"I'm In a New York State of Mind"

For the first time I got to see the New York City!

Pa's office arranged a bus to take employees and spouses/ older children to New York City!

Seeing this city has always been one of my dreams.

Some folks like to get away, take a holiday from the neighborhood:

my first view of the Big Apple!!!!

hop a flight to Miami Beach, or to Hollywood.

check out the size of these buildings

I'm taking a greyhound on the Hudson River Line-

I know it's from Newark, but it's still a Yellow Cab!

I'm in a New York state of mind.

My bus partner and me

I've seen all the movie stars, in their fancy cars, and their limousines.

Our "tour guide" Jeff

Been high in the Rockies under the evergreens.

Nana and I wait to see the Christmas Spectacular

I know what I'm needin' and I don't want to waste more time. 

the famed music hall's sign

I'm in a New York state of mind.

Sitting in the Radio City Music Hall, in the New York city, I cried, I actually did.

It was so easy living day-by-day.

this bus, actually can only drive back and forth -
 the driver drives the bus off stage, then carries his
 seat to the other end of the bus,
 to make it look as though he'd turned around!

Out of touch, with the rythym and the blues.

a camel from the live nativity, while we were on the backstage tour these have to live backstage instead of in the downstairs prop storage with the donkey's and sheep- they are too big for the elevator!!

But now I need a little, give and take.

Miss Laurel, a Rockette!!, gave us a backstage tour.

The New York Times, the Daily News.

Here is how those fabulous dancers keep in step...color-coded tape on the floor!

It comes down to reality, and it's fine with me, 'cause I've let it slide.

Here's for you , Ellie! BLING! In fact, the final number of the Christmas spectacular  "Shine", really does shine!
The costumes are made each one COVERED in Swarvorski crystals.
Now that's a lot of sparkle!

Don't care if it's China-town or on Riverside.

Nana in the Godiva store. CHOCOLATE!!

Don't have any reasons, I left them all behind.

the tree at Rockerfellar Center

I'm in a New York state of mind.

Dinner at Macy's...yes the place is ENORMOUS!!!!!!
There are 9 floors with lots to do "but mostly shopping, shopping, shopping..." (SNC fans will get this...)
Anyway, 9 floors and we barely covered 2...

For more info...read Mama's post and Nana's post.

Life is Like...

Hang on everyone, this may sound really weird at first.

Life is like a game of cards. Now stay with me, here.

You are dealt a hand. You only get so many cards.

 It may be a good hand, it may be bad.

However, with the cards you have, you can do what you like. 

You can play them randomly, with no sense of order.

Or, you can plan each turn carefully and strategically. 

Sometimes, your plays will be wrong, and sometimes, you'll have to act without knowing what's next.

But, in this game, there is no re-deal: you only get the hand you're dealt.

There is no misdeal: all the hands are given fairly, with no dishonesty in the dealer. 

Cheating has strict punishment- you're out.

And, we have a pretty contentious dealer...He even gave us a book of tips and hints!

Christmas Movie Quotes Answers! {finally}

Dear Readers, thanks to you all for waiting so long...here they are!

1. "What your about to see is true. The names have not been changed, because nobody believes me anyway."


The answer: "Jeremiah" in "The Preacher's Wife"

2."A house is only what it's occupants make it."

Alouicious T. McKeever (the hobo) in "It Happened On 5th Avenue"

3."A great big shiny aluminum Christmas Tree!"

the answer: Lucy Van Pelt in "A Charlie Brown Christmas"

4."Pish...no one needs the mink coat but the mink!"

 The answer? this was said by "Uncle Felix" in "Christmas in Connecticut".









5."And a happy New Year to you...in jail!"


the answer: Mr. Potter to George Bailey in "It's a Wonderful Life".







6."Speak to me...Charlie...are ya hurt?"


the answer: RIzzo the Rat to Gonzo (as charles dickens) in "The Muppet Christmas Carol".







7."They're going to miss us."


