Unbelievable....

Today began with a bang, literally speaking. Dad had just gotten up and was looking out the window into the sweet little park across the street from our apartment. All of a sudden...crash. Seeing the people in the park start running down the street, and heading in the direction of our van, he decided we might better check it out. We excited the building and headed down the street to find the vehicle parked directly behind us had been smashed into a tree. At this point, we were wondering what we were going to find when we got to the other side of our van. As we got closer a lady, very upset was bent over and crying. We were growing more concerned that a pedestrian had been hit and possibly killed. Our block is full of people at all times of day using the park. When we got to our car, we were shocked to find it untouched and relieved to find out no person had been hit. There was a dog lying in the street, and we were now wondering what the lady's connection was. Was it her dog, was she driving the car, and if so, where was the owner of the dog? After waiting a while, the police came, the crowd thinned out and we were waiting to see if we needed to move our van so a tow truck could get to the truck behind us.


This is what we saw as we approached the accident!

This is where the story gets really bazaar. The lady driving the car, parked and was taking her dog to the park. She set her dog down on the ground and got out of the car. Realizing, at this point, that her car was still in drive and idling forward, she jumped back in and in a panic hit the gas pedal instead of the brake. She hit the car parked in front of her pushing it perpendicular to the curb. She continued forward with the accelerator to the floor, thinking she was smashing the brake. She turned her car across the street, ran over her own dog and smashed into the car directly behind us. She hit it so hard she knocked the tire off the rim and smashed it into the tree. We still can't believe that our van, and the car behind the truck, was undamaged.


The blessing in all of this was that no person was injured. The sidewalk always has people on it and the tree prevented her from pushing the truck all the way to the building. Not to mention, on one was on the street at that time.

Just remember, if you are having a rough day.........it could be much worse.

Lady Liberty and Ellis Island

We are getting slower everyday. Today we began with housekeeping, resting, and working on feet. Dad has a numb spot on his foot and I have very painful blisters on the bottom of 4 toes.

We went to see the Statue of Liberty up close and personal and Ellis Island. These are two things we studied in depth before we traveled. Because of all the studying we feel we had a better understanding of what we were seeing. On Ellis Island we purchased one audio tour and I am very glad we did. The tour did not tell me much I did not know already, but it did direct us through the museum in the order the immigrants went through. This was important because much of what was there at the time is gone. The room full of benches and stations that were used for processing is empty. Due to our late start and the very long time it takes to get there from Battery Park we had to keep moving and could not go at a leisurely pace.

Second floor, view out the window looking toward Manhatten.

Picture of how it looked on a normal day of new immagrants awaiting processing and entry into America.
The Great Hall today.
Stairs of Seperation, one for people free to enter, one for those detained and one for those denied entry.
View from the window above the Great Hall looking toward the hospital.

We did have time to see and do all that we wanted on Ellis Island, but would have liked to have had time to get off the boat at Liberty Island.


We needed to be back in town at Grand Central Station for Jacob to meet up with the orchestra for dinner. He enjoyed his evening with them and the rest of us came home to have dinner and do laundry. The original plan was for someone to go back to town to pick Jacob up. He checked in a little after nine and let us know he was ready to come home. We agreed it was early enough that he would be fine on the subway and he did it alone and arrived safely at home.

Trip to the Park and Zoo

A trip to the Bronx Zoo, Wednesday, June 11, 2008. We were so excited to be going to the Bronx Zoo and, as with many expectations, we were somewhat disappointed. We had always heard how great it was, thought that because it was in the city there would have a lot of exhibits, NO. It was donation day and the entrance fee was guest's choice. We were sorry we donated at the gate, not because we did not want to pay, but if we had skipped the donation we could have paid for at least one of the animal exhibits inside the zoo. Yes, there was even a charge to see some of the animals. Maybe this is the way things have always been here, we were shocked and unprepared. The cost for us to do everything would have totaled about $135.00 and that was on the free day at the zoo.

We did enjoy how pretty it was, the shade, and the flowers that were blooming. The monkeys, sea lions, white leopards and polar bear were very entertaining.

After leaving the Zoo we decided to stop off at Central Park; now understand we are beginning to move much slower, we are tired, our feet are very sore, and we are not eating the way we should, so we are spent. When I arrived on the street and saw Central Park, I decided then I was done. It did not look that much different than the pretty zoo we had spent the afternoon in. It was absolutely beautiful and I wish my feet did not hurt so bad, I would like to walk the entire park. I think one of the reasons it is so lovely is because the huge cityscape is the backdrop for anywhere you are standing in the park. For me, it was the same feeling I got We did do the pond, and basically one corner of the park, the one that just happens to be by The Early Show on CBS. This was of course not planned, again we are surprised, it is hard to find what you are looking for and some of the things we wanted to do we just fall into.

