What Would You Have Done?

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A pleasantly beautiful summer day greeted me when I stepped outside during my lunch hour many years ago.  Tall buildings tried to hide the sun, but I followed the paths where the sun rays fell.  Not very many people headed in the direction of the library.  Many traveled the opposite way, towards the restaurants.

The specially-selected book for Book Club was tucked in its appropriate spot among the other reserved books.  I grabbed the book, took a short stroll towards the scanner, scanned my library card and book.  Safely tucking the book under my arm, we headed back to the office.  As the stop light took its time to change, I gently held the book in my hands and fanned the pages with my thumb.  The book fell open to a particular spot, as though a bookmark had been left and forgotten.  Looking closer, I noticed not a bookmark but a sealed envelope addressed in neat penmanship.  The envelope did not have a return address on the front or the back nor was a stamp affixed.  

What to do?  Open it?  Mail it?  Why didn’t the person mail it?  Did they forget?  Did they want it mailed?  What if they didn’t want it mailed?  Did they think they mailed it already?  Since there was not a return address, I couldn’t send it to the owner.  Coincidentally, I happened to have a stamp in my purse and a mailbox was only a half a block away in the direction I was going.  I leisurely walked towards the mailbox, stood by it for a time, dug the stamp out of my purse, stuck it on the envelope, opened the creaky blue box, and slowly and unsurely dropped it in.  Years later, I wonder if it was meant to be mailed.  

What would you have done?

“I must do something” always solves more problems than “Something must be done.” ~Author Unknown

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Yellow Watering Can

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

Mom, the Seamstress

Every time I water the plants in our house, I think back to the time when I first held the yellow watering can.  It was when I made my debut on the stage in first grade.  Our teacher handed out a sheet of paper with a nursery rhyme to memorize.  My rhyme was:

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.

I did a good job on the stage!  I said my lines perfectly, and I don’t remember being nervous.  After I said my rhyme, I went to join my other classmates to stand towards the back of the stage.  We all watched and listened to others recite their rhymes one at a time.   It was fun to wear a dress made just for me.  I had to stand still while I listened, even though I wanted to twirl my dress around.

Mom had the bigger job of sewing my dress together and purchasing other accessories to make a complete costume.  Sewing the dress was quite an undertaking considering my debut only lasted a couple of seconds.  Even I knew in my young age that Mom did a great job of creating my outfit which made me feel proud.  I felt like I had the best costume in my class.

Dad was proud too.  There aren’t many color photos during this time in our family album. The photos above were sprinkled amongst many black and white ones.  Even though the photo is quite faded, I remember that the fabric was very vibrant.

I don’t know whatever happened to my dress, but the watering can is one thing I was sure to take when we cleaned out the house where I grew up after Mom passed away.  Mom used that watering can for years, and now I’ll use it as long as I can.  I’ve been through lots of watering cans in my life, but the yellow watering can doesn’t even show any signs of aging.

Is there something you hold onto that brings back a fond memory?

It’s surprising how much memory is built around things
unnoticed at the time. ~Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Dreams

Enough to Go Around

When we were in Ireland, we enjoyed the little breakfasts that we had at Flannery’s. We always got seated in the little area where the sun rays shone through the sheer curtains. That area was a little bit more private than the crowded, large dining room. Just moments after we were seated, a waiter brought hot coffee, fresh cream and hot toast. We had the option of getting hot food from the menu or buffet, but we always chose the cereal, rolls or yogurt. The only sort of fruit that was available was canned prunes and canned grapefruit. Luckily fruit juices were offered too!

After breakfast, we called a cab from the hotel desk lobby. Our cab arrived shortly after we called. When our cab driver discovered that we were from America, it seemed as if he felt like he was doing us a great favor by telling us about some new up and coming politician from Nevada who could hopefully whip our country back into shape. In his jolly way, he couldn’t believe that we never heard of the fellow. He also mentioned that it was funny that visitors could get lost in the small town of Galway. We didn’t mention to him that we had gotten lost a few times!  Instead we just chuckled. When we told him we enjoyed seeing the Cliffs of Moher the day before, he really didn’t think it was that big of a deal, really…  We guessed that when you live right next to such a grand thing, that maybe you take it for granted?

