Friday, August 21, 2009

Old New York



I am finally blogging again!
Hello! August 20
Back from New York 3 days and just now feeling sort of normal. Had a glorious time and beautiful weather. I had totally forgotten what it was like so it was a surprise all over again! We had a lovely suite at the Embassy Suites in the financial district, just a couple blocks from Ground Zero. When we saw the sign while heading for the Metro we were surprised. We didn’t expect it to be so close to our hotel. There was a lot of building going on at the site. Must have been so frightening for those who were involved.
We tried to do everything that we could in that 4 days. Visited all of the major sights and many more. I can’t say what I enjoyed the most. Maybe the Plaza hotel? We went in and sat in the tea room/lounge for a while and then asked if we could see the ball room. Up to the 3rd floor we rode and tiptoed in. It was so gorgeous and we were the only ones there with a man who was fixing the sound system or something. Jessi and I danced under the huge chandelier and Jenny found her way up to one of the boxes where she sat and peeked through the velvet curtains. How fun that must have been in its hay day with all of the gowns and tux’s with tails! But it was fun for us anyway and afterwards we shared a chocolate dessert by Eloise’s little girl tea room full of lots of Mme Alexander dolls of her and other adorable stuff….all in pink. Jessi loved this.
We danced with arms linked through Time Square, had dinner at Sardis and went to The New Amsterdam Theater to see Chicago. When we came outside of the theater the whole square was a sea of people milling around with everything lit up. Many, many tourists from other countries, eating hot dogs and listening to a huge movie screen of the opening of Mad Men on TV. It was almost overwhelming…but fun never the less.
The Metropolitan Museum was a wonderful experience, just not enough time to see all of it. And central park, and Park Avenue (singing with arms linked again,) and the down town library, and Rockefeller Center, and Macy’s and the subways and the sunsets, and the Empire State Building and the evening ferry to Stanton Island with a lovely view of the Statue of Liberty all lit up. The delis and the Toys R Us and the taxi rides that jerked us here and there. The accents and the different kinds of people and their helpful attitudes toward us. The tallness of all of the buildings and the bigness of Manhattan. Walking through Macy’s and remembering going there many years ago to get my off-black hose! How I loved them and appreciated getting them!
Jenny was our subway director and we all three wanted to do as much as possible. And we did. We got blisters on our feet and sunburn on our noses. Walk, walk, walk until we couldn’t anymore. The weather was pretty warm and quite humid but we didn’t let that stop us!
It was a fun, nostalgic, privilege for me to go with Jen and Jess. They took such good care of me and were very loving and fun!! Thank you girls! Jessi’s birthday is tomorrow. What a lovely memory for all of us! No wonder I felt so let down for a couple of days afterwards. It went by so fast and was so much fun! I want to return. Maybe after I go back to Paris again and the south of France and Tuscany etc. Hats off to Old New York!

Saturday, January 03, 2009

Happy New Year


I'm fairly certain that very few of you even check my blog anymore, since I have been remiss about posting. But for those of you who do take a peek now and again, I want to wish you a Happy (blessed) New Year of 2009. I get the feeling that it will be a year of change. I don't know what kind of change. Hopefully, a change of heart or way of seeing the Lord. A new and fresh change. A move within. Perhaps if you haven't read THE SHACK, you might give it a go. It will certainly be food for thought anyway.


Today, January 4th, is Mary Marlar's birthday. She is sweet 16 and totally adorable. Happy Bday Mary Rose! We love you sooooo! She is the one on the left for those who don't know her.