From this corner we decided we are close to Carnegie Hall and went for a walk to see that.

Continuing on, we head for Broadway and 53rd to see the Ed Sullivan theater where David Letterman tapes "The Late Show". Yes, the Hello Deli and Angelo's are in the bottom of the same building. We did want to by something from the Deli but it was closed.

The day ended with a Subway ride back to Queens.

A New Doo

please note: this post is delayed due to no Internet connection

Tuesday, June 10th activities

A day spent in Soho with stops at Devachan Salon for a two hour hair appointment, Purl Soho (yarn store), Purl Patchwork (fabric store) and the Scholastic Book Store for, what else, some books about New York. We stopped for lunch after stumbling into Little Italy.

We had no plans to go to Little Italy, had not paid attention to where it was; and then all of a sudden, there it was. We ate in a little, family run, pizzeria. Caleb was happy watching as his pizza was made. Then, after nine months of trying to set my curls free to be who they really are, I was treated to a hair appointment at Devachan Salon. This is the salon for the curly girl and a whole new thinking when it comes to caring for curls. I did have each curl cut, one at a time, and a lot of discussion about what to do with my hair. It was a very interesting and educational trip and I am very glad I had this opportunity.


I have been drooling over yarn and fabric at these two sweet little Soho shops for about eight months online (if you google the name of the shop you will find them). I could hardly contain my happiness to actually be standing there. If I ever make it back there I will have to have a plan for a project so I can buy accordingly. I was quite overwhelmed and bought a few items so the girls and I can make some small treasures to remember our trip.

Books to remember our trip to the "Big Apple". Who could resist a Scholastic Bookstore? Not us, what great "souvenirs" that do not just collect dust. What fun to read about places we have actually been and remember.
After finding ourselves confused on the subway, and that's not unusual, we realized we were not too far from ground zero. Since this was on the list of "things we want to do", no time like the present. We were glad to see they have not changed the stop on the train, but realized New Yorkers have moved on and will tell you the towers are no longer here, like the world doesn't know. I do understand that nearly seven years later it seems like forever ago to them. To us "foreigners" it was just yesterday. The construction is booming and we were not able to find anywhere to but the subway crosswalk to hang out to take a picture. We did find St James Chapel, thanks dad for the GPS service.

Dinner was at a wonderful Amish Market two blocks from ground zero.

Rockefeller Center at night.

At the end of the day Daddy and the boys went to ESPN Zone, to watch the NBA finals between the Celtics and Lakers. While the girls and I came home by ourselves on the Subway; it was a fun adventure and we made it.

As a side note, we have decided there are myths about NYC that we just assumed would be true. We think these are quite funny and just our opinions.

1~pizza is everywhere - we walked for 2 full days trying to find a whole in the wall pizzeria...the first day we gave up and ate at a pizza chain (something is just not right about that)....the second day we walked so far we fell into Little Italy and ate at a family run pizzeria, both were good

2~Bronx Zoo is great - we were very disappointed we thought that this was going to be the best zoo ever and it was, according to all 7 of us, terrible! Not enough animals, or activities, and after you pay to enter, some of the exhibits are an additional charge. Not to mention, it is very difficult to navigate.

3~New Yorkers are rude and unfriendly - We have found everyone to be VERY friendly and kind. They are, for the most part, in a big hurry. One kind lady told me, "it's a bit like herding cattle, but it's O.K., you set your pace and they will go around you". They are willing to help anyone who looks lost on the Subway; we have given them plenty of opportunities for this.

4~pedestrians have the right of way - you will get run down if you are in the road and the light turns green. I do not know why or how these cars can get going so fast in a New York city block.

New York, New York

Happy 15th Birthday Seth! What a fun way to spend your day.

Today began with the purchase of our Subway passes and a trip into Midtown Manhattan. We took the 7 train to Grand Central Station. We are slow and there a lot of us compared to what most New Yorkers are used to. We have caused several double takes in the little market we shop at every day. We discovered after the first night, you must carry all of your groceries, don't buy more than you can comfortably carry. The girl at the cash register had a funny look on her face as she was taking mental notes of the number of children.