Galway City Cathedral

After we got dropped off at the Galway City Cathedral and figured out which door to enter, the first thing I noticed was the beautiful stone walls. I admired the craftsmanship of the building that was dedicated in August of 1965. We sat down in one of the pews about 15 rows back from the altar and joined about 50 other people, which was a good showing for a Wednesday. A priest from Scotland said mass, and it was a little difficult for me to understand his thick accent.  The mass was so short, that by the time I began to understand the priest, it was over!

When it was time to receive communion, there was not an orderly formation to get in line like we are used to. People just went on up to the communion rail whenever they pleased, which was all at once. It all worked out fine, because there was enough to go around to all who were there.  After mass, while we were getting a better look around, a group of people were saying the rosary. Their lilting voices echoed off the stone walls.

Next, we explored the area along the River Corrib:

If we found a place we liked, we just stuck with it.  We went to The Cellar (again) for lunch and visited more shops where we bought trinkets and a chocolate candy bar.  We took our candy to Galway Bay and hung out there for a little while and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.  Unfortunately, the day cooled off to give us a chill.  We ventured back to Flannery’s.

After dinner at Frank’s Bar, we shared a delicious mixed nut, chocolate cheesecake.  We were happy that there was enough to go around.  We planned the next day when we would have to get back in the car and head to the cottages at Spiddal. Katie needed to pack for her trip to London, and Dad and I were going to go to Dublin to explore the city on our own.  I was sad that our visit with Katie was going to be over so soon.

Our time together was going by too fast and there wasn’t enough to go around.

Home Away From Home

Ireland was so welcoming, that it felt like our home away from home. When we checked into Flannary’s and saw that the room that the staff thought was ready for us wasn’t quite ready, we went back to tell the receptionist. We ended up getting a larger room with an extra bed. Now we had one double bed and two twin beds. Dad said, “One for each of us:  Mama Bear, Papa Bear and Baby Bear!”

Since Papa Bear and I had traveled for hours and were awake most of that time, Papa Bear stayed in the room while Baby Bear and I went to the hotel restaurant. The restaurant was crowded for that time of day. Everyone seemed bubbly as their conversations seemed to bounce off the walls. As we looked at the menu, even though we longed to try an Irish coffee just because of its name, we decided to get a Bailey’s coffee instead.  We knew it would taste better to us.

The waiter looked our way every once in a while in between waiting on tables. When he checked in with us, I admired his lilting voice. Most times I could understand the Irishmen, but when the men talked very fast, it was difficult for me to understand. I was glad to have Katie there to translate for me, even though they were speaking English!

Because Katie and I hadn’t had a good sit down chat for quite a while, we talked for a couple of hours! Lately our only means of communicating had been through Skype or sending in-box messages every once in a while. Not knowing what was new in her life was quite a change for me since I was used to hearing from Baby Bear almost every day.

When Papa Bear joined us, we decided to stay at the hotel restaurant for dinner since the food appeared to be quite good. When Sean delivered our entrees, it was like the comforts of home to sit down and eat a warm meal of roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and veggies. Papa Bear liked his fish and chips, and Baby Bear enjoyed a plate of pasta.

As we munched away, a gentleman who was sitting at the bar, suddenly busted out in song. We had no idea what he was singing, but the Gaelic words and melody were a hit amongst the crowd.  His act of bursting out in song didn’t seem like it was anything out of the ordinary to the staff or customers.  His serenade only lasted a short while, and then he was gone.

As we finished up our meal, it felt like a blessing to have the car safely parked in the lot having survived the travels of our first day.  We were glad to get ready to settle in and get a good night’s sleep on a bed!

Mama Bear’s bed was “just right!”

A Sight for Sore Eyes

I stumbled out of the car and briskly walked towards the door. I was so relieved we arrived. A series of moments had taken place to get me to that door, and I think maybe the seed was planted by the TV show, The Gilmore Girls. Rory, the main character, always talked about how she wanted to backpack through Europe. As my daughter Katie and I watched the show, Katie often commented on how she would like to go to Europe someday.

I would say, “Oh, but that’s so far away. You really wouldn’t want to go that far away from home.” Katie was often reminded about traveling to far away places when her classmates from grade school and high school travelled away on mission trips. “I didn’t even want to bring it up because I knew you and Dad would say no,” she told us. She was right about that.  After Katie went off to college, she hinted about travel abroad programs to Rome and Greece.

