Last week we went to New York City. The band and chorus students went on a two day field trip and Stacey and I were chaperons. The school hired a touring service out of Wellsboro and they did all the planning and transportation, which was nice. We left on Tuesday morning at 5:00 headed east with 45 students and 9 adults. Stacey and I were in charge of five kids, two of whom were Hannah and Josiah. We arrived in NYC at 11:30.
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| In the Lincoln Tunnel going into Manhattan. |
They dropped us of in Central Park where we ate sack lunches on benches in the Mall and Literary Walk.
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| Eating lunch in Central Park. |
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| Flowers in Central Park. |
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| Stacey in Central Park. |
After that we took a double-decker bus tour of Manhattan. Our tour guide was a very funny Hispanic woman who always called us her “gorgeous ones.” We toured the streets of Midtown and Lower Manhattan.
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| The double-decker bus tour. |
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| Times Square. |
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| The Flatiron Building. |
We went on a tour of Lincoln Center and saw the Metropolitan Opera, Avery Fisher Hall, the Koch Theater, and the Julliard School.
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| Waiting to tour Lincoln Center. |
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| Lincoln Center. |
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| The Manhattan Temple is right across the street from Lincoln Center. |
That evening we ate dinner and went bowling at the BowlMor Times Square. Then we crossed the river back into New Jersey to spend the night at the Hyatt Place in Secaucus. The next morning we went back into the city and spent the morning at the Empire State Building. It was a bit hazy, but the view was still amazing.
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| View of Lower Manhattan from the Empire State Building. |
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| On the Observation Deck at the Empire State Building. |
Then we spent a few hours walking around the city with our little group. We went to the NYC Public Library and Rockefeller Center where we spent most of the time in the Lego store (Josiah’s idea of heaven).
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| In front of the NYC Library. |
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| The Promenade at Rockefeller Center. |
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| Josiah in heaven (the Lego Store). |
From there we walked a few blocks to the Gershwin Theater where we met up with the rest of group and saw Wicked. It was a great show. When we came out of the theater we were just in time to see the President’s motorcade go by. He was in the city to dedicate the 9/11 Museum. We left the city at 5:30 and arrived home at midnight. It was a quick trip, but fun. New York City is an great place to visit, but I would never want to live in it or anywhere near it.
We were only away from home for two days, but it seemed longer. I took a walk around the yard after I got home from school on Thursday and was amazed at how many weeds had sprung up, how tall the lawn had grown, how much asparagus needed picking, and how many trees were in bloom. Our asparagus is wonderful this year. We’ve eaten some at dinner every night for the last four days. I love it. Asparagus season is short – we’ll only pick it until the first week of June – so I enjoy it while it lasts. We also picked our first of the rhubarb on Friday. Stacey made it into a delicious oatmeal-rhubarb crisp. Asparagus and rhubarb – two of my favorite spring foods.
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| Asparagus (if you look closely) and rhubarb. |
Another highly anticipated spring event is underway – the yellow flowering black currant bush is in bloom. Its small yellow flowers emit a powerful perfume that smells like sweet cloves. The scent carries on the breeze and can be smelled all the way across the yard.
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| The yellow-flowered black currant bush. |
Last week I found an old paperback copy of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield that said “Unabridged” on the cover. I’ve read David Copperfield several times. It’s one of my favorite Dickens novels. But I wasn’t sure if I’d ever read the unabridged version. I didn’t even know there was one. So I decided to read it. It had been years since I last read it anyway. After having read just a page or two, I didn’t care if I’d read it abridged or unabridged, I was hooked. I love this book. Dickens was a master at telling a story with wondrous plots and subplots, but his greatest gift was in creating great characters. There are so many memorable characters in this book – the detestable Mr. Murdstone and his horrible sister, creepy Uriah Heep, comically pathetic Mr. and Mrs. Micawber and Mr. Dick, silly pretty Dora, tragic pretty Emily, the wonderful Clara Peggotty and Aunt Betsey Trotwood and Agnes Wickfield. I hate the bad ones and love the good ones and feel as if I really know them.
Yesterday was Stacey’s birthday. Josiah was away camping with the Boy Scouts and Hannah had to work in the evening, so we are celebrating today. We went over to the Shillig’s house after church for lunch. We had a Mexican feast of enchiladas, guacamole, Spanish rice, and refried beans. We’re going back later this evening for cake and ice cream.
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| Apple blossoms. |
After such a long spell of nice weather, we have a frost warning for tonight. Many of my fruit trees are in bloom. The lilacs are ready to bloom. That could all go away. After tonight things should warm up again. I’m praying the frost will be light and any damage minimal. We’ll see.
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| The hammock is up! |
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| Violets and lily-of-the.valley in the woodland garden. |
