Has it been that long since I’ve written? Apologies for that, especially for those of you who have been on the edge of their seats waiting to hear how I spend my days.
* snort *
On the day I wrote the last post, all I did was cry. I’m only telling you this for the sake of honesty but that was one of my worst days. It wasn’t just the fact that my husband is gone. I think it was a mix of holiday blues, things going on in my family, a gift I had given to my sons that I thought would have been more . . . oh, I don’t know . . . cherished. But then I took Cher’s advice to Nicolas Cage in Moonstruck.
And I SNAPPED OUT OF IT.
And went to New York City.
Met some friends at Rockefeller Plaza and did the NBC Studio Tour. It was great. Got to see Studio 8H where Saturday Night Live is filmed. Now I want to be there for a show. But it’s nearly impossible to get tickets . . .
The wind was whipping these beautiful flags at the tree display into a frenzy.
Walking around the Upper West Side on a beautiful sunny Saturday.
Birds on a bench in Riverside Park.
Taken from the High Line, an elevated park created on an historic railway line.
Another image shot from the High Line.
Sculpture along the High Line.
I am so glad we went to this park. A huge section of it was terribly crowded but it was so interesting to hear so many different languages being spoken. We walked the entire length of the park before going to dinner. My friend, Daryl, is in the lead in the image above and she’s followed by our friend, Janice, and her two teenage children.
We met my son for dinner at the Spice Market.
Fan-freaking-tastic.
Shot this one along Riverside Drive using my camera phone.
Another image from my phone of a display in a bake shop window somewhere along Amsterdam Avenue at night.
80th Street near Riverside Drive. Shot with the camera phone.
: : :
As much as I love getting away, I adore coming home. I started to get a little blue thinking that there would be no one to come home to, but stupid me. There is George! I love my dog. My youngest son lives here too but he’s often not around, which is how it should be I guess. George was more than thrilled to see me again.
Just don’t tell him about this guy, ok?
This is Harry, Daryl’s cat. Oh, he is a love . . .
Until later, my friends ~
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59 comments:
Wow. I'm never the first to comment on your lovely blog.
Sorry you got sad. Glad that you got together with some friends. Love the photos you took. Ending the day with an orange cat on your lap is a purrfect cure.
Give George and Blackie a pet from me.
XO,
JC
I've been following your dining ventures with Daryl. I'm looking forward to visiting NYC this Spring and taking some photos of my own. How nice you were able to get away for a few days and have a great time.
I'm so glad you were able to find a way to feel better. Sometimes a change of scenery, the company of good friends, and a good meal is all it takes. You are loved, my friend.
Blessings,
Carolynn
A Glowing Ember
So glad you have family & friends around you. Love your photos. How DO you get those effects on your phone camera shots? LOL! Hang in there sweetie.
Looks like that was just what you needed. Love the pic with the cat. Such a love bug!
So many expectations seem to go along with Christmas -- it's no wonder some disappointment creeps in now and then. I can totally relate.
So glad you got to get away -- a change of venue can do wonders. xo
It's a good thing you snapped out of it because we needed to see these images. :D So beautiful and welcoming. I love NYC.
Boy, when you snap out of it, you snap out of it. My hat's off to you. Soon the spring will come.
You have to love NYC to snap you out of the blues. Totally relate with your Christmas...I felt the same. I just think that holiday is so hard. Too many expectations all around. But it's over and a new year is around the corner. It will be good. Xo
So glad you were able to get away. Whenever I feel lonely, I enjoy snuggling up with my cat, and I love your last photo - Harry looks so content.
XO
Special days are difficult when loved ones are no longer with us. There just seems to be no way around it!
What a grand trip you had to NYC! I have never been, so it was good to see these images of your time there.
Loyal George! What a wonderful dog!
xo Nellie
I'm glad you are getting out and doing things and not simply hiding your grief from the world. :) Friends and nature and TIME heals all. Oh, and cats and dogs help too. xox
I hate to tell you but with George's sniffer i'll bet already knows all about that cat and is plotting revenge! :)
I'm glad you got away for awhile. And had a fabulous time to boot. Big Hugs to you! deb
Oh, Kate. I've been out of touch for a while and I am ever so sorry to hear of your loss. You are wonderful and a strong woman. I know you will, as you said " snap out of it ". We all love you and our thoughts and prayers are with you.
