AND THE STOCKINGS.....

.....are finally finished!!!!! Yeah! I buy things for my stockings all year long. I always think I've bought enough, more than enough actually, but usually (this year too!) I discover I don't have enough and then I moan and groan and pitch a fit I have to make more trips to find more treasures. Which is what I did today after tennis.

I do ALOT of stockings...children, grandchildren, pets, my Mom, my Aunt and George. George does one....mine. He does a great job though, so I won't complain too much.

I have just a few more gifts to buy, but in celebration of finishing the stockings and being so close to having it all done, George and I have decided to have a date night tonight....movies and dinner out. Yippee! I'll worry about those gifts tomorrow.



Christmas hugs everyone!

WOW...THAT WAS A JOB!

Wow! It was a job, but I finally got all my New York photos downloaded and labeled and posted. I've put them in order below if you'd like to see....Dec. 12-16. Warning though...there's a lot of them!

Now, I'm way behind on my blog reading. And laundry. And grocery shopping. And, of course, finishing my Christmas shopping, etc. Yikes...there's just not enough time in the day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I miss knowing what's going on with all of you, but I'll visit as soon as I can.

Christmas hugs!

WHAT A VIEW!

This was the view from my front door tonight...just gorgeous!

IT'S THE 17TH

It's that time again. Remember to do your self breast exam. Several months ago, through Rocks In My Dryer, I found Holy Mama's and boy does she have a good idea to remind us all to do breast self exams on the 17th of each month. As a breast cancer survivor myself, I know how important it is to do this every month and also to get a mammogram. I'm proud to be a member of Club 17. Mammograms and self breast exams can save your life!!

Hugs!

WE'RE HOME!

AWWWW...HOME AGAIN!

HAPPY

TIRED

MISSED EVERYONE

NEED A GOOD NIGHT OF SLEEP

HUGS!

TIME TO GO HOME - GOODBYE NEW YORK -SUNDAY, DEC. 16TH

George and the kids load the limo for the ride to the airport. Snowy, icy and cold. We were worried our flights might be delayed or canceled, but we all got out just fine.

What a wonderful Christmas holiday we had!

Hugs!

FOURTH AND LAST FULL DAY IN NEW YORK - SATURDAY, DEC. 15TH

(photos are clickable)

We walked for blocks just to have bagels at a place we heard had the best...Ess-A Bagels. They were pretty darn good, but the guys behind the counter weren't too friendly. Rude actually.

We walked over to Central Park for a horse and buggy ride. What fun!


It was cold! The horse pulling the buggy behind ours kept trying to pass us. LOL

George looking toward Wollman Rink, the Central Park ice skating rink.

Wollman Rink

All bundled up for a cold, but beautiful ride through Central Park.

Our horse after the ride in front of Mickey Mantle's Pub.

We took another subway ride over to the west side to show the kids where George lived as a boy. His father had a 9-1/2 room apartment on West 75th at the corner of Columbus Avenue. We talked to some current residents and found out that some pretty famous people have lived here since George moved away over 50 years ago, including John Belushi, Bette Midler and Barry Manilow. It's still a very nice area.

George and Bree in front of his old apartment.

On the way back to our hotel, we stopped to see the windows decorated at Lord & Taylor. Here's just one of them.

I took yet another nap before we headed out for dinner and a play. Bree and Jay left to meet his cousin for a drink and the three of them met us at Ben Benson's Steakhouse.

George and I always enjoy Ben Benson's and the kids did too.

Bree and Jay with Jay's cousin, Erin. We all had a drink together at the bar before dinner. Erin couldn't stay for dinner though. It was nice getting to meet her.

Bree and Jay enjoying their steaks and onion rings...yummy!

I know I'm prejudice, but don't they make a cute couple?! I think so!

The city looks so pretty at night.

Our last play for this trip was to see Chicago...wow! Wonderful!

Another wonderful day!

Hugs!

THIRD DAY IN NEW YORK - FRIDAY, DEC. 14TH

(photos should be clickable)

Yesterday when we were in F.A.O. Schwarz, we kept smelling the croissants cooking at their cafe and they smelled sooooooo good. We decided to come back for breakfast today, plus we didn't see the whole store. This place is huge!

