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Thankful in April...Broadway Nightlife

I hope I don't disappoint anyone, but this is not a glamorous post. The words "Broadway Nightlife" have a very exciting mood, but this is Buttercup's night on Broadway. I won't be in the newspaper style columns tomorrow, but thought it gave a glimpse of real life in Manhattan.

I live one block from Broadway, in the much more residential section of Manhattan. Lots of baby carriages and families were strolling on a beautiful spring night. To get to my destination I passed a popular neighborhood restaurant. Lots of big parties come here to celebrate.



I passed our Broadway "limo," the #104 bus, my usual way of getting home from the theater. It's not glamorous, but it's sturdy and reliable.


I happily arrived at my destination, Rita's Ices, to use my coupon for a delicious pink grapefruit ice.


It's been a nice day, even though I started out with a little let down. I realize I wasn't a guest at yesterday's wedding, but I felt I had joined all of you and billions of others in a very fun and romantic event and now it was over. I knew I had to get myself up and going and went to services, visited my friend Vivian, who was 89 yesterday, went grocery shopping and had lunch with a friend. I am much perkier and feel very thankful for all that today held.

Tomorrow night is the giveaway announcement and there is still time to enter on the "Tulip-Time" post.

Thankful in April...The Sun Shines Bright in London

Thankful in April...BOBBY DARIN ~ A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square ~




I'm often tootling through YouTube while I look at email and tonight I wandered into music of the 1960s. First I listened to a little Robert Goulet and then went to one of my all-time favorite singers, Bobby Darin. After "Beyond the Sea" and "Once Upon a Time" I found this video of one of my favorite songs, "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square. If you're not familiar with it, enjoy and if you are familiar, I think you will like this rendition very much.

With all the excitement over the royal wedding on Friday I've had London on my mind. In tribute to the lovely young couple about to be married and to lovely young couples throughout the world may nightingales sing of your happiness!

Thankful in April...Easter


Wishes to all for a bright and blessed Easter!

Spending time with family and friends is among the most special moments of holidays. I spent a few minutes --  via Blog visiting -- with one of my favorite blog friends, Lura, this morning. Lura and her husband were in a car accident last month. Although Lura has been in the hospital for over a month, she is thankfully recovering. I know she would enjoy visitors and you would be able to visit with one of the sweetest citizens of Blogville. 

My wishes to all for a sweet day, with all the blessings of health and happiness! I know I am blessed with my sweet blog friends. 

Thankful in April...Tulip Time




Snuggled between apartment buildings is one of my favorite places in the neighborhood, the West Side Community Garden. It's only two blocks from my apartment building and in the spring and summer it's a favorite place for a visit. Last Sunday was the Tulip Fest and it was lovely. Spring flowers are one of the things I am especially thankful for.

There was a beautiful array of tulips and other spring flowers planted by members of the community.





Today is a rainy Saturday in New York City, but it warms me up to remember the bright sun of last weekend and the beautiful tulips.

In honor of the spring I'm hosting a spring giveaway! Tell me one of your your favorite spring memories and a little surprise may just be coming your way. The giveaway will run through the end of the week and the winner will be announced next Sunday, May 1.

Hugs and good wishes! 

Thankful in April...Central Park

This has been a busy, busy week. I began it with a medical appointment at 7:15 on Monday morning. ...and I am thankful for my internist who begins appointments at 7:00 AM and that the tests were good...

As a result I found myself at the entrance to Central Park on a glorious spring morning.



Despite the fact that I am still wearing a light winter coat and my gloves, I can see from the blooming trees and all the green in the Park that warmer days are coming.

I'll be posting this weekend...Passover, the Tulip festival and a giveaway to come!

Blessings and good wishes on this weekend of hope and redemption.

Thankful in April...Thanks for Visiting New York!

Where Wall Street meets Broad Street

Thursday was a perfect spring day. I happened to be downtown -- for a fitting for my hearing aid -- and on my way to the subway found many visitors to New York City taking pictures and enjoying the spring weather. 


A lot of people were posing for pictures with George Washington in front of Federal Hall. New York City's City Hall in the eighteenth century. The Continental Congress met here and Washington was inaugurated as America's first president in April, 1789. This distinguished building is now part of the National Park Service. 

In doing my research for this post I discovered that National Park Week begins tomorrow. In honor of the treasures of the United States National Parks, what is your favorite park? It's a tough choice for me, but I am leaning to either the Grand Canyon or the Smokies. What's yours?  