He really is a love.. I saw his Selfie on D's blog, what a face!
And I just love your images.. wow. Did you use the shift tilt or toy camera effect in any of them? I might be calling it the wrong thing.. where the cars and people, etc.. look like a toy model, etc.? I have not been able to figure out how to get that effect in a simple way.. the directions look too complicated when I google it.
I think sadness is to be expected Kate...when you don't post, I worry, but I know you've got to have your space. :) Hugs.
Dearest Kate, I am feeling the same way with my loss. I went out to friends house for dinner and company and that helped a lot. Everyone keeps saying time heals so we will see. I do know I feel better with others company even if its just a cat on my lap. I had days when all I do is cry but I let myself cry and move on. 2014 here we come!
Tina
What better way to snap out of it than good friends, cute kitties on your lap & NYC! All perfect therapy for the blues. Your photos are lovely & make me miss that spectacular city.
Hi Kate, so glad to see that you enjoyed your trip to NYC. That kitty is a beauty.
So glad you got away and enjoyed NYC. It's been 3 years since Mr. Dragon moved on to the stars and I'm always surprised when I get the *cries*. It happens. I go with it. Mr. Dragon used to say it was an honor to share your tears with someone (he was a real fan of DUNE). So, I honor him and get up in the morning and carry on. Tally Ho! Happy New Year, Kate! Hugs.....
I do more miss magic NYC weekends, so thanks for bringing me. Of course, I've been spying already via Daryl's must read posts.
Ive done some crying this season too, without even losing my husband! So you are doing GREAT
Today I boldly published a poem about this period. It even contains a curse word! You might find some small value there.
Aloha means caring, dear. I do. ♥
Crying is cathartic and sadness is real. Doing a weird way, I am glad you had a moment.... But you are wise to not let it take over and I am glad you had some fun folks to poke around NYC with. Thanks for sharing your time with us!!
Unless you washed clothes at Daryl's, George already knows about Harry. ;-)
LOVE the bake shop window display (very unique!), and the photo directly below it. Before Christmas I got your cardinal photo framed and hung about the antique pie safe we brought home from my MIL's and placed in the dining room. It's perfect!
Unless you washed clothes at Daryl's, George already knows about Harry. ;-)
LOVE the bake shop window display (very unique!), and the photo directly below it. Before Christmas I got your cardinal photo framed and hung about the antique pie safe we brought home from my MIL's and placed in the dining room. It's perfect!
So glad you had a nice time! Love your pics!
I'm going to NYC at the end of March .... a little nervous about it and excited about it at the same time!
NYC is where I guessed you were going!! You sure did snap out of it, but it still must be terribly hard. I am glad you have one of your sons in NYC, seems like that is even more reason to have a good time there. And then to be missed by that sweet George, that is another special thing about coming back home. xoxo
I am envious of your NY trip; sounds delightful! I took my sister to NYC the week between Christmas and New Year's last year and we had a fabulous time. Her first time in NYC and I used to live there; love showing her the sights.
Wonderful that you were able to get out with friends and, what better place to go than NYC?!
Hi Kate,
I think of you often. Loved your images of NYC. I have only been there once but we ate at the Spice Market and it was fantastic! I think of that night often as I was with good friends making great memories. I hope you did too. Continued prayers for your healing heart...xo
I say put your name in for Saturday Night Live tickets - sooner than you think your name will come up! Love your photos and the mention of Riverside Drive brought back my memories of childhood - my aunt and cousin used to live over in that area.
I'm so glad you snapped out of it (that's one of my favorite scenes and one of my favorite movies, btw), and so honored to have spent time with you on this trip. It was so good to see you, and remember you were the only one who could snap Maria out of her funk (temporarily) and make her smile at dinner that last night.
You are a wonderful person to be around, and I'm so glad you made the trip.
Happy New Year!
