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Greetings from the Empire State Building



Actually, the greetings are from me at the Empire State Building. But for some reason I'm all turned around and the title pretty well describes my state of mind. I'm not sure why I'm more turned around this week, but I've misplaced a book I need to do the post I wrote about on Saturday. I've misplaced my scissors and I've misplaced my card list. I decided instead of trying to sort myself out, I'm going to do another post from my walk down Fifth Avenue last Friday and hope everything magically turns up. I know they're here somewhere, and when somewhere is three rooms I'm optimistic everything will be found.
 

I can't remember the last time I was inside the Empire State Building, possibly the summer of 1965 when I came to New York for a week of sightseeing with my parents. By the time I moved to New York in 1975 the World Trade Center had been built and that's where I took friends who were visiting New York and wanted to see the tallest buildings in the world. I love the Art Deco look and the gold and glittery Christmas tree in the lobby.  


I also admire the beautiful decorations and the windows to Fifth Avenue. I definitely think it's time to explore other New York treasures that I haven't visited in decades. There will be some beauty waiting for me to rediscover.

For the first time in a long time we got a good soaking of rain today, and more is predicted tomorrow. Usually I'm not a fan of rainy weather, but we're in serious need of rain and I 'm grateful for the blessing of a good rainy day. I'm especially glad there was rain in the south and heartsick about the fires in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. I spent a lot of time in Sevierville visiting friends when I lived in Tennessee and came to love the area dearly.

Now I'm off to search for my scissors and my book and my card list. If those are the worst of my mishaps I'm a lucky woman.

As ever, thanks for visiting and take very good care.

 

Saks Fifth Avenue Pink Saturday


There's nothing like jumbo bright candy to catch my eye at the doorway of Saks Fifth Avenue  

I've got a long list of places I'd like to visit in the next month and I started yesterday with a walk down Fifth Avenue. I walked from 59th Street to 30th Street and got to see almost all of the sights along the Avenue that I hoped to see. I do want to return to Saks Fifth Avenue for a few more pictures -- the lines to see the windows were a little overwhelming -- and I will stop by Rockefeller Center after the tree lighting to get the full effect of the decorations. But yesterday was a spectacular day to start my expeditions. It was sunny and warm (for November) and it seemed everyone who lived in New York and everyone who was visiting had the same idea that I had.


I decided to begin this year's holiday pictures with these windows at Saks -- because I couldn't think of a more perfect picture than the one above for Pink Saturday. These are the "fashion" windows, but they are pretty enough for holiday decorations.
 
This one featured red with candy décor, too. I love to look at the clothes, but even in my most fashionable days I don't think this would have been my look. Now my idea of dressing up is a tunic dress over my "good" leggings, and I go most places in my sneakers.
 
Visions of sugar plums and lollipops for the well-dressed New Yorker. 


This beautiful scene is part of the holiday display. The reflection in the background is Rockefeller Center.
 
Today was another perfect day for enjoying New York. I took a subway trip to Queens and made a few fun discoveries and had some very good coffee. I'm going to be doing a series of posts in the next month about visiting New York City at Christmas time and my journey today will be featured early next week.
 
Please stop by tomorrow for a visit to the New York Public Library, some book chat and a giveaway. 
 
As ever, thanks for visiting and wishes for a great rest of Thanksgiving weekend. Enjoy! 
 

 

Happy Thanksgiving

Today and every day,
Thankful for family, friends, faith and our country 

 


'Twas the Day Before Thanksgiving...

And all through the town, pies were lined up, so tomorrow there won't be a frown.


I'm not expecting we'll be eating pineapple pie tomorrow, but the pie stacks -- yes, there are pumpkin, apple and pecan, too -- caught my eye.


This picture seemed to sum up Thanksgiving -- minus the turkey and pie. I've got two bags of fresh cranberries in the refrigerator and will soon begin to make cranberry relish. It's made with two kinds of ginger, fresh and candied, pears and a little orange juice and it's requested every year for the last decade. It takes a lot of chopping, but it's so worth it.

I'm going to be back every day over Thanksgiving weekend and we'll be doing a quick giveaway on Friday. I hope to post the first of the annual Christmas in New York photographs on either Saturday or Sunday. Stay tuned, we're going to have fun in Buttercupland.

