Cee’s Which Way Challenge has given us a wide-open opportunity to share where we have been, how we got there, and where others can go to have fun. Since I have been sharing some fun from my New York trip, let’s add a few of those here.
Riding in a jet and seeing the many roads and bridges of New York City below.
Remember, regardless of the size of your city, regardless of your broken or not broken circumstances, No Act of Kindness is ever wasted.
Always Be Kind!
Our trip was a fast 4 day adventure taking us from one end of the island to the other. While there, we saw many beautiful, amazing, and a few sad sights. Below are a few of the miscellaneous sights we saw that we enjoyed.
The front of Carnegie was being worked on so scaffolding hid the front entrance.
Every city has homeless people but I admired the gentle spirit of this one as he shared what he had with the birds and they adored him for it.
“Who you gonna Call?” Ghost Busters! The firehouse used in the iconic movie Ghost Busters is an actual working fire station in New York City and they are good hearted enough to allow crazy fans…like me…to take photos of them and their station.
F A O Swartz…oh, what a store. I could spend hours there, after all, I am just a big kid. Loved the zebra but don’t think he would fit on the plane.
If you are going to go to NYC, you have to try New York cheesecake and New York Style Pizza. One slice of pizza is a meal!
The beauty in the mixture of old architecture and new showed the life of a city that is ever growing.
Then you had the opulence of 5th Avenue. A bit too much for my taste.
Then the night scenes around Times Square.
Or daytime…
New York City is so diverse, that everyone can find something they enjoy. I came away with an understanding that I did not expect to find and I mentioned it in one of my other post. As a whole, the residents of NYC are kind proving how easy kindness can be shared. Always remember the beauty of kindness.
Someone asked us before we left for New York City, what did we plan to do. One of the main things we wanted to see was the Public Library. This person could not understand why a library. Besides there being a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, the library is also a museum of printed works. Plus the building was fabulous. During my early career, I was a drafting designer, before we had computers to do that for us. We drew with pencils while standing up to a huge drawing board. How technology has changed but the beauty of the buildings in NYC from the 1800s is still something to see. So, if you never get a chance to see this library, I hope you enjoy this long post of things that I marveled at in a building of books. I took over 50 pictures in this one building but I promise I won’t post them all.
The Library has been guarded on either side by massive lion statues, named Patience and Fortitude since the library dedication on May 23, 1911.
On either side of the entrance are fountains. It is February so they are not running but still beautiful.
Once we got inside I was amazed at the ceilings of marble, mosaics, and inlayed wood.
And the marble columns with their beautiful patterns were striking, but then again I am a design nerd.
Now for some printed inspiration. Having a quasi interesting in writing myself, these ancient works give you quiet pause.
I tried to figure out where in the bible this was but couldn’t. But regardless, the very first printing of a book as we know it today, in 1455, was a Bible.
There is a book of Shakespeare’s works and a score of Mozart’s Music.
Then coming to a more modern era and closer to home, there are copies of the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and letters of Washington’s Farewell address, and the book showing the beauty of birds by John Audubon.
And on a softer whimsical note, there is a constant audio playing of the reading of Winnie the Pooh.
Winnie is a good place to stop and remind us of the power and beauty of kindness that should always be displayed to man and beast alike. Where in the world would we be without kindness. May we never find out.
A few other pictures taken are below.
I think it is fitting that I start my ‘tour’ of New York City for you with Grand Central Station, a huge hub of transportation for the entire area. My pictures do not really do it justice so, for more amazing views with a real camera and wide-angle lens, go to the web to get the panoramic shots. But this will give you a taste.
The original train station was designed by Cornelius Vanderbilt in 1871. There were several reconstruction projects after that due to rapid growth and in 1897 it reached its capacity again serving 11.5 million passengers a year. In 1913 it was redesigned by Stem & Warren and Warren & Westmore to its current view. Today a train stops every 58 seconds with 1,200 people getting on or off and there are over 100 tracks. Then of course you have the subway lines and the bus lines. It’s a very busy place.
