An Abundant Life - New In The Neighborhood

For the past few months I've been walking by a space where a restaurant was being created. I'd see people going in and out on occasion, and as it got closer to the opening, sometimes I'd see people having a private party inside. The windows were always covered and the shades were always drawn, but when I could see glimpses through the door it looked as if whoever was designing this restaurant was doing it with such wonderful care. There were notes that said "Coming Soon!" and a sign that said "La Milpa Taqueria Authentic Mexican Cuisine" and little by little as the decorations and design became more visible I could see Mexican art and decorative pieces, and a beautiful, large back yard.

I love Mexican food, and I was so excited to see this restaurant on the way where I walk almost every day. Every time I walked by I'd look to see if there were signs that it was ready to open, and then just this past Friday I saw someone standing outside giving directions to people who were setting up signs and balloons, and I stopped and said how happy I was that they were opening. He told me that they'd be having their soft opening that night after 5pm, and I said I'd stop by on my way back that evening which I did, but I had a very busy and long day so I arrived around 7pm. When I walked in there was a Mariachi Band playing and people enjoying what smelled like really wonderful food. I walked up to the counter and the very nice and friendly young man there told me that unfortunately they had run out of food already. Although I wished I had a chance to get there earlier, I was so happy for them. It seems as if I'm not the only one who had been watching to see when they would open. When I walked by again on Saturday evening the place was full of happy diners, so it seems as if this wonderful place is already very welcomed in the neighborhood.

My schedule is a very busy one these days, but I'm going to find the time to walk in that door and try all kinds of wonderful things. It's such a beautiful place and everything I see about it is something that is welcoming and excellent, so I'm looking forward to visiting often.

La Milpa Taqueria

45 Franklin Street

Jersey City, New Jersey

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - Face Forward

I've written about my adventures at Chanel Beauty at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City before, and there is such a long and beautiful history that I've had at that store and at others over many years that I've shared. For anyone who is new to my experiences with Chanel, I'll say a few things now just to give a taste of why, even though I more often choose to write about smaller businesses and people and Artists and Designers who are not big name brands, I am loyal to Chanel and love to write about the times I am blessed to visit and the people I meet there.

When I was a teenager and into my early college years, one of my first grown up jobs was working at Lord & Taylor in Boston during summer vacations and holidays. On quieter days and when I had my break time, the people who worked in the makeup and beauty area were always so friendly and willing to let me try on different things, sometimes giving me a makeover if we all had the time at the same time. Everyone was wonderful, but my favorite people and products were at the Chanel counter, and because I grew up with a Mother who loved Chanel No. 5, when I started noticing that the products not only were beautifully packaged, but they also did not bother my skin or my eyes at all and they were really things that made me feel special and beautiful when I wore them, I asked if my Mother could come and visit one day too. We both had sensitive skin, and very often things I liked would bother me in some way, and Chanel was the one product that didn't bother me at all. It was just pure joy to wear it. 

This most recent visit to Chanel Beauty at Saks in New York was to meet with the National Skincare Specialist, Laura, and it was with so much gratitude for the invitation from Alicia who made the reservation for me for a Friday afternoon at 4pm. My schedule has been a very busy one for some time now, and there have been some things I've needed to focus on that have been taking so much of my physical and brain power that taking a vacation, though needed, hasn't been possible. I had been feeling somewhat worn out with everything and the weather, though warmer at times, has been on and off colder and rainy which has made everything else I am doing a bit more difficult. When I heard about the skin care event, it was described as a treat, and it sounded like just what I needed.

Laura was such a delight, and our time together was so relaxing and enjoyable. She not only described the products in such wonderful detail, but she gave me so many new tips and such excellent information about everything that I feel much more knowledgable and capable of taking good care of my skin and myself. Self care is such a catch phrase these days, but it is very important, and especially so when we have so much that we need to do and focus on. Being able to have the time I shared with Laura was a blessing, and it is one that will keep on helping me treat myself with good care. When we look good we feel good, but the same is also true in reverse. When we feel good we look good and when we are cared for and we give ourselves the care that we need, that helps us feel the best we can be.

A Visit To Chanel Beauty

At Saks Fifth Avenue

New York City

With So Much Gratitude To Alicia

For The Invitation

And To Laura And All The Staff 

For Such A Very Beautiful And Very Special Afternoon

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - Reading Games

When YES Gallery first opened, I was given some really wonderful help from someone who works at the grocery store that is just around the corner. I was trying to figure out how to get ice and sparkling water and sparkling wine to the gallery on time and in as few trips as possible, and he made some logistical and timing suggestions and other recommendations that made it possible for everything to run smoothly. When I asked his name he said it was Gabriel, and over time as I got to know him more I found out that his last name is Schlegel, that he is a student and he is a writer, that he makes films and videos, and he is a computer programmer too. I've also discovered that he is well liked and admired by his friends and co-workers, and that he is such a reliable and great help to so many people that I'm not the only one who is grateful and blessed to know him.