“Oh, but that’s so far away. You really wouldn’t want to go that far away from home for that long,” I repeated over again and hoped that something would distract her and make her want to stay. Or I said, “How about you do a short trip, like your sister.” Laura traveled abroad for three long weeks when she was in college. But, Mom’s idea of keeping Katie close to home was not an option for the determined young lady. Katie informed us that she went to a travel abroad meeting at school. “I am going to go to Ireland,” she announced. “The director is awesome, and I think I would learn a lot.” A plan to go to Ireland was smart because of the Irish roots Katie inherited from her father.

It was funny how the orientation meeting for parents and students was on St. Patrick’s Day. I wore my shamrock scarf and my husband dressed in bright Irish green colors. Katie told us that we looked like we were going to a party. As we learned more about the trip, the better we felt.

Next thing we knew, Katie was packing her one suitcase and one carry on that would have to last her for a semester in Ireland. It was hard for me to imagine how such a fashionable young lady was going to manage with one suitcase. As she scattered all of her favorite clothes on the bedroom floor and resolved to eliminate the unnecessary items, I still marveled how her dream of traveling abroad wasn’t even going to be stifled by having to abandon about 90 percent of her wardrobe!

When Katie stood in line with her future travel companions to check on her suitcase at the airport, I realized that the hardest part of being a parent is the letting go. But letting go doesn’t mean that we couldn’t go visit! I never thought that I would be one who would travel abroad, but my husband and I set about making plans.

Soon we were on an airplane to Philadelphia and then on a flight to Dublin. We flew over the Atlantic Ocean at night and having had a very busy day, I longed to lie down, but there was nowhere to go. I thought about how beds were underrated. I snoozed a bit until I was woken up by bits of turbulence or fellow passengers who were coughing, snoring or emitting unusual odors.

Thankfully, the sky started to light up and we saw how different the clouds looked beneath us. They seemed more compact and fluffy! As we went through the cloud bank, and the patchwork quilt of greens and browns greeted us, we felt lucky to see a land that was unfamiliar.

We ate a quick breakfast of eggs, sausage and potatoes and wondered why the breakfast menu offered pudding. We didn’t order pudding, but later Katie told us that Irish pudding is pig’s blood mixed with some other stuff like grains and looks like sausage!

We found the Go Bus, got on board and traveled through the sleepy town of Dublin along the Liffey River. After we went through a long tunnel, we were able to enjoy the countryside. I said, “This is the longest I have ever traveled to see someone!”  We snoozed off and on, and in between we spotted cattle or sheep happily grazing amongst the many colors of green that are divided by stone walls.

When we arrived at the bus station in Galway three hours later, we were surprised that we had to pay 20 cents to go through the turnstile to get to the bathroom. It’s the first time I had to pay for such a visit. The words, “I like to live in America, everything free in America,” a song from West Side Story kept running through my head.

My husband called the rental car company and a very nice young lady came to get us to deliver us to our rental car. We carefully paid attention to how she drove on the right side of the car, but on the left side of the road. It was scary how the traffic came at us from what we thought was the wrong direction. The pedals on the floor are the same as in the US, but everything else was backwards. We could not find signs identifying the names of the streets. The driver pointed out that sometimes they are on the sides of buildings or stuck on stone structures!

By the time we were in our rental car and ready to go, I prayed that we would make it safely to our destination. My husband drove, and I think I was glad it was not me.  It took a while, but we found our hotel which was quite crowded with people trying to check in. When we got to our room, we grabbed a few items from our suitcase to deliver to our daughter, went to reception to ask for directions and headed out.

I felt cramped as we drove along because the streets are quite narrow and don’t have shoulders. It always felt like we were going to hit the curb, and I hated that I felt like a driving instructor as I had to remind myself and my husband to stay on the left side of the road. The travel book that I read before we left said that driving in Ireland is stressful; I wished that the author would have elaborated that point a little more because I missed seeing how beautiful the sky and mountains were and the pretty bay that we passed by because I was worried about everything! When we saw the sign we were looking for, we scooted over into the driveway, got honked at, passed by a parking lot, and found the cottage with a big sigh of relief.

