And So This Is Christmas

Hello World, Happy New Year!!! There's no question that 2018 is looming right around the corner on Monday, all bright and shiny and new, just brimming with promise for better days ahead, and as I always say, "One can only hope, amen." Speaking only for the local population, I can tell you that many of us will not be starting a fan club for 2017, and will be just as glad to see it go, I dare say. On the other hand, it's in the very final stages when it becomes "the most wonderful time of the year," so there's always the chance of redemption before all is said and done, and for some of us, 2017 might have taken advantage of that opportunity - and not to mention, jingle all the way. It all started, as these things so often do, months ago at church, when the question was raised about whether we would have 2 separate services on Sunday the 24th, which we normally wouldn't do. That is, we normally would have a morning service as usual on any Sunday of the year. But we also traditionally have a candlelight Christmas Eve service in the evening of December 24th, with special music by the choir and soloists, and a particular favorite among parishioners for generations. Christmas Eve only rarely falls on a Sunday, so this is not generally an issue, but in the end, it was decided to have both services on the same day, and when they asked for a head count, I was one of the people who assured them that I would be at both services and sing in the choir. It was at Thanksgiving in the woods when I first realized that I couldn't possibly be at my sister's cabin in the wilderness over the weekend for Christmas, and still somehow be at church twice on Sunday, all at the same time and 100 miles away. I was telling my sister that I felt bad about ditching the choir after promising I would be there for Christmas Eve, when I heard her saying completely out of the blue, "We could come down by you, instead of you coming up here." (!!!) That was certainly an unexpected solution to the dilemma, and I pounced on it with both feet, as well as tooth and nail, I don't mind saying. Taking it a step further, we decided to put everyone up at an area hotel, making it a Christmas vacation for us too, while still being close enough to get me to the church on time, as the song goes. Bill checked out the rates at the Renaissance Hotel in Harrison, and between the special weekend packages, senior discount, and other incentives, in the end it was like they were paying us to stay there. Everyone seemed to think this was a holly jolly good idea, and looking forward to something different for a change. And don't spare the reindeer, my good man! So, on Saturday morning, we picked up my sister coming up from Long Island on the bus, and met my other sister and her fellow at the diner for lunch, then headed to the hotel to check in. Our rooms were handily cheek-by-jowl, so we dropped our bags in our own rooms, then rolled all the loose chairs into the biggest room to enjoy some Christmas cheer. My sisters had thoughtfully brought their own holiday decorations and desserts, so it was soon pretty festive all around, and the hotel provided bottles of Champagne and truffles (remember those discounts and incentives I mentioned earlier) which really put the "merry and bright" into the proceedings, I can tell you that. Originally we had thought of visiting historic homes decorated for the season, or taking in other local attractions, but instead we opted for a swim in the hotel's delightful pool, whose restorative powers cannot be over-stated by any means, and I ought to know. We had already been out to eat once already, so we decided to try our luck with dinner at the hotel pub, and were pleasantly surprised with our menu choices all around. After that, it was back to our yuletide-themed get-together room, for more desserts, plenty of show-and-tell, and even a few gift exchanges to round things out. It's true there was no fireplace, tree, or stockings hung with care, but I'm pretty sure that we all turned in with visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads, and that's not just the Champagne and eggnog talking, believe me. The next morning, we took advantage of another of those discounts and incentives included with our stay, and availed ourselves of the hotel's breakfast buffet, and we did not go away empty-handed, that's for sure. The hotel is famous for its myriad cozy nooks and secluded alcoves for relaxation, but it also has a wide variety of more active options, besides the pool, such as a fitness center, year-round tennis courts outdoors in a bubble, and in fine weather, horseshoes, bocce, volleyball, and plenty of wide open spaces to explore. Sunday was nice enough for some of us to trek the hiking trail off the back of the hotel, and followed that up with a jaunt over to The Mansion on the other side, which is the landmark home of the property's original owner, now being used for weddings and corporate events. (On previous visits there with our friends, we would always take pictures with an old but decorative horse wagon that was parked in front of The Mansion, but apparently it's no longer there. I referred to its absence as a "miscarriage," but I may have been the only one to find humor in the situation.) Even with extended check-out (love those discounts and incentives!) all too soon it was time for my sisters to pack up all the holiday goodies, grab the last of the Champagne and truffles, and get ready to drive home or head for the bus station. I had plenty of time to get to church, and enjoy the Christmas Eve service which was special and wonderful as always, and very glad not to miss it after all. Even better, as our own Christmas present to ourselves, we had already arranged to stay over one more night at the hotel, so we headed back there for another dinner at the pub, knowing that Christmas morning was sure to be clean, quiet, comfortable, and entirely free of badly behaved cats disturbing us in every possible way. No fruitcake for you! So it was back to the breakfast buffet for us on Christmas morning, and once again, it did not disappoint. But there was no time to shilly-shally, because we had a train to catch, after deciding to throw caution to the wind and jump aboard the Christmas juggernaut with full force, and not by half-measures. It was more crowded on Christmas Day than I would have expected, especially with frigid temperatures at the time and brutal wind chill, but everyone seemed to be having a good time in spite of it. We traipsed along enjoying the sights from Grand Central to Rockefeller Center, and to say that the famous tree is more impressive in person, is an understatement of epic proportions, literally. Our final goal was the legendary Radio City Music Hall, and for anyone who hasn't already experienced their fabled Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes, it certainly is everything they claim, and then some. It can be a bit overwhelming, with all of the flashing lights and amplified music, but it does have a little bit of something for everyone, and it never lags, oh by gosh, by golly. There's also a special 3-D section that, even with paper 3-D glasses, is incredible all by itself. Once you're back out in the cold again, you realize there's no place to eat anywhere near the joint, that isn't already crammed full of tourists looking for warmth and bathrooms, and you're just out of luck. So we trooped back to Grand Central, thinking we would grab a bite in the Concourse before our train home. Santa Claus had other ideas, since it was still actually Christmas, and all of the food vendors at the terminal were all closed and packed up tight, thanks not. Luckily, we were just in time to catch an earlier train, so we had a quiet dinner at home, defrosting our poor frozen fingers and toes along the way, and our happy memories to cheer us. The best part for me was being off from work on Tuesday, so it really turned out to be a lovely long weekend, with all the holiday pomp and circumstance that anyone could have asked for, with an angel on top. And not to mention, a whole line of Rockettes with jingle bells all the way! Elle