I'm off to cranberries. Whether you're in cranberries, pie or in the midst of turkey time, my best wishes for a great day before Thanksgiving.

As ever, thanks for visiting. I'm thankful for everyone in Buttercupland! 

It's Thanksgiving in Buttercupland

I realize Thanksgiving came and went in Canada last month and the rest of the United States won't be celebrating Thanksgiving until next week, but thanks to my friends at Dunkin' Donuts it is officially Thanksgiving in Buttercupland.
 
The Dunkin' Donuts Turkey Feast Sandwich...turkey, stuffing, Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce on a ciabotta roll. The presentation wasn't elegant, but it made the perfect quick lunch.

I generally write about companies that are local to New York City, but I also try to keep up with national trends. As a New Englander I grew up with Dunkin' Donuts. There is a branch just a block from where I live, as well as many throughout New York City. They've added some specialty coffees to the menu -- yes, macchiatos that are really good -- and tasty sandwiches that make good lunch treats.

I love Thanksgiving and can -- and do! -- happily eat turkey and cranberries any time of the year. I bought cranberries today to make my cranberry ginger relish for Thanksgiving dinner. I was a little skeptical when I was asked to sample the Turkey Feast Sandwich for Buttercupland. But I found it a very nice taste of Thanksgiving when I'm too busy/on the run/savoring the flavors of Thanksgiving. Thanks, Dunkin' Donuts friends for a delicious lunch and a great start to Thanksgiving. 
 
I save doughnuts for a treat, but it's hard to resist the display at my local branch of Dunkin'. The Candy Cane Crunch Doughnut is calling out to me.

Today we're still in autumn in New York. Actually it feels like early autumn today. Tomorrow is supposed to turn cooler and I will take out my gloves for real. I plan to be out in the next few weeks with scarf and gloves taking pictures of New York decorated in holiday splendor.  

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a lovely Saturday!

Please note: I was given the Turkey Feast Sandwich by Dunkin' Donuts for my review. The opinions are all mine.   

Once Again, Autumn in New York


The view from Central Park, looking east
 
Facebook graciously reminded me that I have posted pictures titled "Autumn in New York," both last year and in 2013 on November 15. I tend to think the peak of autumn is in October, but clearly recently the peak of autumn here is mid-November. Today is chilly and rainy and I am so grateful to have a relatively unplanned day. But yesterday was the most glorious autumn in New York day. After morning yoga I walked up Central Park West -- the western edge of Central Park -- and was treated to glorious foliage.

Another view of the park, this time at West 81st Street. 
 


My walk included the American Museum of Natural History, one of my favorite places in New York City. Two topiary dinosaurs grace the front of the museum for the holiday season and I got to see them being decorated. Each wears a wreath and they will be adorned -- probably completed  after I left -- with lights. I think I need a return visit later in the season. The flag in the background is the flag of New York City.


The museum faces Central Park and I happily spent time sitting in this area gazing at the park in all of its autumn beauty. Generally the steps entering the museum are packed with people, but I practically had the area all to myself. I just had to share the afternoon with my dinosaur friends and that was a complete pleasure. Can't think of better company!  

I'm about to embark on a very local -- up the block and across the street -- adventure. You know there will be pictures!

As ever, thanks for visiting. Wishes for a cozy Tuesday.

Marathon Pink Saturday


Running on Central Park West, almost at the finish.

For almost every year I've been blogging I've been out of town for Marathon Sunday. But this year not only was I home, but I had made a commitment to do an errand in the neighborhood near the finish line. I probably would have stayed closer to home, but without really planning it I was in the center of the Marathon activities. I'm sharing these Marathon photographs as my Pink Saturday post for this week.
 
It was a beautiful day for the thousands of runners from around the world that participated. The streets are blocked off -- the set up and security are monumental and were so well done -- and the runners are coming around the corner. They are about to turn into Central Park, having begun in Staten Island and run through Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx before finishing in Manhattan. 

This is a slightly different perspective on the same area, Columbus Circle. It's not quite two miles from where I live, just a few blocks from my gym and directly across the street from the site of one of my favorite work places. The building I worked in has long been demolished and replaced by a very fancy shopping mall/hotel/office tower, but to me it's still 10 Columbus Circle and my office.  

