Waiting For Godot!

One of my birthday wishes was to see Keanu on Broadway and we did! We saw the legendary Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter in Waiting for Godot and it was interesting in many ways. I love that in many ways the writing behind it was referring to God and I loved that about this show. Keanu and Alex need to do more broadway shows. They were all brilliant and amazing in this and I recommend watching it before it closes next year in January! 

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

 

Thanksgiving came late this year and even thought it was just the three of us this year we kept the tradition of going to the Macy's parade. We always have fun and although it didn't rain like it did last year it was pretty cold. We were bundled up and with being in my menopausal state didn't mind the cold. LOL. We had a fun time and enjoyed watching this year's "90's themed" parade. I swear millennials were behind organizing it! They had 90's bands as well as Gen X music such as "Only in my Dreams" by Debbie Gibson playing on a serta mattress float. It was crazy good and although we miss the performances in the beginning because we are watching the parade we can always see it on tv later. I captured a few photos but this year wanted to enjoy watching it instead of recording so I didn't record videos or do a reel but I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving holiday. Now we kick in the Christmas season! 

Fall's Final Stretch In Central Park.

While Noah was at a scout camp Jon and I had the whole weekend to ourselves and we decided to spend time in the city. We are so so fortunate to live close by and that it's only an hour drive for us. We didn't get a chance to catch the fall foliage when it peaked earlier in the month or when my sister was here. Not enough time. I swear there is never enough time in the day to do all things one would want to do in NYC when they visit! So luckily we caught fall's final stretch inside the park and it was nice to see the last of the fall foliage. We also decided to capture moments of us (a little photo shoot if you will) and the beauty that Central Park brings....

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

I can't believe Thanksgiving is this Thursday and that November is almost over!! Last weekend we went to the city and saw the holiday decor at Macy's. It always looks so magical every time we go and it never gets old looking at it every year. We have been coming here sine Noah was three years old. He may no longer sit on Santa's lap but he always obliges when I want to take pictures. He's so fun and at times a bit silly but I can tell the he loves the city just as much as I do even though he doesn't say it enough. 

Dia De Los Muertos.

Dia De Los Muertos is becoming easier for me to celebrate. I love that I can remember our loved ones on this day. Particularly my mom and Joe. Including those who I was closest to growing up. My ofrenda isn't big at all and I don't go all out on making one. And that's okay. It's probably a good thing because that shows how many deceased people I know. I miss my mom everyday and think of her all the time. I cry for her at random times and sometimes they are happy tears and sometimes they are sad. But at the end of the day I want to celebrate her life and not be in mourning all the time. It's still hard though. Especially when her birthday creeps up and mothers day comes. Those are the hardest days. Not to mention the holidays. She LOVED Christmas and it is almost here. But I will remember her as the woman who did her best in making our Christmases special. We didn't have many, but the two I remember I will always cherish them and keep them etched in my mind for always. 

Liberation, Jersey Shore, and Time Spent With My Sis.

My sister made yet another trip to see me recently and it was so nice to have spent time with her. I hadn't seen her since our mom passed away last summer so having her here reminded me of her and it was nice catching up and reminiscing about mom. We spent most of our time relaxing in my little house which she loves so much. She finds it very cozy. I personally do love spending time at home especially when it's in my tiny living room talking or watching Netflix. I love small spaces which makes a place more welcoming and personal. She was only here for a few days so I made sure that we planned a day in the city. 

The Great Gatsby on Broadway!

 

Seeing a broadway show has become a tradition around my birthday and this year we saw the Great Gatsby. I absolutely loved it. It was well done and written and loved it as a musical. I even cried in the end. I thought the movies were good but when they do musicals based off a movie, it becomes emotional for me. 

Loston Harris At The Roxy Hotel.

Loston Harris Is New York... 

I have loved hearing Loston Harris sing and play jazz since I first saw him in the movie Little Manhattan. His voice and how he plays is soothing and so relaxing. Jon and I went and saw him on a Sunday evening at the Roxy Hotel and it was such a pleasure to finally hear him in person. The Roxy Hotel is iconic and it is a unique hotel with the funnest photo booth! We love a good photo booth and we took like a million photos! So if any of y'all are into jazz music and want to eat some good food while having some drinks go to the Roxy Hotel every Sunday evening to hear the one and only Loston Harris sing and play.

Growing Up!!

 

I took these photos last September before school started and as I look at these pics I have to say that he surely has changed. His baby face seems to be vanishing year after year and I am not liking it one bit! He is about 5'3 in these photos weighing at least 120. He's so sweet and funny and has the cutest smile. He may be losing his baby features but in my eyes he will always be my baby! More pics below....

Hugh Jackman at Radio City Music Hall!

 

Tickets to see Hugh Jackman was the perfect Father's Day gift for Jon. He is such an amazing entertainer and it was so interesting to learn more about his history with acting. I had no idea he did so much theatre before he became an actor on the screen. It was a perfect evening and it was so cool to have Richard Marx as a special guest. Hearing him sing "Right Here Waiting" brought back so many memories of my teenage years (good and sad) and I have to say that Richard Marx is better looking now than he was in the 80's! I wish I would have paid more money for better seats so that I could take better pictures but instead I sat back and enjoyed the show. I recorded a few videos but the images are not the best! Still... It was a beautiful evening in New York city and there is no other place I'd rather be than to watch Hugh and Richard with my best friend! 

Summer Solstice in Times Square!

