I’m heartbroken today! Heartbroken for my dear friend as she said goodbye to her devoted husband and the amazing father of her adult children. Goodbye and I’ll see you again soon. He slipped the surly bonds of earth and went home to be with his heavenly Father, Our heavenly father. By faith and the truth of God’s word, we know Randy is rejoicing with the Lord and reuniting with his parents who went on before him.

We knew his passing was imminent as the reality of the situation was staring us in the face but we continued to keep believing for a miracle, the kind of miracle that would make us feel good and experience joy. The kind of miracle that would find us still going to movies with our friend and visiting him in Hawaii and going for wings on Wednesdays and so much more. But the Lord had other plans for this saint.

Our faith is still intact and we surrender to what the Lord, in his infinite wisdom and love, sees as best. We have walked this journey with our dear friends since Randy’s diagnosis in the fall of 2008 when the doctor told him to get his house in order, he only had six months. In faith, our friends defied this diagnosis and we have spent the last 9 years making memories with them, having fun with them, sharing burdens with them, helping each other through crisis and forging a deep, comfortable, abiding familial friendship.

As we say goodbye to an incredible man of God and irreplaceable friend, we can’t stop remembering our escapades in Las Vegas, and our adventures and experiences in Hawaii at their vacation rental home, our ingrained weekly rituals (movies and wings). Randy spent the summer of 2015 in the South Calgary Campus hospital in a room we referred to as the Ritz Carlton. Once again he was given a 6 month diagnosis and once again the Lord had other plans. We kidnapped him from his hospital room during these months, to go to Starbucks and Boston pizza, as Mike stuffed Randys sugar drip into the back of the car and Randy showed up to these places in his pyjamas. We even watched the Globefest fireworks from his hospital room window. We  celebrated Thanksgiving at the South Campus Ritz. Randy was desperate to get out of his Ritz Carlton prison and finally, according to his wife, Shannon, they were kicked out for bad behaviour. The bad behaviour being that Randy kept telling everyone, including the doctors, that he was healed. He finally escaped in late November only to return to Hawaii for another two glorious stints in the sun, glorifying Jesus to all his guests from all over the world. I think it would be accurate to say that Randy’s impact reaches across the globe.

Their stunning property on the ocean in Kona was the backdrop to many of our most treasured memories. Randy’s absence leaves a huge hole in the hearts of family and friends. His compassion and humour will be greatly missed. He was generous to a fault. His love of life, his childlike faith and his readiness to take risks were  both an example and a blessing to observe. We feel so blessed to have been the benefactors of his love and friendship.

His example and presence caused us to believe in healing and miracles. Our faith grew in leaps and bounds for having shared this journey with he and his wife.  There is no doubt in my mind that God was in the centre of all of this. The joy and the pain. I love what C. S. Lewis said about is.

C.S. Lewis: Why love if losing hurts so much? I have no answers any more. Only the life I have lived. Twice in that life I’ve been given the choice: as a boy and as a man. The boy chose safety, the man chooses suffering. The pain now is part of the happiness then. That’s the deal.

 

 

 

I began to sweat as I tried to balance myself in tree pose with prayer hands. Prayer is definitely going to be needed to get through this, I mused. I used to be able to do this. Do it well. Of course that was over 5000 days ago if you do the math. My personal trainer sister gave me this fat blasting yoga video the summer of 2004 while I was visiting her in Toronto and dying from the humidity and heat as I whined about my long sleeve baggy sweatshirt uniform. I remember her pleading with me to ditch the sweatshirt but it was my security blanket. I was pretty convinced I was hiding my unwanted girth beneath it. My sister assured me I was not. (Only sisters can talk to you like that and even that’s treacherous). I thought maybe I could sweat off a few pounds. Problem was I couldn’t move because all that heat zaps my energy. I remember her dragging me around her jogging path at 4 a.m. to get out there before the heat hit. Of course, I was useless for the rest of the day.

My sister saw into the future and decided I needed this video. I took it home with me, gratefully, and began to go through the yogi’s contortions in the privacy of my basement. I was doing it again this morning… almost 15 years later.  I completed the 61.27 minutes this past Monday morning as well. My gut was so stiff yesterday I couldn’t cross my arms. I know…what’s that got to do with my stomach? Well you see, my stomach currently takes up all the real estate between my thighs and upper rib cage. My favorite clothes (in this size) are starting to feel stressed at the seams. Thankfully I’m not working these days and I can live in my baggy flannel shirts and leggings. Of course, if I was working, I wouldn’t have had the time to sit on the couch for 10 months reading, writing, listening to music, eating hot tomales and Starbucks sweet BBQ chips, drinking cranberry ginger ale and peach green tea lemonade. What’s done is done. Do not dwell on the past.