I hope everyone is having a great spring weekend!

Thankful in April...The Bounty of the Earth

I am thankful for oranges. You were my "go-to" fruit all winter...

But I am delighted to welcome the berries to the fruit market!


Blueberries, I am so happy to see you! Melons, we're waiting for you!

This is one of the local groceries. I always enjoy the fruit displays in front of the markets and wanted to share it with all of you. I usually buy fruit and vegetables at the little markets and this one is one of my favorites. 

Can't thank you all enough for the lovely and caring messages you left about Janet's passing. I am -- as always -- thankful for friends and all you give so generously. Hugs and blessings!

Thankful in April...Real Life


My intention for April was to blog daily. But as with so many intentions real life got in the way. It wasn't errands or work or taxes. It was life and death...the core of life that brings me back to what is important and what are the issues on which I need to focus.

I've been very blessed in my work life, both in the things I've gotten to do and the people I've met. "Work" friends have become simply friends and people I go on vacation with, celebrate holidays with and share joys and sadness. This was a week of sorrow and joy. My friend Mike's mother died on Monday and that was the focus of the week.  Wake on Thursday, Mass on Friday and time spent together yesterday, a time of tears, remembrance and laughter.  It has been a time of sadness for Janet's death and a time of thanksgiving and joy for having known her and spending many happy hours at Christmas and summer cookouts, laughing and enjoying her company.

I am reminded once again to be thankful for real life, however messy and difficult that real life may be at times. I am thankful for quiet minutes drinking coffee with friends, chatting about the most mundane details of our lives. In those minutes is the core of a good life...friends, drink to share and peace in which to live our lives. Thank you all, sweet blogger friends, for being part of my life. Hugs and blessings!  

Thankful in April...Georgia's

Since I don't get to Paris very often these days, I am so thankful that Paris came to me. Not all of Paris, but a delicious little taste in the charming cafe that is a block from my apartment.


The outdoor tables make a wonderful place for an iced coffee in the summer.My hope is that the scaffolding that is surrounding the cafe will be gone by the summer.  They serve lunch and dinner, too, but the real treat is the pastry. Everything is beautiful and tastes as good as it looks. 


As lovely as all of these treats are my favorite is the relatively simple, yet sublime almond croissant. It's as good as any I've ever had. For anyone in the metropolitan area who is a croissant fan it's worth a trip. 


 My photograph doesn't do the croissants justice. 

Thank you Georgia's for bringing Paris to me!

Thankful in April...Spring Flowers


I love spring flowers!

I'm thankful for spring flowers in general and in specific, very specific. I'm especially delighted by the crocus and snowdrops that grow in tiny plots of land on the streets of Manhattan. I loved the wild fields of daffodils that grew on the New England hillsides when I was in college. But these hardy tough little flowers practically growing out of the concrete are a testimony that spring and growth can come out of the most improbable places. I'm also thankful for those who bent over these bits of earth and planted the bulbs last fall. What faith!

Thank you to all who act in faith and bring us the beauty of the spring.   

Thankful in April...Quiet Sunday Morning

This is how my day began...


It begins this way every day, but it's not often that I start the day leisurely with the paper. On weekdays, it's shower, breakfast, look at email and get dressed more formally than I did this morning. Today it's jeans, sneakers and t-shirt, but during the week it's an attempt at a more polished look.

Without anywhere I need to be until 1:00 P.M. I managed to sort laundry, do some blog visits, wash a sweater and stockings and take a walk in the beautiful spring morning. The walk included one of my favorite things to do, breakfast out.



I combined several favorite things -- the paper, breakfast and iced coffee -- in one quiet hour. So grateful!

I'm thankful this April morning for sunshine, iced coffee, bagels -- sesame with butter -- and for the people who bring me the New York Times every morning.  And of course, for my blog friends who come and visit.

What are your simple pleasures this April morning? Hope you have many! 

Thankful for April and Thankful in April


I am thankful for April. Despite the April Fool snow yesterday -- big wet white flakes when I got off the train for work yesterday -- I know warmer and brighter days are ahead. I may just get to hang up my heavier winter coat any day now and put away my hat and scarf for a long time.

I am not just thankful for April, but I am going to be thankful in April. Each post will focus on something/someone for whom I am grateful. And as ever I am thankful for the One that brings us through the snows of every season and into sunlight.

Have a beautiful Saturday, dear friends!