A Faster Train

I admit it, I've never been to a rodeo. And yes, I am from Texas. I have ridden a horse, fed a cow, helped bring a calf into the world (from afar) and applied clown makeup.

I have attended horse shows, riding exhibits and feed lots; assisted 4H, cub scouts, boy scouts, girl scouts, brownie scouts, community and church groups all with their rodeos. But somehow I've missed the rodeo experience.

I have been to cowboy and cowgirl museums. I have viewed and enjoyed lots and lots of western art, sculpture, painting and pottery. And still rodeo is not on my resume.

But today at 3:00 PM on the C Train, NYC--the rodeo found me along side the biggest horsepower in the universe.

Today, I watch the A train express be overtaken by the C train local.

Since I was on the A train expecting to transfer to the C train, this was most fascinating! Never ever - ever had the C train beaten the A train to a station, particularly with a stop between. The C train had to make a stop, the A train did not. The C train still beat the A train!

It was rush hour but in the Subway it is always rush hour.

This observation / experience had to be one of those NYC moments I was warned about. "Keep your eyes open so that you don't miss anything."

Um, one normally slower subway train passing a normally faster one...now this is exciting stuff folks!

In this case, you really did have to be there. 

Seven Minutes

The last six months in our country have been full of horrific life changing events. This blog was written before the murders in Sandy Hook and after Hurricane Sandy.

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Some things in life really don’t matter all that much.

Obtaining the window seat on an airline, shotgun in a car unless you are prone to car sickness or even voting in the perfect candidate (don’t kill me please, I am too pretty to die yet.)

What does matter is seven minutes left on the Laundromat dryer.

Every so often, my least favorite job in the universe, changes. It used to be filling the car with gas. Since we no longer have a car, problem solved. Next it was loading the dishwasher. Since we no longer have a dishwasher, problem solved. Are you seeing a trend here?

The next least favorite job in the universe is climbing the stairs in the Subway… problem redirected, not solved. Buses are now added to routes, elevators here and there and hiking boots rather than sneakers really do help. But stairs seem to multiple. This is one job that seems insurmountable and thus must be ignored as a least favorite and turned into rite of passage. In other words, since it is a means to an end, let it go.

Which finally gets me back to what really matters in life, seven minutes left on the dryer.

Did I tell you that doing laundry in a laundry mat requires fortitude, diligence and quarters? Plus diplomatic skills unknown at the United Nations.

I digress. Again.

Today was the much dreaded laundry day. So dreaded that we take turns as to who will forego their entire day and venture forth into the bowels of our building’s basement (not G rated). It is always anybody’s guess as to which of the four washers and four dryers will be working for the three building in my apartment complex.

We arrive prior to the opening bell to get first crack at all machines. We turn on the lights, causing all roaches to scurry to their roach places (actually things in that department are much better since the feral cats are now on guard.)

Machines loaded, detergent, soaps, bleach, etc.…water everywhere…call the contract service…and move wet clothes to dryer.

Two neighbors have come down to check out the time remaining on the washers just to see when they can get started. 

And before all is said and done, I ended up using all four dryers. After all, I was there 40 minutes earlier. Unwritten laundry mat law—first come gets whatever is available …however normally I leave a open washer anyway. But today I wanted to get it done.

Thus all four dryers got loaded immediately after all four washers when through their paces.

A few months ago prices were raised. Apparently to justify this, more minutes were added to the drying time. Someone forgot to tell my clothes. Burning clothes can be a problem. Also loading extra clothes in the dryer lumps them together so badly that nothing dries!

Never mind. I just keep my eye out, remove and fold early before the new time runs out.

Happily, an extra seven minutes is left for the next user.

Oh, I’m not the only one. Just about every one is sharing minutes now. No one needs the extra drying time. No one needed the price increase either but this was long before the fiscal cliff talks so we can’t blame the talks on this one.

Clothes folded (enough to get them back upstairs anyway), sheets back on the bed and hubby sweetly planning his trip to the dungeon next week!

What would you do if a stranger gave you seven minutes?

Rename the Blog

It happened again!

While riding the Subway a woman reflected Christ to me in such a way that I was both humbled and amazed at the bravery of her act.

Naturally Raymon, my husband if I haven't told you his name by now, was talking with several people at once while in route. One of the ladies of the group was simply exhausted and joined me on the bench. There were two empty seats beside me. Trust me, that is a rare occurrence.

We began chatting as if life long buddies. Of course it was our accents that opened the conversation. She had one too so that began a geography lesson for both of us. Next were our hopes and dreams of traveling which for both of us were pretty much done, barring the occasional jaunt to the moon and back.

Then the huge question of "why did you come?" For several stops I proceeded to tell her our story.* Amazed she listened with punctuated amens. I knew she was a believer, thrilled to learn of God's plan. Then I asked her with flippancy to pray for me.

With eyes deeply peering into mine she grabbed my hand, with the subway express train roaring by each stop she said, "Lets pray right now."

And we did.