One of the moves for strengthening the stomach muscles is to place your stomach against the workout ball and roll your self forward into a plank position and then lift one leg at a time off the ball and hold it up in the air while balancing your other leg on the ball. I know it probably sounds easy but I ended up rolling off the ball and blasting that fat all over the cement floor in a fit of personal embarrassment and laughter. If I’d been in an actual class with other people I’d have been kicked out for being inebriated.

There is another move which I have never mastered and I’m quite certain I never will. You sit on the floor, with legs crossed in Native American style, and you lift both your butt and your tangled legs off the floor using only the strength of your (and by ‘your’ I mean ‘my’) weak and shaky arms,  which are planted firmly on the floor behind you.   Yes, the yogi can do it but hello?  I’m lifting quite a lot more weight than she is.  And that’s why I do this in the privacy of my basement. The standing big toe stretch can be pretty comical as well. I look like a spaz compared to the gals on the video. Thankfully they can’t see me. If this were an app on my phone, I wouldn’t be so confident of that.

I asked Lexie if she would paint my toenails for me and she queried “and why is it you can’t do this yourself?” I had to come clean and admit that the huge growth on my abdomen was impairing my ability to reach down that far  without passing out, cramping up or falling over spilling red nail polish all over the rug. I’m hoping the downward dogs, planks and chaturangas will  alleviate this  problem.

I guess it’s fairly plain that much, much more practice is needed. I do know this…. after I do this particular yoga video several times a week for more than a month, I start to feel great and look more vibrant. I don’t even care if I lose weight because I look and feel better. And I just ignore the A-OK hand symbol that represents the past and the future…blah, blah, blah. With yoga you are supposed to empty out a busy mind. I’d better be careful not to empty out everything, I’m going to need some of that for interviews and subsequently, work.

However, it does feel good to stretch and move again. I feel like I’m doing something good for myself. I’m doing something, period. So even if visible results take a few months I know I’m moving forward. I frequently think of a movie I watched with Bette Midler and the short guy…..oh, yes, Danny Devito. I think it was called Ruthless People. Bette Midler’s character was kidnapped and locked in a basement where there happened to be fitness equipment and she got into such good shape during her incarceration that her husband wanted her back after refusing to pay the required ransom.

So back to the dungeon for me. Once I have the fat blasting yoga routine mastered again I will switch up my DVDs and let Jillian Michael’s get away with attempted homicide.

 

Power walking on the treadmill at the gym, I’m asking myself… what was the point I was trying to make in Adulting 101? It was more of a ramble wasn’t it? Me just spewing out thoughts as they popped into my mind.

It started off with me taking in our home from the vantage point of our bar height dining room table where I could see and feel the warmth of the fireplace and the ambience of hundreds of twinkling mini lights as I read, journaled, drank Perrier and watched my favorite new show, Last Man Standing. (Ok it’s an old show but new to me). I was just wondering ‘what I did to be so blessed?’ As my thoughts progressed, I realized that we are where we are by the grace of God alone AND it’s a good place. But also because we have made mostly adult choices and decisions along the way. This is not to say we have never made childish, foolish or selfish choices as well but thankfully the majority of decisions were hatched out of an adult mind and mentality and we have asked for the wisdom of our Father. James says ‘that if anyone lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously and without reproach.’ So I took God up on that offer.

Even though we second guess ourselves very often and feel like we are jumping out of a plane without a parachute on many occasions, there is evidence of growth and maturity. The results of making unselfish, God-guided, sacrificial decisions has bode us well. We didn’t get here over night. I’m not foolish enough to think we’ve arrived either. It also doesn’t mean we deserve our blessings but they have been graciously bestowed upon us, even when we haven’t adulted.

In Hebrews, Paul had this to say about that. “About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing……14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil….Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity…”.

Adulting is hard and not for wimps but it’s worth it! God’s plan was that we would grow and mature from babies into adults. Babies can not carry out God’s will upon earth… well… wait. There was this one baby. How could I forget? It’s not even 3 weeks since Christmas….

This leads me to believe that maturity (or adulting) was the plan all along. So regardless of how insecure and childish I often feel inside, I definitely am an adult and it has its rewards for sure. Maturity is not something to avoid or be shunned, it’s something to aim for and desire.

