May stuff

May was pretty uneventful.  But it happened.  Yes it did.  

My friend Sharon helped to organize a symposium to talk about some of the issues related to being single in the church.  It was fabulous, and a great excuse for some friends to come up from DC for the weekend.  Even though it rained. 

 

Plus, there was this.  The view from the waterfront under the Brooklyn Bridge never gets old. 

Sometimes you take selfies while skyping with family.  It's fine.  

Then your brother Dave adds his own touch to the door in Mapleton and sends you proof.  And you laugh really hard.

My great friend Lisa Howard is a star!  I knew, as her changing partner in Les Miz (we shared a dresser, so always sat together with our costumes), that she was meant for big things.  Even as she insisted on putting her hot, stocking-ed feet on me.  Gross.  And she laughed.  But really, she is the funniest lady and ridiculously talented.  And finally, she is starring in a new Broadway show!  Literally, she is the leading lady.  I'm so amazed.  I got to see her in It Shoulda Been You.  Loved the show, loved even more seeing my girl own the stage.  She's fantastic.  

Memorial Day was really fun- brunch with some of my favorite ladies, a barbecue, movie, and a date.  I packed it in!  And was exhausted and full by the end. :-)

Gary and Amy, and hey, Spring!

I am always learning new and cool things about my nieces and nephews as they grow up.  It's amazing to watch them become these full people with talents and passions and great personalities that have nothing to do with anyone but themselves.  For example, apparently Amy is in to A Cappella singing.  I did not know that until I saw that her group at school won their regional competition and were coming to Nationals in NYC.  What?!   I was so impressed, and so excited that I could be there to watch! Gary and I met up for some pizza and Levain beforehand, of course.  

The group did really well.  They didn't win, but it was really fun to be there.  I was so glad I could go.

Saturday was probably the nicest day of Spring yet.  It was STUNNING.  I was glad too, because the last time Amy was here last year it was rainy and cold the whole time.  So we had brunch and went to Central Park.  

We rented bikes and rode around the whole park; it was a dream.

  

Then, after another Levain cookie excursion, Gary left us at the theater to see Matilda since he had to fly out that afternoon.

 

  I had seen Matilda once already, but I loved it every bit as much the second time, if not more.  What a great show.  I have found that really great theater makes me emotional.  I am so deeply affected when all the elements come together so beautifully.  Matilda is one of those shows for me.  The music, staging, performances, the visual effects.  I was so happy the whole time.  And so happy to be there with Amy.

It was a really, really great day.  Again, living in a destination city is really kind of the best.

The Spring In NYC: Worth Waiting For....I Think.

I accidentally posted this before it was ready, and before my previous post, which happened earlier in April.  That always bugs me, when I get my timelines out of order.  Anyway, spring has finally arrived in the last few weeks, and is still in the process of getting comfortable.  For example, it was stunning on Sunday, but then it's been a little chilly again these last couple of days.  In mid-May.  All the same, the world is beautiful again with evidence of spring, and I will even walk through pockets of lovely, flower-smelling air occasionally.  Those moments really make my day.  I need to store them in my memory bank for the upcoming spicy summer smells of the city, like sweat, urine, hot, crowded trains, etc...

The pictures below don't require too much comment, but I will add as necessary.  Most of them are from different places in Central Park. 

The sunset from the window of a home I babysit in quite frequently.  Too bad about that view over the Hudson...

Buildings in NYC are cool.  And clouds.  Clouds are cool.

A lunch with some ladies I like!  Shan, Melanie, her friend (that I don't remember the name of) and Terra.  The day was still a little cool, but so sunny and beautiful that we had to get outside to see what we could see.

After-church excursion to the Conservatory Garden in CP with my friend David.  He literally told me, "Sometimes I wish I had a bee costume that I could put on and run around in so I could pretend to pollinate the flowers."  Purely for the spectacle he would make.  In the moment, this was the best he could do. He makes me laugh so hard!

