A much needed trip

We have been planning a trip for quite some time now and just had to figure out how and when it was going to take place.  We wanted to attend our youngest daughter's baby shower in Brooklyn, NY.  Of course it had to be after my chemo and before my surgery.  Well, we finally figured it out, and last Thursday we packed our bags.  Our oldest daughter Jen, her husband Rob, and Maddie, our granddaughter, stopped by and picked us up early in the morning and we all headed north...first to Pennsylvania to visit family, and then on to NY.  

We had dinner Friday evening with my sister-in-law and niece at the El Serrano restaurant in Lancaster, PA.  It was great to see them after such a long time.  

We had a chance to spend time with Galen's mother and enjoyed a great breakfast Friday morning with her and also with Galen's sister-in-law and nephew at Gus's Restaurant in Mount Joy.  

After breakfast, a quick trip to Central Market in Lancaster and then we were back on the road and headed for NY.   


I love NY.  

We stayed with Amy and Bruno in their wonderful apartment in Brooklyn.  

They hosted a barbecue Saturday evening so we could meet Bruno's family.  ~And what a lovely family they are!  

~~The Baby Shower~~ 

The Baby Shower was held on Sunday at noon.  
It  was at the Vanderbilt Restaurant in Brooklyn and hosted by Bruno's parents and brother and wife.  

We played games, ate delicious food, and had a chance to meet with more family and friends.  

So much fun!  

It turned out to be a wonderful baby shower.  

Then....

After the shower some of us decided to drive to Brooklyn Bridge Park and DUMBO area. Galen and I have never been there.  What a fabulous place!  It was a beautiful evening and a beautiful time spent walking around and enjoying the sights.    

Later we had dinner at the Coco Roco, a Peruvian Restaurant in Brooklyn, which was sooooo good. 


Unfortunately, Monday morning came too quickly and it was time to leave.  

Time to head south.  Homeward bound to Carolina.  


It was a good trip home, only a few travelling delays, and Otis and Riley were very happy to see us upon our return.  

What a great trip, 
and I was happy to have been able to take this break during all of the cancer treatments and doctor appointments.  

A wonderful and a very much needed trip indeed.  

New York

A trip to the big city to visit our daughter!

We finally decided to visit our daughter in New York. It was kind of a spur of the moment decision but a very much needed vacation. I made arrangements, got a dog sitter for Otis and Riley for the week and we headed out Saturday morning and drove all day. It took about 9 hours to get there, of course, we had to stop at just about every Starbucks along the way, but we made it.

Arriving in Brooklyn at her apartment we were greeted by Amy and her two cats, Sandford and Tater. We were given the tour and since she and her roommate are artists, there were lots of paintings to observe. We then took a walk around the neighborhood and had dinner at a nice Italian restaurant close to where she lives. We made plans for the next few days and decided not to do galleries this time, but to see and do something different.

Our daughter works at the National Hemophilia Foundation in Manhattan so we stopped in to see her office. We met some of her co-workers and her boss and visited the memorial room which is a small room dedicated to the hemophiliacs. This was special, because my father had hemophilia and was the oldest living hemophiliac in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania when he died at the age of 56. It was nice to sign the book in his memory.

We visited the Park Slope area of Brooklyn where all the great tall brownstones are, (love these houses) and then went to Prospect Park. The park was huge, lots going on there, horse trails, a lake, ball fields, picnic areas ~ so we put our blanket down and just watched all the activity. We even found 6 four leaf clovers. Lucky day. We then went for coffee at a sidewalk cafe. For dinner that evening we were invited to my husband's cousin's house, Joel Longenecker, who lives in that area of Brooklyn, for a cookout. Picking up cookies at a little French bakery and a bottle of wine, off we go to their house. They are artists too, and they have two young sons. We had a wonderful time.

Coney Island. Oh yes.  We just had to see this place and have one of the famous Nathans hot dogs. They were setting up for the hot dog eating contest while we were there. We rode the ferris wheel and the roller coaster, walked the boardwalk and pier, ate some goodies and bought some souvenirs.

We visited an area called Carol Gardens. Nice shopping area, cafes and restaurants. We had dinner at a place called Apartment 138. Great place!

The last day there we had lunch in Union Square as we watched a few chess games being played, and enjoyed the dog park. We saw the Manhattan Mennonite Church and had coffee in a small cafe near by. The big event of the day was the ballgame at Staten Island. We took the ferry over to Staten Island, had a great view of the Statue of Liberty on the way, and arrived at the ballpark, Ballpark at St. George. It was another beautiful evening, some of Amy's friends came along, and we enjoyed the game, and the Yankees won.

The next morning it was back on the road again with Starbucks in hand heading down the pike. We made a stop in Pennsylvania to see Galen's folks and dropped off a marble chaser for the upcoming family reunion.

We made it home, sweet home. Otis and Riley were happy to see us and all is well. We had a great vacation.