But this is not just a transportation station, while we did not go there, there is a dining area that goes from fast food to elegant food. My favorite part was of course the architecture and the famous ceiling with the zodiac star path on an aqua-blue background.
The architecture outside of the world’s largest Tiffany Clock is a true wonder to see.
Below are some of the other shots I took that you may enjoy. Make sure if you visit New York that you visit Grand Central Station.
It is encouraging, and sad at the same time, that we have to have military guys with the big guns to assure everyone is safe…or behaves.
All through the magnificent buildings in New York that were built in the 1800s, their architecture designs are amazing and made with granite and marble. All through this journey of my trip, I will share the intricate designs that the new architecture does not have. The have a different type of beauty that is wonderful to see, just different.
I will say this, as I have lived in a major city and understand how the people can sometimes be. The people in New York, the resident that we encountered, were amazingly kind and considerate. So, it shows that it doesn’t matter how big or small you town may be, you can always be kind.
Two years ago my daughter finally started listening to me, a rarity right, after 40-plus years of me bending her ear. She was living to work instead of living life. So now, she has grabbed me it tow as her travel buddy.
She started planning trips of places she wanted to see and the top of her list was San Francisco, not because it is a cool place to visit, because it is, but because of The Rock. Not really the prison itself but the history around it, as she is a huge history buff. So the traveling bug has hit and off we go.
If you have never been to San Francisco, you should go at least one time. My favorite part was Pier 39 with the shops, a merry-go-round, and the of course the famous seals.
In November, we headed to Las Vegas to see a show and to shop. Yeah, for me that is a city of one-and-done. I am not a gambler so once you see the sights, its done, but I did love the sphere, although we could not get very close. This was the view from our room. It is not just a picture but a video that constantly changed. My favorite while there was an ocean scene with whales. It was amazing. This picture is from the map of the earth.
Between San Francisco and Las Vegas, I took a side trip to go see my youngest child and his family down in Nashville, Tennessee. If you get down that way I highly recommend the Nashville Zoo. Not the zoo itself, which was fun, but you need to visit Dinosaur Land. They have over 25 life-sized dinosaur robots in their supposed vegetation. So, along beautiful paths of actual vegetation are these different dinosaurs peeking out at you and growling – and again they are life-size…
In Early December we went to Michigan to a place where people like me who love Christmas must go at least once, Frankenmuth. And during the Christmas season, it is thrown up with Christmas. The shops, the horse drawn carriages, and the Silent Night Chapel are all a must-see.
Last week my daughter and I finally got to see New York City. For a small-town girl, it was amazing. I was also amazed at the kindness of the people. Because I knew we would be walking a bunch, I took my cane to help stabilize me in crowds. (Still not willing yet to have knee replacement surgery.) Several times people went out of their way to make sure I could get where I was going. It is nice to know that kindness IS even in the big city. Some think New Yorkers can be mean, but we did not see that. What we did see I will share here once I get through the 280 pictures I took. New York City is definitely a place you should visit at least once but we are already planning on a second trip – a trip just to see the amazing churches built from the 1800s and on. For now, I leave you with a teaser, New York from the air at Sunset.
I close with a reminder that it matters not where you are, you can always be kind. It helps all of us smile.
Always Be Kind
I have been looking for solutions to the huge problem of sparrow invasion. We know they are tiny take over birds but I thought with the right food, I could eliminate some of the problem.
They can clean out this feeder in a day. But as I watched today I saw what I think the real problem is…which is why I quit using sunflower seeds in the first place.
He is jumping from the fence to the platform feeder and then jumping onto the pole with the peanuts that are supposed to be for the woodpeckers. I have a slinky on the pole down at the bottom so they can’t climb the pole but jumping is different.
