It's the little things header
Cute animal knit hats for sale on 5th Avenue around 17th Street


Sitting here in the lobby of a Las Vegas hotel seems like an odd place to think about all that I’m grateful for. Even though I’m not a gambler, drinker or smoker…the three most popular activities here in sin city…I’m thankful to be on a quick weekend getaway with Anthony, and I’ll definitely be posting about our trip soon. Here are the other things I’m especially grateful for this week.

• Catching up with my friend Barbara in California and finding out she recently celebrated her 20th wedding anniversary with her wonderful husband Ira • The undying spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. • The warm smiles I often receive back from strangers when I smile at them first • How quickly I can clean my apartment because of its small size • How pretty the ice floes look that are drifting down the Hudson River • The New Year’s card from my cousin Rumiko in Tokyo • John the subway elevator operator at 190th Street who always makes me laugh • The speed and efficiency of plane travel • Retail holiday returns finally tapering off so my brainy, beautiful and industrious niece Kate could get a day off for our long overdue family holiday get-together • The $3 pair of black gloves I bought on the street in my neighborhood and have managed not to lose for two whole years and counting • The hawk that often hovers just outside my window…my very own Pale Male • Being able to print my calendar and to do list on half sheets so I can easily put them in my junior size Circa notebook and have them with me all the time • Having productive things to do while I wait for my flight to take off • Celebrating my father-in-law’s 80th birthday this past Sunday. Happy birthday Papa Castaldo! • My in-laws 53 year wedding anniversary • My super’s lovely daughter, Janelle, who’s watching Dominic and Tina while we’re away • My new MacBook Pro fitting into my old Tumi computer wheelie bag • The creative inspiration movies on lynda.com • All the developers who create the free plugins for WordPress • The date we have on Saturday to see Anthony’s brother Benny in Las Vegas • Escaping the cold…if even for just a few days


Sidewalk snowman on 3rd Avenue around 32rd Street

Enjoy the weekend, everyone!

Mary Maru