9/11 Memorial

My daughter sent me this photo yesterday from her cell phone:

She was there, her office is hosting visitors from another country, so she got a ticket to get in to see the memorial.  We had talked about it, I was saying how to me I remember vividly the buildings still covered with dust right after 9/11, the photos, the funerals, the videos, all of it, and how I felt no need to go see the memorial. 

She called and told me to make a reservation to go see it.  So she changed my mind, and I went online and did make reservations for the 10th of December.

New York Visit

We went into the city via Hoboken and the PATH (subway).  One ends up in the pit, or now basement, of the former WTC (World Trade Center).  It's no longer a pit, like it was the last time I was there, it's all covered and I guess above is the basement of the new tower, and part of the memorial.  One needs a ticket to get into the memorial, and it was too late at that point so all we could do is try to see it from the Winter Garden.

The Winter Garden is right next to the WTC, and was damaged during 9/11.  Nothing is visible of the damage, and it's restored to the former glory - and beautiful it is.

On across the town, through City Hall Park, where this guy was waiting for us:

right in the bushes, not shy at all.

 My lame attempt at jumping (although my feet are off the ground)

my strong man!

Weather was glorious - warm, sun shine, perfect.

 Doesn't this  bride look like right out of a fairy tale?

 and the gorgeous view from Brooklyn toward Manhatten - post card....

yes, we 'stole' this photo from the photographer, and no, we don't know the couple.

And it looks like someone hung out their laundry.  And I hope they are done soon with the refurbishing of the Bridge.

So hard NOT to grab a camera - this isn't taken with mine, which was in my pocket, but dummy me forgot the memory card, that was in the computer at home!

Then a subway and a PATH ride back to the car, and off we were to Liberty State Park on the NJ side:

This has to be the most photos from me, 

thank you for looking at the entire post!

It was a perfect ending to a beautiful day.

(Lasagne and salad at home, a little TV, and exhausted to bed)

Visitors

We have visitors for the weekend.  M's sister and brother-in-law.  They wanted to see where M hikes.  So after a leisurely breakfast we set off for Harriman State Park.  The NY Thruway is bumper to bumper.  We crawl to our exit, and bumper to bumper again.  Everybody is going somewhere!  We get to the park entrance, and it's closed.  Well, to drive along to the next entrance is not an option, so we turned around and headed for Skylands botanical garden in NJ.  Good choice!  We had a great time:

 The color riot is beginning

 Anyone, any clue what this is?  Little purple berries, tiny, smaller then blueberries.

 I wonder what this could be....

 brother and sister

 It took my cousin and me a long time to figure out what this is.

Osage orange - Edith, I got mine!  There was only one. 

Today - New York.  Gotta get dressed!!!

Food

Now that we have the bear out of the way (waiting for his/her return), let's talk about food.
Since I changed my life (check starting in March), I've been eating very well.  And trying to stay within a limit, knowing I'm facing taking diabetes medication.
But this is what waits for me sometimes in the morning:

Who can resist that?!

Actually, it's not so bad.  It's only one piece of toast.

And yesterday we had this:

Pork chop with apple and an apple gravy,

peas and carrots,

and garlic noodles.

And, best of all, none of it cooked by me.

All I had to do was show up and eat.

Yeah!

Thank you!

Bear and Pow wow

The Pow wow never happened for us.  My daughter-in-law called and asked if I could mind Noah (3) and Kate (5 mos), while she visited an aunt in the hospital.  Of course I didn't!

They came, handed over the kids, and left.  I suggested at one point to go to the playground, but was glad no one took me up on it, when M. spotted this out the living room window:

And it was closer than this to the house, it was digging in my garbage, about 10 feet away from the window, we didn't see it because the bushes were hiding it.
and this is him/her from a bedroom widow (in my house!)  meandering off:

Yes, there is a bear around, and he is huge

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