Just before Easter I saw that he had published a novel titled Shadowbeam and that it was available on Amazon. He had told me that it would be happening at some point soon and that it was something he'd been working on for many years. As soon as I received the information through his post on Instagram, I posted about it too, and I also went right to the link to purchase it. As I've written in these pages before, I am the kind of person who likes to read actual books, so when I ordered it I ordered it in paperback, but it is also available on Kindle.

I received a message about my order right away, saying it would be arriving on Saturday, then I received another message that said it would arrive on Friday, but then on Friday I received another message that said it was delayed and would be arriving on Monday. I had been looking forward to reading it, but I know these things sometimes happen, and then very late in the evening the Superintendent of my building sent me a message that there was a package that had been delivered for me in the hallway and I was delighted to see that it was Gabriel's novel.

When I first started reading about it in Gabriel's posts, I knew it would be something wonderful, and as I began looking it over when it arrived on the evening of Good Friday, everything about it seemed like something that was going to be a book that I would truly enjoy reading. I love to read, and always have, but sometimes some books just don't keep me interested past the first few pages. I don't know quite what it is, sometimes it's the style of writing, sometimes the content, but when I find a book that has just the right whatever combination of things it's hard for me to put it down.

Gabriel's book is one of those that once I started it I wished I had all day to read. As it is my schedule is so busy and there are some things I've really needed to focus on, but because of the quality of the writing and the content, I went out of my way to find the time to read his engaging and excellent novel. In his introduction he describes it as semi autobiographical, and as I read it I thoroughly enjoyed the journey of being inside the thinking brain of a young man who tells us right at the beginning that he's an over thinker. With chapters titled Thought Number 1, Thought Number 2 etc., interspersed with flashbacks and other meaningful interludes that add even more depth to what is already so layered and interesting, I found it so enjoyable to experience his day to day and moment to moment experiences as he thinks and sees and experiences them.

The writing itself is highly skilled while feeling so natural that it flows smoothly, with a very unique voice that is like nothing that I've read before. It's an excellent read that drew me in to keep reading in the way that only the best writing can, looking forward to what is happening next while enjoying what I'm reading in the present. A large part of the novel discusses the game of Tetris, something that I know very little about but that certain key characters are avid players of, and there is something so engaging about the way Gabriel describes the game and the way the characters interact with it and with each other that I thoroughly enjoyed reading about and learning about a game that I otherwise would not have any real knowledge of.

Shadowbeam is one of those novels that kept me turning the pages and wanting to continue reading, even when I knew I needed to stop and go about the other things in my life. It's such a wonderful read and the characters and story line are so interesting that I was taken into a world completely new and so much fun to lose myself in. There are also some aspects to Gabriel's story that are philosophically wise and encouraging. The tag line is "Let things fall into place," which reflects an aspect of the game of Tetris but also is something a friend of the main character says to him in an effort to help him stop overthinking and relax and accept the flow of life more, as an encouragement to accept the idea that not everything can be in his control and that's ok. That's a message I need to hear and one that is so well shared in Gabriel's language and in his story, and it made it possible for me to enjoy the opportunity to learn it for myself as I learn more about Gabriel and the game of life.

Shadowbeam

By Gabriel Schlegel

www.amazon.com/Shadowbeam-TalesofJamesville-Gabriel-Schlegel 

A View Of This Wonderful Novel At Home

And At YES Gallery

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

 

An Abundant Life - YES and I Am!

On the Saturday before Palm Sunday, it was pouring rain with flood warnings. On days like that if I don't have to go out I don't, and so I waited until the early evening and instead of taking a walk to somewhere specific, I let God lead me to the place where He wanted me to go. I didn't know where exactly I was going, but I had a thought that maybe I'd go to the Walgreens that is in my neighborhood. I did need a few things and I don't always have time to go there, so that seemed to make sense and it felt like that was the direction where I needed to go. On the way I passed by a local florist that had some plants out front. Whenever I walk by I always look to see what they have, but usually I don't see anything that I particularly need so I just keep walking. But on this day when I walked by I saw that they had some small maidenhair ferns at a good price, and I decided to buy one.

