Happy Thanksgiving

November already and Thanksgiving is come and gone.  It was really nice.  We went to my friend's daughter's house so there were four grandchildren there.  Not you, of course, which is what I miss more than anything.  Before you lived with me, and while you did, we would all have Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners together.  We celebrated as a family the fact that we all were together and we all loved one another very much.  It's just not the same anymore.  I sometimes wish I could travel away for every holiday and just pretend they didn't exist.




Big change - I lost my job and need to find another one.  What a whirlwind of getting out resumes, getting new health insurance, figuring out how to make my severance pay last.  But I am getting it done and already have a lot of interviews set up.  Wow - I'm on MEDICARE.  That's the health insurance for old people.....and I'm not old!!  Not yet anyway.


We spent another week in West Palm while it was cold in New York and that was REALLY nice!  I'm beginning to see the advantage of having a place where it is warm.  I'm thinking of retiring there, but I'm not sure.  There is no dancing and I don't have any friends there.  Guess I could always make new ones!!




I know France doesn't celebrate the American holiday - but perhaps mom and dad celebrated anyway just for the two of you!  Don't forget you are Americans my dears.  You only LIVE in another country.




Love and kisses
Grandma Nici

School Starts

Here it is September already and time for another year in school.  I know you both must be doing so very well because you are both so smart and friendly.  It's hard for me to think that you speak two languages because I have never heard you speak French.  But I'm glad that you do - it will stand you well as you get older and you can always learn a third language in school.


Another week in Florida, and the house is finally done.  All the furniture, and dishes, and rugs, and everything all in place.  Now we can go and just lay back and enjoy ourselves instead of shopping (although there's certainly nothing wrong with shopping!!)


Stopped doing therapy for my foot.  It had gotten somewhat better and the therapy didn't seem to be doing any good anymore.  It is still painful, however, so I am just hoping it will continue to improve on its own.


I have a couple of weeks on my own this month because my friend is spending time on a case out of town.  He is an attorney and his client needs him on a case.  It gives me time to just relax, and clean, and read, and think.  I kind of like that.  We all need "me time" and don't always take the time for it.  I'm glad to have the chance.


Love and kisses my sweethearts.


Grandma Nici

Summer Continues

A nice hot summer - I really love it.  A nice opportunity to get a little suntan, lay on the beach, enjoy the water.  My theory is that you can always get cool when you're hot, but you just can't ever get hot when you're cold.  So give me hot weather any time!


Still spending about half my time in New York City so I feel like I'm always packing and unpacking.  But it's worth it to enjoy all the restaurants and shows the city has to offer.  This month it was Restaurant Week where dozens of find restaurants offer fixed price three course meals for $35 per person.  Can't beat it!


Spent one weekend at Point Pleasant Beach down at "the shore".  The nicest beach in southern New Jersey and great seafood as well.


Thinking about trying to sell the house next year.  The value is finally getting a little higher and I'm really tired of all the shenanigans of the renters I have.  Noisy, smelly, difficult to get them to take care of the place I spent so much money making pretty.  It's not like it was when you lived there.  You were such good children and never messed anything up.


Love you my darlings!


Grandma Nici

Fourth of July and Taylor Too!

A great start to July as we spent over a week in West Palm at the new apartment.  The fireworks are just amazing there.  We are on the sixth floor and the balcony wraps all the way around.  Because of the way the city is laid out we can see the fireworks displays from over a dozen places all going off at once.  It is just magical.


Happy birthday Taylor!!  I had a piece of cake in your honor.  You are getting so big, it's just so amazing.  How can you be 9 already.  That's almost to being a teenager.  It was such a short time ago that you were sitting on my lap.  How much I love you both.   I'm always so proud of you and your sister.  You are beautiful children.


We just got home from Minneapolis to see cousin Becky get married to her partner.  They have been together for years, but Minnesota just passed the law that allows them to marry.  I was so happy for her.  Her children are thrilled to have Dee become their legal mom because she has been their mom for most of their life.  It's so very nice that our country is learning how to live with all different kinds of couples.


