Reflecting on my mission & more visitors!

I will hit my mission year mark Wednesday, September 14.  It has flown by!!  As I reflect on the year, I realize that I have been blessed beyond measure and I have learned to love the Lord more than ever.  The direction of the Spirit in my life is invaluable.  I have gained a deeper appreciation for my family and their love and support and I've also acquired numerous new and lasting friendships.

I discovered I can drive on the streets of New York and be a bully with the best of them. I can see tall buildings and seascapes all within half an hour.  I can walk down the street and be transported to China or Korea or Ecuador or Jamaica or…

I could be in China. Everyone around me was speaking Chinese or something other than English

Elder and Sister Duke who went home a few months ago recommended
this restaurant at the end of the 7 train line

Shanghai noodles. Delish!!

Steamed pork buns

I can eat sushi, Korean, Peruvian, Chinese, Italian and whatever I desire and I desire to try everything except I think I'll draw the line at bundegi (Korean steamed or boiled silkworm pupae described in an earlier blog).  I value the education I've received from the missionaries and the wonderful spirits they have.  My testimony and love of the scriptures is deeper.  I could go on and on but in short, this has been a marvelous year.

Tuesday was Temple day for some of the missionaries so I was honored to have lunch with the companions who were not at the Temple.  We ate at one of my favorite Peruvian places, Pio Pio.  The chicken there is so moist and delicious.

Lunch at Pio Pio
Sisters Steninger, Santiago, Williams, Fouts, Young, Shiobara

I found out that someone has taken a picture of me and is putting it in as many journals as possible.
Can you imagine turning a page and finding this "mug" looking at you. Thanks Sister Anderson!

Tuesday night I tried this new cinnamon cream cheese roll up. The missionaries like them

On Wednesday I had an appointment in Flushing so I decided to take the 7 train instead of fighting for a parking place.  The 7 train is the train that goes to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park where the US Open Tennis Tournament was held.  Every train has advertisements on the walls.  This train had tennis ads of all sorts and no other advertisements.  So interesting! See info at end of blog about the US Open.

Example of ad on the train. It was crowded so I wasn't able to take more pics.

Sister Fitt, one of the Korean sisters, is a tennis "pro".  She has a tennis scholarship to BYU waiting for her.  She said that she couldn't go to the tournament of course, but riding the train gave her and her companion the opportunity to "plant seeds" among the riders.  Knowing and being able to talk tennis opened the door for conversations which allowed the missionaries to invite people to learn more about the Savior.  They've had a productive 2 weeks.

Thursday afternoon I picked up my grandson, Asher, at the airport.  Jim was at a convention/meeting in Albany for his company so he flew Asher to New York to spend a couple of days and to fly home with him.  Asher had never been to NYC.

Knowing that Ash loves sushi, we headed straight from Laquardia to Misumi and all the sushi we could eat followed by a trip to the French Bakery Workshop for the famous Duke.  Still just as good as ever.

Friday Asher and I went to see the Statue of Liberty, had lunch at Kat'z Deli, (Can't beat their pastrami.) and then to the observatory at the Freedom Tower or The World Trade Center.  Magnificent views!!!!

The Charging Bull was so surrounded by tourists we couldn't get a "solo" picture

You really can see forever

To get to the elevator to go up, you first walk under the building through the bedrock

Looking down at the street

Brooklyn, Manhattan and in the top left corner, the Williamsburg Bridges

Empire State Building

City Building

My favorite picture of the day. I'm calling it "Infinity"

When Cicilee and I came a year ago to NYC just before my mission, the observatory was not yet open and there was a lot of construction going on around it.  There is a new building completed since last year.  It is unusual in design but quite striking.  It is the Oculus.  See info at the end of the blog.

Freedom Tower (World Trade Center) through the "wings" of the Oculus

Looking out through the top of the Oculus

I couldn't get back far enough to get a complete picture of this building.
There is a picture in the info at the end of the blog.

We picked up Jim at the airport on Friday evening and then went to dinner at Keen's Chophouse.   One of the things unique about this restaurant is the collection of pipes.  It is said that if you frequented the restaurant, they would keep a pipe there just for you.

The ceiling was cover with pipes.

Appetizer was thick sliced smokey bacon with arugula.

Steak for three.

Filet mignon with creamed spinach and carrots.

Jim told them it was Asher's birthday this month so they put candles in our cheese cake and key lime pie

Saturday started with lunch at Lombardi's Pizza in lower Manhattan.  See info at end of blog. Then after a walk, we had to try a famous shake made at Black Tap.  I didn't add info but you can Google "Black Tap shakes" and get the run-down.  However, let me say the pictures say it all.  I didn't think I could ever had too much sugar.  Well, I can have too much sugar and I did.  Good thing we did a lot of walking on Friday and Saturday.