I love maidenhair ferns, and they were a favorite of my Mother's. Whenever I see them, or really many different types of ferns or plants that she loved, I think of her. I've had maidenhair ferns before but they're not easy to grow and keep, and so when I saw this one I thought I'd try again. When I went inside I asked if I could charge it and they said that I needed to have the total be ten or else there would be an additional dollar added. They had so many lovely things for the holiday season and as I looked around I decided on an Easter Lily. It was not yet blooming and was still in bud and I thought how nice it would be to bring it to YES Gallery and watch it grow. The scent of them is always so beautiful, and as cut flowers they are wonderful and long lasting. One that was live would be such a wonderful thing to have and try to keep year after year.

Although the rain had mostly stopped, it was a bit windy on my way home and I found myself trying to protect the plant by holding it up against myself to shield it from the wind. I was able to make it home but I wasn't sure how I'd get it to the gallery and keep it safe while I walked. The next day I was able to find a few large bags to carry it in, layering them to give it some support, and I set out in the sunshine this time to walk on my way. The wind was gusting at times and so I again used my body to shield the lily and its long stalk and buds, and I was able to make it to the gallery safely.

There are so many plants in the gallery now, and some that are past their season and have pots that can be reused, and so I found one that seemed just right and repotted the lily, then placed it in the window in a very central view. It's so delightful to see it, and other plants are beginning to grow more again and bloom with the warmer weather. The windows of YES Gallery are ready for Easter and ready for spring. There is a blog post that I wrote in 2013 that talks about Honeysuckle and the sudden smell of it when it begins to bloom. In that post I talk about all kinds of sweet things and experiences, including when God lets Moses see His glory and covers Moses with his hand to protect him so that he will not perish when he sees the Lord. It's Easter Sunday and it's one of those days that is such a powerful and beautiful one because of the God who said YES to loving us all, and on this day as I celebrate at YES Gallery, I'll be thinking of the glory and beauty of the One who says YES and I Am and gave His life to give us life and help us bloom and grow.

Blooming And Growing

At YES Gallery

408 6th Street

Hoboken, New Jersey

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

    

An Abundant Life - Taking Good Care

Last year, when the holiday season was beginning, I decided to treat myself to one of my all time favorite perfumes as a Christmas present. I've loved Shalimar for many, many years, and the one that I've had is from a collection of bath essentials that at one time included powder and possibly something else like body lotion, although I don't remember exactly now. It is a pretty bottle, but when I saw that Guerlain had brought back the iconic bottle with the blue stopper, I thought it would be a beautiful addition to my personal collection of lovely bottles and lovely perfumes.

The day that I went to Saks Fifth Avenue in New York to select my Shalimar present, I met a Beauty Specialist named Habib and we spoke about my long time love of Shalimar and Guerlain. It was a lovely surprise when he contacted me a few weeks ago to say that Guerlain was having a very special event at Saks, and that he was inviting me to meet with the National Makeup Artist for a facial and a makeover. I made my appointment, and it was truly one of the most enjoyable and special experiences.

I had used Guerlain skin care in the past for a long time, and had a wonderful memory of it being a favorite feeling and such an excellent product, but I had forgotten just how beautiful and special it really is. The scent of it alone is like aromatherapy to me, bringing me memories of the time when I first tried it and the years when it was always part of my routine. As Nancy, the National Makeup Artist, began applying different treatments, her beautiful technique and touch made it so relaxing and wonderful that all of the different things that had been on my mind and all of the cares and thoughts seemed to melt away and disappear into the air. By the time she began putting on makeup, I was as relaxed as could be and felt renewed as I sipped a glass of champagne and let Nancy and Habib and the rest of the wonderful staff take care of me.

The makeup Nancy applied was done so beautifully and carefully, selected with an eye and an understanding of not only my face but who I am. It was truly lovely artistry, and I kept telling her how good I felt and how special, and that what she had created was making me feel so happy and peaceful and like a princess who was very special.

Wellness and care are part of what helps us to get through each day with whatever challenges we face, and having the beautiful blessing and opportunity of an experience like this one made everything glow more brightly. I'm so grateful to Habib for the invitation and his taking such good care of me, to Nancy for her beautiful and patient care and artistry, and to all of the staff for making this afternoon such a very special and very beautiful one.

An Afternoon At Guerlain

With So Much Gratitude to Habib and Nancy

And All The Marvelous Staff

At Saks Fifth Avenue

611 Fifth Avenue

New York City

https://www.saksfifthavenue.com

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

        

An Abundant Life - Beautiful Hospitality

I wrote about an experience of staying at the Ritz Carlton in Boston last fall, and since that time I've had occasion to visit again on a few more occasions. The reason that I have been traveling there is a very important one, and it's also one that is for something that I need to have rest and focus and to be prepared for. It has to do with other places that I need to travel to for meetings and presentations and discussions, and everything I am doing in the rest of my life still needs to keep being able to keep going while I am traveling back and forth. The first time I stayed at the Ritz, I wrote about my history of going to the old one with my Mother for tea, and also about the wonderful children's book by E.B. White, "The Trumpet Of The Swan" that describes in part of it an actual swan who stays at the Ritz and eats watercress sandwiches and sleeps in the bathtub.

