Tag Archives: old friends

I Left my Heart in NY City

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I’m back from a whirlwind trip to New York City to help my daughter when her husband was out of town and, obviously, to see my granddaughter and the rest of the family. I drove down to Westport, CT a day ahead of when I had planned to be there because we were supposed to have a big winter storm on the day I was supposed to leave.

Luckily my college “Roomie” lives there and she puts up with me (happily) when I come down her way. Thursday night we had dinner with another college friend and, as is apt to happen, talked until we were ready for bed. We’ve been friends for 47 years! Those friendships are so special and I am so grateful for these wonderful and dear friends.

On Friday I hopped on the train into the city. I can’t wait until this summer when I become an official senior citizen because the train fare becomes $9 each way even though $13.50 isn’t bad. The train ride to Harlem is so easy and my daughter picked me up at the station there. It’s such an easy trip and with no driving traffic, it was a 5-hour drive to Westport. Not bad at all.

This child. I have always disliked leaving the kids at the end of a visit. I love being around my children and I love that they all live close enough to each other and like each other enough to get together. This child, my granddaughter, their niece and daughter, is an amazing addition to the mix. I took precious few photographs because I had way too much fun playing with her, feeding her, and helping her very competent mom take care of her and her 4-legged sisters.

The last time we were in the city was at Christmas and in the month since, Sylvie has changed so much! She is actually making eye contact with people, she really engages, she’s generous with smiles, has a lot of new ways to be heard and she even clicks. Ha! Ha! Her hands are always busy and you can see the concentration when she reaches for things. It’s so intentional now. She sees what she wants and reaches for it. She still needs a little help but it won’t be long before she’s grabbing things all by herself.

I brought her a Knubbelchen “doll” that I made with scraps of left-over fingering weight yarn and I was thrilled that she loves it. It’s a perfectly sized toy for little bitty hands which have the most perfect knuckle dimples. The knots at the “hands” and “feet” of the Knubbelchen are just the little bit of help she needs to be able to hold onto it. And, of course, everything goes in her mouth!

I also brought the silver rattles that were given to my children when they were born. I had saved them for just this moment and our little Sylvie didn’t disappoint. She loves to lie on her back and kick and wiggle and the rattles were a fun addition. It’s the most wonderful feeling to see my child totally in love with her child. I really believe that our appreciation of our mothers only comes when we become mothers ourselves. I never tire of watching all of my children love on this baby girl. it’s remarkable, emotional, rewarding, it makes my heart grow even more full of love for them all.

The funniest part of the trip was that I was carrying ten pounds of corn-filled microwaveable heating pads that I had made for them all and only a year later. I promised to make these for them last winter when they came up skiing and well, life being what it is, the corn and fabric sat until last week. (I wrote about it here. My suitcase was incredibly heavy going there and significantly lighter heading home. Kate’s has already been spit up on which means that it’s already in use. And then there was the night that Kate received a “goodnight sweet pea” text from my husband. (I was meant for me.) And all of the kids sent him a good night text with a spontaneous term of endearment. Ned was entertaining us all from Maine and we had a good laugh at his expense and with lots of love – my kids all love my husband and he loves them. Another thing to be so grateful for. He’s already said that if we can take the train into the city, he’ll come with me next time. Yay!

I left New York yesterday with my heart so full and tears in my eyes. I managed to collect lots of snuggles and smile and belly tickles and kisses until next time. I can’t wait until next time.

Gone knitting. (Because I didn’t knit a stitch except for on the train.)

An Excellent (Happy Mama’s Day) Visit

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Washington Heights, NYC

I got my mother’s day gifts early this year – I traveled to New York City to spend time with all of my kids. They, of course, are my best gifts ever. I am so proud to be called their mom.

I had an excellent adventure. I drove to my college roommate’s house in Westport, CT, visited with her for an evening and then headed by train into New York City for a few days with my kids. The first day I had lunch in mid-town with Daughter 1 and her husband. April 27 is my son’s birthday so we had a bite of dinner at Bea in mid-town and then headed to the bowling lanes to meet a group of my son’s friends. What fun it was to bowl in New York City, of all places. I wish I’d taken a photo or two.

Thursday we visited Holland Ridge Farms in New Jersey. Acres and acres of tulips that you can pick and pick we did. My daughters each picked more than 70 and I controlled myself because I knew I had to transport my flowers to Maine. Suffice it to say that there was every imaginable color and type of tulip. They were gorgeous and the scent was mind boggling. I never realized that tulips had a scent. (We chose to pick mostly closed flowers, hoping they’d bloom more slowly and last longer. Note: mine are just about done as of today.) We walked and walked and walked and practically got blown away in the wind. It was sunny but very windy and we were dust-covered from tip to toe. We found a fun pick up spot and bought some subs (shrimp parm and steak pizza subs. Yum!) and root beer for lunch before heading back to the city. We happened upon a special sight on the way back to the highway – young horses in a big field, running and playing.

