Midnight Snow

On a cold winter night

The midnight hour arrives

But our yard is bright as day

Soft snow blankets everything

Each small branch clothed in white

And beheld together

Appear as fine lace

Woven by angels

A peaceful silence enhances

Winter’s beautiful offering

Christmas Eve in New York City

We arose relatively early on Christmas Eve day.  My husband, daughter, and I trudged up the hill from Erin’s Brooklyn apartment to catch the train into Manhattan.  Our destination:  Times Square.  It was a work day for Erin and we followed her a couple blocks to her place of employment, the Discovery Museum.  She was able to get us into Harry Potter: The Exhibition.  While we wandered through the exhibit, Erin went to work selling audio tours.  Of course, we got audio tours, too, and found it really added to the experience.  It was interesting listening to the people who worked on the movie while looking at the displays of costumes and props.

We wave goodbye to Erin, walked down to the waterfront, and paid for our admission to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum complex.  We chose to stand in line to see the Growler, the only American strategic submarine open to the public.  We crawled down into the sub and as we walked its length we viewed the crew’s living quarters and the once top secret missile command center.  It was a short walk through history.

  

Next, we walked across the pier and boarded the Intrepid, a World War II aircraft carrier.  We began on the hangar deck and were amazed to see a large model of the Intrepid made totally out of Legos.  We started with the aircraft then viewed the display of historic uniforms, equipment, and other memorabilia.  The highlight was the flight deck with it sizable collection of historic planes and the great view of the Manhattan skyline.  My husband, with his love of airplanes, especially enjoyed strolling along the deck.  We crawled up some steep, narrow stairs to the Navigation Bridge, the highest point on the ship.  On the far end of the flight deck we got a glimpse of the Space Shuttle Enterprise, but couldn’t actually get close because it hadn’t yet re-opened after damage to its pavilion during Hurricane Sandy.

Down on the third deck we viewed the old galley and mess halls—they fed a lot of men.  Since it was past lunch time we took advantage of the new mess hall set up especially for visitors.  When we exited the Intrepid we walked down the pier to see the British Airways Concorde, a very sleek looking jet which looks entirely capable of flying 1,350 mph.  Then it was time to meet Erin back at the Discovery Museum at the end of her shift.  We went back to her apartment to rest. 

Early evening we headed back to the subway and to Manhattan.  When we emerged from the subway station at Times Square, we were disappointed to be greeted by a light rain.  However, we walked on to see the sights.  Erin and I pulled out our little umbrellas, but Bob didn’t have one. Finally, he was feeling wet enough to stop and buy an umbrella, which are readily available in many shops.  We were not going to allow the weather to ruin our plans.  We fought the crowds to peer into the Macy’s store windows.  The displays were cute but Erin was disappointed—she said they weren’t as good as last year.  We walked with the crowds in the rain and viewed other store windows.  We passed through Bryant Park with its crafts fair, Christmas tree, and ice rink.

Soon we reached Rockefeller Center and its well-known Christmas tree.  My first impression was that the area was much more compact than I had imagined.  There were hundreds of people and they were all trying to take pictures.  And it was still raining.  We got up to the railing for a view of the famous tree with the ice rink below, and we took our own photos.  Next, we walked past Saks Fifth Avenue to see their store windows.  At this point it was getting late and we were hungry.  Erin had located a Chinese restaurant in the area so after a little walk we found it.  We were glad to remove our wet outer garments and rest our feet in the warm restaurant.  The food came quickly and was delicious.  I should mention that Chinese food on Christmas Eve is a family tradition—it began when I was a child (no, we're not Jewish).

Satisfied, with full stomachs and leftovers, we pulled on our wet coats, hats, and gloves.  The rain had stopped.  We headed to Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church for their late Christmas Eve service, arriving early to get good seats and to hear the music.  I quietly removed my soggy shoes so my socks would dry.  The church is a beautiful old building built in 1875; the congregation is over 200 years old.  Dominating the front of the sanctuary stands a wonderful pipe organ.  Just before the service began, the choir filed in and stood in front of it.  This was a service of lessons and carols with an inspiring message delivered by the pastor.  It concluded with the lighting of candles.  What a beautiful way to usher in Christmas.

