Thursday, July 31, 2014

Weekend in Manhattan With The Boys!

Clearly there's been little cooking going on here! The farm is awash in water and veggies, mud is slowing everything down, and I'm having so much fun writing my sweet stories, and there are fresh veggies to munch on, so who needs a stove????

Translation: DAVE IS STARVING!!!!!!

Poor thing, but my theory on that is grab some bread, slap together a sandwich and let's get stuff done!!!!!

I am an annoying wife. I openly admit this. But I'm nice to kids so they keep me around.

MANHATTAN.... The boys treated us to a weekend there, it's one of those grossly unfair situations because it's actually a combo birthday and Father's Day gift for DAVE... but I get to go!!!

How stinkin' cool is that?????  And I get cool stuff on Mother's Day, so I'm grading this a WIN/WIN!!!!!

The cool summer followed us to Manhattan where we park the car in a garage and kiss it goodbye until we leave... First stop?

The Seaport while we waited for Luke to get out of work.


Well, wait, I lied. First stop was STARBUCKS and a venti caramel macchiato which I loved..... iced, because it's fun to have it iced now and again!

Then supper at Harry's Italian, a great little grab a seat on the sidewalk restaurant at 2 Gold Street... Finance boy is on the left and Lawyer Boy is on the right. They looked WONDERFUL!!!!!!

We got to talk with a New Yorker at the next table, a cool guy who must live nearby because we ran into him several times... and he loves the YANKEES!!!!  :)  Check out the bread on that table, as if ordering Italian isn't enough, do you see how thick it is????  I love chewy bread!

Then subway to Yankee game, and I love the subways, it's a people-watching extravaganza and of course the boys think I'm insane.... but seriously, there are stories aching to be told on every single subway ride through New York.... 

If you think I'm kidding, check out this site:


Trust me. Every block, every building, every ride has a story!

Jeter, warming up! We won that night, the only game of the three weekend games we won, so good job Luke picking Friday night tickets!!!!!!

Saturday was different. So different.

We started the day like we often do in downtown Manhattan, at the Pearl Diner. We love this diner, it's so old school, and it has survived the constant barrage Lower Manhattan has suffered in the past 15 years... So it's a tradition to eat at the diner at least once!

We had 9:30 tickets for the newly opened 9/11 Museum.... And when I say that this was the most gripping place I've ever been, I don't use those words lightly.

Beautiful. Poignant. Heart-wrenching. Tragic circumstances, amazing grace.

It was a total experience in remembrance, and so beautifully done that I felt surrounded by grace and peace in the midst of tragedy. Despite the growing crowd as the day progressed, the quiet dignity of this hallowed ground was kept through whispers and prayer and tears...

My kids sang this beautiful hymn in Easter pageants written and directed by Sr. Diane Dennie of St. Lawrence Church... this hymn was what I felt as I walked silently from display to display in the new memorial museum...

I was walking on Holy Ground...

Sanctified, blessed and respected, holy ground.

Dave and I go to Ground Zero at least once a year. We make it a point to take time out of our visits to remember how fragile life is, and how targeted we are by those who hate us...

And to pray.

And then there's THIS!!!!!
Who owns a St. Bernard in NYC?????? These guys, apparently! 

I love eating on Stone Street, outdoor seating, you get a wonderful view of the Humans of New York when you eat outside! It's awesome!!!!!

THEN.... the Highline...

An old train track turned into an elevated park, oh thank you mayors of Manhattan for pushing this through because it's so delightfully wonderful!!!!! You walk above the streets, and the vantage point is wonderful... and there is seating so you can SEE THE STREETS..... the irony was not lost on me, LOL!


Chelsea Market, my first time in Chelsea Market, a great gathering of shops, so NYC because it's casual and yet high end and yet casual and yet... you get it!!!!

Well, I HAD to take a pic of this, LOL!!!!!  Another Ruthy, spelled my way, who makes cakes????

Who'd a thunk it???????

:)

And we finished off the night on Luke's rooftop patio.....

With the Freedom Tower glowing lilac just behind us....


My view of the guys is looking out over the tip of Manhattan towards the Hudson River, I think Luke's head is blocking the river, he's always had a big head!

A great weekend. Beautiful. Poignant. Reflective.

If you go to New York, go to the 9/11 Museum. Spend time there, it's not a quick visit, but you will be blessed by sheer respect and imagery surrounding you in a prayerful presence.

God has blessed us with so much. In there??? I remembered to thank him for it.

