With Thanks at Christmas and for a Happy Year!

Christmas 2016

Hello, Friends & Family,

Merry Christmas from Joanne and Richard in Punta Gorda, Florida! We send you our best wishes for a love and peace-filled Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year.

This year were are so grateful for family, friends and wonderful trips. We recently spent Thanksgiving in Connecticut. My sister, Mary and brother-in-law, Alan, retired to Beacon Falls, CT to live closer to their daughter, Holly's family. They sold their home in Indiana and bought a beautiful new home. It was a memorable Thanksgiving because we took my Mom and our cat, Bleu Kitty, on Jet Blue airlines to visit them. Both did very well! Mom was turning 96 and she was blessed to celebrate her birthday, November 27^th, on Holly & Andrew's new baby, Luciana (Lucy)'s Christening Day.  Lucy was baptized in her great great grandfather's 126 year-old Christening Gown.

We traveled with our Friendship Force Club on an exchange to Costa Rica in February. We enjoyed meeting the Costa Ricans and actually living in their homes for a week. They were so friendly and hospitable to us. We'll remember exciting white water rafting and zip lining, beautiful scenery and delicious food.

In August we went on an African Safari with Overseas Adventure Tours to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia. It was a 3-week kaleidoscope of magnificent animals in the wild. Victoria Falls was awesome and we loved the view from Table Mountain in Cape Town.

After 5 months on the market, we sold our sailboat, Eagle's Wings, and bought a 40 ft trawler that we named Indigo Star. She is only 10 years old and in great shape. Her operation is quite different than a sailboat – we are busy learning how to successfully dock her.

 

You can keep up with us by clicking on our blog. We wish you “fair winds for the holidays and calm seas for the New Year.”

Bleu Kitty wishes you a Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Joanne & Richard

 

New York City at Christmas Time - what a treat!

Radio City at Christmas - a Treat!

I have wonderful childhood memories to my Grandmother taking me to NYC to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.  So, what a treat to be able to go again during the Holiday Season.

We hopped a train from Connecticut into the city - a senior ticket was only $10 each way.  It took approximately 2 hours, but it was a pleasant ride on a nice clean train.  We thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas Show at Radio City and were happy to see that the Rockettes are still doing their toy soldier routine.  It is always amazing to see them fall in a line so gracefully!  We had close-up seats to the stage and it was amazing!



Oculus designed by a Spanish architect recently opened



New World Trade Center

We then figured our way through the NYC Subway System to visit the newly opened Oculus along with the 911 Memorial.  We enjoyed a yummy pizza at the Stage Door Deli and just made our 1 PM (timed ticket) admission for the memorial.  It was very moving to see the stairways where people escaped and of course, the touching remembrances of pictures and artifacts to those who lost their lives.  It was done beautifully and we would recommend it to all those visiting the city.   The all white Oculus was a surprise - we had not heard about it.  It is a huge modern structure built to resemble a white bird (dove?).  You can see the towers through its wings.  It houses the Penn Station Train and an upscale shopping area.  It was very well done.



St Patrick's transformed

We were also impressed by the transformation of St Patrick's Cathedral.  All the grime of 138 years in NYC was removed and it looked like a new structure - it was a grey-white color and oh so pretty.  I lit a candle there in memory of my dear grandma.

The day flew by and before we knew it, we were on our way back to Connecticut.  We are so grateful we got to go!

The rest of our visit also flew by and we were delighted to visit with my nephew Brian and my great nephew, Leo.  It was a wonderful family time, one that we won't forget!

Inside 911 Memorial

Thanksgiving in Connecticut!

Great Grandma on her 96th birthday

Mary and Al (my sister and brother-in-law) recently retired to Beacon Falls, Connecticut to be close to their grandchildren.  We decided that Thanksgiving was the perfect time to check out their new home.  We also wanted to take my Mom along since she was celebrating her 96th birthday and also, our Persian cat, Bleu Kitty, for his first airplane ride.



Lucy in the 126 yr old Christening Gown

It all worked smoothly, well except for lots of traffic up to Tampa.  A frustrated Richard tried to negotiate backed up lines of traffic, but we ultimately made it just in time!

UK and USA grandparents attend the Baptism

My niece, Holly's inlaws came in from the UK for the occasion.  It was wonderful seeing my great niece, Francesca, who absolutely adored Blue Kitty!  The star of the show was little Luciana (Lucy) who is such a beautiful good baby.  Her Baptism was beautiful.  She wore her great great Grandfather's 126 year old Christening Gown (my Mom's father).  Check out some of the pictures below.

Proud parents - Holly and Andrew with little Lucy

Francesca loved Bleu Kitty!

My nephew, Brian, with little Leo