 

Inside Lombardi's

Caprese salad

Lombardi's outside

Mulberry Street in Little Italy

This building caught my eye with all of the fire escapes.

While waiting in line at Black Tap, I noticed this pony.

The pony was soon joined by a number of people carrying signs.

They walked back and forth across the street.

We couldn't really read the signs clearly but we think it was a protest of sorts about the clothing industry.
Not sure where the pony fit in.

Sweet and salty

Can't remember the name of this but it had lots of chocolate and brownie

Cookies and cream with black cherry ice cream

Two days of heat, humidity, and walking. Whew!!

After all that food and the 86 degrees, feels like 96 degrees and 61% humidity, we needed a cool down so we rode the subway to Central Park where we went to the Museum of Natural History.  I won't write much other than to say I love history and the displays and collections.  I took a lot of pictures which again, say it better than words, but I barely scratched the surface!

I'm certainly grateful this it is not a problem today!

Asher was tired.

Silver

The walk through the park after the museum was pleasant but a bit warm still.

Bubble blowing

Strawberry Fields is a memorial to John Lennon.  In all the times I've been
to Central Park I don't remember walking through Strawberry Fields

Bethesda Fountain. So much going on in one picture! Massage therapy, drawing/painting, canoeing. Tourist, couples, kids.
Selfies, group photos, bridal photos. Resting, biking, strolling.

Dancing on a Saturday evening

The skating rink is a carnival in the summer and even Big Bird likes to come to Central Park

Horse or bicycle propelled carriage rides

Pigeons helping clean up after the oats are dispensed

For dinner we went to Ippudo, a ramen noodle house.  Great soup!  Delicious noodles!  We took Asher to see the sights of Times Square, Rockefeller Plaza and then on to home.

St Patrick's Cathedral

Times Square

Fountain in Rockefeller Plaza

Skating rink turned outdoor restaurant for the summer

We were beat.  The heat, the food, the walking…We were ready to hit the hay. 

They went with me to church and then we had lunch at my place.  I hated to see them leave this afternoon but I know I will see them again.  Jim loves to come to NYC and I love to have him come and anyone else who wants a place to stay.

On our way to the airport, we had to pause for a "parade" of sorts to pass.  Coming off the freeway exit were numerous LOUD motorcycles, police cars, ambulances, tow trucks and other trucks, and all that had sirens had them blaring.  Many vehicles carried flags.  I believe this was some sort of honor for 9/11 victims.

I talked to Peggy, my sister, soon after returning from Utah about my eye doctor visit and the knowledge that my optical nerve is not as healthy as it was last year. She asked me if I was worried about losing my vision and what my plans were.  I told her I am not worried, and I am not.  I plan to be with my family, travel, and serve the Lord for as long as I can.

I had skimmed the August 2016 Ensign but had not really focused on nor read the article by Elder Bednar, Accepting the Lord's Will and Timing.  Peggy suggested I read it and I highly recommend that you read it as well.

In reading the article, I gained insight into the kind of faith that one must have to gain eternal life.  I don't claim to be there yet but I am learning and growing and my faith is growing too.  A thought from the article that caught my attention is: "strong faith in the Savior is submissively accepting of His will and timing in our lives-even if the outcome is not what we hoped for or wanted."

I know that the Lord can keep my eyes healthy enough to keep my vision if it is His will.  I know that I can and will be okay if I lose my vision.  I will do everything in my power to care for my eyes.  I will see the doctor regularly and use the medications prescribed but if I have lessons to learn that will prepare me to live with my Father in Heaven that can only be learned with the loss of my vision, I willingly accept that.  Is it what I want?  No!!  But I do have faith that whatever comes my way will be for my best growth and development.  I love my Father in Heaven and my Savior.  I know that I am loved and cared for.  Living and learning about the Gospel of Jesus Christ will lead me and you to return to His presence.  I am happy and content in this knowledge.

I love you my family and friends.

Costumes Jim was given at his Conference.

This railing ornament is not tiny. The railing went along the side of an entire building.
Identical figures like this were spaced evenly with about 4-5 feet between.  The figures
are 2- 2 1/2 feet tall and 5 feet wide. If I get there again, I'll take a pic of more of
he building and rail so you can get a perspective. Impressive!

