New York: Loves and Hates

• LOVE Free Concerts. Whether it's symphonies in Central, or rock at Battery.

St. Vincent at Battery Park

• HATE The Heat. The muggy, moist heat that makes the garbage on the streets smolder and stink and our 5th floor apartment with no AC a miserable sauna where I sweat a gallon a day, gross.
  
• LOVE Museums. I could've gone to a museum everyday all day and still not see half of everything I want to see here. (I'm not even counting galleries.) Historic stuff catches my fancy more than I thought it would. Favorites: Tenement, Cloisters, Frick, and Ellis Island.

Becca and Jake, Me at the Met

• HATE Walking, Riding. Walking all day until my feet hurt and are filthy (all I have is flip flops) and that it takes about an hour to get just about anywhere.
• LOVE Central Park. At first I thought "What's the big deal, it's a park." But it's so peaceful and fresh and has so much variety. A good escape from all the traffic and noise. Row boats, strolls, bikes, carriage rides, animals, families, lovers, remote control sailing, musicians, castles, painting, concerts.... so much to do and see. I love the running track around the reservoir.

Me, Strawberry Fields; Josh and Becca, he caught a turtle

• HATE Carrying Heavy Groceries. On the packed subway and up hill.
• LOVE Fire Flies. They make the park sparkle! It turns real life into a fairy tale!!!
• HATE Cost of Living. It is so expensive. All the food is twice or three times as much. It makes me sick, really.
• LOVE Shopping. You can really find anything you want here, in a real store. Which is great if you don't like shopping online.
• HATE Customer Service. Not everywhere, but most employees are fed up by everything and shocked and angry that you may need help or have a question.
  
• LOVE Free Yoga. I hated yoga on video, but love it in a class setting. Lululemon, a great little athletic store, puts it on three times a week, once in store and twice in Bryant Park.

Bryant Park Yoga

Visiting History

Jake's family came out and we had a great time hanging out and seeing awesome stuff. In Philadelphia I felt humbled to walk the same grounds as our founding fathers and run my hands down the same banister as George Washington, the father of our country while at Valley Forge

Liberty Bell, Philly; Jake and Vienna, Valley Forge; Jake in a soldiers bunk, Valley Forge

Then, in Palmyra, to walk the grounds of Joseph Smith and Moroni! Actually seeing where the plates were hidden and the Book of Mormon published was surreal. Then, to walk in The Sacred Grove, where God The Father and Jesus Christ had actually been, with trees who had witnessed it. I can't express how humbled and grateful I feel to all of these great men.

Print Shop of The Book of Mormon; The Sacred Grove

Sailing

Picture: Remote control sail boats in Central Park, July 22

"I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving: To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it - but we must sail and not drift, nor lie at anchor."
-Oliver Wendell Holmes

Why I'm blogging.

I have been thinking of starting a blog for some time. I am a believer in journaling. I believe it can be a great thing for personal growth and blogging is a superb form of journaling. But, I have a journal, a fantastic red snappy thing, that I recently bought to start fresh a new chapter in life. Who needs two journals? Yet my traditional journal has already succumb to the status of diary at times. Negative ranting. (Not so great for personal growth). With a blog there is less temptation to focus on the negative, because after all, someone might read it. Add to that the ability to add any photos I want without having to develop and paste them (quite messy) and sound capabilities!!! Holy Cow! Starting a new brand and Etsy store were the last few motivators. Red Fermata is a blog!