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Valentine's Day Is Just Around the Corner

Just around the corner in Brooklyn...
 
Though there were a few days when I was stuck in the snow, January has flown by. In a blink and a nod it will be Valentine's Day and for the sixth year I am participating in a card-making event for the Childrens' Hospital of Kansas City. Our dear blog buddy, Melinda of Country Dreams  is organizing bloggers to make and donate cards for the children who will be in the hospital during Valentine's Day. I'm not especially crafty, but I so enjoy getting out all of my hearts and rhinestones to put together cards that will brighten the day for children who are hospitalized. Just click the link and you will find all of the details, and if you haven't met Melinda yet, you're in for a treat. She's a honey!
 
Thanks all, who left sweet comments on my blogaversary post. Books will be going in the mail to: Susan,  Anne at Stuff and Nonsense, and my blogger buddy at Starting Over, Accepting Change. I will be in touch with all of you to get addresses. This wouldn't be a blog without the wonderful Citizens of Buttercupland. Again, many thanks and a big hug!

I had a wonderful long walk through three neighborhoods in Brooklyn today and took lots of pictures, including the one above of a candy store window. I'll be doing a longer post later in the week with some of my favorite pictures. It's going to be difficult to pick, there was beautiful light and so many interesting spots. I may have to do two posts. or maybe even three.

As ever, thanks for visiting. Now it's time to finish my lovely Sunday with Downton Abbey and my new favorite, Mercy Street. Wishes to all for a great week. 

Dragon Fruit Pink Saturday


I am continually grateful that even in the midst of winter, just a week after a blizzard, it is still easy to find fruit and vegetables. I take for granted the food pictured above, but not that many decades ago frozen orange juice was a treat and not all that long before that scurvy was still an issue.

Yet, there are still some fruits and vegetables well out of the norm. I'm relatively adventurous, so when I found dragon fruit at one of the local stores I had to try it.

The store's presentation was less than fabulous, but I've learned to look carefully in the little nooks. There are real treasures often hidden away. 
 
I did a little research when I got my dragon fruit home. I needed to learn how to eat it and what its benefits were. Dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, is a member of the cactus family and is grown in Southeast Asia, Central and South America and Israel. I don't remember ever encountering it in any of my travels in those parts of the world. The benefits seem myriad. It's high in Vitamin C, low in calories and filled with antioxidants.
 
I followed the directions, cut the dragon fruit open and the next step was peeling off the bright red skin. The first few bites were only okay, but as I got accustomed to the taste I really enjoyed it. It's a little pricy for an everyday snack, or even an almost everyday snack, but I am hoping that I will find dragon fruit in Peru. I'm happy to share this pretty in pink fruit as part of Pink Saturday.
 
There's still six hours to leave a comment on this post for my blogaversary giveaway. I'll be announcing the winners in tomorrow's post.
 
I hope everyone is having a cozy Saturday. I've been straightening up my apartment, as well as making a trip to the library for some research and reading for Coffee Light, which I really liked. I'd forgotten how many terrific mysteries and mystery writers I've enjoyed over the years.

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a great weekend!    




Mermaid Moon


When I vacationed in Maine last summer one of my thoughts was that the Maine coast would be the perfect setting for a mystery novel. Not that I experienced any of the twists and turns that Mallory Davis, the central character in Colleen Coble's Mermaid Moon experiences, but that there was so much that would make for great detail in a mystery. Colleen Coble took all of the atmosphere and land and sea scape of Maine for Mermaid Moon.

Mermaid Moon has all of the plot needed for a fast paced mystery, characters that held my interest and romance. The novel begins with the death of Mallory's father and we follow her path back to Mermaid Point, where she grew up. I especially enjoyed the parts of the story that deal with Mallory's family and issues in her past.

Mermaid Moon is the second novel in the Sunset Cove Series. I haven't read the first book, The Inn at Ocean's Edge, but I'm putting it on my to-read list. I very much enjoyed the setting and characters, so I'm very pleased Mermaid Moon is part of a series.

Thank you all for your kind comments about "Coffee Light and Mysteries Noir." I've fixed the link here and it's now a quick hop over to "Coffee Light." I've also started a Facebook page for "Coffee Light," where I plan to post items of interest about mystery fiction and authors, including giveaways.

Amazingly, the second largest blizzard in New York history is rapidly disappearing and there's so little snow I am even back in sneakers. My boots are cleaned and back in the closet. I hope everyone else is digging out, too.