Kate, I can relate so well to the roller coaster of grief. My husband died six years ago on Dec. 1, so this was my 7th Christmas without him. I can't say it gets better, but I will say to you that it becomes bearable. The holidays are always an especially difficult time with all the pressure to be happy and jolly. Not to say we will never find any joy at all during the season, but the shadow of missing a loved one is always present. I'm so glad you are taking care of yourself and the NY trip sounded like just the ticket! May 2014 bring peace and healing.
I enjoy seeing the world through your eyes.
I can understand how you feel, Kate, as my grandma died on Dec. 23 of this year, and going to dinner at my cousins' house was weird because we almost felt as if we weren't allowed to have a good time. But we also "snapped out of it" and enjoyed ourselves, which is how my grandmother would have wanted it since she was known for her desire to see everyone happy (which was as much her tragic flaw at times).
I can imagine what coming home to George is like for you, as I envy my sister being able to come home to my favorite furry nephew, Mylo, every day. If I had a dog like Mylo or George, I would probably never be down again!
Wishing you a very Happy New Year, Kate, and may it be a blessed one for you as well! <3 <3
P.S.: Your photos are brilliant! I didn't get to the city this year, so your photos are such a treat to see. I wouldn't want to live there, but visiting is so beautiful and magical... *sigh*
Your NYC photos are just wonderful. I love how Harry is all snuggled up with you. It's such a tough time of the year for so many. Sending you healing hugs and love.
I'm so glad you found some happiness. The photos are beautiful.
Christmas was always going to be difficult I guess. I saw a friend this morning who lost her husband a couple of months ago and she's struggling to keep it together. Going to NYC was such a great idea. My love to you and Happy New Year. xx
the bakery, bird bath aka cit bakery, is on BROADWAY btwn 80-81 (across from janice's beloved Zabars) .. we only walked over to look in the window twice xo
harry misses you .. hell so do we
So sorry you had such a bad day. I pray those kind of days are fewer and farther between. Here's to a happy, happy, new year! May it be filled with much joy, love and happiness, and some wonderful adventures! xo
I was supposed to have Xmas Eve at my house for almost all my family 25+ people. I spent all day on the 23rd cleaning - and crying (and it's been almost 3 years since my husband passed away). It happens. But the most important thing is that you do "snap out of it". There is nothing wrong (and really perfectly normal) to feel sad. It's only been a few months. But now your first Christmas is over - and you survived! The "firsts" are always the worst. Kate, I pray for a Blessed 2014 for you and your family. Happy New Year. Oh- Xmas Eve I wound up sitting home all alone. We had a terrible snow and we don't travel when it's like that. I went to bed at 8:30. Ugh!
Oh man Kate- it's so hard-wish I could help you but I'm aged enough to know its something you have to do all by yourself..........so glad u went to NYC- when I saw Daryl's post I knew it would be better if only for awhile! Thinking of you a lot Kate- sending you good vibes!!!
Rain :)
Lovely photos as always! I'm so glad you had a little get away to NY!
Happy New Year to you and sweet George!
Kate, as usual your adventure in NYC looks excellent! We just got back from our cabin in the north woods of Wisconsin. It was -28 and I took my Sheltie for a very short walk, he was so cold he fell over with his paws sticking up in the air! It is not the first time he has done this. Luckily we don't have to deal with brutal weather too often. :)
May this new year bring you hope and joy.
Holidays were sad....and often are. I thought that same line the other day when I was thinking of just screaming out loud (while in my car alone)!! Snap out of it. Hope you have a wonderful 2014.
Nice effort to accomplish that 'snap' Kate - you have good reason to feel pretty blue... You obviously have some fabulous friends and family nearby (PS boys never really 'get' the stuff the womenfolk in their lives think they should, it's wiring and not intent IMHO). Every SINGLE time I see your NYC posts I ache to visit again. Are you on commission from the council there?
;-)
BB
i could have jumped right inside your photos….yum yum yum…especially the bake shop!!!
thanks for the "walk" in NYC!!
xoxo
ps…what app is on your phone that you used for some of these photos?
Good girl. Just as it should be. Crying is good for the soul and for the system, then snap out of it and do something positive. Just the right medicine dear. Happy new year to you.
