2013-06-30 Third Week in NYC

 Monday we drove to the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA with our fellow temple missionaries including Sue and Blair Garff, Linda and Clark Davis, Liz and Tom Hanson, Cheryl and Bob Nelson, Roberts, Parrotts, Hansens, and Tappens. I navigated the group to the museum and drove the van back to NYC. Sue Garff drove a group in their SUV. The museum is full of Norman Rockwell paintings, his artist studio that had been moved to the site from its original downtown location, and wonderful gardens. Following the museum tour we ate at an outdoor cafe in Stockbridge. The town, the subject of a famous painting featured at the museum, still looks like the original painting.

On the return trip we stopped at Kent Falls to enjoy the waterfall and the covered bridge
During the week we also rode our bikes through Central Park where we saw a raccoon foraging in a garbage can. We rode up and over the George Washington Bridge, and back. We rode to Grant's tomb, Riverside church, and Columbia University campus. All very enjoyable bike rides, but I think Paula over did it. After we rode through Columbia we were close to Costco, but it required a ride in traffic on 116th Street so we opted to come home.

Wednesday with took the subway to 155th Street in the Bronx to deliver two packages to Elder World from his mom. We saw the ward building, visited the missionaries' apartment, and walked with them to the NY Botanical Garden which we toured after the missionaries left us.


On Saturday we drove Larry and Janet Peterson
 to New Canaan for a tour of the area. We got stuck in traffic and barely made it back for our temple assignment.
Friday evening we ate dinner following our temple assignment with the Blatters from Danville, CA who are leaving in a week after serving 3 months here. We have much in common with them and enjoyed our visit. Following dinner we walked to Whole Foods to buy some peanut butter chocolate cookies.

2013-06-23 Second Week in NYC

Mindy, Jonathan and Abby visited for the week. We picked them up at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday afternoon using the Garff's car and returned them on Saturday afternoon. During the week we spent Monday driving to New Canaan where we visited our home, the church, Waveny, downtown NC, the high school, Saxe and South schools, the Veggie Barn, Kiwanis Park, God's Acre. We drove to Norwalk for a visit to Stew Leonards. On Tuesday evening we invited Craig Smith, our former bishop in New Canaan, and now the stake patriarch and a temple sealer, over to see Mindy after our temple service. We had an enjoyable discussion with him about his family and his service.

They came to temple and performed baptisms for family file names given us by a Family History Center missionary, Tom Hanson.

On the drive home from New Canaan we found Recker Park in the Bronx. This is a famous basketball outdoor court, and a place Jonathan wanted to see because of its storied history of NBA players. Jonathan was always on the lookout for basketball courts. Mindy took him on Thursday to a court on the Hudson River where he played in a pick up game and thoroughly enjoyed himself. On Wednesday we had a private tour of the Barclay Center in Brooklyn where the Nets play. This tour was arranged by Coray's brother, Cam. We saw the courts, the locker room facilities, the private boxes and restaurants. The center has only been open for a few months, and the facilities manager was proud of the building and its contribution to Brooklyn. On Thursday evening Jonathan and I watched the NBA final game where the Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs.

A highlight of the week was a visit to the World Trade Center memorial. Mindy was clever enough to prearrange tickets. The site is beautiful, thoughtfully done, and reverent. In the visitor's center there is a video clip of a retired fireman who lost two sons in the attack. He told his fireman son 'I love you' as his son left to go to assist at the World Trade Center. Very moving.

We biked all over. With our NY Pass we had 4 hours riding around the southern end of Manhattan including a trip over the Brooklyn Bridge.

Jonathan and I rode the Garff's bikes around Central Park and 20 streets into Harlem, around the southern tip of Manhattan from the west side to the east side and across the Park to get home, over the George Washington bridge and back. Jonathan was a good sport, and he seemed to enjoy himself. He liked riding in traffic.

While we were riding, Mindy, Abby and Paula went to see Spiderman, the Broadway play. They had seats on the 5th row and had a wonderful experience.