As ever, thanks for visiting and take care.  

Who Likes a Mystery?


I am pleased to announce a new member of the Buttercup blogging family, Coffee Light and Mysteries (Mostly) Noir. Coffee Light was born, after months of thought, on Saturday, and after some further hours of layout and template tweaking I am very happy to share it in Buttercupland. I love to read mysteries, and though I write about books here I wanted to have more flexibility in writing about some of the titles I especially enjoy. Some of my mystery choices were a little too dark for writing about in Buttercupland and I realized it was time to branch out. For Facebook fans, Coffee Light has its own page and I am planning to share links there to mystery fiction and authors, as well as posts.

When I started Buttercupland, I didn't give it a great deal of thought. My first post had no comments and four page views. I had no expectations and just meandered through Blogland. If I'd given blogging a lot of thought I don't think I would have started. I would have been waiting to find the perfect title, background and I would have agonized over the first post.

I came close to overthinking Coffee Light. I first thought of this in May after BookExpo America, but I thought I needed professional design to launch it. After I decided to start simply I wrote and rewrote all three paragraphs of the first post, again and again and again. Somewhere in the midst of my rewrites I realized that I wanted the post to be good, but I wasn't writing "War and Peace," and the only way to start was to start. And so, a blog was born.

Buttercup is here to stay and I am optimistic I can balance both blogs. I plan to be here three times a week, with the usual mix of pictures of New York, thoughts on (my) life in New York and books I'm reading. I hope to post on Coffee Light three times a month and do longer posts. My goal is to write about books I enjoy and hope fans of mystery fiction will enjoy, too.

Please follow the link over to the Coffee Light blog. When I last updated the template there were no followers and you can be the first follower. I'll be linking to Facebook and Twitter, too. I'm looking forward to writing about some of my favorite books and sharing my thoughts. Whether you like your coffee light or prefer tea, I hope there will be something for everyone who likes a mystery.

As ever, thanks so much for visiting and keep warm, cozy and safe in these snowy and slushy days. 

Weekend Weather Update, Blizzard 2016

Yesterday it seemed that it was going to snow for the next month, but by this afternoon Jonas seemed to be just another really big snowstorm. I believe it is third on the all-time snowstorm record, but I've been in New York for two of the others and they aren't even memories. Not that there isn't a lot of snow, because there is, but happily in my neighborhood, many of the sidewalks are well shoveled and I could get out -- Pepe is good company but not the best conversationalist -- and enjoy the beautiful sunny weather today.

This is Riverside Park, on the west side of Manhattan. New Jersey is on the other side of the Hudson. 
 
I wasn't the only person out today. They were many children with sleds and assorted sliding devices.
  
The other major activity was digging out cars. These two boys seemed to be having a good time while they worked.
Yes, they are on top of the car.
 
 
My biggest challenge walking around after a storm is the crosswalks. Some buildings do a nice job of clearing and some leave big piles of snow. I try to avoid the corners with piles of snow, but at the corner of Broadway and 89th Street some very kind soul used a snow blower and made crossing here very easy. Thank you, kind soul. The other challenge is bus stops. Today they were impossible to get to, but I'm hopeful in the next day or two they will begin to be cleared. I'll be on the subway for the next few days.
 
Manhattan is alive and well. Thank you all for the good wishes. So grateful for heat, light and snow blowers.
 
As ever, thanks for visiting. Keep warm, safe and cozy!

Blizzardathon2016 Breaking News Pink Saturday

Because of Winter Storm Jonas -- still not used to the practice of naming snow storms -- the previously scheduled  Pink Saturday post has been postponed for coverage of Buttercup's activities today.

I have prepared for this weather situation, just in case I am unable to leave my apartment for the next month. I have coffee -- a lot of coffee -- paper towels, toilet paper, library books and extra batteries for the remote and my mouse. I was being a little cavalier about the storm, but even as late as yesterday afternoon the prediction was four to eight inches for Manhattan.

Besides blogging -- hope to launch the new blog tomorrow -- here are a few of my other activities.

 In an effort not to be overly wired I will be switching from coffee to herbal tea later this afternoon. I think I'm going to start with caramel apple. The tea pot tea leaf holder is only included because it's so cute. 
 
  Later in the afternoon is spa time. I'm going to pamper my winter weary skin with one of the masks I brought back from South Korea. Despite how good this looks, it's not edible.
 
