Wow!! Whirlwind week. But I’ve loved every minute!!!

Wow!!  Whirlwind week.  But I’ve loved every minute!!!

The stomach virus is still going through the mission leaving sisters and elders weak in its wake.  Also some other interesting cases.  Blood clots in leg, multiple symptoms of unknown origin for which we are doing tests, the usual colds and stress related illnesses.

The best part of the week was a visit from Katie, Jeremy, Shea, Jake, and four of my handsome grandsons.  They arrived Thursday, the 14th, late afternoon and I was blessed to enjoy their company until the following Monday.  We ate, played, ate, went sightseeing, ate and cried when they had to leave.  My family is my world.  I miss them terribly but at the same time I am blessed to be here in New York.  Love that they can come to see me!!

So happy to see these beautiful people.

The clan

Playing in the park after a long bus ride to Grandma's place.

Off to find pizza in Long Island City

Petersen hungries and fatigue set in. He couldn't/wouldn't take another step.

Watching the pizza being made

Riding the subway

Chinese Restaurant (in China Town)

Jacob is showing you his chopsticks

Kissing the fish - Chinatown

Ugly fish in Chinatown

Top of the Rock

Manhattan in the back ground

Watching the Long Island Railroad trains pass under the bridge.

Central Park - my boys on the rock.

Carousel in Central Park

Carriage ride through Central Park

Has his finger on the tower of One World Trade Center.

Times Square

Carnegie Deli

I did go to two zone training meetings while they were here so it wasn’t all play.  They took a circle line tour around the Statue of Liberty and up the Hudson River while I was in my meetings. 

On Tuesday I was in Staten Island again for a follow up doctor visit with a missionary.  I may soon know my way there without using Joan, my GPS.  I must admit I still rely on her a lot.  We decided to go early so that we could go to lunch.  One of the sisters had been on Staten Island for 4 transfers so we let her choose the place.  It was a treat:  authentic Korean BBQ.

This is what I ate GALBI-GOPDOL-BIBIMBAB
(Steamed rice in hot stone pot with black angus beef and vegetables)

The stone pot

This is a soup served in a 'hot pot'. The stone bowl is literally so hot that the soup is boiling.

I had to cool it on a plate so I could eat it.

At the Korean restaurant the water is a barley steeped hot drink. Interesting.

Menu

Taking the missionaries home to Flushing we went by way of the Belt Parkway which follows the coast onto Long Island.  The day was clear and cloudless so we enjoyed our view of the Atlantic Ocean.   We then took the Cross Island Parkway to Flushing which took us to Bayside where the French Workshop Artisan Bakery is located.  Total coincidence! (Not)  We had to get a Duke. No way around it!  Even with all of the goodies I ate with my family, I couldn’t resist a Duke. I analyzed it as I ate it and I am going to attempt to create my own Duke.  We will see….

Views of the Atlantic from the Belt Parkway. Coney Island across the bay.

Verrazano Narrows Bridge from a different perspective.

Duke

I laugh when I pass the sign along the parkway announcing that I am leaving Brooklyn.  See the pictures.  Makes me smile every time.

This makes me smile.

fuhgeddaboudit
1. Forget about it - the issue is not worth the time, energy, mental effort, or emotional resources.
2. Definitively "no."
3. The subject is unequivocally excellent; further thought and analysis are unnecessary.

Often heard spoken by Robert De Niro, characters on the Sopranos, and people trying to sound hip and tough like a goomba.

There are many spelling variations. The consensus online is that it should be phonetically either "fu-ge-da-boud-it" or "fu-ge-da-bout-it."

The weather here has been beautiful.  It is a little warmer than ideal for me but everyone else is ecstatic at the high 70’s we see in the day time. Tuesday as we were in Staten Island there were warnings of possible closure of expressways because of a grass fire in New Jersey.  The wind was blowing smoke across the river into Manhattan and also toward Staten Island.  Luckily they were able to put out the fire before we had to leave the island.  There were road closures in New Jersey near the fire but not in New York.

The spring weather makes me want to work in the yard. The garden in front of my apt was full of weeds.
I found some tools in the basement so I scrubbed out the weeds and pruned the rose bush.

Tulips in Central Park

Lights and lilies in Rockefeller Plaza

More flora of Central Park

Tulips in Central Park

A boulder wedged in the roots.

Look how far the roots extend.

Magnificent!!!

This huge tree growing out of the edge of this rock fascinates me. It is awesome.

Having my family close to hold in my arms and to hug and enjoy made me realize once again how very important families are.  Our Heavenly Father certainly understands us and wants us to be as happy as we can be.  He has created eternal relationships that provide us with hope and great expectations.  I am looking forward to having any and all of my family come to visit me.  My dear friends are welcome too.  My apartment is smallish but I have really good air mattresses in queen and twin size and lots of floor space.  It is not the Hilton but you are welcome.  The price is right and my porch light is always on.  How blessed I am!

I have a bed for you so come on over!!

I love you my family and friends.

Yum!!