My experiences at the Ritz are not quite like the swan's, but in some ways I feel almost like there is something about me and my life and the way I'm experiencing the beautiful hospitality of the Ritz and its wonderful staff that reminds me of that wonderful book and that swan. When I arrive there, they know me by name, something that is so comforting when you're traveling any time, but especially when you feel like you just want to relax and feel welcomed in preparation for the other things that you need to be ready to do. This last time I was there, I arrived a bit early for the usual check-in time, and the lovely woman who greeted me made a change in my room so that I wouldn't have to wait. I had called earlier to let them know, but I had told them that I didn't mind waiting. There is a wonderful area in the Club Lounge to have some refreshments, and I had said that as long as I could do that I'd be fine. But she went above and beyond to make sure that I had an actual room to go to when I arrived, and not only did she make a change to accommodate my early arrival, the room she changed me into was a very special one. I felt like a princess when I walked in and saw it, and I was so grateful to her for her kindness and generosity and consideration. 

The Club Lounge itself is a wonderful treat to have available. The food and experience there is delightful, and the staff so welcoming and charming, kind and helpful. It really is such a blessing of an experience that I look forward to, and although my travel is not for a vacation, having such wonderful people and such a wonderful hotel experience makes it feel like it is one, because I'm in a place where I can rest and relax and be taken care of.

True hospitality is an art and a gift. Some people and places can make you so happy to be there, and can help you feel like you're special and treasured and welcomed. Even the staff who I see in the hallways there have smiles that are genuine and kind, and each place where I go and each person I speak with has something pleasant and enjoyable to share in their conversation. I'm so blessed to have this haven to go to on my journey, and this wonderful place with wonderful people who make this experience so special. It's beautiful to remember their hospitality as I write about it, and beautiful to have their blessing when I am there.

 A Visit To

The Ritz Carlton

10 Avery Street

Boston, Massachusetts

https://www.ritzcarlton.com

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - A Beautiful YES

I had written last week about the Leap Year Day celebration event at YES Gallery and some of the lovely things and people who were a part of it. When I was sharing with someone this past week about a little girl who brought me a work of her art and a work of art by one of her friends, and who has brought her friends and family to the gallery and who always says it is her favorite place, the person I was talking to said that you can't put a price on that. We had been talking about why it is that we do the things we do sometimes, and why I started the gallery, and we were sharing that sometimes we just do things because we do them, even if it makes no sense to anyone else why we would take the risk to do something like open an art gallery.

It's people like this little girl and Artists and community members of all ages whose response when they walk in the door keep me doing what I do in the way that I do it. When they walk in the gallery and tell me either in their own words or sometimes just in their actions how inspiring and beautiful it is, something in me is made so joyful. Sometimes there are things we do that make no sense to anyone else, and then along comes someone who affirms that what we're doing is important. Every time a visitor has such a positive response, every time someone walks by and says as one woman did the other day, "A best boutique!" or as she said it in German, "Ein besten boutik!" I find myself feeling all glowy and happy and warm inside. It meant so much for me to hear that woman's words, because I know a little German from my Mother and Grandmother and my high school classes, and when she said what she said, I thought of them and some friends I've had over the years and a visit I made to Germany a number of years ago to visit with someone who I knew from an old apartment building I lived in once upon a time.

YES Gallery is a community space, and often when people visit they thank me for what I have created and provided there. In an interesting way it's also a very spiritual place, because whenever I hear compliments and thanks I let people know that there is something more than I am that has made it possible. There isn't a way that any of it could have happened without God and without other people, and the quality of the energy and feeling there wouldn't be possible without God and the beautiful energy of the people who share their beautiful blessings and inspiration in the space. The inspiration and design and everything in it are things that came from a place much greater than I am, and that is not anything that I can say is my own.

I was listening to someone who was talking about spirituality, and I was trying to think about what it is that I would tell them if I could. When we say yes to beauty and joy, when we say yes to love, when we say yes to taking a chance on a dream that God has put in our hearts, the end result is always something that is filled with light and life. It's not always easy, and sometimes we can feel disheartened and discouraged, but then a little girl walks in our door and says that an art gallery is her favorite place, and somehow we find that things start to glow and hum again with the rhythm of fairytales, dreams and all the most beautiful things in a heavenly life.

Gifts Of Art

From Visitors Of All Ages And Backgrounds

At YES Gallery

408 6th Street

Hoboken, New Jersey

Blessings,

Jannie Susan