So glad you were able to get away for a few days to find your balance again!
xo Kat
Oh my! Poor jo-in the above comment-who spent all that time getting ready for all those guests and nobody showed because of the weather! I'm sorry, jo!
Harry is a doll--well,no, he's a cat--but a precious, beautiful cat. No more beautiful than George, though, not at all, but it's like apples and oranges! (Or cats and dogs!) Sorry, I need to stop now-I'm punchy from not getting enough sleep!
I do not know how you take such beautiful pictures with your camera phone! It's unreal! You aren't telling us fibs and snorting about it behind our backs, now are you, Kate!? Nah--you wouldn't....or would you?
Isn't it so disappointing when we give our kids something we THINK--no, we KNOW-- is going to mean SO much to them, something that even may have cost us much, MUCH more than we could afford only to see it means mostly nothing! It is sort of shrugged off. Especially when the gift WE had PLANNED to give our son--that he WOULD have loved-- was given to him instead, by our daughter-in-law, who stole the idea from us and suggested we give him another, (not so great, but too expensive for us, gift??
Yeah--she went there! Those things happen! But, not often, I hope! I still am shaking my head at that one! Kinda p.o'd about it, too. I mean--he loved the gift we had picked out--but she took it right out of our hands, and gave it to him herself! Plus, all the while, she told us he'd LOVE getting the thing she suggested we give him instead! So, what we gave him meant NOTHING to him!
I felt--well, I felt sabotaged and hurt, that my husband's and my idea for a GOOD gift for my son--had been smuggled right out from under our noses by her, and it was! We didn't tell our son the best gift he got was our idea, 'cause we are, I hope, a little better than that. At least, our son GOT the gift....just not from the people who had thought of it and who knew what he liked!
I know--this is way TMI--and way too long!
I hope when you have gotten my e-mail and looked at the youtube video--you will love it like I did. It's something else, and you'll see why I sent it to you!
Auld Lang Syne, Kate! Cry asmuch as you need, and go to NYC as much as you can!
And hugs!
Love, Sybil
The phone photos are wonderful. I do wish I had a friend in New York I could visit. I have only been there once...and I loved it!
Happy New Year! Please allow yourself to have a Pity Party, but don't live there. It will wear you out and won't do anyone any good.
hehehe, George is smart enough he probably figured out about that cat!
So good to see you are still coping. No worries about that gift you gave your sons. The day will come perhaps in a long time where it will be cherished and remembered because it was given to them by YOU. Speaking from experience, sons sometimes are dunderheads. My son surprises me sometimes with the mention of something years back that he acted like meant nothing.....but treasures now. Go figure. Hear is to a new year with many treasures flowing your way Kate! Hugs!!!
Kate, Happy New Year! Another first behind us. Your trip looks wonderful, I'm so glad you decided to get out and go. I think I might need such a trip too, only mine will be South. Somewhere warm. Lupus makes me so cold and achy in the cold weather. I need the sun to warm my bones.
Christmas Eve preparations about did me in, but after that all the tears were over. Amazing the things we can do when there is no other option!
Here's to a peaceful, happy, fulfilling 2014 for you and yours. Stand Strong. Hedy
Kate, Happy New Year! Another first behind us. Your trip looks wonderful, I'm so glad you decided to get out and go. I think I might need such a trip too, only mine will be South. Somewhere warm. Lupus makes me so cold and achy in the cold weather. I need the sun to warm my bones.
Christmas Eve preparations about did me in, but after that all the tears were over. Amazing the things we can do when there is no other option!
Here's to a peaceful, happy, fulfilling 2014 for you and yours. Stand Strong. Hedy
Kate, I love your images of NYC, have you ever thought of a "coffee-table-book"? Anyone who has ever spent time in the city would love your slant on it.....smiles
What a beautiful tour of New York City. I've never been there and to hear you say, you just went to New York City sounds so foreign to me. I used to live in Maryland too and it never crossed my mind to just drop in on NYC.
Cindy
Love that picture of you with Harry! I do hope George does not see this!
My husband and I had hoped to get to NYC over the holidays for just one day but it never worked out....it would have been funny to have run into you again:)
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