We rehearsed the procedures of putting the car in park. I got out and knocked on the door. We arrived at the time we predicted. When Katie greeted us, I thought to myself, “You are really a sight for sore eyes.” We hugged and I knew that all that it took to get to that door was going to be worth it. Not only to visit with our daughter but to be in such a beautiful place.

The journey to that door helped us discover that our children’s dreams can be and often are contagious!

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.  ~St. Augustine

I Belong to You

I felt a little awkward wearing a bright red t-shirt that day even though everyone else in the family was wearing one.  When we walked up to the front to greet the rest of the family, we sort of made a ruckus.  A lady in a pew behind us reminded us that people were trying to pray.  We simmered down and were good even though we were excited.  We waited for this day for a long time and were happy that it finally arrived.

Towards the end of Mass, the priest approached the front pew where we were sitting and announced to the congregation that someone was celebrating their 100^th birthday.  Grandma stood, turned slightly and waved, as Father introduced her.  Father asked us to sing Happy Birthday.  Grandma smiled, and the rest of us couldn’t help but smile right along with her as we were very proud of her accomplishment.

After Mass was over, we went to the family reunion.  Groups of people trickled in.  Some brought Polish food.  The first presentation was poppy-seed bread.  A cousin made six loaves the day before.  Then the polka kielbasa made an appearance followed by Aunt Mary’s homemade sausage.  I had no idea what the ingredients were, but it tasted fabulous.  The beet and horseradish condiment tasted great with the different sausages.  Then the cabbage rolls were ready to eat!  I got a lot of exercise going back and forth, but it wasn’t enough to keep me from getting full.  As if that wasn’t enough, a caterer set very large rolls, pasta dishes, salad and more desserts on the tables.

As people visited with each other and made a point to see Grandma, I thought about how Grandma had been such a great companion to me and the kids when I was a stay-at-home mom with three small children.  We tried to visit with her at least once a week.  She went to the park with us to help me push the kids in the swings.  Other times we visited the library to get books for the kids and Grandma got some too.  Visiting the mall was fun especially when Grandma announced that the kids could pick out one special toy.  Just as a grandma should, she always made sure that we had cookies or some kind of treat to bring home with us when we parted ways.

The day I married my husband, I was blessed with two Grandmas.  They both treated me like I belonged to them.  That made me happy because I never got to meet my biological Grandmas because they passed away before I was born.  I didn’t know what I was missing until those two wonderful ladies warmly welcomed me into the family.

As the party started to wind down, I sat down next to Grandma.  I like the way she always holds my hand when we first talk to each other.

“Hi, Grandma,” I said.

“Hi Mary Ann.”

“Are you having a good time?” I asked her.

“I’m overwhelmed by all the people.  It’s so nice how they all came to talk to me.  I just wish that my husband could have been here to see everyone.  He would have really liked this.  Sometimes it was a little hard to figure out who belongs to who.”

“Well, I belong to you!” I said.

“That’s right,” she agreed.

A while ago, I asked Grandma what her secret was and how she got to live to be the age she was then.  She said, “Don’t eat the same foods every day.  Be sure to eat something different.”  But I know it’s more than food.  It’s her attitude.  Once she told me, “When I feel down, I ask myself, why?  I don’t have a reason to be.”  Last Christmas, Grandma remembered it was my first Christmas without my Mom, and she said, “I know it’s hard, but you just have to look forward to all the fun things that are coming your way.”

One of my favorite things that Grandma said when someone told her that she spoiled her grandkids was, “If I don’t spoil them, who will?”

If a person can get spoiled by their Grandma’s love, then that makes me rotten!!!

A Splendid Time!

Laura & Michael

As I tried to balance my plate in one hand while eating morsels of tasty treats, I wondered if it was starting to rain. I thought I was doing a good job of keeping eye contact with the person who was talking, when it seemed like a little raindrop passed by and missed my plate. I politely nodded and listened as the conversation went on. I waited for another drop to fall. When I didn’t hear, feel or see one, I thought it must have been my imagination. Plus, I could not picture rain falling on such a decent day in August. The sky had been beautifully bright and blue with hardly a wisp of a cloud the entire day.

My husband popped in on our conversation, and asked, “Was that a squirrel?” He got hit on the head with something. The four of us looked up, but since it was getting dark, we couldn’t see any animal hiding in the very tall oak tree. When we looked down, we saw evidence of acorn shells scattered about.