After we arrived at Grand Central Station we started walking toward Time Square. We were not sure where that was, but we wanted to see the things we were sure to recognize from television. We saw ABC, ESPN Zone, ate in a pizzeria, watched the Naked Cowboy (thank goodness he is not completely naked), and visited the Hersey store for dessert. We rode the Staten Island Ferry for a view of the Statue of Liberty, took a walk through Battery Park, rode the Subway, rode the Subway, and rode the Subway some more. Along our travels we met some very nice New Yorkers who were eager to help with directions, play tourist guide and/or historian.

The heat is draining; and thus the Lobby of the Marriott in Time Square on Broadway is very nice (and cool).

Detour through D.C.

Sunday afternoon we discovered how close to Washington D.C. we actually were and who could resist. Having never been there we just had to drive through. Much to our disappointment we could not drive by the White House, closed to traffic since 9/11. We saw all the well known monuments that come to mind when you think of the capitol. We have decided that we must go back soon.

As we were leaving, we looked over and much to our surprise, right there was the back of the White House. We yelled loudly for our driver, aka Dad, to pull over; and we quickly ran to take pictures.

After leaving town, lost again, we headed north on a major road and were passed by the Secret Service. We watched a "show" of how the Secret Service escort someone to the airport. It was very entertaining and we only wish we could have found out who the were escorting. We tailed the escort vehicle until he gave us a warning with lights on and causing us to slow to about 40MPH. We knew this was our clue to back off. He was not happy with our little game of paparazzi. We did, after all have cell phones, laptop and cameras.

We continued north into New Jersey, through the Lincoln Tunnel, right down 42nd Street, left on Park Avenue to 59th Street and over the Queens Borough Bridge to our wonderful little apartment in Woodside. All the while we had P.T. our personal GPS system on the phone navigating for us (thank you, we could not have done it without you). I only wish I had had a video camera rolling of my children's faces. At one moment I panned the car to see the shock and awe of something so foreign to us.

Looking forward to the Subway, Times Square and the Statue of Liberty.......................

Bon Voyage

We are off. After all the planning and preparation the time is here, it almost seem surreal. The journals, the camera, the viola, and the tickets are all loaded and the wide open road lies ahead, seventeen hours of it in fact. I am hopeful, in the great big city of New York, we will have an internet connection. For those of you who will be checking this blog, I wish you were going with us. So with the clock ticking, and all of us anxious to get on the road, goodbye for now.

Packing and Planning Continue

Departure time is drawing near and the pressure is mounting. How can all of these things get done in the little time left? Charlotte Mason shared this perspective.

If mothers could learn to do for themselves what they do for their children......Let the mother go out to play! .............have courage to let everything go when life becomes too tense, and just take a day, or half a day, out in the fields, or with a favorite book...........life would go far more happily for both children and parents.

I wish I had a day, or even half a day, for what she says is true.
We so need this vacation and it is going to be a blast.

Sunday Nap

As I rush around in a tizzy to prepare for seven people to travel for five weeks, it is the small things that make me remember to stop and breathe. I am so tired and as I cross one thing off the list, I add three more. I have determined it will all get done regardless of how frantic it seems. Here are a couple of shots that made me laugh while reminding me to enjoy the journey.

I am not a huge cat fan. Our cats are farm cats, nothing more, nothing less. If someone misses their meal for the day all three of our feline barn security know how to track down the next meal. None of our team members like to be held or cuddled and if you do pick one up they demand to be set down right away. This shot on Sunday, as I was rushing in from a rehearsal or out on my way to a rehearsal, made me stop and laugh....get the camera!

This is Britches, my nickname for him is LoverBoy. He does not want to be held, but he wants me to pet him and he wants to lay down next to me while I'm on the porch. Yes he really is napping in this chair and even while I was moving about he was sound asleep.

Oh how I wished it was me getting that Sunday nap. I would have preferred mine in a cozy bed with the A/C set on hotel (as my husband calls it when we need an extra quilt on the bed).

The count down is on, less than a week to go.

3, 2, 1.....Lift Off!

Today we watched as Shuttle Discovery soared into space. Today was so clear we had a front row seat to watch the solid booster rockets fall back to earth. I am always amazed to hear the stories of those who have traveled many miles to witness such an event. It makes me once again thankful that I have always had the privilege of taking a small break and looking on in awe. The children were laughing and remembering..."for the last launch we got out of bed at 2am and stood out front". After ten minutes and no giant orange glow, we checked the television and learned the launch had been scrubbed. The shuttle program is scheduled to end in a couple of years, I think a trip to the Cape needs to be planned.