 
One of my foremost activities of the day is updating my Facebook page. One of my Facebook friends did a post that began, "Per the Facebook terms of service I am posting a picture of the snow...". I felt an equal obligation to post pictures of the snow at different times. This first photograph was taken from my apartment window at 7:30 this morning. 
 
 
I did a Weekend Weather Update at 11:30. I stood on the steps of my building to take this photograph. As much as I didn't want to put on my boots, hat and coat I did, so I could take pictures. 
 
This is my life today. What's going on in your neck of the woods?
 
Back to regularly scheduled programming. Yup, coffee drinking, reading and blog visiting. 
 
As ever, thanks for visiting. Keep cozy and stay safe! 


Perhaps My Final Televsion Appearance


Not that I made television appearances or had a television career, but I've been an enthusiastic member of the audience on a number of television shows that are broadcast from New York. I've slacked off lately, but decided I would resume going to shows again in 2016. On February 1 and 2 I may be seen in the audience at the Meredith Vieira Show. I also may not be seen. I'm going to be tough to find in the audience, even though I am wearing a hot pink sweater, honoring the request to wear bright, solid color clothing.

I was near the end of the group entering the seating area, but I was excited when I saw a single seat on the aisle. It was at the back of the room, but I always enjoy aisle seats. Perfect viewing spot...but the Entertainment Co-ordinator didn't think so. He asked not one, not two, but three people to move and placed me close to the blue wall on the right, just about out of camera range. You may espy a still cute senior citizen in a hot pink sweater on the far side of the audience, but most likely you won't. The camera rarely got over that far. Perhaps I'm being overly sensitive, and I try not to look for slights, but the issue put a damper on the day.

Because I'm Buttercup I'd be remiss not to point out the high points. Dermot Mulroney is even better looking in person and Mario Cantone is even funnier in person. For now, though, I'm taking a hiatus from my television career. I think I'll stick to books.

I'm fully stocked up for the looming snow storm. I have enough food to last for at least a week, though I am sure I will stop in at least one store tomorrow for some "must have." I have very few plans for the weekend and several books I'm hoping to read.

As ever, thanks for visiting. Friends in Virginia and the North Carolina, stay safe and all, keep cozy.


 

Lucky Seven Blogaversary...and a Giveaway


There's a party going on right now...
Come Celebrate!
 
We're celebrating the seventh blogaversary of Buttercupland. It's seven years and one week after I started blogging in 2009, and my goal is very much the same as it was on that cold winter night. I wanted to "see myself and the world in a happier and more upbeat way." The world seems equally gloomy tonight, but thanks to the friends I've met around the world -- I get a little (good) chill when I write this -- I'm helped daily to see the world in a kinder light. 
 
In 2010 I wrote "Here's to 2010 and all the friendship and wonder and surprises that are yet to be discovered." I echo this tonight. Here's to 2016 and to my friends from 2009 and to the bloggers I met just last week, thank you. If you're a visitor and haven't left a comment before, please don't be shy. It all starts with a comment. And now, enough of the speeches, let's party!
 
It wouldn't be a party without presents, but tonight the presents are for the good citizens of Buttercupland, and it's a book giveaway. It's actually a trio of book giveaways.
 
For crafty Citizens of Buttercupland...
 
I think this would be perfect for cold winter afternoons,
 for those who love to sew.
 
I'm also going to give out a surprise cookbook and a surprise novel. I have several cookbooks in mind, but if you're interested in fiction, please let me know what kind of books you enjoy and I will choose one for you. It's the usual easy-peasy entry. Please be a friend on BlogLovin, Google Connect or Google+. For this giveaway, I'm also including Facebook friends who leave a comment. The more the merrier. I'll let the winners know on Sunday, January 31. And thanks, for joining in the fun.
 
I wouldn't have had these seven years of blog happiness without all of you. Thank you, thank you and thank you! 

Spring Fashion Dreaming Pink Saturday

I realize with only three actual days of winter, it's somewhat premature to start dreaming of the spring. But New York City had its first snow today -- maybe an inch -- and the thought of spring that was at the edge of my mind moved center forward. I'm not a winter fan, and snow and sleet are two of my least favorite things. I dread slipping and falling, especially after an unfortunate slip on a sleety sidewalk exactly twenty years ago. I broke my elbow and the memory still lingers.

I stopped in Bloomingdale's on Thursday and while walking through the store discovered that fashion is already thinking spring and thinking pink (and blue) spring.

This is the first rack of clothes that caught my eye, especially the shirt on the right. I'm in too many layers right now to wear it.
 
