" as I sit in my recliner, I listen to the singing, guys practicing for Wednesday evening!! "

Sunny greetings from NYC... It's 66* and it's been a beautiful day!! 

So, we bid goodbye to Caden ( sob, sob ) he winged his way back home to Durham!! My, this doesn't get any easier!! Caden found it tough to leave... time just flies here in the unit....6 months, we barely say Hello and then can it be.... goodbye!! But with every goodbye is a merry Hello!! This time it is a young man from Macon Mississippi, with a name of Carson Smith! His parents are Travis and Chassidy. Carson has 2 sisters and a brother. He is a talker, friendly and doesn't know a stranger!! We welcome him heartily into our " family"!!

Darrel and Darla have flown the coop!!! 🤗 As soon as the guys got home from their driving tract route.... Darrel's met them outside and jumped into the van & headed to Hartford CT to spend a little time with Monroe and Shauna Nichols. They plan to return tomorrow sometime!! Hope they enjoy their little mini vacation.

Alistair, our friend and attendee is moving to Vermont....soon.... tomorrow?? So we invited him to join us this evening at our supper table. Should be good times! Making Rocky Top chicken, green salad and buttered and warmed French bread. Deluxe Cheerio Squares.... instead of honey nut Cheerios, I used honey Oh's...😁 So we enjoyed the evening with Alistair, he plans to leave on Wednesday. Going to live in a Airbnb for the first month. We wish him the best!

Like I mentioned, Ron, Tim and Jamin went to Brooklyn to finish a tract route, started 2 weeks ago. They stopped in a Shepherds Cup for coffee. Ron also bought a bag of coffee! For lunch, they stopped at a slice shop and got pizza. Ethan and Carson went to Lincoln and reported a slow day!! 

Last Monday evening we journeyed to Piscataway New Jersey...I made a chocolate chip pizza to take along. We left around 4:30 and GPS said we would arrive at 5:49 and we did! Amazing driving this time.... could just scoot along pretty normal like! We walked in at Kendon's... couldn't figure out where Olivia and Thomas were??? After quite awhile, someone spied Thomas behind the 1 recliner in the living room! Been sitting there the whole time... fiddling with the lamp cord!!! Olivia was hiding too, behind her bed, her parents bed....😀Kendon did some awesome ribs....had potato salad and green beans with brown sugar and bacon. Super supper!! Our guys practiced their songs for Wednesday evening, Kendon helped them some. I read to the children and played with them.... visited....had a really good relaxing evening!! Took us a bit to get home, maybe missed a turn off or 2!! I think we arrived home around 11:30!

I love Tuesdays! 🩷 A slow morning for Ron and I. Late breakfast....we did walk to Lincoln and arrived to start singing at 1. Well the guys have kind of changed it to 1:30...we were sort aware of that, but hadn't really thought to ask! So we waited till 1:30... not the best of days...so many no's...but our blind lady friend, wanted 2 songs...so that made it more worth it! We walked home again. We left the apartment at 6, unit and Darrel's. It was Caden's eat out... He run the restaurant of his choice by Papa, so we knew where we were headed. But rest of the guys and Darrel's didn't know. We took the subway train and walked to the Yankee station and boarded the Metro North for Yonkers.... for some reason I love the Metro North.... calming, relaxing and smooth. Darrel's and us carried on a conversation while riding. We had just a bit of a walk to the Sea Fire Grill, neat building out on the pier...neat NYC skyline views and also the Tarrytown bridge. Caden asked for a window table. But our view while we ate was the Tarrytown bridge...which was very pretty also, but a tad disappointing that we weren't looking at the skyline!!!! Such small trivial matters!! Darrel and Darla each got some fish 🐠 and the rest of us got steaks.... fine dining, but fun and so interesting to watch the waiters etc. And we get in so many horrible restrooms, that a really nice restroom indeed catches our attention!!! And the guest towels!!! 😂 After a piece of New York cheesecake and a molten lava cake with ice cream... that was kinda shared between the 8 of us...I had one bite! We took the journey home...oh a funny thing about the waiters.....they asked what we were celebrating? So we tried to explain what was going on....but they couldn't seem to understand a farewell...so when they brought the dessert....they lit 1 candle and had a happy birthday wish written on a chocolate!!!! At least they didn't sing Happy birthday!!!