I pray I will never be referred to as a spoiled child in an aging adult body. Such a travesty. I cherish and covet my adult friends. Let’s grow old and mature together. And let’s enjoy the fruits and privileges that come along with that. And the blessings we don’t deserve.

Sometimes I look around our home and wonder, how did I end up in this beautiful home with its black and white striped wall paper, chandeliers and original paintings by us? Not to mention the trendy grey walls, black woodwork trim, black hardwood, black and white checked tile flooring. Also the lacquer upright grande piano, red front loading HE washer and dryer, flick of a switch fireplace, floor to ceiling pantry, attached garage, pedestal sinks in the bathrooms, walk in closet, french door, 9ft ceilings and Hunter Douglas wood blinds. Let’s not forget the impressive entryway with a 2 story ceiling and built in sitting/storage bench, remodeled island and finished stairwell to the basement. I am aware this sounds like a realtor trying to sell you the place but seriously, this place is definitely not for sale. I haven’t even mentioned the backyard with a huge covered deck and brick patio, quaint barn shed and 40 foot columnar aspens we planted ourselves 7 years ago. The reality is totally amazing and surreal.

Yes it’s a carriage house (fancy name for attached home) but who cares? It’s amazing and often times I feel so undeserving to be residing here. And the piece de resistance? I live here with the husband of my youth and, at the moment, our two adult children.

I sit here and gaze around in total astonishment. As if we were full fledged adults, we had this place built and chose all the colours and upgrades and details and I must admit, we made pretty good choices. We even picked out the Schulter.  I had never even heard of schulter let alone know what it’s used for. (It’s a nice finishing seal for tiles on walls in case you you have no clue either). Our names are on the mortgage. Maybe that’s not something to brag about… we’re 60 and we still have a mortgage. Such is life.

I mean I actually buy stuff like sheets, pillows, towels and toilet paper. Light bulbs, laundry soap, spices, bandaids and Christmas trees. I have a collection of cookbooks that could turn me into a chef if I’m not careful. Who needs university? I have a sewing machine and a serger and I’m not afraid to use them. A bread machine. A Cricut (a very fancy paper cutter) and a Verrisimo to make exotic coffees for our guests.

Pottery barn, Williams Sonoma, Homesense and IKEA are my favorite stores, although I might mention that most of our furniture…ok-all of our furniture, came out of someone’s garbage, was passed down to us, given to us, bought on Kijiji or found in the ditch at Sylvan Lake. Luckily, we know how to sand, paint and reupholster.

The fact that I am blessed is obvious, but that’s not my point. Adulting is my point. I wake up to find, to my utter amazement, that we actually are adults. I didn’t realize it took 60 years to get here. We take out garbage. Black Tuesday. Green and blue Wednesday. I make meatloaf, banana bread, oatmeal and heart smart salads. So weird because when I was a kid, I vowed when I grew up and could do whatever I wanted (jokes on me), I would eat Captain Crunch for every meal forever.

I often ask myself, whose life is this anyway? As if I were on the outside looking in. I remember living in Toronto while Mike attended chiropractic college, we were poor as church mice and assets were non-existent. Our temporary rented home was functional, basic and boring. We happened to be invited to the home of some friends from church and I was checking out their bathroom, not unlike Steve Martin in Father of the Bride (however I did not fall from their second floor bathroom into the swimming pool) and was amazed and impressed with the pictures hanging in the bathroom, the guest towels, the candle burning, the beautiful bathmat set, the fancy and aromatic soaps and lotions and I clearly remember thinking-so this is how adults live. Someday I will furnish my home like this and I will be an adult too. It’s possible.

You may be thinking, well that’s very obvious…. you are an adult. But is it? I mean our kids are adults if age is a major indicator but I have never really felt like one. Maybe it’s denial??? I ask you, what’s so great about being an adult? You have to make difficult decisions and endure emotional pain very often. You are required to be wise and responsible and unselfish. That’s a tall order that some very aged adults have not reached. I’m not foolish enough to think that the sum total of our stuff and status makes us adults. Our PM and the POTUS have shown us that (did I say that with my outside voice?). However, I do sit here and ponder these things.

