A Thankful Stroll Down Memory Lane

This post marks the last post of November - only two weeks since visiting my parents in New York and two days since celebrating Thanksgiving. Before bidding farewell to this month and getting caught up in the excitement of next month, I thought I would share some final things for which I am grateful.

I am grateful for where I grew up. This little town sits on a peninsula of water - beautiful, serene, and with all the creature comforts of a small town. BUT, the Douglaston Manor is just thirty minutes out side of Manhattan, which is to say, that in addition to sailing boats we can hop on a train and experience the best of what the city has to offer. It is a truly special place.

A point worth making.... One of the reasons this place remains quaint (even historical) is because a small group of committed people fight relentlessly against the massive development and homogenization being pursued by commercial developers. I am thankful to my mother and my father who are part of the committed few fighting to keep the neighborhood from being commercialized.

Below is a small slide show of my folk's house (the same house they lived in for the past 48 years), our block - Hollywood Avenue, and the surrounding neighborhood. I like the idea of sharing these pictures with you, because it's part of who I am.

The other thing for which I am grateful is my mother's sense of aesthetics (and creativity). I always love coming home, because my mother has a great eye and, inevitably, she has rearranged small nooks and crannies around the house. Somehow my mom can take simple items and display them in such a way that they look important. I didn't inherit that same sense of style, but I know enough to know it is quality worth appreciating. Maybe these aren't the best examples, but it gives you an idea of what I'm talking about.

So today, let's share our appreciation for places that are near and dear to our hearts. Describe a spot on the map that, when you close your eyes, you remember vividly and with fond memories. For me, it is the Douglaston Manor, in Douglaston, New York. How about you?

Maybe I'll get to learn a little more about each of you today. And, for that, I would be grateful.

Signing off until Monday... when we host our second Friendship Party, featuring a week of inexpensive gift ideas!

P.S.  648 licks to the center of my Tootsie Pop.  Richard is questioning my Tootsie Pop eating technique.  What can I say?  That's what it took.  Six hundred forty eight licks.  Maureen, your vote of 223 came the closest, making you the winner!