As I look out of the 3rd floor windows, I view a perfect picture of spring.... blooming Bradford pear trees!
... and we are enjoying our first spring in the city, I love watching the transformation from kind of ugly winter to bursts of color, a new awakening!! It's another gray and wet day....a season of umbrellas!! But indeed how else would this germy, dirty city get a bath, if it never rained!! 🤪
Hello, it's Monday, April 7.... I've been home alone, just doing Mama duties... lots of laundry, doing some house cleaning.... ironed shirts, other odds and ends that make my world go round!! Ron went with Dexter and Wade on a tract route, I believe he told me that they went down into Brooklyn. Awhile ago, Ron messaged to say that they were at Time Out Market and waiting for smash burgers and fries! Just home this evening, as far as I know....making chicken fajitas for supper!!
Last Tuesday morning, the first of April, our morning off, so after we did some of our work, Ron and I headed to Tompkins Square Bagels for breakfast! They were good, we both chose French Toast bagels, each loaded with a different cream cheese spread. Mine was chocolate chip cookie dough and Ron's was peanut butter/ Nutella. The spreads are homemade. Only had 45 minutes at home, before heading to Lincoln hospital to sing! It was a more normal day of singing and reaching out. We did have 1 fellow stop us, and he told us his experience. He claims, he was dead and brought back to earth. ( There seems to be quite a bit of this in the city!!! ) He was having seizures, unable to respond, but still could hear and think, and he heard somebody say, just let him die. Now, what I can't remember is, when he felt like he did die....but he was warmed and sent back! He knows God is not finished with him yet, but doesn't know what he is supposed to be doing! Ron did tell him to be faithful in what God called him to do....as we were leaving the 1 ward on 9th floor, we ran into Ms Taylor and so we yakked with her awhile and she met the new guy, Alex. Home for awhile and to be honest, I was having a blue day, just felt so mentally exhausted..... just overwhelmed for a bit....I'm either cooking or thinking about cooking or wish I knew what I was cooking....my brain wanted to fizzle a bit....so I reached out to our girls and they helped me , so amazing how much better I felt the next morning and could carry on again! And all credit to God, for how menus and food just sort of fell into place! ( For the rest of the week! ) In the evening was Bowery service... men's shelter...Clay and Dana met us there, as well as Rogers and their children....Eric and Reamne from Maine and Levi and Julie Mayeske from Fredonia. So we numbered 14...sang 10 songs, with The Light of the World is Jesus, 2 times!!! Eric brought the thoughts....Levi closed with prayer. All of us went to The Boil for supper, yes, a shrimp, crawfish boil place! Very unique dining! We all wore bibs and plastic gloves and most of the food was brought out in plastic bags and you just rummaged through those bags for your food!!! Anyone that knows me well, knows it's not my favorite food, but everyone else were a extremely happy lot!!! And then we walked and walked over to Anita's for gelato!!!! 🥰
Wednesday was filled with laundry, cooking and "staff" meeting with Rogers!!!! Bible study and sing-out in the evening! We were a bigger crowd than normal... Rogers children, Clay's, Eric, Alistair and Tony. Later a new guy popped in, Jimmy is his name! Tony and Jimmy came upstairs for supper. Had fixed Cafe Rio Chicken stack up, with rice, black beans and a sauce. Fruit and bars went with it as well. Jimmy was very helpful in the kitchen, helping remove the dinner plates from the table, to helping soak bowls etc in the kitchen! I thanked him repeatedly, somewhat in a quest for him to return to the table!!!!! 😁 Bible study lesson topic was humility. A good lesson and good discussion!