At the end of the race the runners are given capes to hold in heat and throughout the area there are finishers in blue capes. The bikes in the background are part of a city-wide bike rental program.
 
I was back in the neighborhood later in the week and in homage to Veterans Day, I took this picture of the monument built to honor those killed in the explosion of the USS Maine in Havana harbor in February, 1898.

I'll never be a runner -- too many surgeries and injuries -- but seeing the runners made me think about doing a timed 5K walk. I initially thought of a half-marathon, but decided to focus first on a more attainable goal. I may decide it's a little too ambitious, but it's a great goal to strive for.

As ever, thanks for visiting. Take good care and wishes for a peaceful week. 

Lilac


 
I was going to return to our regularly scheduled programming, but it's difficult to think of much beyond the election today. The first phrase of the paragraph below kept popping into my mind.

"With malice toward none, with charity for all..."

With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

This is the last paragraph of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, given in March of  1865.

In the eight years I've been blogging there have been less than a handful of critical comments out of thousands of comments. In a time of vitriol and rancor Buttercupland remains a place that is neither red or blue, a place where I hope there will be malice toward none and charity and friendship for all. I once thought of naming Buttercupland, Lilac Lane. I love lilacs and perhaps, prophetically it's the gentlest shade of red and blue together.

This evening I toast the visitors to Buttercupland. Long may we stay an oasis of kindness and friendship. 

And the Line Went Around the Corner


My voter sticker fell off soon after this picture was taken, so this is the only record of Buttercup and sticker together. 

This was the twelfth presidential election I've voted in. The first was absentee when I was in graduate school and the other eleven have been in New York City. There have been some long lines, including 2012 when new voting machines were installed in New York and I waited an hour, but I've never seen what I saw today. The line to vote stretched around the corner.
 
This was the scene that greeted me as I walked to my polling place. I vote at a public school and the entrance is more than half way up the block. The line began to the right of the bus. 

The line turned around the corner...

...and went up the block.
 

The PTA held a bake sale and the theme was red, white and blue. 

Now we wait. We all have our opinions, including me. But you won't see them in Buttercupland. This is the place where everyone is welcome, whether you vote red or you vote blue.  All I'm asking is that you vote.  
 
As ever, thanks for visiting. Take good care and vote!  


Pink Sky Pink Saturday


The photograph that inspired this post. The pink sky is perfect for Pink Saturday. I took this picture looking west at Christopher Street towards the Hudson River. 

To my somewhat complete amazement it's getting close to the end of the year. I think I blinked and the days flew from August to November. I put together a list of things to do for Christmas and Chanukah last week and I'm beginning to think about places to visit to take pictures for end of the year blog posts. I realize I've skipped a number of posts I intended to write -- coffee especially has been neglected -- but I'm also glad that life is filled with many things I want to write about. One thing I've accomplished is to get up and walk just about every day. Some days I know where I will be going and some days it's much more random. Today's plan was semi-random. I was heading downtown to pick up some socks I saw last week. The socks were sold out, but I had a fabulous walk from Tribeca in Lower Manhattan to West 19th Street in Chelsea.  

I try to pick a new route for every walk. I would have thought that after forty plus years in Manhattan there wouldn't be many new routes, but I've found places I don't think I've ever walked before, or at least not in several decades. The city changes and I'm just catching up on many of the changes. Today I walked much further west than usual and walked up Greenwich Street. I was only several blocks from the Hudson River and this building housed warehouses in the more robust shipping era of the nineteenth century.

While I was in Lower Manhattan -- at Church Street looking southeast -- I looked up and saw this combination of architectural styles from the last two centuries in one glance. The area where I was walking still has many blocks of nineteenth century buildings and the cobblestone streets to go with them. Though I know change is inevitable I appreciate preservation and especially enjoy my walks through areas with the most buildings from "older" New York.

It was twilight as I got to this Greenwich Village playground and found the Empire State Building lit for the evening in the distance. I was about a mile away, but the Empire State Building looks so much closer. 

It's a pleasure to actually do my Pink Saturday blog post on Saturday. I hope everyone had a day as pleasant as mine and wishes for a very happy Sunday. Thanks for visiting!