Then a few more pretty in pink outfits drew my attention. 
 
 
I realized almost every rack had pink items.
 
My favorite were these pink and blue jeans. I can imagine wearing them when the weather gets nicer.
I like the pale blue ones, but I'd choose pink.
 
 
Once I noticed the spring clothes I saw them everywhere, including this chic children's store I walked by yesterday.
 
 The pink signage first attracted my attention and then the cute clothes.
 
It's fun to window shop, but I'm a long way from picking out spring clothes. Some time in April, when the first breezes of spring begin, I'll be thinking of lighter clothes. But for now, it's time for a coat, scarf, hat and gloves...until the spring.
 
I'm once again happy to join the Pink Saturday fun. Please stop by and visit some of the nicest bloggers in Blogland.
 
I'm enjoying this quiet wintry weekend. I've decluttered my computer -- lots of email deleted -- walked a few miles and done my grocery shopping for the week. I'm preparing a post to celebrate the seventh anniversary of Buttercupland and getting ready to launch the new blog. Now I'm going to enjoy one of my winter treats, Downton Abbey. I've got my tea steeping now.
 
As ever thanks for visiting and take good care.


I'm in It to Win It (Sort Of)


I've been resistant to the Powerball mania that's been sweeping the country. I did spend a half hour last week with my friend, Mary, discussing what we would do with six hundred million, if we won. I think I had a list that was similar to a lot of people. I'd like a bigger apartment -- just another bedroom would be fine -- in a building with a swimming pool. I'd like a trainer three times a week and I'd buy a vacation house for my cousins in Rhode Island. I'd give a lot to charity, starting with my college and my synagogue. I didn't want anything I'd have to maintain -- a brownstone building or a villa in Italy -- but I'd love to rent a suite at an elegant hotel in London for a few weeks. What I realized was I liked my life and with just a few tweaks I could come pretty close to my lottery dreams.

     When I was walking home from the grocery this afternoon this sign called out to me...
Buy a ticket, it called. And so I did, from a newsstand very much like this one.
 
 
 
I am now the owner -- like at least half of the United States -- of one Powerball ticket. I'm aware of the odds and have no expectation of becoming a multizillionaire tonight. But I also realize that I can make the tweaks I've been thinking about. I might not reserve a suite in London, but I might find a B&B in Bath and spend a week visiting a city I love. I might work with a trainer for a month and see if it improved my fitness and I might donate to a few charities whose work I support. None of these are the stuff of Powerball dreams, but they are all actually doable. I may not win Powerball tonight, but I'm delighted that the two dollars is money well spent figuring out a few things that might/will make me happy. Thanks, Powerball!
 
What are your Powerball dreams? Are you a ticket holder?
 
It's been a nice day. I went to my Weight Watchers meeting this morning and walked home, stopping at a fruit and vegetable stand and to buy a new shower curtain. Nothing exotic, but the fresh air felt great and I've kept my resolve to walk at least a mile every day this month. I hope you've had a wonderful Wednesday, too.
 
As ever thanks for visiting and keep cozy!


Next Stop, Peru

I love to travel. I like to return to places I've enjoyed visiting -- a fourth trip to Chicago is scheduled for this spring -- and I like to visit places I've never been. For decades, literally, I've kept a list of places I want to visit and plan and research things to see on each trip. Somewhat regimented? Yes. My theory has been that if I get to somewhere once I don't want to miss anything I might enjoy. I've also scheduled my travels around work. Whether it meant not traveling at certain times of the year -- around Christmas -- or simply scheduling around events and colleagues' schedules, I tended to schedule somewhat far ahead. There wasn't a lot of room for spontaneity and I became used to it.

But that's all different now. There aren't a lot of long-standing commitments, unless I choose to make them. I did schedule this trip in the summer, but it may be the last major trip I schedule so far ahead. The big difference in this trip...it wasn't on my list of places I especially wanted to see. It sounded interesting and the scenery looked gorgeous, but for years I flipped the page in the brochure. Last summer I didn't flip the page and next month I'm going to Peru.

 Machu Picchu is on the cover of this guide I borrowed at the library today
 
I enjoy archeology sites and I'm especially interested in seeing Machu Picchu, the Incan city in the Andes. I'll also be in Lima, the capital and Cuzco, which was the Incan capital and combines both Incan and colonial sites.


