Author: sssmahh303

Mary Ann

8.5 Million People – All Unique! 

If you are walking down the street in New York City, you may see just about anything.  It may stop you in your tracks.  However, if you are looking around, no one else seems to be very interested.  Everyone in NYC is unique, so no one stand out as you might imagine.  There are characters everywhere, and we are going to meet some in this blog.  

In Time Square, there is a host of characters trying to charm the tourists.  You will find Elmo and Cookie Monster and Spiderman.  There is also the Naked Cowboy with a strategically placed guitar, so he remains PG for the children.  These characters are famous, but they do not even begin to capture the real characters of the city. 

As the fashion capital of the world, designers share their collections a few times a year during Fashion Weeks.  These creative individuals find inspiration everywhere, but in the streets of NYC, unique treasure can be discovered.  Sometimes on the subway, you will spot a young girl impeccably dressed in vintage clothes or sporting timeless accessories in a new way.  They are living fashion.  When I first got to NYC, long summer scarves were worn everywhere.  I believe, Jennifer Amastin, was big on them at the time.  So, of course, I had to get some in every color. Even though they were light weight, they were hot in the humid NYC summer.  This trend was somewhat short-lived, and I have a box of the scarves to prove it.  However, you see how a look becomes fashion.  I also love the girls who wear short skirts and stilettos.  It is not easy walking miles on concreate in 4-, 5-, or 6-inch heels, and Lower Manhattan has cobblestone streets.  They are kind of urban mountain climbers.  How do they do it?  If I were young when I worked there, I would have done it too!

The first December I was working in NYC, I had to go into the city for a work event.  As I sat on the subway train, a Santa Claus entered the train.  I thought, Santa must be on the way to work to spread a little Christmas cheer for children.  Then a second Santa got on the next stop, and by the time, I got to New York from Jersey City, the whole car was full of Santas. Something was going on.  I apparently did not get the memo that the world was dressed as Santa Claus today.  I found out that it was SantaCon, an event held in early December where everyone dresses like Santa, and they do a bar crawl from Mid-town to Greenwich Village for charity and FUN!  There are all kind Christmas characters – lots of elves and a particularly cute group of eight pretty girls dressed as reindeers.   SantaCons are held throughout the country, but as with everything, NYC does it in a big way!

There are two other events that are also full of characters.  Each March, there is a reverse migration of characters from New York to Hoboken, NJ, where St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated.  There are lot of leprechauns on the subways and ferries. There is a parade, lots of green everywhere, and bar crawls ensues.  During Pride Week in June, people are everywhere in costumes.  Again, there is a parade with floats full of very good-looking men – always fun to watch and see how creative everyone is.  

Still, the most-memorable character I ever saw and who is my all-time favorite, even beating Santa Claus, is a tall, stately, African American gentleman.  I would see him on the PATH as we were both commuting between NYC and Jersey City.  He was one-of-the -kind.  The first time I saw him, he was dressed entirely in chartreuse, green shag fur.  From the top of his head down to his shoes, he was green. He wore a green top hat which was exaggerated in size and carried a walking stick.  No one seemed to notice him, but I couldn’t take my eyes off him.  

The next time I saw him, he was dressed entirely in dalmatian print – white with black spots.  Again, he was wearing a large top hat and strutting with his walking stick.  I loved his panache. His fashion flair just made me happy.  The last time I saw him he was crossing the street in Jersey City.  This time he was dressed in red fake fur.  It was the same outfit just a different color.  I can imagine what his closet looked like and how he must muse each day what to wear.  I never saw him again.  I was always on the lookout for him.  I would have loved to talk to him.  He optimized what it means to be a unique NYC character.  Isn’t it wonderful that there is a place where you can be who you are, and no one seems to be concerned? 

New York City is the fashion capital or the business capital or finance capital or the publishing capital or the entertainment capital of the world.  It is also the character capital of the world.  Full of unique people just living their lives. 

Mary Ann and Cynthia

It is that time of year for remembering the past year and looking ahead to the new one.  Last year we did a blog on our 2025 favorite things, and we thought we would do it again for 2026.  Maybe it will give you some ideas for 2026.  There are a lot of 20,20,20s in that paragraph.

Nest Candles – You may have discovered this line of candles and their delicious smells.  I am totally in love with the Birchwood Pine Reed Diffuser.  I discovered it for Christmas 2024.  It makes the whole house smell like Christmas.   It is perfect for the entire winter season.  The candles and the diffuser are a bit pricey.  However, the products last a long time, and if you watch the website (Nest.com), the Nest company have great sales.  After last Christmas, I bought the one I am using this year at a good discount.  I am going to do it again this year.  The diffuser is well-packed, and if you put it in a dark place, it will be ready when you are ready to use it.  They also ran a Black Friday special this year with good prices.  

