Holiday fun and then back to " real" life!! 😍
Hello! I guess I will start a blog, really I don't have very much time. This evening is men's Bowery service, so need to leave by 6:00. I've had a busy day....we partied yesterday, so that means catch up work today!! Plus we made our Tuesday noon jaunt to Lincoln to sing.... David and Tyson were in some kind of orientation, seemingly only takes about 10 minutes and theirs stretched to 45 minutes! So we sang quartet for the 1 patient, that is until I went to coughing and it changed into a trio!!! 😃 Today my throat seemed irritated, sometimes I wonder with all the germies we breathe in and already have throat/ cough issues, how is this ever gonna be so healthy in the long run??! One encounter in a patients room, involved us surrounding his bed, and the patient then had a prayer 🙏 in another room, it appeared that lady patient in bed A was sleeping, we sang to lady patient in bed B.... once done with Amazing Grace, I stepped, as to go out and lady patient A was weeping. So we stopped and had some words with her too! It's been a little different day, as the 4 boys have been home more today....the 2 Bowery boys this morning, skipped eating breakfast out and came on home to nap....and they were all soon home from the hospital this afternoon also!
Tyson's first cook supper event went well. Grilled Fiesta lime chicken with cinnamon pears and cake mix cookies! Oh, plus mint lemonade 🍋!!
Guys were acting some bored and left for Riverbank park.....
Wednesday.... Ron and I volunteered at Lincoln, for what turned into a 5 hour stint away from home! Stacey on Tuesday, asked the guys if they could come Wednesday to work this event? Well no they can't.... have Bronx Pantry on Wednesday! So we said we would, these events are a little on the secret side, we really never know what we are getting ourselves into....well we were to be there at 9:30....so we were and come to find out, the event only started at 11- and closed at 2!! The job Stacey chose for me, was to be a greeter at the front gate and Papa Bear, aka.Ron....was to be at the exit gate! We were given bright orange t-shirts to wear....think Halloween orange! STAFF was written on the back and in front was proclaiming this back to school health fair for the kids!!! I didn't do much greeting, as I was there with 3 or so police and they did all the ordering, directing etc!!! Ron's position was the same, taken care of!!! I kept wondering about the health fair part? The only thing I could see that was available to eat was popcorn and the ice cream truck was there!! 😂 Bounce house and other things to entertain the kids, many booths, bike raffle give aways! I tried not to think about my work at home, and enjoy the day! Later that evening we sang in sing - out....Tiny Spark.... I pray we were just that! Ron and I got into high gear with supper and laundry and practicing songs once home!!!! In the evening was Bible study and sing-out...Alex led the lesson on TIME and local attendees were both Eric's, Alistair and Tony. Us 6 consumed supper later, we fixed good old cheesy enchiladas with Mexican rice and everyone was pleased! Green salad also. Before I forget again, I want to say something about Monday evening, like the 25th...Dede came to Rogers for her first doctrine class! We were all enthused about that! Rogers were especially impressed with their evening and invited the boys and us to come down for popcorn and visit, after she left! Rogers reported on how the evening had went!
Thursday was shopping morning....in the evening, we all met Kendon's in Peekskill at the park for supper! They were on tract route...a overnight one for them! Laurence's, Clay's and Rogers went by train and we took mission van....us 6. A most beautiful evening and lovely place down beside the Hudson! Kendon went to get chicken from a shop, Dana had brought watermelon, Elsie had built a potato salad and I took Red Lobster biscuits with honey and butter. Bernice brought raisin cream bars. We were right by a play equipment park, so of course Olivia and Thomas had fun!! Plus they had brought along their bikes, as well. Guys tossed football and Frisbee...took a long walk and somehow shoes and jeans ? were a little dirty....and something about the Hudson? Just enjoyed the evening in God's Park!!!