“Oh, that’s not a good sign,” we heard a lady say. “If the squirrels are acting so crazy about acorns already that means it’s going to be a cold winter.” Somehow the talk of winter made us scatter and mingle. I wandered over to the table and tried to decide if I wanted more shrimp cocktail, veggies & dip, meatballs, cheese & crackers, a wrap, or my favorite:  a delicious bit of roast beef piled on toast and topped with a tad of horseradish. I took my favorite, and while I chewed, I stared at the cupcake tree stand. Since the cupcakes were chocolate, I knew I had to have one. The frosting looked like it was some sort of marshmallow that had been whipped into a bouffant.  It reminded me of a hairstyle from the 60s. I plopped one on my plate and it didn’t last long there!

There were high tables neatly arranged about the yard with smatterings of other conversational areas. Each table was decorated with colorful bouquets of flowers that the hostess arranged in a most attractive fashion. I headed toward the table with the comfy chairs and umbrella just in case the squirrels decided to bomb us again.

Laura was holding Michael’s little nephew. I got up close, looked at his little nose, peaked under the blanket and saw his tiny feet. His left hand was bunched up into a fist and rested on the bottom of his chin as if he was in some sort of deep thinking process. I wondered what little babies dream about.

“Do you want to hold him?” Laura asked me. I hadn’t held a baby for years. When people ask me if I want to hold a baby, I almost always say no because sometimes it makes me nervous.  But that day was different. I said yes mostly because that little baby and I are going to be connected with and be a part of the same family.  Plus, he is one cute baby who didn’t make me feel fidgety!

As I sat with the little one and patiently waited for him to open his eyes, I looked around the yard.  Even though a lot of us were meeting each other for the first time, the conversations felt like we had known each other for years.

When Michael asked for our blessing to marry our daughter, I knew it would be the start of new  beginnings for us. For me it means getting to be the Mother-of-the-Bride, plus I am looking forward to being a Mother-in-Law!  Even though Michael has seemed like a member of our family for quite some time now, it will be great when we get to officially welcome him to our family next year when Michael and Laura tie the knot.

Before this event, I didn’t even know that engagement parties existed.  An engagement party is a nice way to start off all the events that come with planning a wedding and a good way to meet each others immediate families.  I’m so glad I had such a splendid time at my first engagement party!

What a great favor God does to those He places in the company of good people! ~ St. Teresa of Avila

It Helps Us to Say Thanks, Part II

A year ago, I wrote about some fun times at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in a blog post called It Helps Us to Say Thanks.  My brothers and I thought it would be nice to get a memorial paver there in memory of Mom and Dad.  We suggested that memorials be given to Como in honor of our Mom who died last year.  We recently submitted a poem that we all liked, but it didn’t get approved because it was too religious.  It wasn’t really a poem:  It was a prayer!  Since the zoo is a public place, they said they could not inscribe a prayer on a paver.

So I wrote this instead:

Thanks Mom and Dad
For the family that we were with you,
And teaching us truth in all that we do.
By showing us what is wrong what is right,
And helping us keep our attitudes bright.
By having you laugh around our small brood,
It helped us to stay in such a fun mood.
By caring for us and showing the way,
Work is important but so is to play.
By loving the world in which we do live,
All of creation it helps us to give.
Kindness to people and animals too,
Tending the flowers and trees as did you.
By thanking the wind the sail that it blew,
Moving us along to explore what’s new.
By missing loved ones when they go their way
We do that now too, but memories stay!

Mom loved flowers and they both loved to sail.  I thought this would be a nice remembrance!  I hope Como thinks so too.

Interesting Place to Visit Sometime

On the last day of our trip, we thought it would be best to get to the tour boat as soon as possible.  When we were planning our trip, we were disappointed to learn that we would not be able to go on Liberty Island or Ellis Island.  Both places were under repair due to damage from Hurricane Sandy.  Thankfully, we could do the next best thing which was to see the islands from a boat.

We took the subway and a bus to get to the pier.  It was nice to see other tourists travelling especially since they asked all the important questions.  When we heard the answers, we knew we were going in the right direction!