 

Krebs Christmas Ornaments – I have had these Christmas balls on my tree for years.  They are beautifully made in gorgeous colors, unique colors that can transform a tree. They can be found on their website, christmasbykrebs.com, and of course, Amazon carries them. It is a high quality product at a reasonable price that you can enjoy for years.

American Spoon – I shared this company last year and their wonderful Holiday Jam.  This year, I tried their Bourbon Butterscotch sauce and Candied Pecans.  Use both for a delicious topping for ice cream or pound cakes. American Spoon’s products are just yummy!  I don’t think you can go wrong. The website is different from the name – spoon.com 

Yo Mama Marinara Sauce – I discovered this pasta sauce this year when I was looking for a healthy marinara sauce with few ingredients and no additives.  I tried a jar, and now Yo Mama is part of my pantry.  Spaghetti never tasted so good.  In preparing this blurb, I found that the company has a whole range of products – alfredo sauce, BBQ sauce, pizza sauce, and a variety of favors for their marinara.  I look forward to trying them all.  It is always fun to find tasty, simple products.

Egg Omelet Dish – I saw this little pottery item in the Uncommon Goods Catalog.  It claimed to cook a mini egg omelet in 45 seconds.  What a quick way to have protein in the morning, and it fits perfectly in a bagel or English muffin.  Spray vegetable oil in the little dish, whip up an egg and add cheese, bacon bits, peppers, onions, or any other veggie.  Pour the mixture into the dish and put in the microwave for 45 seconds.  Viola, you have a perfect egg to eat alone or in a sandwich. The Omelet Dishes are made by Holman Pottery.  You can purchase them from their website, holmanpottery.com, at Uncommongoods.com, and Amazon carries the dishes as well.  They are around $25.  

Having sensitive skin I shy away from most scented products. But there are a few I can use without fear of developing rashes.  One such product is from Natural Grocers – Lavendar Epsom Salts. I use it once or twice a week while soaking in the bathtub. I keep a canister with a small scoop by the bathtub, so the salts are read to use when the mood strikes. I simply put a few scoops under the warm running water and let them dissolve as the tub fills. Then I step into luxury for a 20-minute soak. Relaxing!

doTerra is an essential oil company that certifies its oils are pure. doTerra means “gift of the earth” in Latin. The company provides work for people across the globe, helping small businesses thrive while growing herbs worldwide. The products are expensive, but well worth the money. I diffuse essential oils in my office and bedroom every day. Two products I use extensively are the Deep Blue Rub to relieve muscle discomfort and the Breathe Respiratory Drops when my throat is scratchy or I feel an allergy or cold coming on. The scents are pleasant and I know I’m getting quality products when I buy from doTerra.

Using stickers activates my inner child.  My planner is replete with stickers marking appointments, reminders, and elevating my calendar.  I especially appreciate Bloom Stickers. They are fun, colorful, and meaningful. Bloom Stickers come in a variety of themed packages. Often, they accompany Bloom Planners. I have used the Bloom financial tracking planner and stickers in addition to the yearly planners.  You can find Bloom products at https://bloomplanners.com/ .

Another favorite is Thoughtfully ( https://www.thoughtfully.com/ ). This company has curated gift sets that are reasonably priced. My favorites, of course, are the Thoughtfully Gourmet. These sets comprise miniature samples of multiple products such as olive oil, salts, and teas. I like these because it gives me a chance to try different flavors without ending up with large quantities of things I may not use again. Another fun use of these mini sets is to use them for advent calendar boxes.  The small footprint of the items makes inclusion in the advent box perfect. And, you can use them for favors. This year I made nutcracker shaped breadsticks which I packaged with a small bottle of olive oil to use as a dipping oil. Fun and useful favor from an annual Christmas brunch.

One of my most favorite “things” is Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/ This is a company that has figured out what customers want and how to treat customers. Some people complain about the membership fee, but if you use the company a lot you will actually save quite a lot on shipping alone. The ability to order and receive most products within a few days is satisfying. The return process is easy and customer service personnel are empowered to make decisions about refunds. I am grateful that Jeff Bezos and his associates created a system of ordering, delivering, and returning that makes purchases so much easier.

There you have it, friends. Now you know a little more about Mary Ann and me – the things we enjoy and the products we use. What are some of your favorite things?