We emerged from the church to more light rain and we began to walk.  Erin still had more to show us (at 12:30 a.m.).  We passed by more lights, including the front of Radio City Music Hall.  Along the way a line of young boys, all dressed as Harry Potter, passed by us—we never figured out what that strange little procession was all about.  We ended up in Times Square.  Considering it was after 1 a.m. and nearly everything was closed, there were a fair number of people present.  A line had formed at McDonalds.  We descended into the subway and headed back to Erin’s apartment.  We stripped off our wet clothing and jumped into bed, extremely tired but content.  

                                         Merry Christmas!

Justice for All

This morning I watched the TV as President Barack Obama was inaugurated for his second term.  By noon I was standing inside the Idaho Statehouse for the Martin Luther King, Jr. / Idaho Human Rights Day State Ceremony.  The highlight was the Keynote Speaker, Rev. Percy “Happy” Watkins, who performed Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

I was struck by the similar themes—justice and equality—in President Obama’s speech and that of Martin Luther King, Jr.  Obama spoke about the little girl born into poverty having the same chance to succeed as any other American—because she is equal in the eyes of her fellow citizens.  King spoke of his dream that one day his young children would be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.  And, for the first time during an inaugural address, the President spoke of the need for equal rights for gays and lesbians, equating it to the women’s suffrage and civil rights movements.

Isn’t this what most Americans want our country to be?  A land of justice for all?  A country where no person is better than anyone else, where every person is equal?  Clearly, judging from our current politics, not everybody thinks this way.  However, in my heart I believe most Americans want to live in a country where justice reigns.  For me, as a Christian, this is important.  Accordingly, I will treat my fellow human being as equals and work for justice.  I hope my fellow citizens will do the same.

1/21/2013

Christmas in New York City—Day 4

On the afternoon of our fourth day in New York City, my husband, daughter, and I once again hopped onto the subway.  However, this time we rode the train for about an hour, from Brooklyn to the Bronx.  Our destination: the New York Botanical Garden to see the Holiday Train Show.  The last part of our ride was actually above ground, allowing us to see apartment building upon apartment building as we passed by.  Once we jumped off the train, we had to hustle because we had a certain time slot on our tickets.  It was a cold day so we were bundled up in coats, hats and gloves.  After walking a number of blocks, we ended up waiting in line with lots of other people inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. 

                                   

The main focus of this train show is not actually the trains but the buildings which are replicas of historic New York City landmarks.  They are all made out of organic materials and they are amazing.  I took way too many pictures—I couldn’t help myself.  Trains ran along the ground and overhead across large suspension bridges, also made of organic materials.  Before our walk back to the train, we stopped at the café to warm ourselves with hot chocolate.

We rode the train to Grand Central Station and upon getting off we wound through tunnels, up and down stairs through the bowels of the subway—this was supposedly better than walking outside. We met my childhood friend and her husband at Hudson Place and enjoyed a wonderful dinner and visit.  They asked us if we’d seen Grand Central Station and we answered that we had only seen the underground.  Erin was told that she had to take us into the “grand” part of the station so that’s where we went next.  Entering the station with its high ceiling and ornate fixtures was like stepping back in time.

From Grand Central Station we took the train back to Brooklyn and to the Dyker Heights neighborhood, well known for its Christmas lights.  We walked several blocks, eventually joining others on foot or in cars who were also enjoying the light displays.  Finally, cold and tired, we made our way back to the subway and to Erin’s apartment.

Christmas in New York City—Day 3

Today was our day to visit the place where the money resides—Wall Street.  We strolled along the streets, visiting the New York Stock Exchange and the very popular statue of the bull—now sporting a Christmas wreath—where a line of people waited to take a photo with him.  Since it was another chilly day, we stopped at a Starbucks for hot drinks.

