I just had to snap this and share it with you. Seen on the Highline in New York!
Friday Smile!
2
The BIG Apple!
A number of you Dear Readers have asked about our trip to New York so what better excuse than to take part in Jenny Matlock’s Alphabe-Thursday letter ‘B’ with the title of the BIG Apple!
New York is certainly an experience. Before we left we were told that it was like being at the movies or on a film set and I can quite agree with that. It is the density of the buildings as well as their height that can make it feel quite claustrophobic. I should point out that we visited Manhattan but New York includes Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island and Brooklyn. In fact Manhattan is the smallest of the 5 boroughs but that is where the ‘sights’ are.
We got ourselves City Passes before we arrived and were not disappointed with the sights that were included. The Statue of Liberty is so impressive especially if you think of the millions of people who have passed her hopefully on their way to freedom as citizens of the USA. Of course, that was not always the case but she certainly stands proud at the mouth of the harbour.
I have included those icons that you will know in the slideshow but I wanted to mention the HighLine which is described as a park but is a walkway built on an old elevated railway on Manhattan’s west side. It is such an imaginative use of derelict land and really creates a unique view of that side of the area.
Both hubby and I had things we wanted to see and do. Not necessarily icons but those things that mean NYC to us and most from watching films and TV. These included a yellow taxi, a cart from which to eat a hot dog, a school bus, a set of fire escapes out side buildings as well as air-conditioning units on window sills. They were all there!
Ground Zero is a MUST to visit. I was really surprised at how small the footprint of the towers actually was. They have been turned into wonderful pools with constant running water and the names of all those killed around the edges. It is very poignant with Freedom Tower being constructed alongside.
Time Square isn’t! I thought it would be a large square with that ticker-tape going all the way round but it is in fact quite small. It is very bright though and so very, very tall.
Here is a selection for you to savour.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip but are not in a hurry to return. That is not because it is not a vibrant place like nowhere else on earth but because there are other parts of America that we want to see. We do know that we can do a long haul and that has given us the confidence to have another go!
Do make sure you visit Jenny’s blog to see what other ‘B’s folks have posted!
My Village and Its Guiding Light – Guest Post
This is a guest post from Heather Von St James . When I read her story and she offered to share it, I knew you would all be interested and inspired.
I am sure you have heard the saying, “It takes a village”. You hear it mostly when having a child and it is a saying that I truly came to believe in. My daughter was born August 4, 2005 with just once complication at the end, I had to have an emergency c-section. Other than that, everything was great! At once we were surrounded by our “village”. My parents, my husband’s family and many, many friends came by to welcome our new arrival named Lily, and to wish us well. We were at the happiest point in our lives and nothing could prepare us for the dark storm clouds ahead.
After returning to work, within a month I started feeling tired, breathless and had no energy. I visited my doctor and after a myriad of tests we found the culprit. On November 21, 2005 I was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, a cancer in the lining of the lung normally caused by exposure to asbestos. I had unknowingly been exposed as a child and now some 30 years later, I have mesothelioma and it has only been three and a half months since the birth of my precious Lily.
My first thoughts were not about me but instead my baby. I was told I would have just 15 months to live if I did nothing. I thought of Lily, looked at my husband and thought about them alone, without me, and I knew we had to do whatever it would take to save my life. My husband and I flew to Boston and early February 2006 I underwent a surgery called extrapleural pneumenectomy which required the removal of my left lung. I spent 18 days recovering in the hospital, another two months of recovery before I started chemotherapy, and then radiation, all while being a new mom for the first time.
We could not have prevailed if our village did not surround us with love, support and prayers. Cancer can indeed weed out those who will be there for you and those that won’t, or just can’t face it head on. Lily lived with my parents while my husband and I were in Boston. They received help from their own little village of angels. Girls that I used to babysit years ago, church members and others helped my parents with babysitting and support as both of my parents work full-time. We developed our own village in Boston with folks going through the same thing as us. Yes, I had to watch Lily grow through pictures, but she was the main reason I was in Boston fighting for my life. I was fighting to survive for her.
We try as a family to really embrace life, for we all know how fragile it can be. My favorite quote says, “Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death.”
Embrace all that life throws at you, with the bad a lot of good can come also. For all of the good that came after my dire diagnosis, I am thankful and grateful.
Do click her badge and visit her great blog and continue to be THAT village!
100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups – Week#44
Here in the UK we are celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. There is bunting and celebration everywhere.
You have all been lulled into a false sense of security with the last few prompts which have been - let’s face it – easy! So combining both these situations the prompt this week is to write a poem. It doesn’t have to rhyme or be specifically about the Monarch but it should capture the passing of sixty years. I will give you some poetic license with the number of words and say 100 words -ish!
As it will be a little tricky for some of you (those who are sighing and saying ‘I can’t do poetry’) you will have some extra time as the link won’t close until 11th June
If you have stumbled here by accident and do not have a clue what this is about, please read ‘What is 100WCGU?’. There are no guarantees that it will still be clear so do contact me below if you are unsure.
Now let’s get celebrating!
Click here to enter your link. It will take you to another page but I will transfer them here as soon as possible.
Last Week I Learnt That…#39
- Buying a new toy can be very nerve racking! I bought an ipad but I’m still not sure what I’m doing with it. I seem to be quite nervous of the little silver rectangle!
- Falling out with a loved one is hard but positive. Sometimes in a close relationship you let things go rather than speaking up but gradually the strength of the relationship is such that it forces the problem out in the open. That can be hard and very stressful but it means that you can then rebuild.
- A day at the seaside can lift your spirits. I went to a conference in Plymouth and although I did not see the sea, it was a really bright day with lots of good vibes that I’m sure came from the coast.
- You can only take the horse to water. It has to drink itself. I’m the chair of a
management committee which is like a governing body. The other members are really nice folk and say they want to help but we end up with very little being done. This is frustrating but understandable I suppose as they are, like me, volunteers.
- Skype is a great invention. It is so easy to get things sorted out when you can have a face to face conversation rather than constant emails back and forth. I’m interested in the fact that from a confidence point of view, setting up a Skype session with someone seems much easier to do than approaching a stranger in a room. Is that because you are both on your ‘home’ ground? Is it because the initial connection has already been made? Or is it because being part virtual there is an element of it not being real?
- A garden is a hard task-master. When in season it is glorious. It will give you some time between season to relax and decide on the next but leave it too long and it will scream at you every minute that ‘You need to get out here and sort me out!’
- Completing a job that you have been putting off gives you immense satisfaction (yes- I heard the garden and planted the summer bedding!)
Another mixed bag for me. What about your week?
Silent Sunday