Thursday was shopping day, as well as doing some extra cleaning down in the chapel and fellowship hall. I gave the nursery and bathroom a good cleaning! Ron wet mopped the fellowship hall floor, not once, but twice and then again!!! When Ron and I arrived back in 3rd floor apartment, there was new decor hanging on the living room wall!! A surf board of all things!! Dexter and Alex wanted to see Papa and Mama's reaction!!! We just laughed! They got it for free at the pantry, it was in the trash room!!! And it's still hanging on the wall, as the world resides on the floor, partly behind the coffee bar! We wonder why it was donated to the pantry, the guys claim it's an expensive board!! Supper that evening was red beans and rice! ( With sausage)
Friday.... laundry and house cleaning day! Ron had some errands to run, so he did do that also! In the afternoon, Ron and I did take a walk, down by the Hudson....lovely! Supper was steak n Stuff and tapioca salad....and we thought about you Trevor and if your nose itched, there was reason!!! Alex loved the salad and wouldn't you know, the bowl was empty before we got up from the table!! 😉Papa mentioned that Mama and Papa were going to ride the Staten Island ferry and hands down, all wanted to go!!! So we jumped up, quickly cleaned kitchen and got dishes in the dishwasher and got ready and left!!!! It was the most awesome evening! The ferry ride is free...the dazzling lights of Manhattan, Statue of Liberty with the torch burning brightly , still beckoning to all...the bridges, the lights....did I mention the lights....one can't hardly take it all in....we stood outside on the upper deck.... Stunning views...I never tire of the sight! Alex can't hardly believe, he is really in NYC!!! A awesome way to end the day, more memories in lifes book!
Saturday.... breakfast at 9, guys were home all morning and left right at noon, ate at Los Tacos and went and toured Madison Square Garden....a arena....Ron and I had 10 2/3 # of poor man's steak to fry and make gravy for!! We fried 73 squares!!! That was for Sunday lunch and also had supper to make....we were thrilled that Elmer and Mary Ellen came to join us for the weekend! Ron grilled hamburgers and the intention was to have bacon also for the burgers! He used the new grill and when he set the bacon on, it was all soon up in flames!!! He battled the fire and we are so thankful no neighbors called it in....I didn't know what was going on and I messaged to see if he wanted the cheese down there, no he didn't and he said there was no bacon either!! Anyway, good hamburgers and he needs to check out the grill and clean it up!! I added great northern baked beans and Mary Ellen brought some PA potato chips....Oreo ice cream dessert. After supper, Elmer, Ron and the guys went down to the fellowship hall for Alex's orientation. Mary Ellen and I had a relaxing evening, just gabbing. Later, Elmer and Ron came back upstairs and us 4 had a good visit!! We love them! Later still, the guys joined us!!
Sunday.... breakfast.... Elmers stayed with us in our spare room, so joined us for breakfast and devotions. Morning worship.... Rogers children and Andre joined the group for singing and it was so beautiful!! ( Andre is teaching at Little Falls NY and came to spend the weekend also. ) Levi Mayeske had the opening, SS as usual and Elmer brought the sermon. How big is your God? God moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform....He plants his footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm. The 3rd verse is where Elmer lingered the longest.... Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace. Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face....oh it was a good sermon and seemed like one we all soaked in!! Sonja, Eric, Tony, Simone joined us for worship and lunch. Sonja brought some of the lunch, corned beef and a loaf of bread! Homemade, but got squished in her bag....so we had that food, poor man's steak, little potatoes, green salad, bread and 2 fruit crisps! All was yummy!!! Fellowship after lunch and dishes, then someone mentioned going to Tryon Park and in a flash, everyone was up, some of us still had to change clothes, so did that... Rogers and their children, Eric, Laurence's, Elmers and us left...a short train ride and we were there! Ron and I hadn't been there yet and I fell in love with the place!!! Beautiful....the blooming trees, spring flowers and the views!!! We walked, talked and looked! From there we walked to the Washington Heights area and looked up the apartment that Laurence's used to live at. Kendon's, Clay's and 2 of the guys went to Central Park and 2 guys stayed home to nap!!! It was my turn for supper, so hot hoagie sub sandwiches, potato chips and carrots... leftover Oreo ice cream and some chocolate eggs, that Mary Ellen brought! Guys played a game, Olivia sat and colored....at the table with them...Alex asked if she was coloring him a picture....later, she wondered where her paper was??? And then she quietly went and gave it to Alex.....😊 He was asking for a thumb tack and he carried the picture upstairs with him!! What a deal!
Guys are home from tract route, Dexter is planning to go downtown for a haircut, Mama would agree, that it could/ would be needful!!! 😂
Making chicken fajitas for supper, need to run to Foodtown for groceries yet. Have some " Ice" drinks to put out on the sidewalk..it is the Starburst flavor and guys don't care for them! I'm sure they will be gone in a jiffy!!!! Anything free disappears!!
So long for this week and love to all, Mama Carol