Yearlings?

My younger daughter loves horses. We had to stop to get closer and watch these magnificent animals. They were very shy and kept their distance but it was so much fun to watch them run.

I met my son’s girlfriend for lunch on Friday with their dogs and after lunch we took them to a local “park” for a bit of a run. The “park” is actually an historic home, The Morris-Jumel Mansion. Next time I’m in the city, I want to tour the home. The grounds have been somewhat ignored over the past few years but you can see its potential. I then took the subway (all by myself) to midtown to meet my youngest brother at his hotel for a drink. He was in the city for a veterinary conference. A quick hike to a new Thai restaurant, Lum Lum, with my daughters and their husbands and later, my son and his girlfriend came to join us. The food and company was extraordinary.

Saturday was exercise day. I am tired and sore just thinking about it. Daughter 1, her husband and their dog Bessie and I walked to the Linwood Farmer’s Market. Through Fort Tryon Park to drop off their composts, bought some fish and apples, had a wonderful bagel sandwich and then hiked back to the Heights along the river. 13,000 steps round trip and we hadn’t even gotten to the yarn store yet!

Daughter 2 and her husband were so sweet to go with me to Brooklyn to visit Brooklyn General Store – a bucket list item for me. It’s quite a distance from Washington Heights (but I learned that you can tap your credit card in the subway!)

I loved wandering this little shop. It’s an older building, full of character: wood floors, lots of yarns that my LYS doesn’t carry – La Bien Aimee, Spin Cycle, and so many more. I patted lots and lots of yarns there. I also admired fabrics, stitch kits, etc. I couldn’t decide what to buy but I ended up with a really pretty fingering weight peach cotton/alpaca yarn by Illimani Yarn Company. I bought another in an oatmealy-grey color as well. I’m not sure what it will become but when it decides what it wants to be when it grows up, I’ll let you know. We had dinner, Ramen, at my daughter’s apartment that night and she tested positive for Covid. I’ve been double boosted so I figured that I was as “bullet proof” as I ever could be having had my second booster shot two weeks before. My son-in-law tested positive on Sunday. I’ve continued to test negative. (By the way, if you want to test for possible Covid exposure, New York is the place to be. Tests are readily available all over the city.)

Sunday I headed back to CT for another evening before driving home on Monday. It’s so wonderful to have long-time friends (we have known each other for 46 years now!) who you can pick up with as if you’ve been apart for a few days rather than several months. It’s always special to spend time together with my special woman friends.

This mama’s heart is so full and I am so grateful to be able to travel to the city for a visit. Grateful for time away from work and my volunteer jobs. Grateful for my husband who is willing to hold down the fort while I am gallivanting. And it’s so great to come home again – where I can rest up for a couple of days before heading back to work. My legs are still tired.

Gone knitting.

New Friends

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oldfriends

 

You’ve all probably seen these photographs on Facebook and Pinterest. The other day at the Yardgoods Center Yarn Shop I made three new friends. Three ladies came into the shop and it was clear that they had all the time in the world to shop. One spent a few minutes on the phone at the table in front making plans with family. The other two were checking out the free patterns. After awhile, and having checked on them all a couple of times and having showed them the color-changing “Abracadabra” yarn, they came to the cash register with a few patterns to purchase and a question.

Turns out they’ve been friends since early childhood and were together again for three weeks more. When one lady said they had a question, the other two ladies giggled. (It’s funny to see elderly ladies giggle like girls!) They’d spent hours (HOURS!) over the past couple of days trying to figure out what it meant to cast on stitches without a slip knot in the backward loop method. They were all beaming, eyes bright, smiling widely with the memory. I had a left-over ball of yarn and one needle left behind by a customer and I showed them what to do. They were delighted. “You made our day!”

Such a simple thing made a big impact. They made their purchases and left for lunch. Giggling that they only had a two hour ride. I smiled at them behind their backs. What a treasure their friendship is.

Old friends are the best friends!

Old friends are the best friends! We are being sharks … at 50-something.

I am so fortunate to have some old friends, too. Not that we are old, we have been friends for a long, long time. We don’t get to see each other very often, but we make an effort to meet once a year. Each time we pick up where we left. We may not party like we used to and we’re often in bed by ten but the reunion is always sweet.

I’m going to be missing the reunion this year and am so sad about it but  I am coming to realize that I can’t do it all – and that saves my sanity. Only two of us will be at the beach next weekend. I’ll be there in spirit but not in body. I commit to 2016, though. I need the girl time to recharge and renew. Old friends are the best friends. I love my girls!

Gone knitting.