Breakfast at F.A.O Schwarz (Wow...look how tired we look!)

After breakfast, we took the subway. Jay's first time in the subway.

We went by the Empire State Building but didn't go up....too crowded.

We headed to Macy's. It's a tradition to go visit Santa in Santaland!

After seeing Santa, we shopped for a New York Christmas ornament (another tradition) and then took the subway to the East side for lunch.

My friend, Jeanette, had told us about il Vagabondo. Wonderful Italian food! One of the best meals I had in New York.

After lunch....more walking....more gorgeous trees!

We stopped for awhile to watch some street performers by Central Park...they really were talented!

Then back to the hotel for some rest and to warm up before the play....I napped!

Another tradition - Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular. We knew this one would be even more special since it's their 75th anniversary and we were right!

The view as soon as you walked in the door at Radio City Music Hall....a beautiful chandelier of Swarovski crystals.

No photos allowed, but being the rebel I am, I took a quick one near the end. I heard there were a million dollars of Swarovski crystals used in the show.

We went to The Carnegie Deli for a quick bite after the show. Here we are with the giant pickle.

Another fun day in New York!

Hugs!

SECOND DAY IN NEW YORK - THURSDAY, DEC. 13TH

(I think all photos are clickable)

We got an early start on our first full day in New York. We had breakfast at a Starbucks....there's a Starbucks on almost every corner, no kidding.

I talked Bree and Jay into a photo in front of the Build A Bear window.
Our first stop - F.A.O Schwarz

Look at this giant Santa made out of Legos...so cool. I know our grandson, Landon, would love this. He could build it, I'm quite sure.

Bree and Jay on the giant piano keyboard made famous from the movie BIG starring Tom Hanks.
These store employees put on a show!

A store "nurse" with the newborn babies. Bree is a real neo-natal intensive care nurse.
Here they are with one of the store's preemie babies. The preemies Bree takes care of are much, much smaller.

I didn't take any pictures, but we went inside Tiffany's just to oooh and aaah. I even tried on a few rings, just for the kicks of it. I gasped when I learned one was $97,000.00! And it was on the small side.............

We walked over to The Disney Store next.

Bree and Jay acted a little "Goofy"!

We looked out the window and it was snowing! We walked back over to Rockefeller Plaza.

I bought an umbrella...the best $5.00 I spent! It seemed like everyone had umbrellas which made it VERY hard to walk through the crowds.

We walked over to Grand Central and took a train ride to Rye, NY. George used to live there and we always go. There's a place we love to go for pizza....Sunrise Pizza. The BEST pizza I've ever, ever had. Hands down. We've been going for years. Bree, George and I had been telling Jay all about it and were worried it might not live up to our praises, but Jay now knows what we mean. Yummy! It was worth the 45 minute train ride. LOL - the ride cost us more than the pizza. It was a fun thing to do though, especially in the snow.

While on the train, I read this cute notice in their passenger flyer - Laughing All The Way! That's what you'll be doing during your holiday travels when you take mass transit! (Meanwhile, those who choose to drive to "Grandma's house" will be crying, stuck in traffic like flies on last year's re-gifted fruitcake.) LOL

Seriously good pizza!
Wow...between the snow and my coat hood, my hair didn't stand a chance!

Downtown Rye

George and Jay waiting for the train

Once we were back in the city, we all dried off and took a nap. Awwwww....so nice.

Since we had a big late lunch, no one was very hungry so we all just had some chicken noodle soup at a market nearby and sat at a counter right at the front window.

We walked by Rockefeller Plaza on our way to the play.

Oh.My.Word! What a great play! Jersey Boys is a documentary-style musical based on the lives of one of the most successful '60s rock 'n roll groups, The Four Seasons. Jersey Boys won four 2006 Tony Awards, including one for Best Musical. I love all the old Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons songs. We all thoroughly enjoyed it!

27 degrees! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
On our way back, I saw this dress in a store window...made completely out of aluminum foil...amazing.

We stopped by Connolly's Irish Pub for a nightcap and then called it a day.

Another fun day in New York!

Hugs!