 

Now warmed, we headed to Battery Park and the waterfront.  The sun was low in the sky, presenting us with a silhouetted view of Lady Liberty.  We also had a view of Ellis Island.  Both areas were closed to the public due to damage from Hurricane Sandy.  From there we walked to the new World Trade Center still under construction and decorated with lights.

We walked some more before catching the subway to Times Square.  We discovered why Erin is so slim—she does a lot of walking, as do most New Yorkers.  In addition there are the stairs in the subway stations—you go up and down and up and down.  Good exercise.  And hard for older parents to keep up.  We emerged from the subway to the bright lights of Times Square and lots of people.  We enjoyed looking at the marquees of the various shows and seeing the ball that would be dropping soon.  Erin led us away from there to a small restaurant she had visited before with good food and fast service.  We returned to Times Square afterwards.

Earlier in the day we had bought discounted tickets for a Broadway musical—Mary Poppins.  We entered the ornate old theatre well ahead of time but had to wait to be seated.  We had good aisle seats on the main floor not too far back.  This musical was a favorite movie when I was a child and I knew all the words to the songs.  Some of the songs were new while some of the old ones had disappeared.  However, there were a number of the original songs remaining in the play and I was sorely tempted to sing along.  The tap number, “Step in Time,” performed by the chimney sweeps was great, a lot of fun.  In fact, the whole play was of lot of fun.  The actors were good, the sets creative, and the orchestra just right.  We emerged from the theatre with smiles on our faces.

On the way back to her apartment, Erin had us get off the train a bit early so we could walk the Brooklyn Promenade.  We had a great view of the Manhattan skyline at night.  I snapped a few photos but we didn’t stay long because it was getting cold.  We caught the subway in downtown Brooklyn and arrived back in Erin’s apartment quite late.

Christmas in New York City, Days 1 & 2

We stepped out of the door of Terminal 2 and immediately we heard it—the incessant honking of horns.  Ah, back in New York City.  We were there to celebrate Christmas with our younger daughter, Erin.  We climbed into a taxi which wound its way through traffic to her apartment in Brooklyn.

Our first outing was a walk of several blocks to the small local grocery store.  This is a transitional neighborhood consisting mostly of black Caribbeans but also of Hasidic Jews.  An interesting combination.  The grocery store aisles were tight and the selection was limited but we found everything we needed.  The vegetable section included some items we don’t usually see but the quality was poor.  Everything was carefully placed in Erin’s foldup cart and we trudged back up the hill. 

Winter is not the best time to see Central Park, but that’s when we were there.  The bare limbed trees, while not so pretty, do allow you to see the city skyline.  Bundled in warm coats, and wrapped in scarves, hats, and gloves to guard against the icy wind, we walked around one end of the park.  Horse drawn buggies were either empty or held passengers huddled under blankets.  We wound around one path and down some stairs into a tunnel to be serenaded by a violin and bass.  We lingered a while with others, thoroughly enjoying the beautiful notes which echoed off the walls of the tunnel.  Continuing along the path we encountered sculptures of Hans Christian Andersen reading “The Ugly Duckling” and the characters from Alice in Wonderland.  A bit further we encountered Cleopatra’s Needle, an obelisk with Egyptian hieroglyphs, which was built in Egypt then transported to Central Park in 1881.

By this time the wind had picked up and my nose was totally frozen.  My husband, daughter, and I decided it was time to head over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, better known as the Met.  We all got the audio tour which was quite informative.  It was hard to know where to begin.  Erin led us to her favorite parts of the museum.  We viewed Greek and Roman Art, European painting, European Sculpture and Decorative Art, Arms and Armor, a special photography exhibition, part of the American Wing, and we breezed through African Arts and Egyptian Art.  The three of us also enjoyed the Christmas tree with the wonderful nativity scene beneath it.  We spent 5 hours there—more than we had planned but not nearly enough.  My favorites?  Van Gogh’s self-portrait and his landscapes, Monet, and Degas’ sculptures and paintings of dancers.  The Roman and Greek sculptures also fascinated me.

 

We hustled back to Brooklyn for a late dinner, very tired but glad for what we saw.