Personal Yummy #29
The holidays are a special time, full of fun encounters and events. Here are some of mine from 2019:
- Getting overtaken by the newsworthy Manhattan snow squall just as I arrived to admire the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree—the people all around me amazed by the beauty and the magical synchronicity;
- Walking through Central Park at dusk in the cold, cold air with my younger brother and sister-in-law, enjoying hot, delicious, German mulled wine—aka Glühwein—from the Columbus Circle Holiday Market, and observing the ice skaters on Wollman Rink, as they zigged, zagged, and held on to each other, saxophone Christmas melodies floating in the air;
- Strolling through The Peninsula New York and The St. Regis New York for the very first time (both are located on 55th Street, with Fifth Avenue between them), surrounded by the luxurious decorations and furnishings, well-dressed guests, carolers, and fancy bars and cocktails;
- Arriving home in PA a few days before Christmas, on my mom’s birthday, and enjoying a delicious crab cake dinner later that evening with my mom and dad at the historic, beautiful—and thought-to-be-haunted—Jean Bonnet Tavern (and of course stopping in the quaint log-cabin gift shop afterward);
- Going on several shopping trips with my mom to buy Christmas presents and food for our many holiday gatherings, unloading bag after bag out of the car trunk and taking them into the house amid the bitter chill—and under the abundant stars;
- Viewing episode after episode of Impractical Jokers and The Carbonaro Effect with my mom and dad, my dad laughing so hard that he could barely stand it, which made my mom and me laugh even harder too;
- Observing my dad watching, listening to—and relishing—one oldies concert after another on the computer in the small room in the back of our house, sometimes for a couple of hours or more;
- Witnessing my parents’ little tuxedo cat, Shadow, knocking down our Christmas tree with reckless abandon, his big, green eyes shining;
- Snuggling with my parents’ sensitive and loving dog, Yusha—her abundant white hair in her eyes—when she happily jumped into bed with me in the morning, utterly playful and full of joy;
- Watching “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” with my mom and dad after all of our New Year’s Eve party guests had left, enjoying the many musical performances and the inspiration of a new year and a new decade;
- Catching up with my best friend from college as we sat in her Pittsburgh living room, opened presents, and savored spicy, strong, exquisite chai tea;
- Gathering with my entire family (my parents and my two brothers and their families) for our official Christmas celebration on the Sunday after New Year’s, dining on shrimp, roasted chicken, pasta with alfredo, pasta with marinara, meatballs, and much, much more, and then exchanging countless gifts as we laughed and enjoyed each other’s company, Shadow rummaging through and lying amid the piles of crunched-up wrapping paper on the floor, completely happy;
- Having a calm and quiet dinner—a pot of hot tea, a cup of delectable mushroom soup, a Cobb salad with broiled salmon and sherry vinaigrette, and Bedford honey almond cake with blackberry compote—with my mom in the Frontier Tavern at the gorgeous and historic Bedford Springs Hotel (President James Buchanan’s “Summer White House”!), adorned with expansive white lights and abundant and unique Christmas trees;
And, my favorite:
- Enjoying pork, sauerkraut, and dumplings with my mom and dad on New Year’s Day (my mom always prepares this particular meal so well!), and then watching movies and reruns of the final episodes of Sex and the City with my mom in our cozy living room as the sun poured in, feeling nothing but ease and contentment.
Aah…the holidays. What more is there to say? So perfect and so sweet.
******
What are your favorite 2019 holiday memories? Consider writing them down so that you can enjoy them time and again.
personalyummy.com 