Often I feel like an actor in a movie or at least an imposter, pretending to be an adult. Pretending to be married (for 36 years to the same man, now that’s real), with 27 and 30 year old kids. We have a mortgage, insurance, health care, a profession (well my husband and does), debt (most unfortunately), aches and pains, laugh lines (even though life hasn’t been all that funny at times), indigestion, topped off by nightly leg cramps. We wear glasses, have had laser surgery, colonoscopies (now there’s a fun thought), age spots (me). Our first few steps in the morning when we get out of bed mimic those of a 98 year old. Our bodies are adults for sure, my mind just hasn’t caught up yet.

I’m beginning to understand those movies plots that switch courses half way through the movie. These are the things you think about when you have too much time on your hands and worse still, you have the time to write about it.

I must run now and go to my workout followed by meeting with a friend to glean some professional wisdom so I will try to think of a conclusion to this diatribe when I return. Thanks for reading.

So here I sit on a wintery Monday morning, January 8th, wondering what my next step is. In my heart of hearts, I truly thought I’d be working come the new year. Just the way everything was coming together, I thought for sure one of those jobs was mine. I’ve spent a few days reeling from the blow that I will not have the joy of starting with either of those organizations this January and now I must move on.

What have I learned? I’ve learned that you have to be dead serious about playing the game. The HR game. There is only one game, faith based organization or not, and if one wants to win they must play like their life depends on it. It occurs to me it’s a lot like the reality TV shows, Big Brother or Survivor. You must use strategy and sly cleverness. You must form alliances. Tell different people different stories and there’s very little room for blatant honesty. I’m not very good at the game I’m realizing. Maybe I’m too real and too honest. Just being me. I guess that’s why it feels like rejection because they actually ARE rejecting me. If I had put on some phoniness and told some tall tales, then it wouldn’t really be me they are passing over it would be the person I was pretending to be.

I’ll admit that most likely someone else was younger or had credentials I don’t possess. I mean why wouldn’t they choose a 35 year old with a degree? Possibly the person that was actually hired had worked in that type of organization before… I had not. Or maybe the successful candidate spent hours rehearsing all the correct answers to every possible question. You don’t know which questions they will ask so you have to come up with a clever answer to all possible questions. That is a ton of work… more work that the position itself, in many cases. But I guess that’s the screening process these days based on mounds of psychological research. And it’s quite obvious these HR professionals do not deviate from the rules. There appears to be no room for gut feelings or intuition. Not that I’m assuming they felt that with me, I’m just saying.

Let’s face it, once they see the whites of my eyes they can pretty well guess how old I am. And it becomes pretty obvious that I’m not seeking a career or planning to climb the corporate ladder. I’m just desperate for a job and that’s not something I can hide or deny. I’m willing to work my butt off and be ‘all in’ for the next 5-10 years but that’s all I can offer at best. I’m a bad risk if they’re looking for longevity or that ‘claw my way to the top’ instinct. Maybe they fear they can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

You see, I’m finding my son maybe does have this figured out to a certain degree. He keeps telling me that the only way to get the dream job is to lie through your teeth and I’m beginning to believe him. Maybe not lie…but definitely you can’t be yourself and you do have to embellish. And that is one reason why I haven’t started my own business. I’m not very good at promoting my skills. I never have been. I’ve never had that confidence or inherent self worth.

I know what I can do but I need an opportunity to show it. Maybe if I was as good a communicator as I profess I’d be able to express it so well in words that I’d close the deal.  I’m that person that aces the day to day assignments and tasks but totally chokes up on the exam.

The real story lies within and I don’t often get a chance to share it. Next time they ask that question, Why should we hire you? I just want to reply… you’d be foolish not to hire me because if this position becomes mine, I will own it. You’ll never find anyone more loyal or faithful to doing a good job for your company because once I enter into a contract I am fiercely committed to providing the service that you hired me for. You won’t find anyone that will work harder. You won’t find someone more resourceful. You won’t find anyone that endeavours get along with all people as I do. I find difficult people a challenge to win over not a reason to quit or whine. I end up loving my work because I consider the opportunity to work for a living a blessing. I’ll be on time. I’ll work late to get the job done. I’ll never say to anyone ‘that’s not my job’. Instead I’ll say, leave it with me and I’ll handle it (then find out who does it or how to do it myself). I’m prolific learner and believe in continuous improvement. I’m highly motivated. I don’t shirk away from responsibility and hard work. I have years of life and relationship experience. I can handle stress with the best. The Lord knows the stress I’ve dealt with in this life and I’m still here, in one piece, and I’ve never been institutionalized. But alas, nobody asked me that question, not this time.