We picked up our tickets which were a part of our New York City Passes.  When we got on board, we grabbed one of the first seats inside the air-conditioned cabin.  A family from Iowa sat next to us.  As the cabin filled up, the rest of the observers went to sit on the upper deck.

Our tour guide, Max, was blessed with the gift of gab.

Aircraft Carrier Intrepid

As we pulled away from the pier, Max told us about the Intrepid Museum on Pier 86.  I thought it would be an interesting place to visit sometime.  The Concorde Jet was right next door!  Max told us when we were passing over the exact spot where Captain Sullivan landed the airplane on the Hudson River which was quite an eerie feeling.

While we traveled to the Statue of Liberty, Max told us about how expensive the apartments are on Manhattan Island and that if a person wanted to dock their boat on the Hudson River it would cost $6,000 a day!  Yikes!

Max recommended taking in a show during our visit.  He suggested checking out www.tkts.com which sells tickets 20-50% off regular price.  The ticket booth is located in Times Square.  Check it out in the morning to see a show that night.  Max warned that there would probably be a line.

Finally getting to meet the Lady!

Ellis Island

After our tour and a short subway ride, we headed to Macy’s.  We walked a short distance and moved out-of-the-way all of the passersby.  While Susan looked at a map, I asked a lady standing next to us if she knew where Macy’s was.  She nodded at me with her big brown eyes, and her eyebrows seemed to go crooked all at once.  She slightly made a pointing gesture behind her.  We were standing right in front of the building!  One large section of Macy’s was being remodeled and was closed off.  That may be why it seemed really crowded or perhaps it was just that way because we were in NYC!  We shopped a little.  I bought a cute blue scarf for myself, and every time I wear it I will be reminded of the fun time I had!

Macy’s

We ate lunch at a little spot where the lady behind the counter said that they had the best Reuben sandwiches in NYC.  It was good, but I doubted that it was the best.

We walked by Harold’s Square

After another short subway ride, we were back at the hotel.  Since the day was so warm and we were so thirsty, we went to McAleer’s Pub on Amsterdam, just a short walk away.  We bought cold beers and t-shirts from the bar.  Susan asked if they had any other shirts with less decoration.  The waitress said that A Perfect Pint in Times Square would have just what we were looking for.  That was perfect because later that night we would be going to the show Nice Work if You Can Get It.

Before we knew it, we were at A Perfect Pint.  We were glad to get the recommendation because we never would have found it on our own since it seemed to be tucked in a bunch of buildings and hidden by scaffolding.  The crowd seemed to be a place where locals hung out.  We ate appetizers and Susan bought a t-shirt.

While walking to the theater, I noticed an amazing way to park cars!

We picked up the tickets that we ordered way in advance at will call and decided to check out a new place called Jekyll and Hyde Restaurant & Bar.  We walked by the place a couple of days ago, and it looked quite scary to me because I wasn’t in a Halloween sort of mind.

Made of Wax

The Restaurant

At first we were greeted by a wax waiter and a knight in shining armor.  Then we found the live hostess who lead us to the bar.  The waiters and waitresses were dressed in costumes.  After we ordered our drinks, we were fascinated by the little gimmicks that took place.  The faces on the portraits changed, and the stuffed bear that loomed over us told us a story, just to name a couple of things.  Susan said it was like a Chucky Cheese for adults!  Finding the bathrooms reminded me of a treasure hunt.  The entrance is a long hallway lined with books and you need to figure out where the doorknob is.  Luckily another woman walked ahead of me and helped me find the way!

I was so excited when we got to the Imperial Theater because our seats were in the third row.  I sort of felt like we were sitting on top of the orchestra!  Matthew Broderick played an obtuse sort of fellow who couldn’t tell what love was until it bit him in the face.  The show was quite funny, and I enjoyed the Gershwin music, the dancing and the how lighthearted it was.

The next day we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at the Nice Matin Bistro which was located in our hotel.  After we checked out, the doorman found us a cab.  We met our cab driver who was from Cashmere.  He talked about how his family still lives there, but how much he loves New York.

As we were leaving the upper west side, Susan pointed to the direction of the restaurant where the gang from Seinfeld hung out.  I couldn’t believe that we were that close to the place.  Even though Susan often asked me if I wanted to see anything else in the area, she didn’t know that I was a huge fan of Seinfeld and that I’ve seen every episode multiple times.  If only I had been a little more familiar with the place!

