A reflection of life in the city, Mama's viewpoint!
Good morning!
Laundry is going, breakfast is eaten and the kitchen cleaned up. Our boys off to their designated jobs for the day! Jesse and Trevor joined Roger on a tract route and hand out. This Monday they headed over to the Bronx! Dexter and Wade off to Lincoln, I think Dexter was a little worried about his badge...this volunteer work doesn't come without a little stress!! Badges that don't work etc. Ron and I have been busy trying to do our learning/ training modules....( Took me back to Manor days, Relias here I come!) That alone can be a little frustrating, Ron got locked out of his on Saturday and I had 1 more required one and I am locked out this morning! Well tomorrow we go to Lincoln and I suppose we will go some early and try to get it figured out! Training was boring, most of it ir- revalent to volunteer status, but hey who are we to kick against the pricks!! 😀
This evening is the Tribeca service, interesting and then after service we eat out.
Back to last week, Tuesday the 7th...my morning off for breakfast, let's just say, it's amazing! In the morning, Ron needed to move the van anyway, went to Home Depot and looked at showers for our master bathroom. Just need to move forward and get it done!! Ron also walked to the Post office and mailed a package. In the afternoon, we went to Lincoln to sing. 2 of the guys were late, so we started without them. It seemed like we had our share of refusals, they didn't want a Gospel song sung, but they didn't turn down, " the something to read!" One lady thought we were angels singing.....one gal came by loudly proclaiming horrible, horrible! Her caretaker didn't want any singing, just asked for prayers. Her charge was seriously almost unmanageable!! Sad...
Roger messaged Ron, Louis, a man who comes for tracts was there, in their apartment, welcome to come down and meet him . So we did, because we hadn't met him yet. Rogers and Louis were having hot tea and party mix, so I fixed myself a cup also. Talkative man, he all of a sudden with a gleam in his eye, jumped up and forbade Roger to say anything...but he poked at Rogers tummy and then at his own...and asked Ron what that was? He would give Ron $20 dollars for a correct answer! Anyway, it's a chicken cemetery!!!!!! 🐔 HaHa!! That is the meat that Louis usually eats!! Ron did not get $20 dollars!!
In the evening, @6, we met in the chapel and left for Bowery Mission, time for service there! We sang 5 songs, then Dexter had good thoughts about the golden rule and kindness! 5 more songs and it was time to say goodbye again. Clay and Dana joined us, that was nice! We walked to Mulberry St, into Little Italy and ate ate at Grotta Azzura, nice dining experience! Ron and I shared a pizza. Another good evening!!
Wednesday, busy day of laundry and cooking for me! Baked French bread also... Bible study in the evening! Dede was there! So good to see her again, thankful she came through that low time! We had another visitor, his name was Tony, Clay handed him a tract, and been doing some talking, appears like a nice man. Jesse chose the lesson on Christian Courtesy....a good lesson and Eric and Dede kept it lively! Sing out afterwards....Ron helped the guys song. Tony, Dede, Clay's and Rogers joined us for supper. I had fixed chicken Alfredo, Ron grilled the chicken for me, Herb bread and Caesar salad. Elsie made blueberry pie bars. Bible study is interesting! Wonder why, it seems dead at home??
Thursday morning was shopping day and we rejoice over the fact, that we get faster and have it together more! Target and BJ's, were the stores we visited. We felt blest, to have discovered that Target carries Tillamook ice cream!!!! 🤩 Boys came home from work and then went shopping at Hudson Yards. Supper was waffles, sausage and toppings....we ate well!!
Friday, Ron went to work with the guys at the pantry....I stayed home to launder and clean house. Ron was home by later morning, in time for Ron to sweep and wet mop. Seemed like ok timing to me!! He doesn't want to stay at the pantry too long, and take away the guys work! Just sat down to lunch and we heard the news of Ron's first cousin Kelly Nightingale being found gone....in his house! That sets you back a ways, we are thankful for the good testimony we hear of him. Towards evening time, Ron and Trevor walked several blocks to City MD.... A urgent care clinic. They were impressed with the cleanliness and order etc. Trevor's right arm was acting in a peculiar way, swelling, somewhat painful, what to make of it....so Ron thought he should be seen. We were glad about the diagnosis...inflamed tendons. He was given a brace and some ibuprofen cream to put on . Trevor reports feeling better already! As they walked, he thanked Papa for taking him, he said it felt just like what his folks would have done!!! 🤩 Ron made smash burgers and grilled bacon on the Blackstone, well a wanna be one!!! I added great northern beans, chips and apple slices. Fixed chocolate chip pizza too.
