Dear Reader:

I have been so caught up with “going with the flow” that it suddenly dawned on me over the weekend that this Friday (December 11) is “Take-Off” Day! New York City…here we come!

“We” meaning Brooke and I. Sometime back in the fall around my birthday in late September…I was at the beach with Brooke, sitting on the front porch, when she hesitantly asked….“Boo…would you be interested in going with me to New York City over Christmas so I can see Henry?” (Brooke’s son who won’t be able to get home for Christmas!)

I have been to New York City a couple of times but never at Christmas…immediately my mind and imagination conjured up thoughts of horse carriage rides through Central Park in the snow, the Rockettes all dressed up in Christmas outfits, stunningly decorated shop windows, and watching the ice skaters on Rockefeller Center. “Yes”….another adventure awaits.

Since that response, Brooke has been hard at work finding the least expensive way (let’s face it…cheapest) way to spend a long weekend in New York City at Christmas. She has done an amazing job! We caught the airline tickets at just the right time….Brooke found us an apartment, near Henry’s, for the least amount of payment per day.

Henry helped get us the least expensive tickets to see the Rockettes at Radio City Hall and the bus light tour of NYC at Christmas.

Brooke outlined an itinerary for us that allows free time to just walk around and look at all the displays, grab lunch at Rockefeller Center while watching the ice skaters and just “hang” at some local Christmas “fairs” going on.

It will be my very special “Merry Christmas” gift to me this year….no doubt filled with adventures, misadventures (the best part) new sights and sounds to fill my memory treasure box for years. “Remember Brooke when we went to New York City that Christmas?”

Life is too short, not to jump at opportunities to get out of our comfort zones and jump into new frontiers of Christmas Cheer!

Of course I will return with pictures…lots and lots of pictures from the “Big Apple.” Watch out NYC….here we come…and we are ready to take a big bite out of you!

So until tomorrow….Let us never regret the opportunities we took…the real regrets in life are the ones we didn’t.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*One child’s Santa is full of joy…another’s tears.” (Great looking Santa…when I commented on this…little Eva Cate immediately responded in a whisper. “That’s because he’s the real one Boo Boo.” (Only little children know this for a fact!)

*Anne had me over for lunch yesterday for a farewell get-together before I leave for New York….she had the table all fixed up so pretty with yummy chili and cornbread cheese/bacon sandwiches…to die for. Thanks Anne.

(I had given her the little garden rabbit -who looked like it was on its last leg-… now the rabbit looks so happy at Anne’s home…looking over the paper white bulbs trying to decide if they might be future Easter eggs.)