Christmas in New York

A friend and I took the ferry to New York yesterday.  I love Christmastime in NYC.  It's crowded, it's decorated over the top, it's exciting, and it's - Christmastime in New York.  I try to go in at least once a Christmas season.  And it's over fast!  With all the Christmas hoopla from before Halloween, in New York it starts at the proper time.  All right, some things are there early, but the tree isn't lit until December.

We went to the MOMA, where I confirmed that my favorite museum is the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and we didn't want to wait for the Tim Burton exhibit

the star on top of the Christmas tree up close:

We loved the Bergdorf Goodman windows:

with my friend Penny, who met us for window-shopping

we walked past the Plaza Hotel....

past Central Park on Central Park South

To Times Square, where we sat on the steps of TKTS for at least 45 minutes and watched.

Sponge Bob Square Pants was there, as were Minnie and Mickey Mouse, but the view from the top of the stairs was fun:

I bought pashminas on the street, and we stopped at the 39th St. flea market, and before you knew it, it was time to take the ferry back to the car, and then home again.

On my pedometer I walked over 15,000 steps, which is over 5 miles.

And that was the first Advent for me.  Turns out, my friends had no clue what advent is.  We celebrate it in Germany with a candle on each of the four Sundays before Christmas, a preparation for Christmas time.  Well, interesting, they said.

Black Friday

Thanksgiving was all it is cracked to be plus more.  Is that the right way to say it?  Anyhow, it was great.  From the pumpkin pie to the grilled vegetables, the cranberries, the turkey-cake, the giant shrimp appetizers, mashed potatoes, turnips, a feast!

and our turkey cake:

and beautiful ladies:

 

and a little boy

This morning I got up at 5 AM, got dressed, and met my son-in-law at an electronics store to go shopping for Christmas.  First time I've done that.  I went to help him out, it's easier to shop with two people.  One to stand in line, and the other to hunt for bargains.

Mailbox

Two years ago, when Jessie was three, they made a pilgrim girl costume at daycare.  It was simple, a white paper collar and a white paper hat.  The hat was one piece of paper across the head stapled to a half-round piece in the back.
Oh, we all said, you are a pilgrim girl!
No, was her answer, I am a mailbox!

She was right.  That thing on her head looked like a mailbox.
The year after she was a pilgrim girl.
I asked her about it this year.
No, no costumes, but that hat did look like a mailbox, she said.

Happy Thanksgiving!

(or happy mailbox day)

End of November

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  I'm going to my oldest daughter's house, we are celebrating there.

I'm a mess.  Besides my aching back (it's getting marginally better, although my son-in-law gave me some simple exercises to do, and I'm hoping that does it), I have a cold sore, and a semi-swollen eye.  The eye is from an insect bite, I'm pretty sure.  I got meds for the cold sore.  And can I complain about how expensive the cold sore meds were?!  They better work.

I'm looking forward to hanging out with  the kids.  And the long weekend.

Family Weekend

It was a family weekend.  On Friday we got together at my oldest daughter and family's house, with my son and his family.  My son-in-law's parents were there to see my youngest grandson.  The kids were playing, the oldest grandson went to cub scouts and took his dad and his uncle, we had stuffed shells, and home-made pumpkin pie, and chatted.

Saturday my middle daughter and family and my son and family came over to my house for dinner. Yes, I did make the brisket, but had acorn squash and broccoli rabe as the veggies.  And a salad.  We tried the rose I brought back from Germany (it was yummy), while the guys stuck with beer.  A friend joined us for dinner, and we had fun watching the little guys play.  Nibby, the German Shepard, was there as well.   The parents went out to meet friends later, and the little guy went to bed, while the older of the little guys had a hard time going to sleep and finally made it when I laid down with him.  The youngest is just adorable, with a ready smile for everyone, and he is very advanced with his talking.


The little one and the dog got picked up, and the older of the two spent the night.  He decided the night was over at 5:30, and sat glassy eyed until he had his milk and french toast.  He did miss the fire truck that his uncle took (because it had belonged to his - the uncle's father), but was okay.  We drove to NYC, to see the trains in the Botanical Garden, which are on display every year around Christmas.
While we were waiting for our friends, I took him out of his car chair, and he was able to just climb around.  I walked across a few steps to pay for parking, he didn't want to come, and he climbed in the front seat, and started tooting the horn!  Every time I turned to him, he laughed and stopped. When I got back, I asked him, what he was doing and his answer was:
'I honk horn, and people laugh, ha, ha, ha!'  I cracked up.

We met friends with 4 1/2 year old twins, and started the tour.  Oh boy, that was fun!  I had primed him that the trains were only to look at, and we kept repeating it, so he was fine just admiring them.  And admire them he did.  The accurate copy of historic houses and buildings that the trains are set in, are just marvelous.
The houses are made out of material found in the park, seeds, twigs, leaves, and pine cones.

The kids enjoyed themselves.  The Children's section of the garden is just a marvel, with rocks to be climbed, nests to be experienced, water, ducks, observation spots, a building with books, microscopes, seeds, gingerbread houses, and crafts. 
We tried to take it all in.  The little one all the while carrying Emily (Thomas the train), a truck, and a tape measure.  No, he didn't want to put it in a bag, no, he had to carry those things.
After we played and saw everything, we headed out to get pizza.  On the way to the restaurant he fell asleep.  And I decided to bring him home.  No sense waking him up to be miserable, he had a long morning and needed his rest.
I was so tired last night, I was in bed at 8:30 PM.
How was your weekend?