Kingsbridge 2nd Ward

We have been assigned to a ward in the Bronx.  It is called the Kingsbridge 1st Ward.  It is an interesting mix of people and the friendliest ward I have ever been in.  We have been called to teach the 10 year olds and have about 5 very sweet kids to teach.  Primary is a disaster.  They have combined kids from two wards and the presidency doesn’t seem to know what they are doing.

We sit in front of a woman from Jamaica in church and I love to listen to her sing.  Her accent is so fun.  A sister from Ghana spoke Sunday on judging and told a cute story about trying to get her drivers license in Texas.  She was sure she would not pass because the tester was a guy with red hair and blue eyes.  It was a very fun meeting.

Seeing the City

I sometimes feel guilty because I am not as diligent as Jeff at writing, but the last week is well worth the record.

Jacob and Kari flew in on Sunday, June 16th.  We went out to eat at a restaurant specializing in Parmesan sandwiches.  The food was good and the company even better.  After dinner we went to the Magnolia Bakery to get dessert- banana pudding and cheese cake.   We then walked down to Time Square to wander around.  The streets were alive with excitement and I was glad to return to our apartment.

Monday morning we got up early and headed downtown to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The experience was a little surreal as I have always wanted to see both.  The day was a title overcast and beautiful.  I was amazed at the technical works of building the statue.  Ellis Island made me reflect on loved ones past who came here to guarantee the freedoms for future generations.  I was a little sad at the political implications under the shadow of the current immigration crises.

We returned to the apartment in the early afternoon, left our souvenirs and headed out for lunch and a Yankee Game.  We had lunch at a restaurant called “The Smith”.  It is just a couple blocks below our apartment and I had observed that it was always busy but didn’t know it was a must see place to go.  The food was very good and then we were off to see a basketball court called Rucker Park.  It is famous to sports people but I didn’t know much about it.  It was just a park to me.  Jeff made a basket and I filmed it.  He was excited.  We then left for Yankee Stadium.  We got there very early so we walked around and visited the park where the old stadium was.  When we returned we still had a large block of time so we went to the Hard Rock Cafe and had dessert.  Wayyyyy to much dessert.  Three of us had brownies and ice cream and Jeff had cheesecake.  We waited in line to get into the stadium and then went to their memorial park and then to our seats.  Though rain was forecast the weather was beautiful and the game was fun.

Tuesday we again got up early and went down to the 911 Memorial and the World Trade Center.  The World Trade Center felt like a science fiction moving with people moving like they were robots on a track.  The 911 Memorial was both interesting and emotional.  We took a tour and then wandered around until Jeff and I had to return to go to the temple.  Jake and Kari went to the Trinity Church where Hamilton is buried and then to Wall Street.  They went to Central Park and were rained on and then to a play, Come from Away.

Wednesday morning we toured Madison Square Garden.  That was interesting.  We bought tickets for the Empire State Building but it was too overcast so decided to go back another day.  We went to Rockefeller Center and wandered and went to the Toy store and Jeff and Kari played the piano from the movie Big.  Then Jeff and I returned to go to the temple and the continued to explore and were rained on again.

Thursday we went to the Bronx to Little Italy.  We were going to eat there but it was too early so we go pastries at a shop and returned.  We were going to eat a a restaurant called the Stardust Diner where the waiters are aspiring Broadway actors and sing as well as wait tables.  The line was so long we opted for Juniors instead.

Friday we started early to go to Grand Central Station, a place that always amazes me.  Jake got Jeff and I wireless ear buds at the Apple Store for Father’s Day and Mother’s Day.  We then headed off for the Highline.  This is an old above ground rail line that has been converted into a park.  We walked the two mile length and ended at Hudson yard where we climbed a structure called the Vessel.  I was proud of myself that I was able to make the climb up multiple layers of step to a look out point at the top.  We still had time so we returned to The Stardust Diner for lunch.  The line was even longer than the day before but it moved fast and the experience was delightful.  Jeff and I then left to go to the temple.

Saturday we went to the Empire State Building and it was most impressive.  After taking a million photos we left to find the Natzi Soup Kitchen from Sinfeld.  We found it but it didn’t open on time so we headed back ad had a vendor hot dog on the way home.

Another day in New York

The temple was very quiet last night.  I did mostly initiatory and a session.  I love working in the temple but it can be exhausting.  I think the necessity of being mentally alert all of the time is tiring.  we had planned to go for pizza with another couple last night but it was raining pretty hard when we came out so we changed our plans to Saturday night.

Becca did some research and found me a delivery service so I don’t have to track to the grocery store every day.  It delivers from several locations and I have found it to be indispensable.  However, today I placed an order and the delivery person market it delivered but didn’t bring it.  I had to contact the app but they are taking care of the problem.  I do love New York.

Settling In

I feel like I have to run to keep up withJeff and am still unable to do it.  His commitment to learning Spanish has been extraordinary and a bit surprising.  He is now going at odd hours to do an endowment session.  I woke up at 6:15 this morning and he was gone and I had no idea where he had gone until he returned from the temple.  Yesterday was his birthday and I felt a little bad as we didn’t do anything special.  We did go up to the roof to watch fireworks at 10:00 last night, after our temple shift.  (Since living in Anaheim, fireworks is not a big thing to either of us.)

The temple was very quiet last night, none of the local ordinance workers were able to come so the 5 sister missionaries, the coordinator, and the matron ran the temple.  The two sessions were a decent size but everything else was dead.  I was finished at 9:00 and wanted for Jeff until about 9:30.  A Spanish sister came in to do  initatory and a session.  She spoke no English and I was able to help her but wished briefly that I had been learning Spanish with Jeff.

I found a little nail salon that I like and got my nails done yesterday.  Something about that makes me feel that I am home.

New Day

I have needed to do this for a long time and should have started when we first started our mission.  I guess three weeks late is better than never at all.  We have been in New York for just over three weeks and it is feeling like home.  The first time I have felt at home since we left Lake LA.  I now recognize that the Lord was trying to direct me to go on a mission but I didn’t want to hear it.
I have felt like I was living in a cloudy haze.  If fact, I wrote about it in March.
  (March 20, 2019)

The Cloud

I feel as though I have been living under a cloud since retiring three years ago.  The darkness settled so slowly that I wasn’t aware of what was happening,  I only knew that I was loosing any sense of myself or the desire to be involved in life.  I initially felt that I had just gotten very old very fast, I didn’t have the energy or the desire to work, go out, or engage in any way with the things that bring joy into ones life.   I didn’t even read a book for nearly two year.  I lay in bed all day and watch Fox News until I was living in a disagreeable cloud.    My house was unpacked from the move but not organized in any way.  I couldn’t find things because they were merely hidden and not put away.  The time and effort to find order seemed useless. I felt vegetative!  Over the last three or four months that cloud has started to lift.  I don’t think I realized that it was there until I saw the first ray of sunshine start to break through. I finally have some energy and desire to cook, clean and organize.  That is huge for me because I loathe clutter and disorder.  I am hopefully for the retirement that I had long dreamed of enjoying.  I am writing this for myself as I try to discover and understand what I am feeling and what I need to do to change things.

when we put in our papers for a mission the cloud started to lift but it has only been since we have been here that I have felt the sun shining.  A little irony as it has rained much of the time we have been here and the sun surely shines in Tucson.