Yin and Yang

"For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him." Romans 10:12

New York City is an animate and inanimate living and not breathing concrete one of a kind piece of desirable art. With smoke billowing up through the sewer gaits and haunting shadows casted on the 1900's brick dispensary buildings, as black plastic trash bags float through the air past seagulls, the scenery is always changing.

 The sanitation brigade works around the clock loading all of our discarded immense luxuries brought in trucks to the island of plenty. After our Easter dinner party overlooking the pastel pink, green, and yellow drenched Empire State building we contributed ten empty glass bottles to the recycling bin and hundreds of of scrap paper from an dramatic fierce game of Celebrity. 

To work off deviled eggs, honeyed ham, cheesy polenta, and pent up competitive energy, we fought the blaring wind to the Hudson for an orange sunset past weeping cherries and Bradford pear trees growing under corrugated rusty tin roofs and metal scaffolding and toasted the dirty white caps of the river with a delightful sparkling bottle of Rose. The color and contrast involved in this city is so extreme....

Since I arrived in Manhattan, New Yorkers have recommended the wonderful adventure of taking the (free) Staten Island Ferry. So, absorbing the 60 degree weather and hand in hand with my visiting husband, we set out through Chinatown into Little Italy and left across Broadway for a taste of the perfect slice of hot cheese and dough (Bleeker Street Pizza) and an open air invigorating ferry ride on the convergence of the two rivers...

Here is where we ended up...

In a massive shuffling crowd of  300-400 Hassidic Jewish families into an air tight stuffy closed packed 30 minute slow moving boat to another island, where the point was to disembark, run as fast as you can through the terminal to embark on the ferry heading back to South Ferry in Manhattan and wave quickly at the beautiful passing lady.

But seriously, for the round trip hour ride listening to John Legend on shared headphones,  we soaked in late 18th century Eastern European customs and dress coupled with 21st century Converse clad tourists from suburban Illinois. Yiddish meets "dontcha know?"...  and the contrast was celebrated....

As we exited the boat ramp and held the door for two Buddhist Monks. I turned, grinned, and mouthed, I love this city.

Don't you love the fact that it takes all kinds?

Tuesday tune in: ABC Cupid. Pink Tie Pouring Wine.