Tree of Life?

OK, this does have a filter on it, but not much.  The sky really was amazing that day.  And the Chrysler Building never disappoints.

This is Virginia Wilcox.  She and I were double cast as Tzeitel in a youth community production of Fiddler On The Roof when we were in high school.  I haven't seen her since.  She lives here, and we finally met for lunch.  What a great time to catch up on life.  It was a delight to see her!

I love pathways in the park.  I really do.

GREEEEEEEN.

The combination of a tree in bloom, greenery, a cool building and the sky get me every time.

#nycloveaffair

Life While Spring is Taking Its Sweet Time.

So, it turns out that life is still happening while Spring is figuring itself out.  Here is some evidence.  Please notice the wide array of seasonal clothing happening.  That's Spring in NYC for you.

A catch-up birthday dinner with Mel, Deb, and Brendan at The Meatball Shop.  I was a first timer, but will be going back, that's fer darn tootin'.  (I have no idea where that came from). 

Sister Groberg is transferred out of my branch.  One of my favorite missionaries.

Brooke Martin, one of my besties from college, came to town, and we met up with Paul Canaan for dinner.  Part of the old group together again for a minute.  It was amazing.  We just missed Karyn Mann, Eldon Kartchner, Wade Foster, and Carlos Encinias.  So weird, this passing of years.  It's been 15 years  and a lifetime, it seems, since we were in college together, Brooke and I were roommates, and a few of us were in Young Ambassadors and MDT together.  Life happens, I guess.  It was so good to see her, and even though Paul and I live here, I rarely see him either.  So it was delightful to get together. Old bonds...waxing very nostalgic at this moment....don't mind me.

Then there is John Preator, who happened to be working at the restaurant we were eating at.  Another old college friend, though from not quite so far back.  Always so great to see him!  (Can I please ditch the coat already?  It's April.  No?  Dang.)

This was a first for me- to see a Mennonite choir in the train station at Times Square, just singing and spreading the Good Word.  You know, like you do. 

Another first- an interfaith concert that my old ward in Harlem hosted.  I was asked to sing, so my friend Jon and I came up with a fun arrangement of "How Great Thou Art."  But really, the best part was watching the other choirs sing.  Let's be honest.  We don't hear music like that in our church.  What a fun night.

Kata Dean, one of my girls from Vegas, came through with her family!  We got to connect for a few minutes at church.  I love her!  So much fun living in a destination city.

Really though, Spring.  Pull it together.  I've got things to do.  And Vitamin D to absorb.

Spring Is Trying So Hard To Come...In DC, At Least.

For Easter/General Conference weekend, I headed back to DC with some girl friends to see the cherry blossoms.  Unfortunately, they really weren't out yet due to the long winter.  But we went anyway and had a great time with some friends down there.  The weather was beautiful, a little chilly on Saturday, but nice and sunny.  I also got lucky in that it was the opening weekend for my dear friend Stephanie Waters' show at the Signature Theatre.  So I got to see that.  She was amazing, and it was so fun to see her on stage again after so many years.  The weekend was complete with some walking around the tidal basin, General Conference, BBQ-ing, eating, and late night chats with some of my favorite girls and some great boys.  And some definite "Uptown Funk" providing the theme music for the trip.  

What a difference two weeks make.  See my previous post with another Jefferson shot.

Trying.  Trying so hard.

I can't take credit for the pic above.  This literally may have been the only cherry blossom we saw in bloom.  But Brook did an amazing job of capturing it with the Washington Monument in the background, don't you think?

Brook, Marcus, Danny, me, Ros, Chris, Rachel. Colin photobombing below.  Loving it.

Marcus was really excited about his new-to-him grill.  We felt really good about it too.

Just some shots for a walk between Conference sessions on Sunday.  Sometimes you pass a house with gargoyles and a faux stone wall in the front.  It's fine.  And then you see a sign like this in front of land that is bone-dry.  Makes sense.