The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is an American stadium complex located in the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, New York City, which has been the home of the US Open Grand Slam tennis tournament played every year in August and September since 1978. It is operated by the United States Tennis Association (USTA). The facility has 22 courts inside its 46.5 acres and 11 in the adjoining park. The complex's three stadia are among the largest tennis stadia in the world, with Arthur Ashe Stadium topping the global list with a listed capacity of 23,200. All 33 courts have used the DecoTurf cushioned acrylic surface since the facility was built in 1978.

Located near Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets, the tennis center is open to the public for play 11 months out of the year (closed during inclement weather and in August/September due to the US Open), barring tournaments the USTA holds (such as junior and wood-racquet competitions).

On August 28, 2006, the USTA National Tennis Center was rededicated as the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
           
World Trade Center is a terminal station in Lower Manhattan for PATH rail service. It was originally opened on July 19, 1909, as Hudson Terminal, but was torn down, rebuilt as World Trade Center, and re-opened July 6, 1971. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, a temporary station opened in 2003. This station serves as the terminus for the Newark - World Trade Center and Hoboken - World Trade Center routes. The main station house, the Oculus, opened on March 4, 2016, and the terminal was renamed the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, or World Trade Center for short.

The World Trade Center Transportation Hub is the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's formal name for the new PATH station and the associated transit and retail complex that opened on March 3, 2016. The station's renaming took place when the station reopened. It was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and composed of a train station with a large and open mezzanine under the National September 11 Memorial plaza. This mezzanine is connected to an aboveground head house structure called the Oculus-located between 2 World Trade Center and 3 World Trade Center-as well as to public concourses under the various towers in the World Trade Center complex.

In addition, the station was designed to connect the PATH to the New York City Subway system, and to facilitate a below ground east-west passageway that connects to the various modes of transportation in Lower Manhattan, from the Fulton Center to the Battery Park City Ferry Terminal. Furthermore, to replace the lost retail space from the original mall at the World Trade Center, significant portions of the Hub are devoted to the new 365,000 square foot Westfield World Trade Center mall.

Background

A large transit station was not part of the 2003 Memory Foundations master plan for the site by Daniel Libeskind, which called for a smaller station along the lines of the original subterranean station that existed beneath the World Trade Center. Libeskind's design called for the Oculus space to be left open, forming a "Wedge of Light" so that sun rays around the autumnal equinox would hit the World Trade Center footprints each September. In early 2004, the Port Authority, which owns the land, modified the Libeskind plan to include a large transportation station downtown, intended to rival Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal. In a nod to the Libeskind concept, the Oculus was built to maximize the effect of the autumnal equinox rays.

The WTC Transportation Hub in September 2016

Santiago Calatrava, designer of the station, said the Oculus resembles a bird being released from a child's hand. The roof was originally designed to mechanically open to increase light and ventilation to the enclosed space. Herbert Muschamp, architecture critic of The New York Times, compared the design to the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain in Central Park, and wrote in 2004:

"Santiago Calatrava's design for the World Trade Center PATH station should satisfy those who believe that buildings planned for ground zero must aspire to a spiritual dimension. Over the years, many people have discerned a metaphysical element in Mr. Calatrava's work. I hope New Yorkers will detect its presence, too. With deep appreciation, I congratulate the Port Authority for commissioning Mr. Calatrava, the great Spanish architect and engineer, to design a building with the power to shape the future of New York. It is a pleasure to report, for once, that public officials are not overstating the case when they describe a design as breathtaking.

Lombardi's is a pizzeria located at 32 Spring Street on the corner of Mott Street in the Nolita neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City. Opened in 1905, it has been acknowledged by the Pizza Hall of Fame as the first pizzeria in the United States.

History

Gennaro Lombardi started the business in 1897 as a grocery store at 53½ Spring Street, and began selling tomato pies wrapped in paper and tied with a string at lunchtime to workers from the area's factories. In 1905 Lombardi received a business license to operate a pizzeria restaurant, and soon had a loyal clientele, including Italian tenor Enrico Caruso. He later passed the business on to his son, George.

In 1984, the original Lombardi's closed, but re-opened ten years later a block away at 32 Spring Street, run by Gennaro Lombardi III, Gennaro Lombardi's grandson, and his childhood friend John Brescio. This change in location and ten-year hiatus surrendered the title of America's oldest continuously operating pizzeria to Papa's Tomato Pies in Trenton, New Jersey, which opened in 1912 and has sold pies without interruption since.

The relocated, reopened Lombardi's uses a coal oven to bake its pies the way the original did. It is unusual in not selling slices, highly popular throughout New York City. Only whole pies made to order are sold.

In 2005, Lombardi's offered entire pizzas for 5 cents, their 1905 price, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first pizza sold at its original location.