Other things we saw - the Empire State building observatory, the Skyride at the Empire State building (not so hot), the wax museum, Times Square with a movie premier going on, the American Girl Doll store, Tiffany, Grand Central station, the subway system, FAO Swartz, the Rockefeller Center including the top and the NBC studio, St Patrick's cathedral, dinners at Hard Rock Cafe and Route 66 Cafe, dessert at the Plaza Hotel, the Body World exhibit (not so hot), Central Park, the Museum of Natural History, Canal Street, South Street Seaport, a cruise around the southern tip of Manhattan to see the Statue of Liberty which as been off limits since Hurricane Sandy, hotdogs at the Gray Papaya, burgers at the Shake Shack, and I'm sure I've forgotten a few things. They went home tired with a busy weeks of Summer activities ahead of them.

2013-06-13 Our apartment in NYC

We have a one bedroom apartment at 60 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023 which is 100 steps to the temple door (we counted).

The apartment is sparely furnished. The Petersons gave us dishes and utensils. Sue Garff added a potato peeler and some hangers.

2013-06-16 First week in New York

1) Getting adjusted to the schedule and operations of the Manhattan Temple has been a challenge. We've enjoyed getting to know the Davises who live next door and work the same shifts as we do, but they work longer hours since they are missionaries and we are 'volunteers' or 'seasonal ordinance workers'. The five missionary couples and the presidency do much of the administrative work of the temple.

2) Bike riding and walking in Central Park has been a highlight. The park is beautiful and well maintained and, while full of people, seems rural and sylvan. 3) Biking around Manhattan has been fun, but Paula is sure she doesn't want to venture out on the streets again after we rode over to the East River and back across 20th Street to the west side.

4) A visit to The Frick Collection, which involved two walking trips across the park because of a forgotten umbrella, was interesting and enjoyable.

5) We attended a rehearsal performance by the NY Philharmonic Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center. Tickets were $20 each - a real bargain. The Davises told us about the concert and went with us. 6) We've grocery shopped at a number of stores including Whole Foods, Gourmet Garage, Trader Joe's, Aldi,Western Beef, Fairway Market, Target and Costco spending $425 on food. The trip to Costco with the Davises was memorable including a subway ride to Harlem, a bus across Harlem and a walk to Costco. The return trip was in the rain. 7) We've eaten out at Melissa's Gourmet Deli, Fairway Market, Whole Foods, Burrito Junction (with Janet and Larry Peterson, Wondee Siam II (with the Davises), and two different street vendors. We've also bought a cookie, an ice cream cone, some loaves of bread, and other things at street vendors. Total spent was $150 meaning we've spent $575 on food during our first week in New York.

8) We went shopping at Macy's, DSW, Talbot, Chico, GeoX, Fox, Tani, Harry's Shoes and a department store across the street from us looking for white temple shoes. The pair from the distribution center are too big, the pair from DSW pinches toes. 9) We walked across the park to Sarabeths for breakfast with Blair Garff. This restaurant used to be called Rumplemeyers and we ate there with our family in 1993. Too much food and too pricey for regular eating in my opinion since I have never been fond of breakfast dining. 10) We've also shcpped at CVS, Rite Aid, Duane Reade and Bed, Bath and Beyond. Sue Garff took Paula to Bed Bath and Beyond to find a few items for our apartment including a peeler and mirror. 11) I drove Blair Garff to the airport and he generously granted permission to his car next week while Mindy, Jonathan and Abby are visiting.

2013-06-07 Volunteering at the Manhattan Temple

We arrived at 11:30 pm at JFK to begin our two months of temple service in Manhattan. Blair and Sue Garff picked us up at the airport and got us settled in our new apartment located around the corner from the temple at 60 E 66th St apt 4F. Friday we were set apart and somewhat oriented at the temple. We also worked Saturday evening. It's been raining thereby spoiling somewhat our enjoyment of the experience so far.

2013-06-01 Barbara Kitchens passed away

My stepmother for 2 years passed away. I haven't seen her since our wedding reception in December 1971. She married my father in about 1963 and they divorced in about 1965. We met her only once before the wedding and the divorce was a surprise too. Barbara (Opp) Kitchens Obituary 1928 ~ 2013 Barbara Kitchens, of Draper, passed away peacefully, Wednesday, at the age of 85. Her long-time friend and companion, Clyde Opp, was by her side. Barbara was passionate about animals, large and small. Pets were a big and very beloved part of her life. Barbara was kind and thoughtful to everyone she met. Friends and family will miss her dearly. Published in Deseret News on June 2, 2013