True, I did think of all the brilliant answers to their questions as soon as I drove away. Maybe I’m just too old for this game. Truth be told, do I even want to play anymore? Did I ever? I know I can handle the work, I know it, but I’m just tired of jumping through emotional and psychological hoops trying to prove it. There are so many things I do so well that are obvious to the world and yet, I find myself trying to prove I’m worth hiring and clearly not doing a stellar job of it.

If I really believe that God is in control of all of this and knows my needs (and I do and He does) then I must believe that these organizations are not where God wants me no matter how virtuous they seemed. This was not God’s plan for me. Maybe He was saving me from an unpleasant work experience or maybe He just has something far more ‘perfect for me’ in mind. I just need to continue to trust that He knows what He’s doing. I do what I can do in the flesh and leave the rest to Him. I need to learn to walk by faith not by sight.

True story… He has never let me down or deserted me before. Oh it felt like it at times, it truly did, but in the end, He has always come through for me. Always. He has NEVER let me down. He has never left me or forsaken me and this is something I CAN say with full confidence. I know He has a plan for me and it’s not to harm me, it’s to prosper me and give me a future and a hope…. I would have lost heart, had I not known I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Disclaimer: I feel better already. I’m moving forward with joy.  And this is what writing my thoughts down does for me (this was my first draft btw). It empowers me and encourages me and God speaks to me through my own writing. You should try it!

 

Reading my cookbook collection. Each book like a novel. My criteria, other than being on the $3-$5 table at Chapters, was to buy only cookbooks with stories of culture, geography and food philosophy so they would be interesting to read as well as to cook from. For Christmas, I received a gift certificate for a cooking class at a french cooking school. These activities, I’m really looking forward to in this new year.

I always seek out a word or words and several passages of scripture to define my year. The word that seems to be on my heart is ‘stewardship’ with ‘contentment’. One verse that keeps repeating itself in my life is ‘let us throw off all that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with endurance the race that is marked out before us…’. I’m curious. What is the race that is marked out before me? Oh sure, I know all of the things God asks all of us to do but what are the things that He wants me to specifically do? Have I done them? Am I doing them? Am I on the right path?

There is the parable of the talents and the Sermon on the Mount which are both speaking to me lately. Both will be inspirational as I endeavour to ‘steward’ my blessings this year. Hopefully stewardship will be a life long practice. Stewarding my time. Stewarding my health. Stewarding my wealth. Stewarding my relationships. Stewarding my soul. These amenities do not belong to me but they have been entrusted to me and I need to steward them wisely and responsibly.

In years past I have felt somewhat out of control. The more controlling I tried to be the more life spiralled out of control. Sometimes lost. Often overwhelmed. Frequently self sufficient. At times, selfish. Cowering in fear more than I’d like to admit. ‘She is clothed with strength and dignity and laughs at the days to come.’ I’m still working on that. I believe it will be a journey not a destination.

I want to improve my blog-make it more user friendly. I want to write more. I want to be thankful for 3 things every day-keep a gratitude journal. I want to strengthen and heal my body with real food, homecooking, physical training and sleep. I want to find meaningful work-lucrative would also be a nice plus. I want to quit storing up for myself treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal. I want to simplify-learn to live with less. I want to spend more time face to face with people and less time on Fakebook and Insta-fairytale. I want to read and learn and engage in activities that will keep my mind sharp. I want to accept wrinkles and grey hair and grow old gracefully. Not that 60 is considered old these days but, let’s face it I am in the latter half of life. I want to spend more time praying and more time believing and less time fearing and doubting and panicking. More time contending for the promises of God.

I want the peace that comes with contentment. What is contentment really? I am determined to find out and when I do I will share what I’ve found. I believe I’m on the cusp. I want to be right with my Father and all His children. I want to bless people and I want to make beautiful things. I want to make beautiful things to bless people. There is still a lot of beauty to be found on earth every day and I’m going to find it. Seek and you will find. Very often I don’t even have to seek, beauty is just there staring me in the face.

I want to discover new music. I want to sing more. Read more. Listen more. Let go of things more. Get angry less. Be selfish less. Be impatient less. Be lazy less. More kindness. More love. Less resentment. Less rushed.

Likely this sounds like a totally impossible self improvement plan. But my aim is not perfection, it’s continuous improvement. God is not through with me yet. I am a work in progress. I can do all things through Christ and that folks is the secret of contentment. I just need to go out and get more practice. As long as I am unemployed I have lots of time to nurture these goals and if the Lord blesses me with a traditional job I will still find a way to include these priorities in my life.

