closely, you will notice "Chase" written across the wreath in the background. How sad that today we are bombarded with advertising everyplace we look. When we got inside, there were no chandeliers like I thought I remembered, but rather a modern, dull, rather ugly stage and facade. Lights gave the look of snowflakes on the walls, but there also was the word "Chase" scrawled on both sides. The day may come soon when "Coke" or "Honda" may be superimposed on Lady Liberty's derriere. 
At four o'clock it was time to head home. There was already a large crowd gathering at Rockefeller Center for the nights festivities. By 7 pm, a quarter of a million people would be there. Leaving early made it very easy to get out of the city, as there was little traffic going that way. The traffic coming in though was a different story. As much as I would have loved to have stayed in town for a little longer, I was delighted to miss the mob.
Going to the Big Apple in December, awesome; having great weather (in the 60's), outstanding; spending a day with my granddaughter and showing her the sights I remember, PRICELESS. My heart overflowed with emotion.
The New York my grandparents, parents and I grew up in years ago.
Oh wait, is that my dad in his Fedora, standing in the park, or waiting for the light to change, yes, yes, I see him. Oh, he is so handsome!
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