Magic December Moments

Delores Woods Huajardo

In the spring of 1959 I had transferred from our TWA Airline flight-attendant base in Detroit to our domicile in Boston. It was December, just a few days before Christmas, and I was scheduled to fly on that holiday as was my custom since I was far away from my family home in Cincinnati.

A special young man I knew in Detroit had arrived in Boston with a visiting German fellow friend of his who was as eager as I for an adventure in New York City. The three of us traveled together arriving in NYC late in the afternoon. It had snowed the day before our arrival, and it was an abundant dry snow which had remained clean and white on the sides of the streets and sidewalks where it had been shoveled. Ledges of buildings, park benches, bushes and trees were still adorned in the beautiful snow that made the entire scene look like the proverbial winter wonderland.

We toured the City on foot around Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and ended up in a shopping district busy with bustling customers visiting the shops and stores which were decorated with sparkling, brightly colored lights and merchandise temptingly displayed. Christmas music was playing, a portly Santa Claus was ringing his hand bell soliciting funds for those less fortunate and we were having a delightful time in conversation as we continued our tour in the darkness that had gradually closed in on us and made the City seem even more inviting and intimate. Then as if on cue from a perfect commanding film director, the most glorious snow began to fall around and on us. The fluffy kind of snowflakes that rested on our eyelashes, warm coats, knit hats and cozy gloves.

To accompany this perfect movie scene, we turned a corner and came upon a street vendor in his black costume with a black chef’s hat, his cheeks pink from the cold, and wearing a cheery smile while roasting chestnuts on a live fire. Of course our host had no trouble enticing us to taste some and I had never experienced chestnuts before. Well, let me hasten to tell you, I have prepared them many times since that night, but none ever tasted as good as those.

This was the perfect closing scene as in an expertly directed romantic 1950 movie. We three shared these beautiful, Magic December moments that are as vivid to me today as when they were lived so many years ago. I am extremely grateful for these and many other magic moments in my blessed life.

Thank you for this opportunity to share my memories with you.

Delores Woods Huajardo August 11, 2022

In exactly two weeks I will be 90 years old, and I was processing the things I love about being in these famously called Golden Years.

The courage to try new and different things at the San Bruno Senior Center, such as this class of creative writers, is at the top of my list. Following closely is the weekly Line Dancing Class with fabulous teacher Kathy Schmidt and Joe our wonderful disc jockey accompanying her. Next is being in the Bocce (Ball) league of four team players and improving my skills. The live musical groups that play for us are excellent and lots of dancing ensues with a partner or alone on the dance floor with other friends.

Our variety shows which have ceased during the epidemic years are missed and will hopefully return soon. The opportunity to sing solos of specially selected, carefullychosen lyrics is healing for me, and several people are my special fans. Dear Bill Goff was one of them; I will miss his quiet manner cheering me on and I will think of him when I next perform here.

Karaoke class with Manny (Our Elvis) as the leader met weekly until it too was shut down. These sessions kept our voices fit for work at other venues and were fun to experiment singing new material or various interpretations of a song.

Having subsidized lunches at $3.00 with friends at the Center always hits the spot and I constantly wonder how so many meals can be served at one time with well-prepared, moist food and special varied menus. The volunteer cooks, including Raoul Epling are very talented, and generous to share their talents and time along with the volunteer servers who even accommodate our special requests such as “no cheese, please.”

There are so many things and people to show gratitude for. My excellent health, my special nurse practitioner Therese Grenchik who helps me with advice and always refers me to experts when needed for special check-ups. My expert eye physician/surgeon, Dr. Susan Longar, who removed cataracts and installed excellent new lenses which do not require that I wear any glasses, though she recommends sunglasses to protect especially one eye. A film called a pterygium which could cause blindness should it grow over the cornea was surgically removed and a preventive