Back in September or October, my local purveyor of spirits had certain wines for sale..... expensive wines, but those one wouldn't usually find in a retail store. So, I conceived a notion to have a wine-tasting party. I would invite family and friends and we would taste, imbibe and eat good food. It had been a while since I had hosted any event at my home. The time was ripe. One of the "high class" wines that I acquired was a merlot, a wine that one of my sisters likes to enjoy, though not to excess. This particular sister (I have a few) was due up in our area to bring her daughter to visit colleges in November. I planned accordingly......
We all know the saying, proverb, what ever one wants to call it. Man plans, God laughs. This sister made it up a day late and couldn't stay. I love my sis, I gave her the bottle of wine I saved for her. She said we'd drink it together......
So we did. I went to visit her a month later, just after her birthday. It was a delicious bottle, even if I do prefer Cabernet Sauvignon. The next day, we went into NYC to have lunch with lots of relatives. Or Brunch. At Tavern on Jane. It's in the Village. I think. I can tell you this: their weekend brunch is absolutely wonderful and I had a great time. It gets crowded in there. If you think you'll be with a crowd, call ahead and see if you can get the back room. Much more spacious (by comparison only). The food is great. The price is right (especially for NYC!).
At this point, I would insert a picture of me sitting under the sign "Tavern on Jane" but I am a 20th century person who is slowly learning to function in the 21st. (There will be photos someday, if only to prove I can do it.) I must say, I had no idea there was a Jane Street in NYC. My parents never told me. Though it might have not crossed their minds. I still have that photo of my mother, my older brother, myself and the next youngest sister at the little red lighthouse under the George Washington Bridge. It's on the fridge. Oh, didn't you know there's a lighthouse? It's under the GW Bridge! NY side. It was there before the bridge. Someone wrote a children's book about it. But I've digressed. (If you are sitting in the passenger seat in a car, driving south on the Henry Hudson Parkway just north of the GW, you can see the lighthouse, but only in the winter as the foliage will block your view otherwise.)
Back to the subject at hand, though the sighting of the lighthouse was certainly one of my highlights that weekend. There is more, much more. Importantly more. Our cousin joined us with two of her three offspring, a boyfriend of one as well as the son of one of our West Coast cousin's son. I'd give you names but I don't have permission, releases etc. Anyway, it was a lovely gathering of relatives. I do love hanging out with the younger generation for the energy!
After the meal, three of us went down to the World Trade Center site. Of course, it is all closed off, there is a lot building going on, and the entrance to the memorial site requires prior registration, tickets and picture identifications. We did not plan ahead. It was enough to be in the area. There is a lot of building in the site. I took some photos, I think I felt obligated. We walked by the station house of the closest FDNY that responded. There is also a very large plaque around the corner from that.
It was a wonderful day. I explored lots of areas in the city in which I was born. It was bittersweet as I was surrounded by love from those I love though I visited an area of grief. Despite the seriousness of the location, the implication that one must treat this particular parcel of land with reverence, this is what came back to me: My mother, a born and bred New Yorker, said this about 9/11 "If anyone can handle this, it's New York." God Bless NYC. They keep showing us they way.
We all know the saying, proverb, what ever one wants to call it. Man plans, God laughs. This sister made it up a day late and couldn't stay. I love my sis, I gave her the bottle of wine I saved for her. She said we'd drink it together......
So we did. I went to visit her a month later, just after her birthday. It was a delicious bottle, even if I do prefer Cabernet Sauvignon. The next day, we went into NYC to have lunch with lots of relatives. Or Brunch. At Tavern on Jane. It's in the Village. I think. I can tell you this: their weekend brunch is absolutely wonderful and I had a great time. It gets crowded in there. If you think you'll be with a crowd, call ahead and see if you can get the back room. Much more spacious (by comparison only). The food is great. The price is right (especially for NYC!).
At this point, I would insert a picture of me sitting under the sign "Tavern on Jane" but I am a 20th century person who is slowly learning to function in the 21st. (There will be photos someday, if only to prove I can do it.) I must say, I had no idea there was a Jane Street in NYC. My parents never told me. Though it might have not crossed their minds. I still have that photo of my mother, my older brother, myself and the next youngest sister at the little red lighthouse under the George Washington Bridge. It's on the fridge. Oh, didn't you know there's a lighthouse? It's under the GW Bridge! NY side. It was there before the bridge. Someone wrote a children's book about it. But I've digressed. (If you are sitting in the passenger seat in a car, driving south on the Henry Hudson Parkway just north of the GW, you can see the lighthouse, but only in the winter as the foliage will block your view otherwise.)
Back to the subject at hand, though the sighting of the lighthouse was certainly one of my highlights that weekend. There is more, much more. Importantly more. Our cousin joined us with two of her three offspring, a boyfriend of one as well as the son of one of our West Coast cousin's son. I'd give you names but I don't have permission, releases etc. Anyway, it was a lovely gathering of relatives. I do love hanging out with the younger generation for the energy!
After the meal, three of us went down to the World Trade Center site. Of course, it is all closed off, there is a lot building going on, and the entrance to the memorial site requires prior registration, tickets and picture identifications. We did not plan ahead. It was enough to be in the area. There is a lot of building in the site. I took some photos, I think I felt obligated. We walked by the station house of the closest FDNY that responded. There is also a very large plaque around the corner from that.
It was a wonderful day. I explored lots of areas in the city in which I was born. It was bittersweet as I was surrounded by love from those I love though I visited an area of grief. Despite the seriousness of the location, the implication that one must treat this particular parcel of land with reverence, this is what came back to me: My mother, a born and bred New Yorker, said this about 9/11 "If anyone can handle this, it's New York." God Bless NYC. They keep showing us they way.
No comments:
Post a Comment