Open A New Door

My husband had a special birthday recently, and since my birthday is only ten days after his, we decided to have a combination birthday celebration with our children and grandchildren. If you notice, the candles say "127." That is the sum of both our ages, plus one extra year added for good luck! I think you'd agree we have lived long and happy lives, and we are grateful for each and every year. One thing for sure, now that my husband is approaching retirement, we are looking forward to opening another new door on life, and we are excited about more changes ahead on the horizon!

  

Most of my regular readers know that we already made a big transition in our lives, a year and a half ago, when we moved from living at sea level in New York City...

... to 6,200 feet altitude in a suburb in the foothills of Denver, Colorado!

We made the decision to move so that we could live closer to our children and grandchildren that had settled in Colorado. It was hard work to leave our hometown, the house we lived in for thirty-six years, and to say goodbye to good friends. But it is a decision we have not regretted. We have enjoyed having more family times together and the joy of watching our young grandchildren grow.  We also knew there would be many other benefits to our move.

We have been enjoying walking and biking the many miles of trails in our community...

...as well as taking hikes to see the glorious vistas in Rocky Mountain National Park.

We've participated in winter activities in the Rocky Mountains...

...as well as enjoying swimming close to home in the community pool in the summer.

 All of these activities are making my husband and me healthier and happier! 

Now that we've fully settled into our new Colorado home, I am looking forward to my husband's upcoming retirement and the anticipation of traveling to many new places, both in the United States and around the world, in the upcoming years ahead. My husband and I love new vistas, adventures and learning new things, and travel fulfills all those desires.

If you were able to open a new door to reinventing your life, what would you choose to do? I'd love to read your answer in my comments!

The Strand Bookstore, NYC

Do you love a good book store? Unfortunately, in this world of online book warehouse ordering and e-readers, bookstores are becoming a rare sight, even in a mega city like New York City.  I was very happy, recently, to see one of my favorite independent Manhattan bookstores was still open and thriving--the Strand Bookstore. Located at 12th Street and Broadway in Manhattan, the Strand Bookstore, is still selling its legendary "18 miles of new, used and rare books!" (Click on all photos in this post to enlarge them for easier viewing)

The bookstore was first opened on Fourth Avenue in 1927, opened by Ben Brass. It was one of 48 bookstores located in the area called "Book Row." He named the store after London street where writers such as Thackery, Dickens, and Mill once gathered, and where book publishers thrived. In 1957 the Strand Bookstore moved to its present location and is the only bookstore survivor of Book Row's past.

The Strand has four floors of books--an estimated 2.5 million books! Their Rare Books Room on the top floor has shelves filled with leather-bound books--some signed by authors such as Joyce, Chagall, and Twain. It often hosts events with authors and the room can be rented for your own special event.  You can also browse their collection of rare books for sale at this link.

One could spend many hours browsing in the Strand Bookstore. They also sell books online at this link, and you can also spend hours perusing the many books they offer in different categories, from Americana to Weddings! In addition, they offer a selection of Audio Books, DVDs, Blu-Rays, and Music CDs through their online shop.

Assorted literary-themed merchandise and giftware can also be found in their aisles and online. Their canvas tote bags are carried by many New Yorkers and are one of their best selling items.

One of my favorite sections in the Strand Bookstore is the travel section! Here, I can pack a virtual suitcase and travel through the many enticing books about all the places I would like to visit one day. What is your favorite section of a bookstore?

You can see an interesting 1996 video with Mr. Bass' son talking about the Strand Bookstore at this C-Span video link.

If you are fortunate enough to be able to visit the brick and motor Strand Bookstore you will also be in an interesting older area of Manhattan, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood. As you can see in the photo collage above, this neighborhood has views of both the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center. I've done quite a few blog posts about this area, which you can read under this blog label link. It is definitely one of my favorite neighborhoods in New York City and one I'd encourage all to include on a visit to New York!

s!