Farewell to a Blessed Year

Of course there were many, many, many more great moments this year -- ending in a wonderful Christmas.  And there were not-so-great moments too.  For a second I might have been tempted to think of 2015 as a tough year -- until I stop to recognize the many ways we are surrounded by love and support, by wonderful family and fantastic friends. And until I remember the laughs we had through the lows as well as the highs.

Let's close the year with a couple of those highs -- such as the joy in Jonathan's face when he discovered he got into his first choice high school, and Isabella's pride as a citywide finalist in the Wise Quality of Life Innovations Competition. Congratulations!  And here's to more great moments in 2016!

NY Comic Con, October 2015

I like to think of New York Comic Con as a family tradition not to be missed -- but the reality is that it has become so difficult to obtain tickets that who knows when we might get shut out entirely.  Getting tickets to this year's event required hovering over a laptop, tablet and phone for three hours. But it was worth it!  Let's hope we can return next year.

Secret Summer Part Three: WaterFire

For New Yorkers who think they reside in the center of the universe, Providence, Rhode Island may not come to mind as an important cultural retreat.  Yet the city's periodic WaterFire festivals -- combining dramatic fires on the water, great music, dance, food, and a magical atmosphere -- are some of the best city festivals I've ever experienced.  Another summer delight a little off the beaten path.

Secret Summer Part Two: Best Fireworks Viewing Spot Ever

Not long after the movie, we got to use our new backpack chairs at what may be the best place in NYC to view the July Fourth fireworks: Roosevelt Island.  Years earlier I had heard stories of great views and no crowding at little to no cost -- but then the fireworks were moved from the east to the west side and were no longer visible from Roosevelt Island.  In 2014 our new mayor moved the fireworks to the east again -- but placed them so far south that Roosevelt Island wasn't an option.  But, finally, in 2015 they were visible again from there.  Perhaps a week before the event, the island made free reservations available online. The views were fantastic and we were never ever stuck in a crowd.  Beautiful!  

Secret Summer Part One: An Outdoor Movie with Room to Relax

I love hanging out on a summer night and watching a movie outdoors.  But I don't love guarding a tiny spot for hours before the movie begins.  This year we discovered a rooftop movie series with food and activities before the movie and plenty of room to spread out during the movie -- even if you don't arrive far in advance.  Where is this secret gem?  On the rooftop of the Bronx Terminal Market.

To add to the convenience, once we got there I went to the Target inside and picked up backpack folding chairs for us to use.  The movie, Home, was cute and perfect for a summer night.

Looking Back at 2015

Here we are on New Years Eve 2015 as I catch up with some of my favorite moments of the year.  The highlight of 2015 is no doubt our February trip to Puerto Rico, but here, before the year runs out, are some other fun moments since then. First up: the three part Secret Summer of 2015

No. 11: The El San Juan hotel

I must add one more: On our last night in Puerto Rico, we stayed in the ridiculously beautiful, luxurious El San Juan hotel.  Every corner of this place was gorgeous. It felt as if from another era; Don Draper at his peak would have hung out there.  We brought Mom to the casino, where she had the best hand of any of us playing video poker -- four queens.  A fitting end to a wonderful journey.

No. 10: The Road of Roast Pork

On a exit off the highway linking San Juan to Ponce is a winding mountain road with a place specializing in lechon asado -- roast pork -- at every curve.  We went to the most popular of them all, Los Pinos, and feasted on roast pork, heavenly crispy skin, blood sausage (Mom was looking for that all week), pasteles, yuca,  plantains, and rice with gandules. So, so good.

No. 9: The End of Every Heist Movie

We had the beach to ourselves in Ponce -- and the perfect view of the Caribbean island retreat reminded me of the last scene in every heist movie, with the charming jewel thief, the retired cop, and the former butler now spending their time living in luxury and sipping pina coladas. 

No. 8: The Ponce Museum of Art

One of the best art museums in Latin America.  The museum, a great piece of architecture in itself, was home not just to wonderful works such as Flaming June, but also clearly home to a vibrant cultural scene. This is a place one could visit many times.

No. 7: The Lions of Ponce

The center of Ponce was full of beautiful old buildings -- buildings that must have been there (perhaps unrestored) when Mom lived there.  But the one thing Mom remembered from her youth in Ponce were the original lions surrounding the fountain.  Now they have been joined by a very colorful new pride at the other side of the plaza.

No. 6: The Road to Ponce

On our third full day in Puerto Rico, we drove (or, more precisely, Liz drove) from San Juan to the city of Mom's birth, Ponce.  The trip itself through the mountains in the center of the island was one of the highlights of the week.  The views were amazing; in places the hills were so lush and clearly defined that they looked unreal.  And as we reached our destination, we were greeted with the most dramatic "welcome" sign I've ever seen: 20-foot letters spanning the highway, spelling out PONCE.

No. 5: La Casita Blanca

Yes, more food!  Many things made this place special: My yummy pigs' feet entree; the delicious desserts, including the best tres leches cake any of us had ever tasted; the anise liquor with coffee beans each of the adults was given at the end of the meal; and the rooster walking along the sidewalk that we passed on our way to the restaurant.

No. 4: Yuca and Plantains Everywhere

I suppose you've detected a pattern here: an awful lot of these "moments" are about food. But what else can one expect from folks raised on my mother's spectacular Puerto Rican cooking? We had yuca in garlic sauce, mofongo, and/or tostones every day.

No. 3: Casa Cortes ChocoBar

Our first day in Old San Juan, we were about half a block from this place - but a few thousand protesters happened to be in between. (We found out later that they were protesting against sex education in the schools, so perhaps their preventing us from reaching this sinful place was appropriate.) But I would not be denied, and the next day the kids and I returned. We didn't have much time - Jonathan had to get back for a very cool fishing trip with Uncle Joseph - but you can see that we used our time well.

No. 2: Old San Juan

You've seen pictures of Old San Juan, right? Well, the reality is just as beautiful as the images. Our first day there, though, we managed to guide Mom snack into the middle of some sort of giant protest march; we had to wriggle through a sea of people moving in the opposite direction, filling the the narrow streets.  A little taste of the non-touristy life of the island.

No. 1: Coffee and Donuts

Puerto Rican coffee is fantastic, strong and rich without too much bitterness (I'm looking at you, Starbucks). I noticed the great coffee right away, but it was Mom who recognized the fresh-baked donuts from her childhood. They put my local NYC donut place to shame.

Ten Puerto Rico Moments

We just spent an incredible week on a trip with Mom to Puerto Rico, where she grew up.  Here are ten special memories from that trip. It's not a "top ten" because there were so many wonderful things, and I don't want to rank them.