I am now home from a last minute decision of taking a long-thought-out trip – I went to NYC for one night. So glad I went – so glad to be home… (long thought out is only like 2 weeks in my fast-paced thinking LOL)

I realized it would be a good chance to combine three things – go to a Yankees game – go see my friend (of course) – and go to Ground Zero… September 11th is 25 years ago, wow.

I felt God said it was OK to go ( I decided only that morning for sure) and so to go to Ground Zero for this anniversary was a good place for me – without going on the day of sept 11th but on the 10th – it WAS beautiful and meaningful… I sat under the tree there – and I felt yes, it was right and it was good for me to be there for my processing and praying – and remembering… I took a good moment – and my picnic lunch – to sit at the waterfalls at Ground Zero, especially resting under the big pear tree, which was removed from ground zero, rehabilitated, and placed back as a “survivor tree”. There was life teaming all around, between the people and the pigeons, and these cute squirrels, which attracted many people’s attention. Especially as one stole a flower right out of a memorial wreath, climbed up the tree and started eating it. Wow. A person was also feeling crackers to the very friendly squirrels. It was adorable and soothing, a reminder that LIFE continues… Love the pic I got. Life continues – stop and eat the roses. (And smell them)

Then I walked across the bottom of Manhattan to Pier 11 – and the info person was SO NICE – and helped me determine the shorter of the two ways to get to Pier 90 – where then I walked up to my friend’s place. Trust me that $4.50 for riding a ferry on the top deck was far superior than $3.50 underground on a subway for the same 50 minutes. And the views – wow – make sure to see my photos at the link below. The boat next to my ferry was “Seas the Day” – yes life continues – stop and smell the roses and compare them.

So I combined my game trip and 9-11 grounds trip with seeing my friend (fellow graduate from yikes almost 30 years ago) – and I really enjoyed seeing him – and we ate sweets and had lunch – and walked around – and talked and talked. Stop and smell and talk about the roses.

I had thought about this particular promo for the Yankees game sept 10th – get a Yankees jersey branded with my alma mater, I like it! (And as a kid I appreciated that I was from NY and assumed everyone was watching Billy Martin and George Steinbrenner fighting and just was a Yankees person…  So thus I say Yankees is my favorite team even if the others have a much more fun and active stadium… I digress…)

My favorite interaction was a beautiful woman jogging by as I walked, saw my shirt and yelled out her class year! We had a fabulous conversation, really it IS a small world, and my ‘quest’ for connection was truly satiated. That was sufficient and fulfilling even before the game. Stop and smell and know to mention all about roses.

And was good to be close to the apartment after the game – it is quiet uptown and nice to stay over in convienence… People loved that the game was a winning game and I enjoyed chatting with some folks after moving from the 400 level cheap seats to the 300 level cooler seats to the 200 better view seats… 200 level was more rowdy and fun. The higher seats were still a good view but the people were more subdued. Stop and smell the roses but don’t be afraid to find other roses other places.

“It’s Quiet Uptown” – that is a line from Alexander Hamilton musical – but that is true – it is pretty quiet uptown and this morning (Sept 11th)  we went to Alexander Hamiltion’s home of about 2 years before he died (and his wife’s Eliza’s home for nearly 30 years) – it is on the national park list – and the area is amazingly hilly and rocky – and they MOVED this house TWICE including lifting it over a church in 2008 WOW! the movie is amazing. *check it out on youtube* – and the house now has gardens full of roses… Stop and smell and ADMIRE the roses.

The reason for the song “It’s Quiet Uptown” – was that the Hamiltons were raising their many children (both adopted and born Hamiltons) in a big house after the oldest son was killed in a duel. It is a poignant part of the musical that states it is all about the processing – and it is also where one has to move on – and keep living… Stop and plant new roses – and remember those we have lost…

It takes a lot of processing – for them – for us – for us on Sept 11th – for life – for death – for life… Life is not always a rose garden…

It was also quiet uptown on this day – as it was the beginning of Rosh Hoshanna – the Jewish new year – celebrating God making Adam and Eve – and Adam and Eve suffered great tragedy – which reading an excerpt from the Jesus Always book struck me – Adam and Eve lost BOTH their sons that day Cain killed Abel – lost Abel to death and lost Cain to the event of killing his brother – lost…  They eventually had another son – but wow… Stop and know that roses have thorns… since the beginning…

And we have to remember to live – just keep living – plant new roses – smell them – see them – know them…

It was quiet in the colleges and school areas uptown and we ate lunch with Hungarian desserts as a treat – yum…  It is quiet uptown except BUSY at the bakery – and sweet to sit down as my legs whew were sore! I need to walk more! and not to the sweets store! (maybe I should be eating roses like those squirells)

Anyway a blessed day… and a blessed way to celebrate and know NYC… a rose of a city…

Remember September 11th

Amen

Song “It’s Quiet Uptown” from Hamilton musical.