Christmas at the Broadmoor

What a magical place.  The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs is the perfect place for holidays.  The grounds are beautiful and the service impeccable.  I wanted to try something different for Christmas this year... some place where I could relax and enjoy the holiday with the rest of the family.  No cooking, cleaning, entertaining, wrapping endless mounds of presents, spending days decorating and baking... i.e., I was ready for a luxurious treat.  We invited our adult children and their families and two of them were able to join us.  Even though Kendall was briefly disappointed that there was no snow, the grounds were beautiful with hundreds of lighted trees.

 There were cozy seating areas everywhere and it was wonderful to be able to sit and visit by a fire.

 There was an enchanted display of gingerbread houses which we all enjoyed.

 On Christmas Eve we walked over to the Summit building for the Broadmoor Christmas Show.

 Cocktails before dinner.  We were then escorted to our table for dinner and to watch the very musical show.  Santa even made an appearance which made it truly special.

 Christmas morning dawned bright and beautiful and we woke to this spectacular view from our room.  As we got up, we found a mound of presents in the corner of the room.  Santa Claus had found us in Colorado!

 Under a brilliant blue sky on Christmas Day, we took a brisk hike in the Garden of the Gods.  It is a city-owned park and open 365 days a year.

 Christmas night we went to dinner at The Cliff House in Manitou Springs.  It was a delightful surprise to be able to eat in the fireplace room.

Making memories for our families and/or friends is important to us "beautiful older women!"

Massage

I've gotten plenty of massages over the years, but never knew if they were really valuable beyond the relaxation and "feel good" component.  A recent study was published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine which gives us some answers. The scientists tested 53 volunteers... half of them were given a 45-minute deep tissue Swedish massage and the other half were given a 45-minute light touch massage.

According to a review of the study published in the New York Times, the subjects who got the Swedish massage had decreases in the stress hormone cortisol and increases in the number of white blood cells which are part of the immune system.  The group given the light touch massage had higher levels of oxytocin, a hormone associated with contentment.

While in Myrtle Beach this fall, I was suffering from the beginnings of a cold... stuffy nose and scratchy throat.  My husband was reading the New York Times article, used his iPad to find the location of a masseuse then called and made me an appointment for a Swedish massage.

It may be the placebo effect, but I swear it made me feel much better as my cold symptoms lessened.