Spring Comes to Central Park

After an especially long and cold winter, spring has finally come to New York City.  Central Park, an 843-acre tract in the heart of Manhattan, is full of blossoms and blooms.  The warm weather has also brought out huge crowds of bikers, runners, strollers, performers, skaters, sunbathers, tourists, horseback riders, dog-walkers, soccer players, picnickers, artists, readers, and all their friends.  We love being among the crowds who walk and bike the many miles of trails in the park.

Thousands of the daffodil bulbs which are now blooming in the park were given to the city by the Netherlands after the Attack of 9/11.

A very active "Central Park Conservancy" carefully manages, protects, and polices the park.  Bicyclists can be ticketed for disobeying bike-traffic signals. Waterfowl are controlled with the help of a "goose patrol" vehicle.

Horse carriages and bicycle carriages are popular.



The park includes a zoo, four man-made lakes, scores of statues, and dozens of playing fields. There are both formal gardens and wild areas.

This is a view of the park from the rooftop of our apartment building.  The land was set aside and the park's features designed back in the 1850s. The only "natural" elements are huge stone outcroppings of Manhattan bedrock. Even much of the dirt was imported from New Jersey.  One of the Park's designers wrote,  "Every foot of the park, every tree and bush, every arch, roadway and walk, has been fixed where it is with a purpose."

Sharing New York with Visitors from Home

What a treat it was for us to have visitors from home:  Brent, Sharilyn, Sage, Claire, Seth, and Halley Jo came from Bountiful for a week of exploring in New York City.  We loved having them with us and sharing some of their adventures.  Brent had them trooping all over the city discovering the delights of everything from little pizza shops to Wall Street.  One morning we spent over FOUR HOURS in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Amazingly, the kids remained enthusiastic and uncomplaining!!

 Some highlights were playing at the FAO Schwartz toy store, eating street food, visiting the annual spring flower show at Macy's Department Store, and getting lost in the overwhelming Museum of Natural History.
We were pleased to be on hand when they did baptisms in the Manhattan Temple.

Halley Jo was ALWAYS ready for a hot dog.
Claire loved visiting the REAL Statue of Liberty, too.

We had to visit the Herald Square Macy's:  "largest store in the world."

Sage enjoyed riding bikes through Central Park, and experiencing the light and bustle of Times Square.

 Seth became a fan of Jackson Pollock at the Museum of Modern Art.

St Patrick's Day Parade: Irish Pride!

 The Irish have a huge "presence" in New York City.  The largest wave of Irish immigrants came as a result of the Great Famine in 1845, when 1.5 to 2 million Irish left their homeland.  By 1850, they made up one-quarter of the population of New York City. Today, about 5.5% of the city's population has Irish heritage. They are particularly associated with the police and fire departments. Hundreds of the city's 35,000 police marched.

 The parade allows no floats, autos, or exhibits.  Instead, the street was filled with high school bands, bagpipe bands, military bands, police bands . . . even the sanitation workers had an impressive band.  There were Revolutionary War bands and Civil War bands. We saw a lot of GREEN and hundreds of bagpipes.  

 The parade moves along Fifth Avenue from 44th Street, up past St Patrick's Cathedral, and on up to 80th Street.  We walked across Central Park to find a good spot to watch at about 65th Street. It was a blustery day, but Irish enthusiasm prevailed. There were over 150,000 marchers, all proud of their Irish heritage.

Senior Missionary Couples at the Manhattan Temple

One of the chief joys of our missionary service is our association with the other senior missionary couples also serving in Manhattan (some of whom are pictured here).  We all live in the same apartment building and often gather for meals and excursions together. We all serve a seven-hour shift every day the temple is open, typically five days a week. In addition, many of us attend Sunday meetings in outlying branches and wards in the area where we can make a contribution. We have been called here  from many different places:  Nevada, Texas, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, etc.  The faith and devotion of these dear fellow-workers energizes us!    In addition to  our temple service, we all also enjoy our adventures exploring New York City.   President Steve and Sister Marj Bennion preside over the temple work here with great love and grace.     

Happy Chinese New Year

 It has been fun to share in the excitement of Chinese New Year with some of the local members.  These sisters, members of the local Pathway cohort, handed out these hand-lettered greetings to all of us for the occasion.

A group of Relief Society sisters presented several Tai Chi routines, including this impressive fan dance.

On our walk to church along Main Street in Flushing, we pass many Chinese shops full of holiday decorations, foods, and specialties.  Everything glitters with gold and red!

With all the sights, smells, and sounds of this neighborhood in Queens, we feel like we have stepped right into China.

We attended the huge New Year's celebration put on by the Chinese members of the Manhattan Stake.  Here are some friends from our Flushing First Branch.  They are so proud of their heritage and are eager to share their music, folktales, dance and food.  We enjoyed dumplings, fried rice, and holiday cakes before the cultural program.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR from Elder Hawkins and his friend!

A Taste of the Delights of New York City

 While the temple was undergoing routine maintenance and cleaning, we got some extra time to explore the city.  Here are a few of our favorite discoveries.  Elder Hawkins is SO thrilled to be living across the street from Lincoln Center, with all its cultural offerings. Here he sits waiting for a concert in Avery Fisher Hall, home of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

The city is dotted with art galleries and museums. The Frick Collection is housed in a turn-of-the-20th Century mansion on Fifth Avenue.  This lovely atrium lies at the center of the home.

We were inspired by the New York Public Library, which is supported by private philanthropies to bless the community.  It offers the use its extensive holdings free to the public.

 We got to see a couple of Broadway plays in theaters just off of Times Square.  Here in the commercial hustle and bustle, we were thrilled to find the Church's "He is the Gift" billboard.

 We had a great time exploring the American Museum of Natural History, and especially enjoyed some exhibits in the Margaret Meade collections from the Pacific islands.

 Elder Hawkins was fascinated by this ceremonial mask. This museum has an incredible collection of dinosaur bones, gems and minerals, stuffed animals in dioramas, meteors,  . . . on and on and on! We remembered the movie, Night in the Museum, supposedly inspired by this setting.

 This "Merchant's House" in the NoHo neighborhood (north of SoHo in Manhattan) was built in 1830, and is a protected National Historical Site. It is beautifully preserved and completely furnished with original items.


We have come to love the richness and diversity of art, cultures, and people in this great city. It is full of delights!

Inspiring Temple Art

The Manhattan New York Temple contains many beautiful works of art, but this is my favorite.  It is a stained glass window created by Tom Holdman and hangs in the first-floor entrance foyer of the temple. It represents the story of Christ's appearance, after his resurrection, to two disciples on the Road to Eammus as told in Luke 24:13-32. Each time I enter the temple and see this work, I have a greater desire to be receptive and in tune for my experiences in the temple.