SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS!

Some experiences in life just can't be adequately captured by a camera; they are better left etched in the mind. Tonight, I had one of those experiences. Here is a photo of me outside New York's historic Amsterdam Theater where I attended the new Broadway musical Mary Poppins. And all I can say is.......wow. When I was selecting a show to attend, there were so many good ones to choose from.....Hairspray, Phantom, Les Miserables, The Color Purple, Chicago....and so many more. For just a moment, I was tempted to go with the "more sophisticated choice"--it is New York, after all--but then I decided to be me and go with my heart and Mary Poppins. My heart led me the right way once again! This was truly, truly a professional show in all regards. Superb set and constumes, right down to every last detail. Pure talent in the voices. Outstanding light effects. Impeccable timing for every line. Exemplary orchestra. Amazing choreography. A fascinatingly gorgeous historical theatre setting in which I had an awesome front-center aisle seat. A creative mix of fun and whimsy and raw theatrical talent.....I am honestly awed by what a phenomenal performance this was. Sure, I assumed that the story would be heartwarming and nostalgic, but I did not anticipate the quality and awe that would be encompassed in this performance. I was in the theatre for 3 hours, and I could have easily sat through 3 more hours of that type of talent. This was a truly magical experience and by far the most enchanting and inspiring performance I have ever witnessed. Sure, I thought it would be cool to attend a Broadway musical, but never did I realize that it would be such an inspiring experience.....I will not soon forget it. Some of the highlights for me:

• Mary Poppins "flying" into the rafters of the theatre....how did they do that?
• The tap-dancing to the song "Step in Time"--so energetic and perfectly choreographed
• Singing of supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"--did I spell that right?
• Watching how the set changed between each scene....seamless and so interesting to watch
• Meeting a couple from London who sat next to me.....while they were quite "tipsy" by the end of the show (they serve alcohol for those who want it), they were very friendly and cordial
• The finale song entitled "Anything can happen"--this included the cast on a huge Mary Poppins umbrella....I just can't describe how cool these props were!

Things I realy didn't appreciate as much.......having to pay $10.00 for a small box of Jr. Mints and a small Diet Coke......makes movie theatre prices look like a huge bargain! The woman beside me getting increasingly "shnookered" as the night went on, so I had to deal with the strong smell of booze in the second half of the show. Incidentally, her husband had to nearly carry her out......but they were very friendly people! At first, I was kind of perturbed about not being able to take photos but.....truly, this one is better tucked away and relived in the recesses of my mind....it was THAT GOOD.

Well, this is my last night in New York City. Being here has truly opened up my mind to how diverse and intriguing this city is.....but I am ready to go home to my quieter town and my green grass and my husband and kiddos. I will appreciate not having constant honking of horns and bright lights flashing......traveling is amazing but it always makes you appreciate home.

Tomorrow, I plan to hit Chelsea Market in the morning to hopefully find a small piece of pottery.....I collect pottery from everywhere I travel, and I have yet to find a piece made by a local New York artist that I like. As Mary Poppins said in the musical the first time she left--knowing that she would soon return to Jane and Michael Banks--"Au Revoire!".

Headed to Broadway.....

I just returned to my hotel from another busy day in New York, my last full day here. I'm seeing that I could probably be here for years and still not see all that is here to be seen. Today included...........

• Shopping in SOHO


• Finding a paper/scrapbook store--Kate's Paperie--pretty sad as far as selection goes, but some gorgeous handmade papers


• Shopping and finding some great bargains in China Town--ended up with a silk-tied purse and scarf for me, a wursted wool purse and change pouch for Kennedy, silk Chinese fans for the kids, t-shirts for the kids, a Yankees hat for Matt, two huge bottles of my favorite perfume, and some other odds and ends--all for right around $60.00 total.


• Battery Park and views of the Statue of Liberty
• Eating a true New York hotdog from a cart vendor while sitting on a park bench and feeding pieces of the bun to the pigeons.

I am getting ready to head out to Broadway to attend a Broadway production of the musical Mary Poppins. I have heard nothing but RAVE reviews of it so can't wait. Here is link, if you want to take a peek: http://disney.go.com/theatre/marypoppins. I'm stopping for some tappas on the way over......more later tonight.

I Remember.

Just as if it was yesterday. I was at home with my first baby--Kennedy was just over a month old and was up for an early-morning nursing session. I was pretty drowsy as I carried her to the couch and flipped on the Today show. I believe it was a Tuesday and it was early, before 8:00 am. And then Matt Lauer announced it--the World Trade Towers had been hit. All of the details were not yet established at that time, and there was a great sense of confusion and urgency, and I will never forget the immediate sense of horror and disbelief. As the morning went on and the words "terrorist attack" entered the picture, I remember just calling my husband and my parents and just wanting to be together with my family.

I also remember that I held Kennedy for that entire morning. Just holding her. And praying. Pleading with God to give us the wisdom and strength to bring up this precious child in such a lost and dark world. Wondering what kind of world we were bringing this precious little life into. Mourning the security and safety that seemed so irreparably damaged. And I remember just feeling this sense of pride in our country, too. That morning, I laid an American flag on our bed, laid my sleeping one-month-old daughter on that flag, and took some photos. Later in the day, I wrote a letter to Kennedy. In that letter, I promised to do whatever was in my power to make her world as safe and secure as I could. I tucked that letter and those photos away, intending to make a scrapbook page later when the time felt right. And I knew that I would always remember.

When I learned that my professional conference would be in New York City this year, I immediately knew that even if I only had the time to see one site, it would be Ground Zero. It is kind of like a journey of the soul for me. A time to really connect with the reality of September 11. Yet, I really didn't know what to expect, nor could I predict the range and rush of emotion that I experienced as I walked up to the site. I remember that some people were laughing and I just wanted them to stop and to be silent and to just listen and see and....remember.

