Tag Archives: Rockettes

Catching my breath before Thanksgiving

Family, My Novel-It Takes A Village Store, Travel, Writing Group November 19, 2014 Comments: 2

It’s been a hectic–but fantastic–week! The agony of turning 60 was diminished by the almost weeklong celebration with my friends and family. I feel so loved!!

The day of my birthday, a group of friends/former colleagues from Wells River Savings Bank hosted a turkey luncheon for me. Thank you to Katie for opening your home to us!! Thank you to Barb, Gail, Gayle, Judy, Katie, Midge, and Winifred for their culinary expertise and for giving up part of their holiday to spend it with me (and for including my mother)! We missed you, Kim!

Relaxing at the Spa

Relaxing at the Spa

And Barb, it’s OK that you spilled the beans about my husband’s birthday surprise–a trip to the spa at the Omni Mount Washington Hotel. I highly recommend the amazing hot stone massage. And the facial took years off my face, at least temporarily. We ended the evening with a yummy dinner at Stickney’s restaurant at the hotel.

At Thursday night’s writing group we discussed starting a group blog. Can’t wait to see how we do–I have a hard enough time keeping up with my own. But that one would involve a commitment, a deadline, and I respond well to those.

Saturday morning we celebrated Steve’s mother’s 87th birthday with his family at Grafton County Nursing Home. Although Nanny has Alzheimer’s and is barely able to talk, she entertained us with her wide range of expressions. We were impressed when she fed herself a spoon of ice cream. Enough said…..

After the celebration we traveled to Farmington, CT, to stay with Joy and family. Jesse, Elise, and Sheffield arrived that evening. In honor of my birthday, they had made me a Jello poke cake (the same cake I made for Steve’s mother that morning)! It’s a Whalen family tradition–tasty and easy.

Radio City Music Hall

Radio City Music Hall

Sunday morning we were all up early to board the train in Stamford for our day in New York City. First stop was ToysRUs where we rode the ferris wheel and checked out the toys, naturally. Next we walked to Radio City Music Hall for the Rockettes Christmas show. WOW!! At the Top of the Rock the adults delighted in the view of the city while the kids enjoyed the room with lights.

The Top of the Rock

The Top of the Rock

We headed home Monday morning in the pouring rain, concerned that we would hit snow or, even worse, freezing rain but we didn’t. Yankee Candle in South Deerfield, MA, was the last stop of our trip. Sheffield and Elise particularly enjoyed the Christmas section. And so did I! I was dismayed to not be able to work on my NaNoWriMo novel in the car due to a dead laptop battery. Nor did I have the notebook I always carry with me.

Steve dropped me off at my final memoir writing class. I don’t think I’ll write a memoir about my own life but I would like to write one of my mother’s. Guess I better get going on it. I highly recommend the novel “Little Island” by Katharine Britton, our instructor. At this last class she provided information about getting published. Good thing I am writing because I want to and not because I hope to get published!!

I am spending the few days until our return trip to CT for Thanksgiving trying to catch up on my NaNoWriMo (and my rest!!). I’m so far behind that it will take a major commitment on my part to hit my 50,000 words. Actually, it is going to take a miracle. I believe–do you?

Say it isn’t so–60 years old???

Adrenal Cancer, Family, My Novel-It Takes A Village Store, Surgery, Uncategorized, Writing November 11, 2014 Comments: 4

This is one confused–and gorgeous–Christmas cactus! Apparently it thought it was more important to blossom for my 60th birthday than to wait for the holidays. I am thankful for it’s thoughtfulness! It also may be happy to finally be out of the green plastic pot it arrived in when I was recuperating from my surgery two years ago this month. I am thankful for all the love and support that has been showered on me these past two years and this cactus must know it.IMG_3184

Today the temps are supposed to be in the high 50’s–maybe we’ll hit 60 in honor of my birthday! Then the cold weather arrives (Siberian Express??)….just in time for our trip to NYC to see the Rockettes on Sunday with Joy and kids and Jesse and kids. Sad that Jen, Jeff and their girls can’t make it from Virginia but they (without Jeff) will be at Joy’s for Thanksgiving–awesome! Except Jesse and family won’t be there for the holiday….

It is getting harder and harder to get all 15 of us together at the same time. But Steve and I benefit from having our daughters spread out across the country living where we are delighted to spend time. Joy returns to Arizona right after Thanksgiving–I’m going to have a hard time keeping Steve off their plane and heading for the blue sky, sunshine, and 80+ degrees! We will be there soon enough but nothing is going to drag me away from Christmas in NH. (I’ve already put together the artificial tree for the porch.)

I’m eleven days into NaNoWriMo and participated in the NH region writing sprint last Saturday and Sunday evenings. I didn’t make it to midnight but added over five thousand words toward my 50,000 word count goal, which I’m determined to hit this year. Next week is my last memoir writing class and I’m struggling with what to write about for my final three page submission. After all, there’s a lot of material to pick from out of 60 years. (Let’s amend that to 56 years–not certain that I can conjure up anything from my first four years!)

About fifty years ago today I had a letter to the editor published in the Bangor, Maine newspaper about honoring our veterans on Veterans Day. The beginning of my writing career! At the time, my father was stationed at Dow Air Force Base (now closed) and it seemed important for me to focus on something other than my birthday. It still is. So Happy Veterans Day to all the veterans in my family–my father, Steve’s father, my sister, Bessie, Steve’s brother, Mike, and all our relatives who have served and are now gone. And thank you to all those family and friends who are currently serving our country, including Eric Reid and Ben Roy.

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