Goodbye and Farewell, 2020
Pink Saturday Goes to Saks Fifth Avenue
These Gifts We Bring
I first wrote a post about The Little Drummer Boy in 2013, and I've written a post about it almost every year since. This year is no exception.
From my 2017 post:
The post is about my feelings about the Christmas song, The Little Drummer Boy. I came to really enjoy it in 2013 and the words "I have no gifts to bring..." stood out in my mind. This year the phrase "I am a poor boy..." caught my ear. In the last year I've heard many people I know say that they have nothing to give, that they are poor, old, tired or sad, as if the only gift to give needs to be shiny or expensive or brightly wrapped. The best gifts this year were gifts of friendship, smiles, support and kindness, most of which cost very little, but meant a great deal. Dear Citizens of Buttercupland, thank you for your gifts this year. I've valued every comment, Facebook like and follow. Some might say these are all virtual, but I've had the good fortune to meet a number of my blog buddies and what gifts they are. Those I haven't met I accept the good wishes, kindness and concern demonstrated in comments. Thank you, all.
I thought 2017 was a tough year, but then came 2020. Much of our lives became virtual and Zoom became the way we spent time together with friends and family. We learned once again that the best gifts were friendship, smiles (we learned to smile with our eyes above our masks), support and kindness. I was blessed to have a wonderful virtual community already in my life and Buttercupland has been a refuge in the toughest days of 2020. Thank you all, for the gifts you brought day after day after day.
I hope your Christmas day held gifts of friendship, kindness and love. Tomorrow we'll have Pink Saturday Christmas fun window shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue.
As ever, thanks for visiting and thank you all for the gifts you've brought to Buttercupland.
Happy Christmas Eve
The Joys Of Christmas: Baking and Cooking
For our baking portion we're visiting a new favorite blog, Mission Food Adventure. I'm not sure how I discovered it, but I'd like to make every recipe. I did make the amazing Pain d'Epice, a French gingerbread loaf, from one of my favorite bakeries, Bouchon Bakery. Bouchon is now history, but I am so delighted to be able to bake one of their treats. I'm skipping a photograph for this post. My cake -- I used a round 8" pan instead of a loaf -- was delicious, but not picture perfect. As with so many treats, it got better on the second (and third and fourth) day. It was a lot of work, but so worth it. Now that I've got blackstrap molasses in the house, I will be making more gingerbread.
I call this an adult gingerbread. It's very dense and takes a lot of molasses. My blogger buddy at Mission Food explained that French gingerbread is denser and less airy than the American gingerbread most of us are more familiar with. I'm also skipping sharing a photo of my sink afterwards. I thought I was cleaning up as I went along -- the gold standard of baking -- but the sink didn't reflect it.
Pep and I made it to Rockefeller Center today and we had a wonderful time. I'll be sharing the photographs for our Christmas Eve post.
As ever, thanks for visiting and have a cozy Christmas Eve.
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas: The Most Beautiful Christmas Tree in New York City
The 2019 setting for the tree
It's Monkey (and Snowman) Christmas Monday
What's more fun than a barrel of monkeys?
A Christmas car full of monkeys!
Despite my concerns about using the lobby as the background for our photos, Pep prevailed and the monkeys drove into the lobby for their annual picture. One of our building staff, Victor, was in the lobby when we arrived. I was initially shy about setting up the photo shoot, but Victor was interested in our activity and joined in the monkey fun. He even suggested that I get a remote control car for Pep and friends. I'm not sure that New York is ready for an unlicensed, uninsured monkey driving down the street, but Pep is very excited about the idea. Neighbors, be on the lookout.
Winter Wonderland Message from the Buttercupland Department of Public Safety
Visions of Dancing Candy Canes Pink Saturday
Chappy Chanukah
There are any number of ways to spell Chanukah in English and my favorite New York bakery, Breads, used one version of the transliterated spelling for their greeting this year. In the background are the traditional Chanukah jelly doughnuts, sufganiyot. Breads versions are anything but traditional, including chocolate and dulce de leche filings. Chanukah foods are fried in oil to commemorate the miracle of oil that lasted eight days instead of one.
I find it extraordinary that 2200 years have gone by since those miraculous eight days and around the world the commemoration has just taken place. Candles were lit, blessings were said and sufganiyot were eaten. Children still spin the dreidel, a four sided top. The letters on the top symbolize the phrase, "A great miracle happened there."