I’ve noticed a new trend on Instagram. Very often when people post amazing pictures of themselves, their kids and families, dressed to the nines or on a wonderful vacation or accomplishing something magnificent or even just giving a virtual tour of their designer homes, many of the comments just say this. ‘Goals’. Many people are looking to others and wanting to models themselves after unrealistic perceptions of very imperfect people. I know when I match up my goals to the Word, I can attain a reasonable level of growth because this is what God calls me to. The goal is not perfection but excellence.

So 2018… bring it on. I’m ready for ya. Not that I have a choice. Nervous Laugh out loud. NLOL

 

 

 

 

A repost from our NYC trip in 2014. I realize Christmas is over but I meant to post this a few weeks ago and forgot.  So here it is anyway.

 

Take me back to last Friday morning when my mom, my sister, my daughter and I got up at 5:30am to sneak down to the Rock to see the lit Norway Spruce in serenity and awe. We were finally able to linger on the park benches and just take in this majestic sight (with only 3 or 4 other strangers with the same idea)…the symbol of Christmas..probably around the world . New York City knows how to do Christmas….all the way from the Salvation Army volunteers bopping to Feliz Navidad, to the Snowflake light show on the SAKS building at night, to the store window displays, and the Rockettes Christmas spectacular (aptly named), to the hot apple cider with cinnamon sticks at Byrant park skating rink and SAKS Narnia décor on the main floor with jazz band….NYC was the epitome of everything I ever thought Christmas was about. The decorations and the lights…over the top. Luckily my house back home was already decorated but just wait until next year. We will bring NYC here.
The clerks in the stores wish you “Merry Christmas” (not Happy Holidays or Celebrate Happy and Seasons Greetings). In fact, while we were in New York, a worthy news item was how Washington was trying to preserve the true meaning of Christmas and had a live nativity scene out on the lawn. The Rockettes Christmas spectacular, while having amazing special effects and music and dancing and Santa and 3D glasses, finished off the show with the most awe inspiring, praise worthy Christmas pageant I’ve ever seen. Opulent but spine tingling…the night stars and THE star and the majesty of the three kings and the focus on the baby Jesus in a manger….I glanced over at mother and she was balling like a baby she was so moved. She even heard Kanye West rap the words “Only Jesus can save us” at the free Aids benefit concert that we were privileged to be at. We even had a wave from Regis Philbin from the US Today studio on the windowed ground level across from the Rockefeller centre.
We happened to be on top of the Empire State building on the clearest night of the week (the week that we visited). The view of the city lights was breath taking…if it hadn’t been so cold we could have stayed up there all evening. This same sunny clear day we visited Ground Zero and paid our respects to the fallen of 9/11 followed by a ferry ride out to stand with Lady Liberty on her island. The history of Ellis Island pulled at our heart strings and I could just feel the range of emotions that immigrants coming to America felt when landing on the shores of New York to pursue the American Dream.
Walking down 5th Ave. after night fall (at 4:00pm) was a wonderful New York moment….passing Ralph Lauren and Harry Winston and Tiffany’s and Bergdorf Goodman’s all decked out for Christmas. We decided to stop in at Bergdorf’s ( did you know that all of these department stores seem to have 9 floors and the Christmas decorations are always on the 9th floor?) and of course we went into FAO Swartz (I have to admit I was a little disappointed when my credit card bill registered my purchase as “Toys R Us”….lost a bit of the magic for me). Visiting Macy’s with its “Believe” slogans everywhere brought home the Miracle on 34th Street message – which is more than just believing in Santa Clause but rather about having faith and hope in mankind and a higher being – for me, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Bloomingdales, Central Park, Park Plaza Hotel…all icons of New York City were visited and photographs taken. Our photo journal of the reality that felt like a dream. And the Starbucks….on every corner. Our favorite one though was the Mother of all Starbucks…with two service counters and an open photo booth where we could pose for pictures and email them immediately to anyone whose email we had memorized and we did. Every day…almost.
The open air bus tours were a great idea….we saw a lot of New York we would never have seen on foot. Speaking of feet, my 82 year old mother, kept pace with us for four days. She didn’t miss a thing thanks to her new memory foam joggers.
But the highlight of this experience (which was a Bucket list item for all of us) was sharing these New York Christmas moments with each other. Sharing the experience made the experience.
Precious moments,
Special people,
Happy faces,
I can see.
Somewhere in my mem’ry,
Christmas joys all around me,
Living in my mem’ry,
All of the music,
All of the magic,
All of the fam’ly home here with me.