These two middle aged ladies, hand in hand, heads bowed, bundled with packages to the max and one with talking in a level voice asking God to protect and bless me and us here in New York. On the A Train traveling who knows how many miles per hour with left over silt on the rails from Sandy moving toward the end-of-the line. What a blessing God sent. What a ministry.

He continues to fill me with surprises in the heart of this most godly land.

God truly must love NYC.




*see archived early posts and profile

Its Not Our Fault!

How do I say this...its not our fault! Now before you decide that that sounds terribly whinny which of course it doees, or that it must be our fault for me to say that it isn't...well I must protest. It is not our fault!

Rather, it was not our fault.

Well, may it was a tiny little bitty partly our fault--but not much. Really.

Okay, so some folks really messed up. Just a few. Actually, we don't know how many.

The result? A mess.

A real mess.

A multi-million dollar mess.

That can't be cleaned up.

Have you ever been helpless to fix a problem you have been accused of creating? And to make the situation worse, you must witness others make the problem worse, knowing you will again be accused?

Actually, it happens a lot. Road rage is a major culprit I hear. So glad I'm not driving these days! Spouses, ever walk in on your love who has had a bad day? Yikes! And what well behaved student gets punished along with the rest of the class because of one bad apple? The domino effect of a work crew dropping the ball on one item leading to another to another to another....

Life sometimes isn't fair. And lately, the fairness meter is stuck on the heavy hand of "un".

So next time you come across anyone, yes anyone, remember that their fairness meter may be stuck on "un" for no reason other than the fact that they got up that morning.

Pray that Jesus will hold up others' "un" meters.

He's good at it.

Milestones

Thinking of all the parental milestones one hears about, it is truly amazing to experience one.

The moment of conception, the birth of a child, the child’s first word, first step and even potty training for some reason is ecstasy for every parent. There are all kinds of firsts before the one first that cause the mom and dad to hold their breath in a strangle hold before exhaling; the first day of school.

This first is like no other. This first is when Mom and Dad hand their child over, their gift that they have reared, nursed and yes, done the potty training bit. This is the first that someone else looks into their eyes and says, “I’ve got this.”

 And their child says, “I’ve got this.” (Or not).

And it really doesn’t matter what the parent feels inside, Mom and Dad have to look their child in the eyes, the child’s soul and say, “We know.”

From this moment, Mom and Dad know everything has changed.

True? Yes. Right? It should be.

Of course, the child still runs to the parents for every single bit of support. Yet there is that hunt for independence that wasn’t there before. And the family is ready for the search.

We know.

Our family is ready for the search.

Milestones are part of growing and growing up.

But turning the child over doesn’t make the inner soul feel any less parental, only more so. That mixture of joy and ache is a victory to be savored. The next milestone is nearer. Children will soon bring children of their own to life. 

Ah, I read that I am being cryptic again. I am inspired by our spiritual NYC body, growing in number, faith, knowledge, example and wisdom; walking in Jesus steps and living as He would have us live. Our family is growing, reaching one milestone after another. 

And so it begins.

No, not the fantastic Olympics of 2012. They have been amazing have they not? I simply can not decide which sport I shall be taking up after watching these athletes perform.

No, not the hope of cooling Fall weather. HA.

No, not the joy of the recent hair cut--so long overdue.

What you ask?  Hubbie's birthday week! And what a week we have planned. For the first time we have decided to do a full week of birthday celebrations, partly to make up for a few years we had to skip but mostly because it sounds fun.

The goal is to travel as far as we can on the public transportation system to some destination we've not been to before. The trip itself can last a long time and you can meet people from all over the world.

Today we rode the A train to #1 where we met two families from France going to see the Statue of Liberty. That is a normal thing here. Hubbie meets a family from distant lands almost every weekend while volunteering at the South Sea Sea Port, but that's another story.

From the #1, we board the Staten Island Ferry, lower desk along with at lease 4 thousand other people (I jest) and three school groups, each grouped in separated neon colored t-shirts. Going toward Staten Island, we lingered over the Governors Island side. On the return trip, we shuttled over the Statue of Liberty Side--another family from another country, I forget where, sorry.

Let's see, A to 1 to ferry oh, then the train for the full length of Staten Island. Beautiful ride if you've never taken it to the end. There really is nothing to see, only a wire fence and river channel, but it is really cool to have done it. Also, the few block around the area had a gingerbread house painted purple, yellow and green. I am sure I would have gone simply to have seen that house.

All in all, we rode 3 trains and one boat today for the cost of one round way subway fare. Not bad!

Tomorrow? City Island!

SEVEN NEW SISTERS

God's family is huge. There has been two millennium of brothers and sisters who have born and died that I will one day meet. Add those to the rest of the living family that are not-yet and now known, that is quite a reunion.

But today--what a day--today, God by His grace blessed seven beautiful women with salvation, adoption and a huge family. The ladies acted out of obedience and were baptized.

Being a part of His family, I'm seven times blessed, oh why bother with numbers? It was / is an amazing unity of souls, rejoicing and praising God's name.

Everywhere... everyday... everyone...

God