 I'll also spend a few days in the Amazon, and yes, I'm hoping to see a monkey or two while I'm there. The Amazon rainforest will be very different from the cities of Lima and Cuzco, both of which have very high elevations.

I'm not exactly sure why I stopped flipping the page for the Andes and the Amazon, and really it doesn't matter. Something in me said this is the trip for now. Next month I board a plane for Miami and then another for Lima. I need to start brushing up on my high school Spanish and make sure I know how to use my new camera. Next stop, Peru and you know there will be pictures.


I enjoyed the NY Times Travel Show a lot. If I ever have doubts -- can't imagine that I will -- that there's nowhere I want to visit, yesterday's visit to the show reminded me that there are a lot of places left to see. Some I've been thinking about for a long time -- Sri Lanka -- and some I've never thought of before, like Greenland. I've got lots of brochures to read and enjoy.

I walked part of the way home yesterday after the travel show and enjoyed the spring-like day. Today it was winter and I wore a hat and heavy coat while I did my errands. The forecast for tomorrow is snow and I'm getting my boots ready.  

As ever, thanks for visiting and keep cozy!

Beyond Strawberry Blonde Pink Saturday

I was riding the bus on Broadway the other day and what to my wondering eyes should appear...The perfect photo for Pink Saturday!

Pink hair!
 
My first thought was "Would I ever color my hair pink?" My second thought was "Perfect for Pink Saturday." But to return to my original question, would you ever color your hair pink? Taking the question a little further, would you color your hair pink or purple or green?
 
I do color my hair. I started out with light brown hair as a child, which quickly became dark brown hair. Somewhere twenty or thirty years ago I started to cover the gray and now it's brown, with blond highlights. In my mind I still have dark brown hair, but in this moment in reality that is long gone. I liked the pink hair look, but I don't think I would do that. I do think it might be fun and I might look for a spray that could be easily washed out if I was wildly unhappy with the look. What are your thoughts?
 
Two updates:
 
I'm putting off my trip news until tomorrow. I'm planning to go to the NY Times travel show tomorrow and I hope to have some photos to share on my post. 
 
Pepe's Jedi training is not going well. He's monkeying around with the light sabre. Monkeys and light sabres do not mix. I'm hoping he will do better in the coming days or the light saber may have to be retired. 
 
We've got more relatively mild January weather and I'm loving it. Lots of walking outdoors with no hat. I'm off in a little while for my study group and then dinner with a friend. A lovely Saturday.
 
As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care!  

I'm Making a List and I'm Keeping it Right in Front of Me...

My goals for 2016
 
 
 
 
Over the weekend I sat down and put together my list of goals for this year. It's not a long list, but to make headway over the year will take a lot of focus and organization. The longer I am retired -- two and a half years -- the easier it is to focus on the things that are important to me. There are four items on my list and I will be doing four separate posts in the next two weeks.
 
In December I went to a lecture on travel photography by Andy Katz at the store in the photograph. His photographs were fabulous and I realized I missed using a camera. I've been relying on my phone, and while the pictures are good, I really like having a camera with a good zoom lens. I bought one before my trip to Japan last year, but it was heavy, big and clumsy. I used it on the trip and it's sat in my drawer since then. I'm travelling next month and I wanted to make sure I had a camera with me.
 
I was close to this store today, and in an effort to declutter, I sold the camera I had and bought the much smaller camera I wanted. I usually keep things thinking someday I will use them or give them away, but I'm no longer sure when that someday will be. I have another camera, also little used now, that the store didn't want. "No market," I was told. I am happy to mail it to anyone here who may want it. It's a relatively early digital camera, but not a collector's item. Please let me know if anyone would like to give it a home. If not I will donate it to one of the local thrift shops.  
 
Making space -- physically in my home and mentally in my life -- is my top goal for this year. It's time for both things and habits that are of the past to stay in the past. I'm enthusiastic about change, and bubbly Buttercup is making room. I'm not sure what I am making room for, but excited for all of the possibilities. 
 
And that trip I mentioned...Please stop by on Thursday. I'm going to do a post about the trip and my ideas on travel for 2016.
 
As always, thanks for visiting. Keep cozy and have a wonderful Wednesday!
 
   

Monkey Monday...Please Meet Jedi Apprentice Pepe


It all started with the sardine ice cream incident this summer. Pepe and his best buddy, O, a small flightless bird -- full name withheld for potential copyright issues -- decided to make sardine ice cream. O loves anything with fish and they thought they had a great new food invention. I only discovered this when I got a call from the supermarket manager telling me that Pepe and O were putting sardines in ice cream. The manager was irate, but I talked him out of law enforcement involvement and brought my little marketing mavens home. Though it was O's idea, due to his semi-opposable thumbs, Pepe was equally responsible.