14 comments:

  1. wow I wanna go there! I'm definitely gonna have to crash your house Ruthy - right before you go to Manhattan! I can't tell about that railroad track -looks really wide - guess I was thinking a single track elevated - but where's the street?
    poor Dave - you need to freeze some leftovers for him!
    Susanna

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    1. Aw, look at you, feelin' the sympathy for Dave!!!! He'll love that, Susanna!!!! :)

      The track pack is wider in some places than others, and you have buildings on either side in some spots, and surrounded by natural gardens. There are vendors (food, arts, crafts) under the overhangs from roads or tracks or something above, and then you're out in the open again. It's an actual "park" above the city, so it's got an awesome vantage point! The shot of the guys at the seaport is in the "concrete park" down there, a riverside patio/garden they've built out into the river, so you're actually out next to docked tall ships and watching ships go by.... The financial district at the tip of Manhattan is surrounded by water, so there are gorgeous views everywhere. We didn't go looking for Zelda the Wild Turkey in Battery Park this weekend... the park is upriver from the seaport.... but I hear she's doing fine! I love that there's a wild turkey in Manhattan!

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    2. yep I have sympathy for Dave- can't fix lots of goodies then cut him off cold turkey with sandwiches!
      I looked on youtube and found something about that park - really interesting - will have to look into it more. here our tracks just get the choo choo across a road and most cross the road or they make the road go under the track (which floods when it rains) here's the link if anyone's interested https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWlrr5Sq9H4
      Susanna

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  2. Poor Luke and his big head. Why, oh why, does the Mama have to point this out? :) Looks like a great trip!
    ~Kimmy

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    1. Kimmy, look at you coming out of the woodwork!!! Kimmy is my beautiful niece and hey, he gets the big head from me, so we can both laugh about it! It was an awesome trip, I love going down to see the boys! Manhattan is just an extra, added attraction, LOL!

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  3. Thanks for the link to Holy Ground. Can't believe I've never heard that hymn before. It's beautiful. So much of church music nowadays is new stuff -- which is awesome -- but we're losing some beautiful traditional hymns which I think is so sad.

    You have handsome sons, Ruthy -- nearly as good looking as that St. Bernard! :-) I heard that apartments in Manhattan are small -- can't imagine what it would be like sharing one with a dog (and drool) that size!

    And the 9/11 Museum. I can only imagine how enthralling that must be. And how it would make you rethink your perspectives. Thanks for sharing your impressions while you were there.

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    1. Kav, the apartments are small! Think Kate's apartment as opposed to Castle's penthouse. :) Big difference! But the buildings have fitness floors, some have pools, rooftop garden patios, so they try to take advantage of the height since they can't stretch out the space.

      The dog was adorable!!!! HUGE!!!!! And the museum.... I got some nic pics and I'm posting on 9/11 this year, so I'll share those pictures then because it's good to remember.... and pray.... and move on, but that's a tricky business for the thousands of people affected by the attacks. I hope and pray this museum and the beautiful surroundings start to bring long-deserved healing.

      And the boys are cute, aren't they???? Love 'em!!!

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  4. What a great trip, Ruthy! Thanks for sharing the photos. One kid looks like mom. One looks like dad. How fun is that?! :)

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    1. Although I have to add that I see mom in both of them. Those are some strong Ruthy genes! :)

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  5. I LOVE this! Thank you for allowing me to visit New York vicariously. I guess that's one of those things on my bucket list. Who knows? Maybe it'll happen next year for RWA. And you'll be my tour guide, right, Ruthy?

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    1. I also dreamed a bit of visiting NYC, but I'm glad that my flight to the USA is in September, so I'm going to see it all live. One advice - book a hotel from earlier, it is cheaper that way!

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  6. What a fun trip. I totally enjoyed living vicariously through your post.

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  7. Thanks for the look at NYC! And not the usual tourist stuff, either. Your boys know where the good stuff is!

    Although why they'd choose to live in NYC is beyond me...big cities hold no allure except for the occasional visit. Give me the open prairie any day :)

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  8. Ruthy! Thanks for the NYC virtual tour, so much fun! I've never been there so it's fun to have an insider guide.
    The mom and pop diners are always the best (anywhere).

    How about that wedding dress cake on the top shelf at Ruthys Bakery, amazing!

    I'm sure the 9/11 museum is quite sobering and I'd be a blubbering mess.

    Your young men are cuties. When I first looked at Finance Boys shirt I saw the Ruth first and I thought how cute is that, he's got his moms name on his shirt, lol, then I realized it was talking about that other famous NY Ruth, I might as well laugh at myself, it's good medicne!

    Thanks for sharing this, I love to travel and pictures are the next best thing.

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