Weekend in Maryland

Posted on June 5, 2023 by mlenoach

In Early May, my husband, daughter, and I went to Maryland for a friend’s wedding.

The wedding was on Sunday, so we left New York Saturday afternoon and arrived at night. The first stop before the hotel was Cracker Barrel, and we ordered a feast. Maxine got the scrambled egg and biscuit. Andrew got the country fried steak with green beans and bacon mac and cheese, and I got the chicken fried chicken with broccoli and dumplings. Everything was yummy. Maxine ate all my dumplings, so I wish I had gotten a larger order. I know for next time! We need a Cracker Barrel in NYC.

We stayed at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Frederick. It was a nice hotel near many restaurants and, most importantly, had an indoor pool. Maxine and I took advantage and were the only ones in there.

For lunch, we got food from the Silver Diner. Maxine got silver dollar pancakes, Andrew got a sausage omelet, and I got a shrimp and grits dish. Everything was good.

Then came the wedding! The wedding and reception were at Dulany’s Overlook. The space had a country feel; the main venue was a barn.

Here are some pictures of our night.

Before we headed home on Monday, Andrew wanted to check out a buffet situation, so we ended up at the Golden Corral. This is the first I have heard of this chain; the food was pretty good. I got about three plates worth of food.

Overall, it was a great weekend trip, and I want to come back to explore more soon.

PAL’s Career Day

Posted on June 3, 2023 by mlenoach

On May 20th, the New York Junior League’s Personal Advancement and Leadership committee hosted a Career Day at the Astor House. The event brought together approximately 80 middle and high school girls from three community partners, Union Settlement, SCAN-Harbor, and Rising Ground.

The girls got to hear about different career paths and professional skills. We had over 20 speakers! There was a panel about entrepreneurship, women in tech, criminal justice, LinkedIn, social media, corporate America, and community advocacy and public policy.

It was an inspiring day! Here are some pictures of the event.

Playing Tourist Part 2

Posted on June 3, 2023 by mlenoach

I got to play tourist again but in a different capacity.

I volunteer with the New York Junior League, an organization of women whose mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training.

I’ve been a volunteer for nine years and have had many roles.

This year, I’ve had the pleasure of being part of the Personal Advancement and Leadership Committee (PAL), which focuses on mentoring young women (ages 14-18) on continuing education opportunities, broad career aspirations, and life skills.

One of the workshops was a tour of Radio City Music Hall. We were able to tour the whole venue and got to meet a Radio City Rockette. It was an excellent opportunity for the young women to see the space and hear from various employees on how they got their jobs and what their roles and responsibilities are.

It was an inspiring and fun workshop. Here are some pictures of the tour.

Hidden within the carpet are 6 instruments

The room that really makes the magic happen

Playing tourist in my own city

Posted on May 30, 2023 by mlenoach

In April, I had family from California visit. They explored NYC for many days, and I was able to spend some time with them and enjoy some sites I hadn’t been to before or hadn’t been to in a while.

I have been wanting to check out Little Island for a while now, so we went there first. It’s a great little park with lovely views.

From Little Island, we went straight to the High Line. I haven’t been in years! The High Line is a public park built on a freight rail line elevated above the streets of Manhattan’s West Side. The park is from 14th Street to 34th Street and has impressive views and great artwork along the path.

The High Line goes directly into Hudson Yards. We enjoyed the mall there and some yummy food.

Overall, it was a great relaxing day, enjoying the city.

Memorial Day

Posted on May 29, 2023 by mlenoach

Celebrating Mother’s Day

Posted on May 23, 2023 by mlenoach

I had a fabulous Mother’s Day last week.

I greeted all the extraordinary women in my life and got plants for my mother, mother-in-law, aunt, and sister-in-law.

I treated my mom and myself to a seafood feast!

My husband bought me flowers and I made beautiful arrangements with them.

Overall, a great day!

CPR Training

Posted on May 22, 2023 by mlenoach

Last week, I took part in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training. Ever since I had my daughter, I always wanted to learn just in case.

The training was very informative. I learned the difference between a heart attack (blockage) and a cardiac arrest (heart stop) and what to look out for.

I practiced compressions and rescue breaths on an adult and child dummy. I learned how to administer a shock from an AED (automated external defibrillator). I also practiced the Heimlich maneuver on an adult and techniques to help an infant choking.

I recommend the training to anyone. If you see it offered somewhere, take the class. You never know when you might need it!

Celebrating Easter

Posted on May 16, 2023 by mlenoach

I’m a bit late, but I want to share my Easter this year. It was extra special because I helped organize an egg hunt at the New York Junior League (NYJL), and I had family from California visit.

We had approx 70 kids participate in the egg hunt at the (NYJL). The kids decorated their egg-hunting bags, bunnies and chicks, and photo frames. It was a huge hit.

Here are pictures of my family enjoying the event.

For Easter, I did most of the cooking. I wanted to cook ham but couldn’t find any, so chicken it is!

This year, I went a little light with the Easter baskets. Less is more!

My nephew’s basket. Went with a board game.

For family activities, we did cookie decorating and classic egg coloring.

Nothing better than spending quality time with the family.

Poconos Adventure

Posted on May 15, 2023 by mlenoach

In March, the family and I enjoyed a weekend getaway in the Poconos. Our friend recently bought a house in the area and invited us over.

The area is filled with many things year-round to do, but we enjoyed the local entertainment, which happened to be the deer. Each day we took part in a deer-watching ritual. My daughter Maxine loved it.

We also enjoyed the Pocono Brewery Company. It’s a great spot offering fantastic food and beer flights.

Hopefully, we get invited to stay again soon!

Mother’s Day

Posted on May 14, 2023 by mlenoach

The Casual Explorer

exploring NYC, and beyond, one day at a time