Sunday, September 29, 2013

Octoberfest Surprise

Hubby and I decided to go to a local
restaurant called the sitting duck.


 
To my surprise when we looked at the menu today
was the first day of Octoberfest !
 
 
I have never eaten German food but I was game!
 
WOW ~ I really liked it.
 
 
German Sausage Sampler-

Three of Munich’s favorite grilled wursts with warm sauerkraut.

Served with homemade potato pancake and sweet & sour braised red cabbage


 

Opens up a whole new world of possibilities ! !
 

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Colts Neck Harvest Festival

Colts Neck Harvest Festival
 
The grounds are really lovely in Colts Neck


They had wonderful crafters at the festival.

 
A lot of children's rides.

 
A sweet little train ride

 
Loved the sneakers on this inch worm hah

 
Here I am enjoying the coolness of the day

 
Here's my hubby checking out the food options

 
They had a vendor who carved your names and initials
into trees.  Like back in the day when you would carve
your name in trees ~ so nostalgic. 

We just had to buy one.

 
 
My husbands little cousin Taylor loves all things
Super Hero ~ a crafter made these awesome
marionette's so we bought him Superman for
Christmas ~ I can hardly wait to give this to him.

 
He so cool when you walk him his cap flies up !
Taylor is going to love this.
 
 

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Solutions ~ Walk for Life ~ 2013

 
Today was our annual Walk for Life
We were blessed with the perfect fall day!
The sun was shining bright and it was cool and breezy.
Here I a with our group of ladies  . . .

 
It was a glorious day at the Jersey Shore.


Saturday, September 21, 2013

Day in New York City

There have been a few things I have
wanted to do in NYC so today was the day.
Hubby ~ bless his heart is always ready to oblige.

We started out having breakfast in Brooklyn.
A great place that we saw on Triple D.
Was Guy Fieri ever right!!!

Pies & Thighs

Tiny little place backed with young people.
It seems to be the "hip" place to eat.


Here I am happily waiting for my food.

 
The food did not disappoint.
Fried Chicken with Waffles Cinnamon butter
and Strawberries. 
 
Best fried chicken I have ever eaten.

 
The pies and donuts are incredible.

 
Hubby treated himself to a donut.
It is so big it will take him about 4 tries
to eat it. hah

 
Then we headed to the 911 Memorial
 
On the way there we passed
St Paul's Chapel of Trinity Church
It survived the attacks and was a
place of refuge for many.
 
 
This photo from the Internet
says it all . . .
 
 
We also passed this statue:
The statue is a memorial to the troops who led
the American invasion of Afghanistan in response
to the Sept. 11 attacks on the trade center
 and the Pentagon.
 


Freedom Tower on the way to the memorial

 
Hubby walking into the memorial

 
South Pool - as you walk around these huge
pools and read name after name after name
you still cannot imagine the number of lives
lost in one moment.
 

 
North Pool - I was determined to find a dear
friends name from my church who died on
911. I walked around and around 3 times
reading every name on the wall of the South
pool. Not realizing there were two pools and
he was on the North side.

 
In search for my friend I found Todd Beamer.
What an amazing hero.  I'll never forget his
words ... Let's Roll !

 
I couldn't fit this entirely in my photo but
you can see Jennifer L Howley and her unborn child.
I ran across at least 3 of these with women
who were pregnant.  Heartbreaking

 
This gentlemen attend my hubbies church and
what is now my church. He was a brave
firemen who lost his life trying to save other.
Brue Van Hine

 
And this is my friend who I searched for so long
Al Braca  ~

 
Such mixed emotions visiting this sight.
You feel so torn about smiling for a photo.
 
 
A pear tree that miraculously survived the Sept. 11 terror
attack blossomed at ground zero on the first day of spring.
The "Survivor Tree" – as it's been dubbed – was discovered
 amid the smoldering rubble, limbs lifeless, roots snapped,
trunk blackened. Workers freed it and it was nursed back to
health in a Bronx park before it was replanted.
Now topping 30 feet – four times its size in 2001 –
 it towers above other trees in Memorial Plaza at the
World Trade Center. It sprouted white blossoms,
seen for the first time by visitors to the 9/11 memorial that
opened last September.

 
Here's the tree being transported.
You can see the little bit of green life.
 
 
We also passed the "businessman"
statue . . .
 
Here he is on 911 amid the horror.
 
 
And here he is now a representation of
our ability to survive.

 
Over the 9 months of recovery at Ground
Zero approximately 18 tons of material were
removed from the site. Some 1,500 pcs of
structured steel were saved by the Port
Authority of NY & NJ
 
Many re purposed into memorial settings.
 
We have some in a town not far from where
I live at the fire house. Every time I pass
it I remember.
 
This piece of steel was in the gift shop.
 

 
After 911 it was time to move on to our next
adventure
 
I have always wanted to go to Central Park
to see the Hans Christian Anderson statue.
I love the movie with Danny Kaye and when
I saw in Guidepost magazine they have a statue
I nearly tortured hubby to death to take me.

Oh this movie !

 
The little boy with cancer who lost
his hair and he told him the Ugly
Duckling story.  Oh I love this movie.



On the way we passed The Waldorf Astoria.
 

 
Grand Central Station
 
 
 
 
The park is so beautiful.
The weather was perfect today.
 
 
I love the little sailboats.
Reminded me of Stuart Little movie.

 
Remember how cute he was. hah
 
 
 Here is Alice in Wonderland with
children just crawling all over her.


Mad Hatter

 
Rabbit

 
I was a bit frustrated that I
couldn't get a photo without
all the people I didn't know in it.
Since it is "all about me right ?" hah
 
Grace, Grace God's Grace oh boy I need some!
 
So here is one from the Internet
 
 
 Here he is Hans Christian Andersen ! ! !
and the Ugly Duck.

 
Hans and I just kickin' back hah

 
Closer view of sail boats they are so beautiful

 
Here I am not trying to be a super model but
Hubby doesn't give me a second to pose for
photo ops. hah
 
I told him he is my BLOG photographer
and he needs to get it together hah

 
And the Pièce de résistance
 
There was a little Westie running around the park.
I told Gary I just have to go see him ~ I have too!
 
So I ran over to him and started to chat with his
owner who was the kindest man with a charming
Irish accent.  I told him all about Solomon and
he said how "stubborn" his boy was also hah
He called him to come a million times so I could pet him
and that rascal just stood and looked at both
of us. hah They are all so much alike.
 
We finally caught up with him, Dooley was his name.
He was precious. 
 
We parted ways and the gentlemen
said, "I see a Westie in your future"  So sweet.
 
As I looked back to see them go I got the biggest
smile as I saw the man struggling and pulling his
leash because as in perfect Westie Fashion this
boy did not want to cooperate ha ha ha
 
Way to go Dooley
 
 
 
Thankful for a full blessed day !
 
I am so tired and my legs and feet are not happy
 
I need one of these . . .
 
 
So I can have HAPPY FEET again !