It Was a Very Good Year.

Tradition requires this to be a day of reflection and for looking forward.

On the last day of 2016 we lost Quah, our dog of 16 years. She was the kindest, gentlest, best looking dog we have ever owned.  She was a mutt like us, and she was always an important member of the family. It was hard sitting with her as she passed that cold night in December, but her passing opened a new door for us.

 

January began our adventure as we sorted through our “stuff” deciding what to store, what to dispose of and what to take with us to NYC.  We listed the house and by March 3, the house was empty, the storage unit was full, and we left Texas in a small yellow Penske truck.

Tip was reminded of the movie Paint Your Wagon…

“Where am I goin’?  I don’t know.  Where am I headin’? I ain’t certain. When will I be there? I don’t know. All that I know is I am on my way.”

It had been 18 months since we had last been in NY, and we had visited the place we were to live only once, only briefly.  We were hoping that things were as we remembered them to be, and not our anticipation painting an unlikely dream.

We arrived in Manhattan on March 9, a gray, overcast day.  To our delight there was ample space to unload our truck and the moving team arrived early.  The apartment was clean and warm and for a few minutes we felt reassured.

Then, we remembered that we had to return the truck!  Back in the city traffic, we made our way to 34^th street, returned Penske to his garage, then decided to walk back to our apartment on 52nd.  Along the way we discovered the Highline, and with that we knew we had made the right decision.

We had been asked to stay in touch and send pictures of the places we go and the things we do.  We decided the easiest way to do that would be to do that would be with a blog.

So, inside the cab of our little yellow truck, somewhere between Alabama and New Jersey, JAM mentioned that she felt like Alice in Wonderland.  We pulled out a notebook and began a story about sliding down a rabbit hole to a world that was familiar but unknown.

Little did we know, the Madhatters were just around the corner chasing their own rabbits.  We met up with Lynn and Justin later this year and have been inspired by their adventures. You may be inspired by them too.  Here is their link:

MadHattersNYC.com

We have met so many interesting New Yorkers, all with their stories to tell.

Arenn, the concierge who grew up in Hell’s Kitchen became a friendly face.  He offered the advice of using the Empire State building as our North Star.

Laura and Fr. Gabriel from Sacred Heart who have enriched our spiritual lives.

Mary, from New York Cliché who has entertained us with her plights in New York. Here is her blog…   NewYorkCliche 

Keith Michaels offers tours of the city.  Through him we met our friend Laurie.  Check him out here… Keith Michael Nature Walks

The Bad Portrait artist in Central Park.

Nancy from Third Street School of Music, who we met at Governors Island and who introduced us to her world of music.

Phil, from W42ST magazine, who we met during the 9^{th  Ave.} food festival last spring.  He and Ruth from his magazine have provided us with ideas for our adventures, and suggestions for Hells Kitchen’s best eateries.

The women from Professional Women Photographers of NYC who have welcomed and inspired me.  A special shout out to Gladys, who produces and directs documentaries.  Thank you for your friendship.

And many others who shared their stories, made our road a little more enjoyable, added texture to this canvas, and welcomed us to their city.

We would be remiss not to mention those back home who have supported us this year, and those who came to visit.

Sal and Teresa, thank you for showing us the Hamptons and Montauk and for sharing your dear friendship with us.

Joyce, we are so grateful that you were here to share the fireworks with us in July.  Those memories will last a lifetime.

Mary and Vicki, we covered a lot of ground during your stay.  We thought the heat was going to melt you before the week ended, but the two of you were troopers.  Thank you so much for your friendship.

Karen, SAR and David, our travel buddies.  You always enrich our lives.  We were excited to welcome you here and to share our time in Boston.

Finally, our niece Cari, her husband Blaine and daughter Berlin. We enjoyed your visit and love sharing our favorite city with you.  Thank you for sharing your vacation with us.

2017 has been a Wonderland year.  Hope we haven’t rambled, but if we did, it has been a year for rambling.  Especially for rambling through the streets of New York City, exploring the new, the old, the eccentric, the established, and the unexpected.

One more shout out to all of those who have followed us on our blog, and on our personal Facebook pages.  It is the connection to friends and family that keeps us centered.  You are a blessing to us.

May all of you have a joyful and blessed 2018.