Hiatus is Over

I have not been posting for two weeks. I was in New York City visiting my kids during the first week. And last week it was returning to school with report cards to do! Now I am back, and you can again expect two postings a week, "sharing observations and reflections about my life in Rome, including the excursions that take me beyond the walls..."

With my kids
I had some wonderful times with Emily and Peter. Peter and I toured the Frick Collection on 5th Avenue and had delicious Bar-B-Q at the Dinosaur in Harlem. Emily and I filled ourselves with pancakes at the Brownstone Diner in Jersey City before I visited her 4th grade classroom at the Learning Community Charter School.

Here we are on Broadway after lunch

at Big Nick's Burger Joint.

With friends
My week in New York started with a celebration of "El Dia de los Muertos" at the home of John and Michael in Brooklyn. Sunday morning took me to the Church of the Holy Apostles in Chelsea for a Eucharist that had six different processions. A luncheon after the service gave me an opportunity to catch up with many people in my NYC parish. My friend Paul helped me with some shopping errands on Monday and Tuesday. Monday included a brief visit to Scholastic. On Tuesday we meet Kraig, a former neighbor, for brunch at IHOP, the International House of Pancakes, before going to vote.

Here I am after casting my vote

for the 44th president of the United States.

I watched the election returns with friends at Ed's apartment in Park Slope.

On Friday Paul and I volunteered at the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen. We were part of the team that served 1,254 meals.

Special thanks goes to Dee who got me to the airport in plenty of time for my flight back home to Rome. Our friend Cindy accompanied us wearing her wooden shoes. (She said she wore them in honor of St.Willibrord, Archbishop of Utrecht, Missionary to Frisia. He died in 739. Frisia is the part of Holland that her family comes from.)