Saturday, boys bought tickets to the Intrepid museum got there shortly after 10 and were chased out @5, when they wanted to close! Was I glad I wasn't with them??!! And they are not done!! I was mentioning something at supper about this, well do you like history? Sort of, military history, sort of, well then you would have sort of enjoyed the museum. ...was their reply....the sort of, was my answers!! 😂 Ron and I did training, grocery store stop, then walked several blocks to catch a subway train, because tracks were being maintained on closer subway. Went down town to shop a bit, JPT, a print shop and we ordered more hoodies, couple gift stores, Barnes and Noble and Dunkin for hot drinks. Had gift cards to use there. Went into Macy's , the world's largest store! A block long....and we rode the escalator's, howbeit, even the old wooden ones are still in there!! Back home and I did more training on the computer. Jesse called and said where supper was to be and so we left again, walked the several blocks to subway station again....and before we got there, that is when it happened! I fell, just like that, have no idea what I tripped on....I grabbed for Ron, but I was down... skidding across a cellar door!!!
Thankful for several things:
That I wasn't seriously hurt or any broken bones.
No blood, no ripped clothes.
That there was not a audience! Only one man and he did nothing, I mean it must be quite normal for a Mennonite lady to go skidding across a cellar door!! 🤣
That I fell on a cellar door, instead of the pavement!!
That I could walk and bear weight on that leg.
Because if I could not have, it was nothing short of a ambulance ride to a ER. No convenience of a car to be tucked into too and given a blanket to cover up with!
Thankful for my dear husband, he tenderly helped me!
Thankful for my boys, when upon hearing I fell, the genuine, mama are you ok? Warms a Mama's heart like none other.
So back to the rest of the story, I limped my way into the subway and checked my reflexes, my ability to bend and kick.... once upon the train, a kind man who gave up his seat.... right away. Did I look like I needed to sit! Limped into Applebee's.... supper was so good though and so down home!! Applebee's.... something we know how to pronounce and know what to order!!! 😀 The other restaurants are lovely though too! Once off the subway, I walked several blocks home, surprising myself how well it went, but was it any wonder? We did pray about it! I'm sore, have a nice bruise on upper leg for evidence.... but so grateful to God!
Sunday, another good day! With the aforementioned leg, Ron did the steps to the kitchen/ fellowship hall to warm up lunch in the crockpots. It was creamy Italian chicken, Elsie made rice, salad, bread and dessert were brought by Bernice, Dana and Kaitlyn! All was good! 3 guys from Glenn CA showed up for church...out touring the city, since Wednesday evening! Trevor Giesbrecht, Kent Friesen and Skylar Giesbrecht. It was comforting to know the folks!!! Nice inspired service, sermon thoughts were on prayer. We were 20 for lunch... jolly good times. Ron and I stayed home in the afternoon, guys went to fly RC planes, Clay's and Kendon's went to watch....and Thomas (2) stayed home with us...he did super well with Uncle Ron and Aunt Carol, besides he would have nothing to do about this bit of rocking with Aunt Carol and seeing what happens from there! He seemed to be knowledgeable about what happens! So it was no nap for him!! Supper was Poppy seed sandwiches, chips, veggies with ranch and Dana's leftover Oreo Ice cream dessert and I baked fresh chocolate chip cookies....ah, warm out of the oven you know. Construction game was played after supper and chess was mastered by some before supper! Kendon's and Clay's stayed the day! Roger and Elsie came up later evening to talk about tracts and assemble some. Elsie and I just gabbed....
It's a gray winter day in the city!
FedEx brought 12 boxes of tracts, or was it 10 and Ron got them all inside! I think it's time for lunch!
Love to all, prayers and friendship across the miles! Mama Carol