Recovery Week

We were so tired from the trip to Pennsylvania that we took a couple days off.  Tuesday morning we got up to go to the Bronx to help a Sister Agha-Miller to use her computer for her pathways classes.  She needed a way to get to the program so we created a shortcut for her.  We had to learn to use the bus system to get there and back and that was good for us.  Wednesday we got up early to go to Queens.  There we went to see Louis Armstrongs house.  We had to walk a half a mile to get there and then another half mile back to the subway to go to Flushing Meadows Corona Park.  We were mostly interested in the history of it.  In 1964 the World Fair was held there and the Uniglobe remains a landmark and the museum has a diorama of the 5 burrows of New York.  the tower they climb in “Men in Black’ is also located there.  After talking to Brother Bodine told us the fair was instrumental in the growth of the church here in New York.

Thursday, I went to the Kelly and Ryan show again.  Kelly was there this time and I was amazed at how much her personality and mannerisms reminded me of Becca especially when she was off stage. One of the Sister missionaries had tickets and needed someone to go with her.  When no one had responded in 24 hours I felt I should.  It was a fun morning.  However, we had tickets to go to “The Blaze”.  Croton on the Hudson that night which meant getting up at 6 am and being gone until 11pm. I did make it!

Friday morning we stayed home because we had to set up for a music workshop at the church in the evening.  Then I had to go help with the behind the scenes at the workshop.  It turned out to be a sweet experience.

Sunday Adventures

On the 15th on our way home from church Jeff was trying to convince me that the uptown train was a down town train.  I followed him on and finally convinced him that we were on the wrong train.  He got off but before I could get off the door closed and I had to go to the next stop, get off and go back.  He just happened to get on the car that I was on.  I thought we would just have to meet at home but it worked out so nicely.

Mixed History Tour

Last week was a week that I have looked forward too and treaded since just after we got here.  We left by bus at 6:45 am and went to Philadelphia where we rented a car and drove through Delaware to Baltimore to go to Fort McHenry where Francis Scott Key wrote the National anthem.  We had a wonderful time and as we were going to the car I fell.  I don’t really know what happened but I landed on my knees and scraped my hands.  I am very grateful that it is just scrapes and bruises. From there we drove to Antietam where we did a tour and still had time to go to West Virginia.  We drove on and stayed about 20 miles from Gettysburg.  We spent Tuesday in Gettysburg where we viewed museums and the battlefield.  We returned to our room and left Wednesday morning for Valley Ford.  We did the tour but Washington’s quarters and the huts were all that was significant.  We drove on to Philadelphia where we went to the Art Museum and did the stairs and had a picture taken with Rocky.  We then went to Geno’s for a Philly Cheese steak sandwich.  By then we were so tired that we got a room and called it a day.  Our room was only 7.5 miles from Trenton NJ.  Thursday we went see the Liberty Bell, then to Independence hall for a tour.  We then went to the Benjamin Franklin Museum (my favorite), The Revolutionary War Museum, Franklin’s Grave and back to our car.  We returned the car and went back to the bus station where we had to wait 2 and a half hours for our bus. We also had a better Philly Cheese Steak at Sonny’s.

The Ponds in New Jersey

The missionaries were invited to the home of a shift coordinator the Ponds.  They have a beautiful home on 10 acres inn New Jersey.  We rode the bus to Clinton and then were picked up by the Ponds in vans and taken around the country side.  They took us to the Washington Crossing Park where Washington and his men crossed the Delaware River from Pennsylvania to New Jersey on Christmas Eve to surprise The Hessians.  We got to walk most of the way across the river.  I felt like we were on hallowed ground.  This was a real highlight for me. Returning was tricky because the bus only had standing room for about six people for the hour and something ride back.  Six of us went on the bus, Jeff and I among this group, I did get a seat when we got to the Newark airport.  The remaining missionaries were to be driven to a train station for the return trip.