Friday.... just a day at home, with laundry and a much needed house cleaning. Supper was a big old taco salad with bread sticks and marinara sauce and fruit tray. Guys went to play tennis and did their chores and Ron and I went down to Riverbank park and explored areas of that park, previously unexplored by us! On our way down we met Larry passing out tracts and with a smirk he gave one to Ron!!! ☺️
Saturday morning for something different, we went out for breakfast...... left the apartment by 9. Alex chose and reservations at Carnegie Diner. The train just crawled along and so we were late, so we were 15 minutes late. But the host did his very best and got us seated in a nice decent time frame. We probably didn't get going quite soon enough either! GOOD breakfast!!! We all ate ourselves full! Split ways with the boys from there. Ron and I had a interesting encounter just as we entered Macy's. I had already went on in, when I noticed Ron was talking with this young couple. They asked Ron if he knew anyone at Walnut Hill Florida? Yes, Ron said, I have a couple of first cousins there.... this guy talked about the fire department, well Ron says something about Kevin and Debbie Mininger....and yes his Dad was good friends with Kevin.....!! Ron asked this guys name and he said he was Dawson Brown and his Dad Chris was used to be fire chief!!! Dawson told us that he would attend our church at times, as guests! ( When he was younger) Now he said they live beside Steve Hiebert!!! I asked the wife if they were just vacationing in NYC, yes ma'am!!!! We told them what we are were doing, living in Harlem and Sugar Hill mission and house parents and then parted ways! How cool is that??!! Of course Ron had to message Debbie!!! 😎
On the way home from our Bowery service....it was a good service....we sang, most of them sing along....we sang, "Oh such wonderful love, Jesus my Savior left scepter and throne, to rescue a sinner like me. For some reason I almost got goose bumps this evening! Tyson led the lesson on God's Love to us....had lots of interesting thoughts! Had a Jew in our midst, who did a fair amount of talking! Then we sang, I will never cease worshipping Him... last song was chosen by a attendee and it was Lord, I'm coming home...on the last chorus, this guy in the back row took off his ball cap and looked toward the ceiling and sang the chorus...he looked sincere! We walked over to Little Italy and ate at DaGennero....I had some delish cheese ravioli!! From there over to Ferrara's for sweets! It's fun to eat there, your dish of gelato comes in a little silver bowl with a paper doily underneath! Almost makes me feel queen like...lol!!!!
Back to Saturday, Ron and I did some shopping, ordered more Sugar Hill hoodies from the print shop . Back home...we just relaxed and did whatever! Ate supper at home! Guys went to Nikki's apartment, a 60ish year old lady they work with at the pantry. She made them dinner....the guys said they nibbled and ate till almost 10:00!! They said it was good!!!! She told stories in-between!!! Okay, so now I'm wondering if it was Saturday evening when we went to Riverbank Park.....oh well, makes no difference! I think we ended up at Rogers visiting a bit anyway! ( On Friday evening we actually just sat on the front stoop and just watched the world go by... )
Sunday....made breakfast and I was responsible for the rice for lunch, so did 7 cups dry... Kendon's all of a sudden couldn't come, so I quickly did her dessert.... Lucky for me I had brownie mix at home! We are not talking about the mess it make when I slopped some oil out of the mixing bowl! I had oil running down the dishwasher, on the floor, hand mixer was messy..... finally into the oven they went!! It was Poughkeepsie day.... guys and Clay's sang....Ron had the opening, Papa Isaac the sermon.... reminding us that God never forgets you!! Lunch was beef stroganoff with rice and toppings. Watermelon and blueberry tapioca salad, bread and dessert. Some of us sat outside and visited, while a rat scampered back and forth on the sidewalk!! Rogers, Jamie, Eric and Laurence's..... were the outside group. Later Ron and I went to Fort Tryon, beautiful and so relaxing! Clay's and the guys went to Pier 57 and Little Island. Home for supper and Rogers were invited up too...Dana fixed sloppy joes, watermelon and green salad. Guys did some singing in the evening!! Ron and Clay listened.
Labor Day....we got up at 6:00 am....I got the laundry going... made breakfast.... fruit smoothies, Dutch babies and bacon. Packed Ron and I a lunch....and we left the house soon after 9.....took a subway to Penn station and then got on New Jersey transit.... got out at Newark/Penn and got on another train to Dunellen. On the first train I had a open bag of jelly beans on my lap and train lurched and I lost most of them to the floor...jelly bellies went everywhere and one lady looked up to see what was going on! Ron and I just pushed them under the seats.... trying to make us look more innocent!!! LoL.....At Dunellen, Kendon was there to get us....1 mile or so from their house. We soon loaded up and men and Thomas in the van and ladies and Olivia in the car. We headed to Hacklebarney park.... beautiful place of feeling we were almost in CO!!! We ate our packed lunches besides the stream.... later walked over to a waterfall!! Roger was in 7th heaven somewhere or was it Maine???! He got real comfortable on the rocks beside the falls and we thought it looked like he took a nap!! Did some hiking....oh, Laurence's and Clays met us all there, actually they beat us to the park! We then left, drove to a little town called Chester and got ICE CREAM 🍦!! Back to Kendon's....a fire was lit....we had hotdogs, baked beans, macaroni salad and s'mores!! Truly a very special evening, the laughter, sharing and visiting......a holiday long to remember. Clays and Laurence's drove home....and Kendon took us back to the train and we just reversed what we did in the morning. What a day!!
Our 4 boys went to Fleetwood for a big youth deal! Like the PA youth were all invited to Fleetwood....they expected 125.....our boys did some thrift shopping on their way to Fleetwood....the Fleetwood youth rented a gym about 40 minutes away from Fleetwood!! Hamburgers for supper! Our guys got home early Tuesday morning, reporting a very good time!!! ( The Hartford guys were also invited to this party!)
So there it is.... another week at 762 St Nicholas Ave New York NY!
Love and prayers, Mama Carol