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12.03.2010

thanksgiving eve: an affair to remember

As I mentioned here, I first fell in love with NYC through the movies.  I grew up watching musicals like Singing in the Rain and Easter Parade with my dad, utterly transfixed by the palpable energy of the city.  Another Fred Astaire film, Band Wagon, is one of my very favorites.*  I loved to sing and dance around our living room, pretending I was waltzing down Fifth Avenue.  As a young adult, films like Barefoot in the Park and An Affair to Remember cemented the deal.  I was in love with all things big city.

Husband, always the keen observer, knew this about me early on.  Fortunately for him, he missed my tap dance/voice/acting lessons phase.  *See musical adoration above.  Tip of the day: marginal talent will get you all of nowhere, but if you're having fun, by ALL means, indulge your hobbies!  And hey, if you take a tap dance class with a bunch of 7 year olds who are doing shuffle ball changes so fast it makes your head spin, try not to step on their sweet little toesies.  True story... sad, but true.

Thanksgiving Eve, 2005
When it came time to propose, Husband picked a NYC landmark only a movie buff like me could truly appreciate.  On Thanksgiving Eve, five years ago, he popped the question atop the Empire State Building.  What can I say, it was the perfect, romantic spot for a gal who can quote An Affair to Remember and Sleepless in Seattle on demand.  The building, flanked in history, will always be a special place to us.

This Thanksgiving Eve, five years later, Husband semi-surprised me
(I was on to him from the get go) with another visit to the famous skyscraper.  While the magic of NYC might not be as obvious anymore (especially when it's so easy to get caught up in the daily grind), moments like these are incredibly special.  Peeking out over the city, lit up from end to end, I was reminded once again of why I live here... why it's special, and why I don't take it for granted.  The same goes for Husband, who (I'll admit) doesn't get enough credit for being the thoughtful guy he is, but who is never, ever taken for granted.

Thanksgiving Eve, 2010
Clearly, things have changed a bit in five years... I have better taste in hats, for starters.  There's a cranky yet adorable little munchkin in the photo with us (the nostalgia & panoramic view were lost on her, unfortunately).  We've decided that this will be a new tradition for us - to go back to the Empire State Building every 5 years.  The visit brought back a little magic that I'd been missing, and I was reminded of the little girl who used to dance around in her living room, dreaming of bright lights and excitement.  To be able to share this city with a pretty fantastic guy, and now, our child, well... I forget how lucky I am sometimes.

PS:  Am I really wearing the same coat?  Good grief.  Time to go shopping.

17 comments:

Empty Nester said...

Love the sentiment of this post! And the people in the picture!

Jayne said...

Happy Anniversary of your engagement! How fun to have a special place and now to share it with your daughter! Take care and enjoy the season!

Sherri said...

Oh, it's nobody's fault but my own! I was looking up... it was the nearest thing to heaven!

Sonja said...

LOVE this post! So romantic and sentimental. Definitely do the picture every 5 years, if not more often!

ellen said...

Ladies, thank you for all the great comments (and the movie quote- awesome!)! Love them!! :)

Robin said...

Beautiful story. I hope it's a tradition you get to celebrate for many years to come.

Anonymous said...

What a sweet and romantic gesture by your husband.
We're "neighbors" - greetings from NJ. I absolutely adore NYC and being in north Jersey I try to get in as often as I can.
I'm also a sucker for movies set in the Big Apple. I think it started with When Harry Met Sally - that scene where they're walking around the Museum of Natural History and it's fall. And oh - when Meg Rayn and tom Hanks meet in Central Park in You've got Mail? love that scene.
NYC has made it's away into some of my posts - quite recently in one called:
The Perils of Being Bridge and Tunnel
http://www.lifeofsaucyb.com/2011/09/perils-of-being-bridge-and-tunnel.html
Hope you'll check it out.
Happy SITS Day!

Kimberly at Rubber Chicken Madness said...

Love that he's so thoughtful! Definitely a keeper :)

Hatton said...

So sweet! What a cool tradition.

Misty Mathews said...

Your advice about hobbies and having fun is so good. And I love that now you are sharing this special memory with your little girl ... just think, she will appreciate it more in five years!

Happy SITS day!

Marie said...

I think that is a great tradition! :)

Caren with a "C" said...

You can't go wrong with family traditions and such a romantic one to take you back to the place that started it all. What a great idea! Happy SITS Day!

Anonymous said...

It's so lovely and important to grab these moments, recognize and treasure them. How special that you will be able to look back every 5 years and reflect and see how your lives have changed (next time you will have a new coat, but for the record that thing is warm and all black puffer jackets look the same:)) Congratulations on remembering your sparkle...

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

How very special . . . your own affair to remember.

I love your header.

Fondly,
Glenda

Anonymous said...

How romantic... if only more men were romantic these days! Happy SITS day :).

Vicki @ Grams Made It said...

I adore all those movies, but I've never been to NYC yet. Someday though, I'm sure I'll be walking around singing "New York, New York, it's a wonderful town."

Unknown said...

It was When Harry Met Sally that made me want to move to Manhattan (where I met my husband and had my first child).

Congrats on your SITS day! :-)

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