Wednesday morning....I made scones with maple glaze....they turned out tasty.....with Darla's homemade yogurt!! But we baked them down in the fellowship hall and that oven is a little crazy....wanted to burn bottoms, before the scones were done!! We had breakfast at 7:30, so the guys went to the Bronx pantry a little early.... because the guys needed to be at Lincoln at 1:00 for a memorial service... Darrel's and Ron and I also went, for moral support! We took the bus....at 145th...we had to wait to cross the street....till light changed....we started to run....and the bus driver waited....when we boarded, he had this huge grin!! Better then most grumpy drivers!!! The memorial service was for those who had passed away at Lincoln, in the last however long ... the service was in the chapel on 2nd floor. There was maybe 15-20 family members present. A lady sang a solo, a welcome, Scripture reading, a poem was read, reflection thoughts. Sugar Hill unit sang 3 songs....the guys this is! Then they had a candle lighting ceremony....tea lights. They read each name off, and if the family member was present they went up to light the candle 🕯️. Some of the families just really cried.... closing prayer. It felt very worthwhile! Bible study in the evening.... Jamin wrote the lesson on The Peace of God. Tony, Eric, Alistair and Peter were the attendees. Laurence's and Clay's also were in the number. Caden's last sing-out...13 songs. We came up....signed books, signed signs....laughed and talked....had popcorn and ice cream. The old stir crazy went to the trash...it was completely ratted out! We got a new one already!! 

Thursday morning.... early breakfast @ 6:30....guys off to 109 pantry to help serve breakfast and then do normal work later. Ron and I went shopping...we left at 8. Later once home...we did walk to Foodtown and Super Foodtown... looking for spice for a shrimp boil. Caden was home packing, then he left and went and did his last " stuff". Ron and I put tracts together in the afternoon.... guys did a shrimp, sausage, corn, potatoes and onions and green peppers boil....it was so good! Got to be spicy hot and my mouth was burning.... lots of water drank. I made brownies for dessert.... Caden had this thing about sporks.....so all of a sudden, up he got from the table and went upstairs and returned with 6 sporks!!! He went to Crate and Barrel and kinda paid dearly for them!!! Now we all have a nice spork!!! The guys called Carson yet...

I do NOT like Friday mornings....well when a guy leaves anyway!!! It's sad already at breakfast... Darrel and Darla come up to say goodbye....and then all of a sudden Caden comes into the kitchen, luggage is down and the dreaded time has come... So with tears and hugs, we said goodbye. I holler bye 1 more time as he descends the stairs...Ron and I had a day of cleaning and laundry....Ron cleaned Caden's room good....we cleaned the apartment, chapel and fellowship hall....( It was Caden's job ) and then we went down to the catacombs yet....also known as the man cave or basement! It needed some TLC.... seriously! I swept up all kinds of dust bunnies and dirt! Ron did a bunch of straightening up... Darrel's invited us for supper, that was nice of them....they knew it was a bit lonely.... good hamburgers with fixings, watermelon, baked beans and pineapple. Chips....then we all left and went to Amorino's....a gelato place....more of a fancy gelato place... It was good, but I think I prefer Anita's! 😀 We walked for awhile by Central Park. A chilly north wind was blowing...oh back to this gelato place, if you ask for a waffle cone, they shape the gelato on top to appear like a flower!! 

Saturday....a rainy, chilly and gray day. Ron and I had more laundry, all of Ethan's bedding.... cooking... didn't find a real big desire to leave the house! Guys did for awhile....we all showered up and guys dressed up....not as silly and nicer!!! Off to LaGuardia to get Carson!! We liked him right away.... usual eat out at Jackson Hole diner...back home, got acquainted with Carson some....and off to bed 🛏️!!

Sunday was one FULL day!! Up at 6:45 and landed much, much later in bed.... completely exhausted! But a wonderful day....I think we were about 54 people for worship and lunch. Fleetwood was the congregation to come....8 youth, 4 couples and some young children! Poughkeepsie came....all but Bisi, but in her place, they brought along a neighbor boy! Ellen, Eric and Alistair were the attendees and dear Shelda! Rod and Lisa Nace were at New Jersey with Kendon's and the couple that is replacing Kendon's were also here. Rod us the new field secretary for the Northeast. The new couple is Andrew and Jenny Jantz from Balico. Nice couple and we enjoyed getting to know them and look forward to them coming for real! They have 3 children....2 girls and 1 boy. Girls are the oldest...13, 10 & 4. But before they get here in June, the girl will be 11 and the boy 5. Randy Unruh from Fleetwood had the opening and Rod the sermon...he spoke about the city of refuge! Lunch was pulled pork, baked beans, cole slaw and cornbread muffins. Desserts....sang in 42nd station, that is always so much fun.....then over to Bowery. And the scaffolding was gone.... it's been up for ages......and Bowery repainted their red doors....a bright shining red!!!! It all looked so different and nice! Good service there...I think a Andrew Weaver had the thoughts there.... usual singing....then back home.... supper was up to me...we were 18....so ate in the fellowship hall. I had prepared on Saturday and had haystacks and fruit. Kaitlyn brought rhubarb bars for dessert. Lisa made them.... good visiting yet with everybody! Then the NJ folks headed off into the night and Clay's soon left too. Fleetwood youth came back.... after that it was quiet...more so anyway and the guys went to bed early!!! 

Well it's 11:00, need to close this down...

Have a good week, love from 762 St. Nicholas Ave, Mama Carol