N.Y.C.

"N.Y.C

What is it about you?

You're big,

You're loud,

You're tough.

It's N.Y.C" 

[Lyrics from Annie, The Musical]

In honor of Mamaw's 80th birthday, we are headed to......

THE BIG APPLE!!!! 

I can't wait to spend time with Mamaw and the rest of the bunch as we tour New York City! 

Plus, thanks to Delaine, I have a great way to save for the trip!

Memories

Each year when my birthday comes around in March,  I remember back to the time when Maeva, Aunt Allyne and Uncle James left to be missionaries in Uruguay, South America. They left in March of  1965 right before my birthday…I was almost 9- I was NOT very mission-minded at the time.  In fact, I was mostly just plain mad that my first cousin was leaving me! I never dreamed how this event could change my life for better. Little did I know that this would allow me to make a first airplane trip, a first trip out of the United States, a first exposure to a different language, my first meal of pizza,…and a love for missions that I don’t believe I would have ever had without those experiences. 

The first week of  June  1967,  just after finishing 5th grade, we boarded a ?Braniff? Eastern…727? plane at Lovefield , Dallas (there was no DFW, and in New York,  Idylwild airport had  been renamed JFK after the assassination in 1963. Mother had sold her cow to help pay for our airfare.  Lynn and I were dressed in our Sunday best. I think we wore sleeveless blue a-line dresses with white sweaters (it would be cold in Montevideo) and white patent shoes with lace topped anklets. I remember that most of, if not all the men on the flight had on suits and the women were dressed much more formally than is popular now.

There were no Jetways in Dallas, so Daddy would have watched us climb the steps from behind the fence on the tarmac or possibly from the waiting area in the airport. There were no security lines, no worries of bombs on board, the only worry was when we saw the wing flaps move up and down on take off.   Mother read from the book of Daniel  to give Lynn (and I’m sure me as well) some extra courage. Smoking was allowed (I think even encouraged) on the plane. When we left Brazil – they even gave cigarettes in the hospitality package. Amazing that there were first class meals served – lots of fresh fruit, snacks and even free give a ways!

We arrived in New York and disembarked through the jetway to the most international place I’d ever been…I do remember looking out the plate glass windows watching the planes and straining for a glimpse of NYC. I remember seeing people dressed so differently – long mid-eastern robes and Indian attire…completely different from anything two little girls from east Texas had ever seen.  I do remember seeing skyscrapers from the plane and thinking that we could see the Statue of Liberty – My memory is very faint and perhaps mixed with memories from other times.

So what does all this have to do with our trip next month – well, it was the first time Mother, Lynn and I had been to New York. I’m hoping Mother and Lynn will add/correct anything that they remember differently.

Maeva  helped me remember that we brought Barbie Dolls for her friends in Montevideo…I remember the apartment by the ocean, walking on the beach, collecting shells, going to the parque, the caterpillar ride, the tarantula that I accidentally touched, Nuevo Paris, attending church, first pizza, Maeva’s school, and several other things from that trip, but very little about the airport. There were some other interesting things about other parts of our trip – but we’ll just leave it at this.

Can’t wait to make more memories – Now, I keep a journal – it helps preserve those memories! And that reminds me  Elms sisters – we need to get you a journal! You’ll need something to do on the plane and late at night in the hotel!

Questions - Input Needed

Do we want to go to both observation towers at Empire State Building? (the top one is not included in the nycitypass)

Do we want to see more exhibits in addition to the Planetarium – Macy, do you want to see the butterfly exhibit?

Do we want timed tickets for top of the rock?

Do we want specific times for the American Museum of Nat. History?

I think I’m leaning towards getting the tickets separately – where we have more control…We can order online and order exactly what we need… Any ideas???? I will order the tickets sometime this week.

The New York Citypass is the best deal for some of us, but it doesn’t include free ticket for Jackson or discounts for MaMaw and Macy

…Statue of liberty we need to order reserved timed passes to avoid lines.

Possible Schedule

To help our time in New York City to run a little more smoothly, I have typed out a possible itinerary.  I am very flexible and am happy for suggestions.  Check and see if there is anything left out that you would like to do.  Also, it is impossible to know for sure how long everything will take, so we will more than likely have "free time" to enjoy more of the city.  The only non-flexible areas are those listed in red.