O was traumatized by the experience, and promised never to try anything like that again. Not Pepe. He was energized. I noticed a number of on-line ventures he was investigating. I called military schools, but none would accept a monkee, not even Pepe. Then I saw "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." I had my answer.

Not Darth Vader!
 
Pepe began Jedi training this morning. He is studying in an online program on Youtube. He said he enjoyed his first class, but he may simply be captivated by his Jedi light sabre. I am optimistic that Pepe will be achieve Jedi success and cut down his hijinks. Of course he's a monkey and he can't help monkeying around.  I'm hoping that Han Solo will come and meet the newest Jedi. That would give me an exciting 2016.
 
That's the excitement in Buttercupland. From time to time I'll let you know how Pepe's training is going. Otherwise it's back to normal -- or what passes for normal -- around here. I went to the dentist, the post office and got myself back to the gym. 
 
As ever, thanks for visiting and may the Force be with you.    

Merry Macy's Pink Saturday

Though this is my first Pink Saturday post of 2016 it's my last holiday post for 2015. Unlike my usual custom, I've started to put away my snowmen and I've inventoried cards and "stuff." I've got a few things still out and a few cards I want to respond to. But otherwise I'm moving into 2016. My finale post for seasonal decorations are interior pictures I took at Macy's last week.

There are many of the same decorations as in years past, but they still are charming and lovely. My plan for next year is to go to Macy's both early in the season and early in the day and save my psyche from the crowding I experienced this year.

This is my favorite. I love the little village and the theme of "Wish."

"Imagine" is a close second for favorite. I was especially fond of the flying pink hippo. 

 This forest scene and owl decorated the luxury handbag section and greeted me when I entered.
 
Lights, glitter and greens, in an especially pretty presentation.
 
I've had a fun weekend, with much time spent with friends. There was lots of time spent catching up, laughing and eating some terrific food. I've also been able to jet around the world visiting blog friends. I don't make resolutions, but I do have goals and one of mine is to be a more frequent blog visitor. Tomorrow is Monkey Monday and Pepe and I hope you will be back for Pepe's big news. 
 
Once again, wishes for a very happy and healthy, peaceful and joyous 2016.    

My Perfect Word for 2016...Yes, It's Bubbly

Last year I wrote that my perfect word finds me, and the word climb found me. The year before it was give, preceded by (embrace) change and (en)joy. This year it's bubbly. Yes, bubbly, of all things.

I had several other thoughts for perfect words for 2016, beginning as early as September. I was debating between two words as late as yesterday, but when I typed my post about a bubbly new year, I knew that bubbly was my word.

I have been described as serious, cranky and somewhat gloomy at various times in my life. I can't remember anyone ever describing me as bubbly, cheerful or high spirited. But then again, I chose Buttercup for my blog persona because I wanted to be more sunny, and it's been a good choice. I want to be cheerful in 2016, especially with all the darkness in the world. If I can shine some cheer and light into the universe it will be a good year. In 2016, call me Bubbly Buttercup.

This picture has nothing to do with the theme, but it's one of my favorite views of New York City, looking east from the Time Warner Center
 
 
Looking ahead to 2016...A new blog; a trip somewhere far, far away; a wedding -- no, not mine -- more exercise and healthy eating; decluttering, and maybe if I can really focus, a fiction project. No fear, the new blog is in addition to Buttercupland and has a very specific focus. Buttercupland will still be about life in New York, books I've enjoyed reading and observations about life. We'll celebrate holidays and see a little more of America. We'll visit with our friend, Pepe LeMonkee, who is embarking on a new adventure, which he wants to share with his friends here. I hope you're intrigued because it wouldn't be Buttercupland without all of you.   
 
 
January 1, 2016 has been a good day. I took a long walk and ate delicious food. I drank good coffee and laughed with friends. Out of the blue, I got a dollar coupon from the drug store. It didn't snow and the sidewalks weren't slippery. My little apartment is warm and the scent of my crème brulee candle fills the room. At this moment I'm not so much bubbly, but content, which is my runner up word for 2016, and one I hope I will be using often, as well.
 
I hope your day had good coffee and good friends and you get to end the first day of this new year feeling content. If I had one wish it would be that we all get to end every day of this year feeling content.