The answer is: Joseph to Mary in The Nativity Story





8."How can I tell him when I do not know which way is Conn-ect-i-cut?!"


answer: French restaurant owner to Danny in "Holiday Inn".



9."Wait a minute...she's got to find her happiness." *girl screams and faints*.


Humphrey Bogart as Joseph in "We're No Angels".







10."There's a light on this tree that won't light on one side."


the answer: Mean-One-Mr.-Grinch in "How The Grinch Stole Christmas".









11."When what's left of you gets around to getting what's left to be gotten, what's left to be gotten won't be worth getting even if it's worth what you've got left."


This tongue twister was said by Danny Kaye as Phil Davis to Bing Crosby as Bob Wallace in "White Christmas".





12."What of the food that I am accustomed to?"
       "Very accustomed to!"


The three wise men(I'm not going to even try spelling their names ;} ) in The Nativity Story (same as above)









13."Oh, yes, and we love having you.. Uh, when are you leaving?"


Bing Crosby to Fred Astaire in "Holiday Inn" (same as above).









14."God bless my little broken body!!"


Rizzo the Rat in The Muppet Christmas Carol.





15. "If I'm willing to let my wife have a splitting headache in the morning, the least you can do is have a little headache tonight!"


Philip Tonge as Mr. Shellhammer in Miracle in 34th Street.





16. "There is one role I have never played: God."
      "God, sir?"


 answer: Mr. M in "The Cheaters"





17."Perhaps he only slightly crazy... like poets, painters, or... or some of those men in Washington."
 Mr. Shellhammer in Miracle on 34th Street









18. "Uncle Banjo will pull a few string for you!"


Jimmy Durante as Banjo in "The Man Who Came To Dinner".







19. "Some say yes, and some say no."
      "Well, what do you say?"
      "I'm inclined to agree with them."


the answer: Barbara Stanwick as Elizabeth Lane in "Christmas in Connecticut".





20."Aunt Clara had for years labored under the delusion that I was not only perpetually 4 years old, but also a girl."


Ralphie in "A Christmas Story".







O.K. Now, this is easy for me. I only had one entry. That's right, 1. And so the winner is....


MISS JO MARCH!


Hurrah!!


And here is your award...you go girl!

Happy New Year!

♪ What A Friend We Have In Jesus ♫

We have lots of friends: old friends, new friends, feels-like-I've-known-ya-forever friends, and the list goes on.

"Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty."  

-Sicilian Proverb

Friends meet in many places, too. Online, in church, at works, volunteering, on trains and buses, and sometimes in an airplane thousands of feet off the ground.


Mostly, a friendship is formed in finding a common interest, love, belief, or habit.

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: What! You too? I thought I was the only one." 

-C.S.Lewis

As God's most social creature, humans have a great need for friendships. It is a way for us to have someone with whom to express love. Someone with whom we can have a love relationship.

The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend.

 ~Henry David Thoreau

This is our nature. But, why? Because, being made in God's image we share His nature. God is love, and love must be expressed in word and deed. God made you just in order to love you; that was man's original purpose! knowing this about God, though helps us understand, it will never allow us to comprehend the Love of God.

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."

-I John 4:7,8

 Christmas is the time when the Father showed His love by giving Christ to us... and showed He loved  us when he suffered the most shameful, cruel death in the history of the world.

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

-Romans 5:8

Like the love He had for Moses, now we have through the love offering of Christ.

 "And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend..."

-Exodus 33:11

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face..."

-I Corinthians 13:12

Let us remember the love and friendship that God has for us; not just during the Christmas Season, but the whole year through!

Happy New Year!

As we close the door on the old year,

courtesy of Google images

let us keep our foot in the door

courtesy of Google images

long enough to remember the good,

Mama, Nana, Emma and I meet a Radio City Rockette, Miss Laurel.~December 2010

forgive the bad;

photo courtesy of bytheway-nana.blogspot.com

then turn and face the new year with hope and anticipation,

photography by Susan

as the latch is pulled on the past.

courtesy of Google images

Happy New Year, Everyone!