Thursday

1:00 p.m.	We have all arrived!
2:00 p.m.	Lunch
3:00 p.m.	Check In
3:30 p.m.	Shopping on 5th ave
6:00 p.m.	Dinner Close to Lion King
8:00 p.m.	Lion King
8:00 p.m.	Empire State Building (KK & MA)

Friday

6:30 a.m.	Good Morning America
9:00 a.m.	Ice Skating
9:55 a.m.	Top of the Rock
11:00 a.m.	Head to Central Park or George Washington Park/Little Red Lighthouse
12:30 p.m.	Lunch
3:00 p.m.	Metropolitan Museum of Art
3:30 p.m.	Story Time at Nolan Library (at Met.)
6:30 p.m.	Dinner
8:00 p.m.	Empire State Building (All but KK and ME)
8:00 p.m.	Wicked

                          

Saturday

8:00 a.m.	Breakfast
9:15 a.m.	Plaza Hotel
9:45 a.m.	FOA Schwarz Opening
11:00 a.m.	Carnegie Deli
12:30 p.m.	Muppets @ Carnegie Hall
12:30 p.m.	Free Time
2:00 p.m.	American Museum of History
4:30 p.m.	Central Park
7:30 p.m.	Dinner @ Serendipity

           

Sunday

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7:00 a.m.	Be dressed ready to leave for Battery Park
8:00 a.m.	Tickets reserved for Statue of Liberty Ferry
9:15 a.m.
2:00 p.m.	Hot Dog at Battery Park
3:00 p.m.	Taxi across Brooklyn Bridge and Ice Cream Shop???
5:15 p.m.	World Trade Center (5:30)
7:00 p.m.	Pizza somewhere

                    

Ben Franklin's Chart of 13 Virtues, An Extremely Nerdy Post

Recently, as I was stuck in Houston Intercontinental Airport for two days (good luck with that one girls!), I read the book The Happiness Project.  In The Happiness Project, the author, who is neither depressed nor going through a mid-life crisis and who is reasonably happy, sets out to dedicate a year to trying to be happier.  Inspired by Ben Franklin's Chart of 13 Virtues, the author designed her own chart to monitor her progress.  I decided my own version of a chart would be a good way to daily prepare for our upcoming trip to New York City.

For my version, I chose only six "virtues":  proofs of love (you'd have to read the book), de-clutter, tackle a nagging chore, diet, steps (I'll post about this another day), and exercise.  I'm sure you're wondering how on earth any of this helps prepare for New York.

To begin The Happiness Project, the author decided to focus the first month on Vitality.  I, too, thought Vitality would be a good focus as we prepare for an intense trip to The Big Apple.  We are going to be up early, out late, and going full-force in between.  Let's face it, I'm six years older than the last time I went, and I don't want my mother who is twice my age to outrun me.  Obviously, diet and exercise will help boost physical energy, but the author, interestingly enough, also addresses mental energy: outer order yields inner peace.  With that in mind, I have cleaned my closet, pantry, and dresser, hung pictures that have laid around for months, donated clothes to the Crisis Center, and gotten out my Easter decorations.

I'm about fifty-fifty on my virtues chart.  Oddly enough, I'm doing better on the mental energy aspect than the physical energy.  While diet is so-so, I have hardly exercised at all with the exception of a minor game of soccer.  Oh well, it's something to strive for.

How are you getting in shape for New York?

Jackson's List

As I compose my endless lists of things I want Jackson to experience, be exposed to and learn, I am OVERWHELMED.  There are so many things to do and so LITTLE time.  We've been to the mountains, the beach, and Disney World; I decided it was time to visit our nation's largest city, the crossroads of the world, and what better opportunity or occasion to check New York City off our list.

Each month or season, I try to lay out a book to read.  I have to be very deliberate about this, or we would never read at all.  For instance, for St. Patrick's day we've been reading and listening to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" or as Jackson refers to it, The Rainbow Song.

Using this month's reading, Jackson and I have compiled a list of what we want to do in New York from a preschooler's perspective:

Ride on an airplane
Ride in a taxi
Ride a subway
Ride in a limousine
Ride in a horse drawn carriage
Ride a ferris wheel
Ride a ferry
"Ride" on ice skates
Go up a big building
Go to a big park
See a big statue
Shop in a big toy store
See big dinosaur skeletons
Cross big bridges
Eat hot dogs, pizza, grilled cheeses, cheesecake and ice cream

Reason #s 2 and 3

Reason number two I suggested New York City as a worthy destination, is Mother has never actually been to the island of Manhattan.  I just don't think you can even imagine it until you've been there.  (Insert another suggestion.  Ava, I would like to hear your memories of the time you did visit New York, J.F.K. airport, with Mother.)

Reason number three is found in Kristin's previous post.  The trip I made fourteen years ago was one of the best trips I've ever been on.  It was jam-packed with memories.  I noticed I'm pictured in Kristin's post wearing a hideous red coat so I thought I would post another colorful picture from a separate vacation.  Everyone's been asking me what I'm wearing...NOTHING RED!!