But most of all we commemorate the victory of light over darkness and the ability to have hope and believe in miracles, no matter how improbable they may seem. I'm going to hold on to the Chanukah message throughout what may be a dark and cold winter and remember that great miracles are always possible.
I hope everyone is digging out of yesterday's snow. We got ten inches and I went out in the afternoon to enjoy it while it was still (mostly) untouched. The pristine look doesn't last long in Manhattan, but I got there soon enough to see the park sparkling in the afternoon sun and will share pictures in the next post.
As ever, thanks for visiting and keep cozy.
It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas: Columbus Circle
Though I love pink and purple, separately and together, I can't pick a favorite. I am delighted when each color blends into the next. I've seen this display more times than I can count, but it never fails to dazzle me. For new visitors to Buttercupland, I worked at this site, though it wasn't a glittering glass and steel mall in those days, but a somewhat rundown office building. Despite it's shabbiness and poorly operating air conditioning, it was one of my favorite work sites. We overlooked Central Park, had great access to just about every subway line and I could walk to and from work. I rarely walked to work, but walked all or most of the way home a lot of the time. It broke my heart to move downtown in 1999, but I ended up loving that location, too.
Right now there's a snowstorm going on and it's more than just a dusting. We've had very little snow for the last few years, but this storm brings us back to the past. Fortunately, I've got nowhere that I have to be, unlike the years when working from home was unknown. My heart and prayers go out to those who have to keep working and whose work keeps New York City running. As I type, I can hear the sound of the snow blowers keeping the sidewalks clear, at least for a little while.
Tomorrow we'll be having our official Buttercupland Chanukah celebration. Please stop by and join the festivities.
As ever, thanks for visiting and keep cozy!
It's Really (National) Monkey Monday
I couldn't let National Monkey Day go by without a post. Yes, there really is a day to celebrate monkeys, though, in Buttercupland, we celebrate monkeys every day. One of the snowmen and a few of the penguins came to serenade Pep, Bongo and Socko on one of their favorite days.
One thought to remember for National Monkey Day is that there are 262 species of monkeys and currently, half of those species are endangered, including orangutans. Pep has an adopted sister in Borneo, Joyce, and she and her orangutan friends face many challenges.
It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas: You Never Know Who You'll Meet
I've tried to make the most of this week and the superb weather and I'm happy with the pictures I've been able to put together in the neighborhood. I'm having thoughts of next year's cards, though if I don't get busy writing cards I will lots left to send next year.
Whenever I think I've walked on every block in the neighborhood (especially during my walks in the spring) I discover a block that looks totally unfamiliar. This happened today and I so enjoyed seeing the beautiful brownstones on West 88th Street.
I found this fun doorway on the street where I met Buddy. There are so many elements that I like, and I'm especially a fan of the big wreath above the doorway.
I know I think the same thing every year, but I can't believe that Chanukah is half over and that Christmas will be here in less than two weeks. Weather and travel permitting, I'm still planning to visit a few favorite places to visit. The forecast for tomorrow is heavy rain, but Tuesday looks clear. I'm going to make every effort to get to Rockefeller Center and see the tree. Today would have been perfect, but I was concerned that it would be too crowded. Though this year has been very different than past years, December is rushing by just like it always has.
As ever, thanks for visiting, stay safe and enjoy the season.
Pink Saturday Goes Window Shopping
Vroom Vroom Vroom
Monkey dreams really do come true
I thought that I had hidden Pep's car so well that even the most resourceful (and mischievous) monkey wouldn't find it. But I underestimated our Pep and his faithful buddy, Bongo. I was engrossed in my regular Thursday morning Weight Watchers Zoom when I heard "Vroom Vroom Vroom." I looked up and I saw Pep and Bongo driving into the living room.
Either it was monkey intuition or Pep saw me bring in a car sized box, but the monkey duo found their surprise. Pep and Bongo took the first ride and now Socko is waiting his turn. I've asked Pep to watch a driver ed video and review safety rules before he leaves the apartment. He promised that he will do this, but I won't be surprised if I get a call from the lobby letting me know that Pep has been spotted driving down the sidewalk.
I know Pep has some great driving trips planned, but his first outing will be the stationery store a few blocks away. He and Bongo want to see the train set in the window.