Tuesday, December 9!

Tuesday I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with the first grade classes. We thought that we were suppose to take small groups of children around, but The Met wanted us in groups of 15 to take guided tours. New York field trips are interesting because all the children are so bundled that museums and other places that host school trips have big rooms devoted solely to holding large rolly containers that all of the children pile their coats and winter accoutrements into. By the time that is all taken care of there is about 20 minutes left. My group was first taken past the large statues of naked men (that is quite something for 1st graders) then we went into a furnished room of King Louie the 14th, or something. Booooring. By the time we got there we had 20 minutes left of the field trip and we hadn't even seen what we went to see! Which was the Angel Tree, which is lovely. It was my 3rd time seeing it. 

On the way to The Met in the big yellow school bus, as we were stopped in traffic on 5th Ave. we luckily stopped RIGHT in front of where they were tapping Gossip Girl!! Luckily I was able to whip out my camera in time to get the backs of Penn Badgley and Blake Lively. 

Then that night we had our first snow of the winter. It was actually sticking too! This picture is from the next morning in our "front yard".

Last Night

     This will be my last blog from the really uncomfortable spot at the end of Alissa's bed.  I leave tomorrow, but there may be more to write about for a few days.  

    On Sun. we went to church at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine.  7 years ago they had a big fire & half of the church & the organ have been closed.  They reopened it last Sun. & blessed it for almost 3 hours.  Every high- up in the church from around was there.  Even Hillary who spoke briefly.  You had to get special tickets to get in!   They honored the firefighters & then put them to work when a bishop or someone up near the altar had a problem & people were all huddled around him.  They wheeled him out later.  Huge stone church got really, really cold after a few hours.

    Tonight, a roommate got tickets to a men's choral group performing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  They sang right in front of the huge angel tree & Alissa sneaked a few pictures!

The group was called Chanticleer from San Francisco - supposedly world famous!

    I leave tomorrow very early.  Suitcases weigh a ton, & I sent boxes.  

  

Great Mom Quotes

"I'm really looking forward to going home so I can take care of myself again."

"I was thinking it would be nice to be hit by a car so that I could rest in the hospital." 

Pictures

Here are more shots of Martha's set.  She answered a couple of questions at the end.  She had on the most boring shirt - probably hideously expensive.  The audience was supposed to dress nicely & in bright colors for the camera, then she wears this!  

Martha!!!!

We went to see Martha today!!!  Kristin Chenoweth was the guest & Martha made her sew on a machine.  She had never done it before & she had to stand while sewing.  It was rather funny.  The set was really large & Christmasy.  We got a CD of Christmas songs by Kristin, a cookbook of desserts & M&Ms.

Later, we went to see Spring Awakening on Broadway.  Alissa read it was set in the late 1800s & I was feeling sleepy.....  Well - the songs woke us right up.  Every not-talked-about situation you can think of (well almost) occurred from beatings, incest, sex (both) to suicide and abortion.  The music was really current & upbeat.  There was an entire song about the f word.

It was really done well.

     I have a new blister on my little toe & perhaps one on the bottom of my foot.  This child of mine can really walk my legs & feet off.  I will post more pictures.

More Parade

Buzz was new this year.  The "regulars" around

us seemed to be very pleased with the way he was depicted.
The poodle next door - Monty - is rough-housing with a friend & making growly noises.  It is making me miss LuLu a lot right now.  We can hear them through the walls.  That's right.