It has been one heck of a first six months into the year and some days I lack motivation to do anything with all that is happening in the world. I haven't had the will to blog or share anything online lately which is why I'll be sharing some the things Ive done to keep me sane from the last two weeks of June. 

Yoga....

Scenes from Memorial Day!

Snippets of Memorial Day weekend included going to Grants tomb for the hundredth time, a walk down Riverside park, enjoying the somewhat less crowds in the city and topping it off with our fave from Wafels & Dinges. It was a beautiful spring day honoring those who have fought for our country and still continue to fight! Thankful! 

Date Night In Dumbo, Brooklyn.

Dumbo in Brooklyn is one of our favorite places to go on a date and man did we have fun on this night! Time out market has so many places to eat and we had some pretty tasty Thai food. It was windy and cold and walked under the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridge until our faces couldn't take the cold wind anymore. We then drove into Manhattan and went to see our "old friend" which is our new favorite photo booth to take goofy photos because that's what you do inside these photo booths! Even with a fractured arm...it was the perfect date night! 

30th Wedding Anniversary Date!

This past weekend we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary! THIRTY!!! Like how is that possible! I swear I feel as if I met Jon three years ago! I am just so grateful I get to spend my life with him. He's so wonderful and always makes life easy for me. I love how he loves me and treats me. We celebrated by going to the city to see the final performance of the Notebook and although it triggered a memory in losing my mom to dementia it was a great show and I'm so glad I saw it. It was a simple and perfect evening. It's the little things you know. So a simple drive into the city to see a broadway show and admire the Christmas decorations on 5th avenue, including battling the crowds just to capture a photo of this years tree at Rockefeller center and eating pineapple cheesecake at Juniors is always worth it in mid December. It truly was the perfect anniversary gift! Oh...and we also saw the infamous Naked Cowboy for the fiftieth time! LOL! Love, love that our wedding anniversary is in December so that we can come to the city to celebrate! I really appreciate Jon's love and how he puts me and my feelings first. This is one of the main reasons why we've lasted this long.

Countdown To Thanksgiving!

 

The countdown to Thanksgiving has begun and Macy's is all decked out for the holidays! Always look forward to taking a photo of Noah standing right smack in the center of the entrance. It's become tradition since the pandemic happened! Looking forward to Thanksgiving this week and to have at least 2/4 of our kids spend it with us! So excited for the holiday season to begin soon! 

Scenes Of NYC In BeReals!

 

New York City is always filled with excitement and since the fall season began it has been a good season so far. The "ember" months are definitely my favorite and there is always so much to do here. I love spending time with my family and we had so much fun going to Jimmy Fallon's Tonightmares. Although it wasn't super scary the effects and the actors did such a great job. I loved the set up and it was super kid friendly which is probably why it wasn't super duper scary. 

It's October!

And just like that...it's October. 

It's been a pretty busy first week of October hence not blogging but alas I'm here and am welcoming October with open arms. I love all the "ember" months and look forward to cooler temps, the smell of pumpkin spice, and of course Halloween. Noah is on the fence about dressing up this year and it makes me sad that those years of trick or treating are gone but hopefully he will be in the mood to dress up. I mentioned to him "it's free candy" and he still hasn't budged. I won't force him but it's on October 7th so there's still hope! 

At least he'll still let me take his picture on decorated stoops in the city! And this one on the upper east side is absolutely gorgeous! 

Remembering 9/11

Here we are on the last day of September and want to close the month with a little post in regards to 9/11. 23 years later and it's still gut wrenching to see these tribute lights. We have been going every year since moving to Jersey and every year I become more and more emotional. I blame it on getting older. I blame it on living so close to the city and how life is indeed very short-especially these days. It's bittersweet looking forward to this day as it falls on my birthday month. Paying tribute to those who lost their lives is my priority when the month begins. Sure I look forward to my special day and in doing fun things but what I love the most is remembering. Remembering 9/11 with my family. Remembering the first time I fell in love with New York city when we went for the first time in the year 2000. Remembering the first time we entered those twin towers with my then little family of four. Remembering all those who lost their lives and although it is painful for thousands of families it is also beautiful knowing that they will never be forgotten with these tribute lights. Even in death- this world can truly be beautiful if we view like that. So let us never forget and always remember this day and to continue to teach our posterity all about what happened in one of our favorite cites back on September 11, 2001. 

Ghostbusters HQ In A Deep Freeze!

We saw the new Ghostbusters movie and it really good. It seemed like a short movie but we enjoyed it. We went to the HQ in the city and saw it all decked out in a deep freeze. It was the coolest installation and so glad we came before they tore it all down. Go and see the movie while it's still in theaters. I love New York and seeing parts of the city where they filmed the movies was pretty cool! 

The Day The World Stopped!

Four years ago this week-particularly on this day we were informed that we would have two weeks off from school. Little did we know that those weeks would turn into months that had us being cooped up in our little New Jersey apartment. That the world would turn into a pandemic that required us to wear masks. That we would not see our friends or family in person until it was safe to do so. That this would be the beginning of remote school. That we would have to be quarantined at home and if we went out to see friends to keep our distance within six feet. That we would end up having home church and that all of the missionaries including our daughter who was serving in Mexico City would have to come home due to the borders closing. That New York would be so quiet and peaceful that it felt like we had her all to ourselves. That everything in the city including Broadway, and the Rockefeller center would be shut down. And lets not forget about the protests......