To me, Ground Zero is where the deepest of despair meets and intersects with the most sacred hope. To the naked eye, the site is just a large construction hole where crews continue to remove rubble. But, if you look really closely, you can almost see the mourning and the death and the loss that occurred. The families that were ripped apart. The despair and confusion and deep, deep grief. It is a very sacred place. And, as I stood and beheld the moments, I prayed that God would continue to use this tragedy for His ultimate glory. Because, I believe that it is in the face of the greatest tragedy that hope can be seen the most clearly. And so, for me, this was simultaneously an experience of great despair but also of great hope.

And then, I saw the artwork. Children's artwork. Those of you who know me know that I believe wholeheartedly in the healing power of art and play, so to see these children's paintings spoke very deeply to me. For to me, these paintings were children sharing a little bit of their healing process with the world. So powerful. So therapeutic. Like this one by little Anna, who lost her Daddy:










And this painting of the Twin Towers with an arrow showing the place where this child's "Poppy" was killed on September 11:










And this precious child's depiction of butterflies, which are often a sign of change and transformation and freedom:










I cried and cried as I looked over more than one hundred children's paintings, all of whom were personally touched with a loss that will never fully heal. But just as much as tears of sorrow, these were tears of hope. These children depicted not only their loss but a great sense of hope and forgiveness. Such a lesson for us grown-ups who can get so caught up in our own ideas of what is just and fair and right. Children have such a way about them, a pure sense of forgiving and moving on and remembering yet healing. Such resilience. I am so, so thankful that these children were given the medium of art to express and document and explore and grieve and begin to heal.

Construction is in the beginning stages for a new building on the previous World Trade Center site. It is a large, gorgeous monument entitled the "Freedom Tower" which, when completed, will be the tallest structure in New York (even taller than the Empire State Building). I am so very proud of my country that is taking the most tragic loss of our time and making it into a symbol of hope and healing. God Bless this amazing nation of ours. I am forever changed and forever sensitized following my time at this very sacred place. And when I get home--nearly 6 years later--I think that the time will be right to put that scrapbook page together.

Sight Seeing.

Well, I did the "totally tourist" thing today and bought a 2-day pass for a tour bus that takes you all around the different areas of New York. Wow, was there a lot to take in. Let's see....highlights of the tour included Times Square (the photo above shows the tower from which the ball is dropped each year on New Year's Eve), China Town (I'll head back there for cheap shopping tomorrow), Rockefeller Center and Plaza, all the big stores like the original Macy's and Sak's, Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, and the Brooklyn Bridge. Glimpses of the Empire State Building, the United Nations building, Wall Street, and the Statue of Liberty. So much history on this city. So, so, soooooo many stores and restaurants and quaint little boutiques. The culture is truly amazing.......so much racial and ethnic diversity that is reflected in skin color, food, dress, commerce......I have so enjoyed this rich diversity and can see why people enjoy living here for that reason. However, I must say......we did get a taste of the "rude New Yorker" sterotype.....as our tour bus went by an outdoor cafe, a table of friendly-looking people offered a seemingly friendly wave; however, when several of us waved back, they proceeded to flip us off while smiling the whole time. Odd. But, I guess it's just another memorable facet of this interesting New York culture. I also bought a ticket for a Broadway show for tomorrow night; this is something that was on my "list of things to do before you die" list, so I have been able to check off two items this week.

Later tonight, I plan to do a longer post expresssing my thoughts about the highlight of the day and truly one of the most emotional experiences I have ever had: My time spent today at Ground Zero and the former sight of the World Trade Center. Praying at Ground Zero was another "to do" on my life list, and I have spent a lot of time today reflecting on this time. More on this later, after a little nap, dinner, and the nighttime tour.

Good Morning from the Big Apple.

Wow, has the last 24 hours been interesting and exciting and exhausting! This place is SO stimulating.....wherever you look there are people and cars and bright signs......just like you see on TV. So far, in just one day, I have seen Central Park (and smelled it...there is a zoo there), paid $30.00 for what turned out to be the biggest sandwich I have seen in my life (a true New York deli sandwich), walked on Broadway, seen where they shoot Saturday Night Live, seen more homeless people than I have ever seen in any other city that I have visited, and many, many other experiences. Today, I am planning to branch out a little more after my convention to see the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, the Rockefeller Center, Ground Zero, and wherever else my little adventures take me.

I am definitely a Michigan country girl at heart, but I love to visit the big city and see a little bit more of the world. More later as I continue this three-day NYC excursion....Happy Wednesday.

Start Spreadin' the News......

.....I'm leavin' today........New York, New York. I am writing from the Gerald R. Ford Intern'l Airport at around 7:00 am as I await my flight to New York City. I have never been to New York before so am very much anticipating my NYC adventure.....at the least, I want to get one of those cool and oh-so-recognizable "I {heart} NYC" t-shirts. Other things that I would really like to see are Ground Zero, the Statue of Liberty, and Chelsea Market (where the Food Network kitchens are.....maybe I'll get a standby voucher and get on the Rachael Ray show????!!!! I am only there for a couple of days--until Thursday--and I am going for a psychologists' conference so I'm not sure how much down-time I will actually have, but I'm planning to at least try to get some of the "must-have" New York experiences and scope out whether we want to come back as a family. I will write more later once I am in New York City and settled into my hotel room.

What a Day for a Picnic

Subway sandwiches + icy Diet Coke + 71 degrees + cheesy chips + blanket + soggy grass (and wet butts) + the bright sun + one Mommy + 2 kiddos + six bare feet loving the feel of the grass=a great picnic lunch!