Thanksgiving Memories, Then and Now

 

Meeting the Doughboy, up close and personal, with ten

 thousand of my new best friends, 2018.  

In 2018 I got to live out one of my fantasies and attend the viewing of the balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was a long and tedious process to walk and stop for at least an hour through designated lines on the Upper West Side. Once a viewer entered the line, there was no leaving unless a medical issue arose and permission to leave was given by one of the hundreds of police officers keeping order. It was very orderly, but (almost) too much standing in my pre hip surgery state. More than once I was tempted to drop out, but I'm so glad I didn't. It was well worth the standing and waiting. 

Loved the Aflac duck and the light up heart...

...and the adorable Sinclair Dino

So enjoyed meeting a Paw Patrol friend...

...

...who very graciously posed for a selfie with me. 

Sweet memories of Thanksgiving past and thankfully, I made sweet memories this Thanksgiving. There was a wonderful turkey and trimmings, thanks to my dear friend of long-standing, Anita. The weather cooperated and we had a great walk to one of my favorite places (yes, there will be pictures) and there was pie, an extraordinary cranberry pie, which will become part of Thanksgiving future. It was absolutely delicious. And because it's 2020, there was a Zoom. Today, as in year's past, I spent time looking at the windows of New York City decorated for Christmas and ended the day with a turkey sandwich. I hope you have sweet memories for this year to hold in your heart, too. 

 I varied my walking route this year and enjoyed the sixty degree weather while walking on Madison Avenue. I discovered a new store that had some of the most beautiful holiday decorations I've ever seen and they were all in pink. The windows will be my feature for this week's Pink Saturday. I'll include pictures of details, just in case anyone is feeling inspired. I hope you'll stop by. 

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

 

A Buttercupland First: Inflation Celebration

 

 

Before Thanksgiving totally retreats into memory, I'm happy to share photographs and impressions of  the Inflation Celebration, aka Balloon Preview for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Despite hoping to get to the Thanksgiving Eve preview for many years this was the first year that I made it. It wasn't the bright and sunny day that I'd dreamed about. It was overcast and windy. I was tempted to leave several times during the walk down Central Park West and around the American Museum of Natural History. But short of telling one of the many police officers along the route that I was physically unable to finish the viewing, I needed to walk the entire route, and so I did.

 I think I look reasonably chipper in my selfie with Paw Patrol...

 

...but I felt more like Doughboy when I was finally home that evening.

 

Baby Dino

 

Two of my favorite characters weren't balloons, but rather balloonicles. I was unfamiliar with the term "balloonicle," but it's a Macy's term for a balloon based vehicle. The Pillsbury Doughboy is a helium-filled balloon, but Baby Dino is filled with cold air and is powered by a driver driving a buggy. Whether a balloon or a balloonicle, Baby Dino is very cute.

 

Another cutie, and a balloonicle, is the Aflac Duck. I loved his bright  glowing heart and cozy scarf.

 

 

I'm glad I was there, but it may be both a first and a last for me. Of course if it's a sunny Thanksgiving Eve, 2019, I may just reconsider.

 

Though we may get a few warm days and it's not officially winter, it's still winter coat weather in New York. I keep thinking that it's still fall and I don't need a coat, gloves and scarf. But the minute I walk outside and the wind whips up from the Hudson River a block away, I remember why I wear a scarf. I did very mundane errands today and I was grateful for my layers as I waited for the bus. 

 

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a cozy evening.   

 

Pink Saturday Goes to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

 

Before the Elf is on the Shelf

For the last twenty five years I've wanted to see the balloons in the parade before and while they're being inflated. I live less than a mile away, but in the past work, cooking, cold and snow or simply inertia have kept me away. I decided that this year would be different. I had done my cooking, I don't work anymore and though cold, it was clear. I stopped by on Wednesday night and the balloons were "closed" for security concerns. But Thanksgiving morning I was up and out after 7:00 a.m. and finally I was able to see the balloons before the parade began. 

One of my reasons for making this balloon excursion was to take photographs to use in a blog post. I did a post with one picture on Thanksgiving Day and then the novelty of the Christmas decorations pushed Thanksgiving out of my mind. When I saw the poster below in a subway station this week, I realized I'd was time to do my Macy's Parade post and what better time than Pink Saturday!

 
 

 

The balloon lineup on West 77th Street, shown with their handlers. Each balloon has a group of "handlers," who are trained to keep the balloons from going astray.  



 

Besides the handlers, there are hundreds of clowns -- not a bit scary -- who walk alongside the balloons and add to the fun. The Half-Baked Holiday Clowns graciously posed for the camera. There were many cute costumes, but this group was my favorite.

It's another clear night in New York City. After this post is completed I'm off to visit one of my favorite holiday sights. I'll leave the destination for a surprise, but I definitely need pictures at night.

Thanks for all of the get well wishes. My cold is better and there's only a cough or two now and then. I think/hope I will be ready for the gym on Monday.

Please be sure to stop by and visit Pink Saturday. It's always a fun visit and this week one of my photographs is being featured. Thanks, Beverly!

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a great rest of the weekend.