Mary Ann

While traveling in the South of France with friends, we decided to take a cooking class.  It was held at a winery, and it all seemed so romantic and adventuresome. First however, we were going to the Farmer’s market in Aix-en-Provence to get the food we needed to prepare for our dinner.  It was farm-to-table which is most of the meals in France. 

The market was full of stalls that held produce of fruits and vegetables, fish, poultry, red meat, breads and pastries, and of course, cheese.  It was a feast for the eye!  The cheese monger was an older gentleman whose white hair and beard looked like an unruly goat with hair sticking out everywhere.  He was beautiful.  Just the kind of picture you want to take to remember a day at the market.  So, I was sneaking around trying to get the perfect shot.  He, however, was on to me and kept ducking or turning his head.  I just was not going to get a picture of this” beautiful” man. No luck!

We met up with the chef who took us to the various stalls to buy the ingredients.  The chef explained how to choose the perfect ingredients for our dinner such as selecting a monk fish – boy, one ugly fish!  Then we moved to the cheese stall where the “goat” man reigned.  I was coming face-to-face with the man I was trying to photograph.  He looked me in the eye, and I looked him in the eye.  We totally recognized each other.   I was so embarrassed turning every shade of red, because he knew what I was trying to do.  I spoke to the chef asking him to apologize for me.  I was just plain rude to this man getting into his personal space regardless how enticing the picture would have been.  The chef told the cheese man how sorry I was.  As it turned out, the week before, he had been manhandled by a lady from Germany who took “selfies” of this poor man who just wanted to sell his cheese. The German woman shook him so when I came around with camera in hand, he thought I would do the same things.  The goat man and I smiled at each other, but I don’t think he really trusted me.  He went on to explain through the chef how the cheese was aged, and we tasted the difference – all very interesting!  I then slinged away. I never did get a picture of the cheese or the cheese monger. 

We continued shopping and then departed to the winery cooking the afternoon away in the creation of an excellent meal.  We sampled their delicious wines, and it truly was a memorable meal. As we departed, they sent us off with three bottles of wine and the recipes.  Yummy!

I did learn a valuable lesson that day about photographing native people.  Tourists are the paparazzi of the average man.  You must respect them.  They are not a building or vista that is there to photograph.  They are living, breathing people with feelings.  Since then, I have always asked if I could take a person’s picture.  I did always ask for permission to photograph children – too many weird adults out there who could use the pictures in a bad way.  For the most part, people like to be photographed and some of my most interesting shots from any trip are of the people who live there. 

This blog has been a lesson not to be the paparazzi of the native people of any country.  It makes tourists live up to the ugly American reputation or in this case, the ugly German!  Just ask and accept the answer they give you.  You will find most people are kind. Smiles are universal!   

Mary Ann 

I got the best birthday present, and I am sharing it with you as it could be a great Christmas gift as well especially if you need a gift for an animal lover.  It is a beaded bracelet featuring an animal such as a polar bear, an elephant, a giraffe, a cheetah, or manatees. There are 19 animals to choose from and new animals are added frequently.  The bracelets are from a company called Fahlo.  I got a polar bear bracelet.

When your purchase a bracelet, you also adopt a real animal that you can track in its habitat on your phone or tablet. You just download the app which is free.  I received a polar bear bracelet with a card telling me about Bobbie, my gifted bear.  She is a mother who has raised several cubs to adulthood.  Bobbie lives near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada – the Polar Bear Capital of the World.  Churchill has been on my bucket list for 30 plus years, and now, I have a little bit of it on my wrist.  I check on Bobbie every day or two, and she does move around.  You can see everywhere she has been over the last few months.  She is waiting right now for the Hudson Bay to freeze, so she can go seal hunting to survive the winter and provide for her cubs.

Fahlo has partnered with various conservation groups that they support with a share of the profits from bracelets and other merchandise.  My bracelet supports Polar Bears International.  This company makes the public aware of the various animals, many that are endangered, and then supports the group who study and protect the animals.  The animals are tagged with very humane protocols, and you can read about all of this on the website and on your app once you sign up for your animal.  Animals such as elephants give you tracking info that is a few weeks old to keep the poachers from locating a vulnerable animal in real time – smart!

The bracelets are each $16.95 which I think is a very fair price.  There is a wide array of beads to select the perfect gift for someone.  They have sales all the time so you can get them even cheaper.  I plan to give a cheetah bracelet and a manatee bracelet for Christmas gifts this year.  They are interesting and unique gifts that help animals.  You can make a difference, however small, with your bracelet purchase, and it will keep your animal or animals top of mind.  Have fun shopping and making the world a bit better.