Dang yard Rats!! They are incredibly intelligent and resourceful. I need to rearrange the feeders this spring. I really need to get rid of the platform feeder but that one has sentimental value with it. So I will have to think outside the box on that one.
I will definitely go back to safflower seeds. That at least will keep the squirrels at bay. The things you do to enjoy watching the birds. Stay tuned for more spring pics as the weather warms and we get to play outside more. It’s coming…
Remember as the the temps begin to warm, let your heart warm as well and be kind.
As we start this new day and this new week, lets us enjoy the beauty of it. Not only in what we see but with all of our senses. Below is another snippet from Smiles from Heaven, hope you enjoy.
A New Day
The early dawn broke quietly across the meadow. Dew was heavily laden bending the leaves downward toward the ground. As the sun crested the horizon, the flower faces turned towards it. They soaked in its warmth causing the dew to slip from the leaves. When it splashed to the ground, the sound awakened the sleeping chipmunks to another day of fun adventure. The first one poked his head out to see the beauty of a bright blue sky with the sun skipping through the branches creating patterns of shadow on the ground.
By the time the second chipmunk came to the surface, the birds were starting their symphony of song awakening anything else that was not yet awake.
They all knew that each new day was a gift from God allowing all of creation a brand-new start, a new chance to share kindness, a new hope that all is well. And a reminder that God’s love is always there.
May you have a beautiful new day surrounded with gentleness, love, and kindness. Share your kindness to make it even more beautiful.
Always Be Kind…to all kinds.
February 6, 2024, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about something lost now found. Is it an object or person who is lost? How are they lost? What happens when what was lost is found? Go where the prompt leads!
I have seen some fun stories because of the prompts from Carrot Ranch and thought I would come play. I just happen to have a short story about lost and found so I just cut it down to fit. Hope you enjoy it.
Lost & Found
David turned to Laura. “I’ve read stories where people are visited by dead relatives.”
“Where are you going with this?” Laura asked.
“This was the walking stick that Mr. Cedric was using with Jenny. It looks like Dad’s. His stick is missing. He has been dead four years.”
“Seriously? His name was Jonathan.”
“Jonathan Cedric.”
“Jenny, do these pictures look like Mr. Cedric that you saw today?’
“Maybe. He is not that old. Maybe he is kin to us or something?
David looked at Laura. “Maybe, I am just thankful he found you and led you back to us.”
I close with my reminder of sharing kindness. You may never know if your kindness will be a light to help someone find their way home.
Linda Hill challenges us again to have fun and be creative with Stream of Consciousness.
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “heavy/light/dark.” Use “light” and/or its opposites. Bonus points if you use all three. Enjoy!
Another Day Done
I watch the sky as the day begins to fade
Daily burdens have left my mind frayed
The sun slips heavy from its warm bright light
To the dark silhouettes of another cold night
After each day, we have a reminder in the sky of the beauty of the passing day or the hope of a better tomorrow. Hoping you find peace at the end of each day and that you remember the beauty and power of kindness.
What a great way to double dip – submitting to Cee’s FOTD and giving you another taste of my next book.
Last fall when I learned of my brother’s failing health, I went to Atlanta to visit him. While there, I took some pictures of his beautiful backyard. And yes, there were several lovely rose bushes.
We had had a small shower in the morning and the water droplets were still on the flowers. Since I won’t have photographs in my new book, Smiles from Heaven, you will get the pleasure here of a pretty picture and my attempt at poetry. I do better with stories.
Reflection
The beauty of a rose concealed within
A reflection of what has always been
It is not hopeful of what could be
But a timeless picture of what we see
A beautiful rose now concealed in joy
Is a timeless flower for us to enjoy
Below are some other pictures from my archives of roses. The dark pink with the white center one was named “Happy Star” and I thought that was appropriate.
Remember the smiles that flowers bring us and try to share a smile. Smiles are the easiest way to brighten someone’s day and a genuine way to be kind.
For the Love of 