Oh well.  I just thought to myself that exploring that part of town would be another interesting place to visit sometime!

A Really Good Show

“Good morning.  How are you?” a lady asked as we entered the elevator.

“We’re tired,” said Susan with a laugh.

“That’s good.  That’s how it’s supposed to be when you come to New York!” she said in a chipper voice.

“Yes, we’ve been keeping really busy,” said Susan as I tried to stifle a yawn!

The doorman also greeted us with a friendly “good morning” as we left the hotel.  We walked the short distance to Sarabeth’s.  Some customers were sitting outside, but since the temperatures kept climbing each day, we decided to eat inside.  The host escorted us to the same table where we sat a couple of days before.  I ordered the French toast and patiently sipped warm coffee.  When the food arrived, I generously poured maple syrup over the large stack.  I thought the extra sugar would do me some good since my stomach was feeling pretty empty after the Miserable Outburst.

Susan and I talked about how sad we would be if one of us got sick enough where we wouldn’t be able to go to the shows.  We bought our tickets long before we got to NYC.  I had thought about how sad that would be even before we left on the trip.  That thought helped us decide that our fifth day was going to be a more relaxing one.

After breakfast, we waited for a bus on the corner of 79^th Street and Amsterdam.  If it would have been any other day, we probably would have walked the short distance to Riverside Park.  When we got on the bus and noticed that we were the only customers, we told the bus driver that we were visiting from Minnesota.  He jokingly asked, “Do any people live there?”

View of The Lucerne (on the Right)
from the Bus Stop

“More people live in Minnesota than South Dakota,” I said.  He wondered how come we didn’t just walk because it was only a few blocks, but we ignored his question.  We really just liked the idea of using our bus passes!  When we got off, we walked down to The West 79th Street Boat Basin Café, which looked like a fun place to eat overlooking the Hudson River.  As we walked along, we enjoyed the quiet park and being shaded by large trees.  A lady walked towards us with a little dog, and both Susan and I said, “Aww.”  Seeing the dog made us realize how much we missed each of ours.  After the dog met us and figured out we were all right, he laid down flat and panted.

Since the dog needed a rest, the lady told us about how in the day she is a nanny to a little boy and the dog, but at night she is an actress.  She just auditioned for a show.  We wished her good luck and continued on after the lady tried to get the dog to move.  People zoomed by on bikes, and we passed others walking along the path.  When we came to the 91st Street Garden, we named off some of the flowers.  The foxgloves looked beautiful.  We could hear many little children at the nearby playground.

Me at the 91st Street Garden

We walked down a beautiful path:

We saw the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument:

The buildings were quite pretty:

The warm day had us visiting Café Lalo again.  I ordered a delicious smoothie.  Susan told me about the scene in the movie “You’ve Got Mail” where Meg Ryan is patiently reading her book while waiting for her email buddy to join her at Café Lalo.  That movie ended when Tom Hanks met Meg Ryan at the 91st Street Garden!

We walked some more, visited a few shops and admired the neighborhood.

When we got back to the hotel, we took our time getting ready for “The Jersey Boys.”  Before we knew it, it was time to go on the subway.  We decided to go to Victor’s Café, a very extravagant looking Cuban restaurant.  We sat in the small bar area and ordered Papa Rellenas (stuffed potatoes and meat puffs) from the Tapas Menu.  The appetizers were so delicious; we decided to order another round.  We were glad that we were both feeling just fine.

As I read the playbill in the August Wilson Theater, I was surprised that I knew all of the songs.  I didn’t realize that Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons had such a long list.  The order of the songs conveniently told the story of their lives together.  The play was quite funny until it got to the part where Frankie Valli’s wife decided that she wanted a divorce because Frankie wasn’t home very much.  When Tony Winner John Lloyd Young sang “My Eyes Adored You,”  I tried to hold back the tears.  I realized I would never think of that song the same way again.

At times the show had me stomping my feet to the music, laughing, and a moment later trying to hold back the tears.  When we left the theatre, I felt like I was leaving some good friends behind.  That’s when I knew I saw A Really Good Show.

We looked forward to going to see the Statue of Liberty the next day.

To be continued…