Y’all. Y’ALL. I have started five different posts, each with a solid theme. But really what I want to do is put on my cozy pajamas, make a cup of hot cocoa, and sit around the fireplace laptop and chat. Can we just do that?
I just got back from a five-day trip to New York — the first time I’ve ever been in December. Was it cold? Yes, temperatures were … brisk. Was it expensive? Yes. Hotels rooms were around double what I usually pay. Did I get sick? Also yes. My husband and I both got caught colds. Would I do it again in a heartbeat? Absolutely.
Where to start? I saw a bunch of the big holiday light displays, but mostly from a distance while being swept along in a sea of tourists with their iPhones out. (But… same.) On the plus side, Austin doesn’t do Christmas like New York does Christmas, so it helped put me in a certain kind of holiday spirit that usually doesn’t come until around December 24.
We went to Carnegie Hall — my first time ever. We rode in an elevator with Rachel Dratch (random) who did NOT want to be acknowledged. (We were happy to oblige.) But what I did notice were the huge receptacles full of Ricola cough drops for patrons to fill their pockets with. They are serious about their listening experience!
The highlight of my trip was taking two of my besties to one of my favorite spots in New York, the main branch of the New York Public Library. That alone deserves its own highlight reel.
- Patience and Fortitude (the lions) were both wearing their holiday wreaths.
- There was a huge Christmas tree in the lobby (see above), with way fewer people looking at it than the one at 30 Rock.
- We went through the Treasures exhibit, which has some of the library’s archives on display. (Charles Dickens’ desk! Virginia Woolf’s walking stick! The original Winnie the Pooh that belonged to the real-life Christopher Robin!)
- The gift shop is perfectly curated in a way that could be described (by me) as Things That Marla Likes.
The Library has become my one must-do when I’m in NY. My dad used to go there back when he was an art student in New York. He said he’d sit in the Rose Reading Room and look at expensive art books for hours. And I even wrote part of my second novel, Dying on the Vine, in that same room, just so later I could say I did.
So when one of my friends asked, “I wonder if your books are here?” my first thought was, “Nooooo… this is for, like, rare books.” But, reader, I checked. And it’s hard to put into words how I felt when they told me that both my books were available, there at the main branch, stored in massive underground stacks deep below Bryant Park (directly behind the library).
So, bucket list for next time? Get a library card, check out my book, have them bring it up on the little book trolley that I just learned about on Instagram a couple of months ago, and sit and read it in the place where it was (partially) written. (If we hadn’t been bumping up against closing time, I would have applied right there on the spot!)
Being an author means plenty of self doubt. And making the leap of faith to relaunch my series has been, well, in a word, terrifying. But next time one of my Instagram posts tanks, or I feel like I have no idea how to build a mailing list, I’m just going to picture Patience and Fortitude, standing guard over my books, and let that be enough.
Readers, grab some cocoa and let’s chat. Tell me what you’re doing for the holidays. Tell me if you’ve ever been to New York in December. Tell me what keeps you going when you need a boost. Or, just tell me how I can shake this persistent cough!
P.S. If you’ve recently been to New York and you’re missing a black glove, I think I spotted it in the subway station.
Chicks on the Case 
Wonderful post, Marla! Thank you. I’m from Brooklyn. New York in December can definitely be brisk. Ha! I have many fond memories of the New York Public Library, and Patience and Fortitude. Although I spent a lot more time at my local library branch. LOL! I hope you feel better soon. Hugs!
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How wonderful! I was thinking about the Eddie Izzard line, “I’m from Europe, where we have history.” New York is the closest we’ve got to that. I’ve only lived in relatively new cities and there’s something about New York that makes me feel more grounded and connected to the past.
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Oh how I miss New York City during Christmas. Just walking around the city lifts the spirt in your soul.
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Just walking around the city is one of my favorite activities at any time of year, but I’m glad I got to finally experience the Christmas magic! I was worried about the cold weather but I bundled up and it was fine. It actually made it feel more festive!
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Me too, Dru Ann!
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Dru, absolutely!
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What an amazing Christmas gift, to know your books are in that incredible place! Hope the rest of your holiday season is filled with wonder…and cocoa and cozy pajamas!
