Quick entry today as Jeffrey is on his way from LaGuardia airport to the apartment for a five day visit. We have quite a long list of activities to play our way through then we both leave for Seattle on Tuesday and I won't be back in NYC til June 7th. It'll be nice for me to get a heavy duty dose of NYC with Jeffrey before leaving to Seattle.
Last Friday, I met up with Megan and Lena at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. It's a very easy subway ride directly from my corner subway stop to the entrance of the Garden. It's a very impressive Garden and so many things were in bloom, particularly the tree peonies...a magnificent collection with some flowers just huge and of many colors. The wisteria were out in full force throughout the park. We walked through most of the grounds and got to see a number of different garden settings. They also have a large grove of cherry trees that I must get back to next March to see them in full bloom. It was a very relaxing walk and time with the two of them. Our next outing will be to the adjoining Brooklyn Museum, I've heard very good things about it. It does have pretty stiff competition given all the really fantastic museums in Manhattan. So, okay, I am starting to be more appreciative of Brooklyn in general. I will probably take Jeffrey on a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge to the DUMBO area while he is here. As usual I forget to bring my camera so no pics for this entry.
Bob and I then took a really fun trip to Amish Country in and around Lancaster, Pennsylvania over last weekend. Lancaster is a very charming city with lots of interesting old architecture and building materials. We like the feel of the town very much. While I did remember the camera for this trip, I didn't remember to charge the battery so ARGGGHHH, no pics again. Even though we were only there overnight, we managed to do a lot, including an hour plus buggy ride with an Amish Elder. He was very open to talking about their lifestyle, religious practices, etc. They are very conservative overall (surprise, surprise) but they also have a good sense of humor as well. The Amish are big dairy farmers and Bob was finally able to get raw milk that he has been wanting for a while and is banned in New York state, you have to buy it on the black market, which apparently is quite a lucrative business for some of the suppliers since there is a high demand for it in Manhattan. We also bought two dozen freshly laid eggs, the very pregnant Amish wife plucked them from the next right before Bob bought them. The two dozen eggs and half gallon of raw milk cost $5.50 all together! We also bought some other souvenirs to remind us of our trip (a quilted pot holder, magnet, post cards). We also bought a bag of Amish homemade potato chips (truely DEE-LISH-US), and a whoopee pie (essentially a more round and flatter unfrosted hostess cupcake but with much better filling---no chemical aftertaste). We also visited what was formally an Amish homestead that gave you a really good idea of their lifestyle and how they practiced their beliefs day-to-day while still stretching the boundaries a bit. Bob really, really enjoyed his time in Amish Country.
That night we went to see the movie Bridesmaids---so funny and touching. We both really LOVED it and I recommend anyone to go see it. The next day we went on a horseback ride out in the PA countryside in an area that just borders Delaware. The states here are so small that we crossed over NY, NJ, PA and Maryland in weekend trip. We could have crossed over into Delaware if we had been willing just to go a little out of our way but didn't. The views on the horse ride were so beautiful---lush green tree filled rolling hills. The horse farm is on conservatory property so it will also stay as pristine as it is now. Really beautiful setting. My horse, Popeye, was HUGE, probably at least 7 feet at the tip of his ears to the ground but so sweet and gentle. I was very happy to just plod along on a slow ride, I think Bob would have preferred a more jaunty experience. Regardless it was a very relaxing way to pass a couple of hours.
We then headed into Philadelphia for a couple of hours. It was on our way home so thought it would be fun just to check it out at a surface level so we would know where to concentrate when we go there specifically. There is SO MUCH history in that town. Way too much to try to get a sense of in two hours but we walked around a bit, saw lots of Benjamin Franklin sites, Independence Square, learned more about the underground railroad and the liberation of slaves, ate Vietnamese sandwiches in Chinatown, and came across the Reading Terminal Market. An old railroad terminal turned into a city market with lots of small vendors, produce markets, places to eat. We would definitely want to go back and eat there. We drove a bit along the water front as well. It's not overly developed and would make for a very nice walk, several sites are there of interest both historically and popular.
So now Jeffrey is here and some of the highlights we'll do is going to the Drama Desk Awards Ceremony on Monday the 23rd (Harvey Fierstein is the emcee). Should be a good night for celebrity sitings and entertainment. We are also going to be participating in this thing called The Accomplice which is a live interactive experience that takes you through the streets of Greenwich Village. This was highly recommended by Scott who has done it here and in LA and says it really allows you to get to know a city at much more deep level and it's supposed to be highly entertaining. Sounds like it will be a lot of fun. We are doing a schooner sail today and will then explore the financial district and if the weather holds, take a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge to DUMBO.
I am now in contact with City Harvest about volunteering with them. I am excited to attend the orientation and get things underway once I am back from Seattle.
I'm looking very forward to my trip to Seattle where we will celebrate with Kelly when she participates in the UW Medical School White Coat ceremony marking her transition from classroom learning to clinic patient care. We are having a pasta dinner for her afterwards. Then Bob and I are off to be with Amma for the weekend in Bellevue which is alway a most wonderful experience. We will be able to see so many of our Satsang friends there as well. Then Bob heads back to NYC and I am staying on another week in Seattle to see lots of friends and keep the connections going. Staying at Paul's again and looking forward to just hanging with him and the 5249 housemates when I am not out and about.
So this will be my last entry for a while.....though if there is time, I may try to log what Jeffrey and I have been up to while he is here. Once back in June, I will start preparing for my 26 year old niece's visit at the end of the month....I am excited to explore the city with her as I am sure we will see much different things given her age and interests. I will likely recruit some of Kelly's friends who still live here to see if they can show her some of the nightclub scene. That I am not so up on.
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