Love you my dearest ones.  Someday soon I have hopes I will see you again.


Grandma Nici

Good Start to Summer

A nice start to summer - finally.  The weather has improved a lot with the sun out almost every day.  The New York City theater season is still going strong and I've been lucky to see a couple of nice shows.  The King and I is a show that is a revival and was such a lovely stage set.  Then we went to see Bette Midler in concert - one of my Bucket List artists to see.  The ballet is also going on and we saw Swan Lake.  That was the first time I've ever seen this performance live.




My poor foot is still doing badly.  Using a cane part of the time, but going to therapy regularly to try and get it better.  Sure glad it's summer instead of having to walk around in snow and ice in boots!!


I suspect I won't be dong a lot of vacation this year after we bought the house in Florida.  It takes a lot of work to start buying furniture and getting everything together!




Love you my sweethearts and think of you always.




Grandma Nici

It's May Already??

Wow, here it is May already and we still haven't had much warm weather.  Only about one week of temperatures above 70 degrees every day.  Wow!!  It's certainly meant not having to use the air conditioner though!

I've been doing a lot of cleaning out of  "stuff" the last couple of years.  Taylor might remember living with Grandma, or maybe not - you were very little when you left.  Anyway, I know that someday soon I will need to sell the house and get an apartment so there won't be a lot of extra room for tools, and suitcases, and things that lay around on tables just to look pretty.  So I've sold some, and given a lot away, and taken some to the new condo in Florida for the future.  Even if I don't live in that one, I think I'm going to live in Florida when I stop working.  It is inexpensive and easy to find someone to care for me when I will need it.

My foot is hurt now.  Wouldn't you just know it!  Summer is just around the corner when I really like to get out a do a lot of things, and I can barely walk back and forth to work.  But I'm going to exercise it a lot, and use ice, so perhaps it will be back feeling good in a couple of months.  Hopefully before summer is over!!

Your summer vacation is probably starting pretty soon too, isn't it?  I watched a movie about Monaco the other night on television and the city is so pretty with lots to do every weekend.

Miss you, as always, and sending you my love and lots of kisses.

Grandma Nici

Is Spring Ever Coming

Well, we have certainly had a very cold spring here in the Northeast.  Not a lot of rain, just very cold temperatures that look like they are going to continue for weeks.  Even some late snow.  We went down to West Palm Beach the beginning of April, and that was the only warm weather I've had!!

So lucky to have seen a wonderful play that started in London called "Wolf Hall".  It will also be a 6 part series on television and I hope you will both get a chance to see it when you get older.  It is wonderful history about a crazy English king from a long time ago - Henry VIII (8th).  We also saw one about Peter Pan called "Finding Neverland".  You would definitely have enjoyed that one as it had two young children in it that played make-believe almost the whole show.

I wonder how you are enjoying school?  Hope you are loving it and learning lots and lots.  I know you take a lot of trips around Europe so that is almost like school on its own, isn't it?

Love you both very much and always miss you.  Kisses and kisses from

Grandma Nici

Happy Birthday Emmerson

Happy Birthday Em!  You are getting to be such a big big girl I can hardly believe it.  I hope you get something wonderful for your birthday.

My birthday is tomorrow - the 14th - and I'm not so sure I like getting older!!

Love and kisses my sweet grandbabies

Grandma Nici

Florida Way

It's January and cold cold cold in New York City.  Snow and more snow!  My friend Matt and I spent New Year's in Florida in our new condo.  I thought of you both, of course, because I know how much you like to spend time on the beach.  Someday you will visit and have fun in the pool and on the beach.

It looks like you guys had another change to go skiing which was probably really fun...but COLD!  Grandma hasn't ever been skiing because I don't like being cold.  Eventually I'll move to Florida where it will be nice and warm.

I love you both and miss you very much.

Grandma Nici