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Thank you! Cozy pajamas are the best! And yes, that’s the perfect way to describe it — an amazing Christmas gift! 🙂
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Marla, what a fabulous trip! I just came back from NY metro over Thanksgiving with the same cough. It lasts 2 weeks and goes through various weird stages, if that’s helpful. I have lifelong NYC Xmas memories, including the time that I lived there. I always loved my annual holiday trip through FAO Schwartz, and so did my kids (see the movie Big). Sadly, it’s gone, but you can still go across the street to the Plaza to see the portrait of Eloise (I think her upstairs suite is still set up for visitors as well). There’s also the Christmas market at Union Square, with lunch at Old Town Bar (first licensed 1896). But every NY Christmas for me includes a visit to the stunning Nativity scene inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
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That’s such a wonderful holiday tradition! I never made it to FAO Schwartz, although it will live on in my memory thanks to Big (one of my early favorite movies!). I wish I’d had the chance to live there like you, Ellen, and Patricia (NY, not FAO–ha). I always come back a different person than I was when I left. One of these days, we’ll have to do a Chicks & friends meet-up there!
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P.S. Thanks for the heads-up on the cough! I will stock up on supplies.
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Ahhh, I remember going to FAO! All those fabulous displays!
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Mariella, that was my childhood!! I’m so jealous you got a dose of a NY Christmas. I miss it so much. I have spent some of past holiday seasons there. Jer and Eliza even got to skate in Bryant Park and Rock Center!
When I was a kid, I LOVED the amazing department store windows at Altman’s and Lord & Taylor’s. They were unmatched by any of the others. So sad they’re gone.
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I know, I thought of you so many times while I was there! I’m jealous you got to grow up there. We walked by the skating rink and I saw the tree from a distance. It’s magnificent! I have to say, it lives up to the hype. I feel 87% more Christmas-y than I normally do this time of year. Austin is just not a Christmas town!
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Yay, so glad you got to be Christmassy in NYC! Loved that your books are in that amazing library, too.
New York at Christmastime is magical. The Rockefeller tree is gorgeous, and though I never participated, I delighted in watching everyone go ice skating. I’ve never been inside Carnegie–just appreciated it from the outside. And I relished all the wonderful, elaborate store displays that are put up…
P.S. Feel better soon, staying toasty in your PJs and with your hot cocoa!
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Thank you, Jen! I went into the trip thinking, “What have I done?!” but the magic won me over immediately! I wish I’d had more time to linger at the skating rink but we were on our way to a show. The tree was magnificent, though!
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Robin and I have a plan to spend several months in NYC–but not in the winter. Christmas displays notwithstanding, it’s too cold! We’ve traded houses there already twice, both times for a month, and there are little things better in life than simply walking down the streets of Manhattan gawking at the people, storefronts, and skyscrapers. So glad you got to to there, dear Marla! And how awesome that your books are under the guard of Patience and Fortitude!
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I love, love, LOVE that you got to do that! I did a couple of house swaps when we lived in SF and it was great. One in Paris and one in Big Sur. I would love to add NY to the list so I can talk about that time I lived there…
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We’ve done trades in Paris, too–fabulous! You get to know the neighborhoods, rather than just the tourist areas.
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Yes! We stayed in an opera singer’s apartment near The Bastille and her teenage daughter taught me French slang during our brief overlap. Man, you’ve reignited my interest in/passion for home-swapping! It was a no-brainer in SF!
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I’ve never done home-swapping, but it sounds so fun!
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I think you found a theme for your post after all. Fun trips with Marla to NYC!
Me? This week has been horrible with work related stress. But have a couple of parties this weekend, so I’m looking forward to them.
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Ha ha! You’re right, Mark! By the end of the post, I realized it had ended up way more cohesive than all the thoughts I had swirling around in my head. I blame the cold medicine.
Sorry you had a stressful week. Hopefully you’ll get a break soon and can enjoy those holiday parties!!!
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Sorry to hear, Mark. Enjoy those festive parties!
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Amazing that your books are there. Congratulations!!
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Thank you!! I can’t believe I’d never thought to check, but, then again, it came at the perfect time! 😄
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I love how you capture the magic of NYC in this post! I was only there in December and it’s so wonderful and that library is AMAZING. How cool to find yourself in their system!
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Thank you so much! It’s hard to capture all the magic and all the things I was feeling, but glad that I was able to get the important parts across! 🥰
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This is just so beautiful and holidayesque and uplifting! Thank you, M. So glad you had a terrific trip and hope you feel better soon.
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Thank you! 🥰🎄
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I was just telling my husband last night that we should go to NYC (neither of us has ever been), get an AirBnB and stay a couple of weeks so we can get a small taste of life there. After seeing it romanticized in movies and literature (and reading posts like yours), it feels like a must-do.
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I love this plan! However, they’ve done something to crack down on Airbnb‘s in the city so it’s hard to find them. You might have to get creative, but when there’s a will, there’s a way! 😊 I would love to spend a month there so I can pretend I lived there for a while.
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