16 July 2017

16 July 2017

This week has been a fun one with Suzie. On Monday we took the train up to Dyckman Street and walked to where we used to live when we first arrived on our mission. We walked up to the church where we attended, and then I tried to find The Cloisters to show Suzie.  But, as usual, got lost. Sometimes getting lost is good because we got to see a lot of beautiful  places in the Tyron Park. The highest point in Tryon Park used to be called "Fort Washington" during the summer of 1776 until Hessian mercenaries fighting for the British forced the troops to retreat. The British then renamed the area for Sr William Tryon (1729-1788), Major General and the last British governor of colonial New York.

Suzie standing inside an overhang in the rocks

Suzie sittng on the side of steps leading into parts of Tryon Park

Path up to Cloisters with Suzie looking over Hudson River 

Suzie trying to find a way to climb the perfect tree!

Diane standing in one of the entrances in Tryon Park

On Wednesday, Dr. Martinez volunteered to take us on a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and then into China Town as Suzie had not been there before. Dr. Martinez explained the history of Brooklyn Bridge and told us about Governor's Island and how it was a part of the Revolutionary War. The British were referred to as the Governors and that is where it got its name.

In August of 1776 when the Battle of Brooklyn, one of the first skirmishes between British and the Americans in the Revolutionary War, took place. George Washington positioned troops in Brooklyn and fighting occurs throughout many present-day neighborhoods, include Flatbush and Park Slope.

The British defeaedt the Americans, but because of bad weather and fog coming in, the American troops are able to flee to Manhattan. Many soldiers are thus saved.

A little more than a decade later, in 1814, the steamship Nassau begins service between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Brooklyn's economy grews, and it is incorporated as the City of Brooklyn in 1834, and in 1883 one of Brooklyn's most famous landmarks, the Brooklyn Bridge, is opened.

Dr. Martinez and Suzie entering Brooklyn Bridge

Diane entering Brooklyn Bridge

Diane and Suzie on Brooklyn Bridge

Walking and Bike path in the middle and above car lanes below on each side

Suzie taking pictures from middle of Brooklyn Bridge

Dr. Martinez in the Middle of Brooklyn Bridge

On Thursday I decided to go and serve at the temple as I had not been for awhile. I was able to work in the initiatory and then participated in the prayer circle for one of the sessions, and then served in the Celestial Room until it was time to go home around 9:00 am.

On Friday, we decided to go to the temple so at 11:30 a.m. we were scheduled to do baptisms for some of Golden's family. While Suzie was dressing, I attended an endowment session and then was able to do some of my own names for initiatory. As there were not enough workers, I volunteered to be a worker and was able to be the ordinance worker for my own names. It makes it rather special. It was a wonderful day in the temple for me.

Saturday, we cleaned the apartment and did all the laundry to get ready for Sunday. Suzie was so helpful in cleaning and scrubbing the bathroom down and doing all of the vacuuming as Golden still cannot do too much physically.

Sunday we went to the Harlem YSA ward and taught Puzzilla to the consultants as another approach to descendancy research. Then Golden worked with Ryan on his Moses Westfall line. It looked like there were some families that were combined by looking at  census records so he was learning the value of checking data carefully and getting to know you family.

Meanwhile, while Diane was involved in this week's activities, I spent much of my time exercising and walking for physical therapy.  Dan Brown,  DPT with New York City Nurse Services came on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

On Monday, I walked up a flight of stairs and back down again.  We parked the walker and he had me go foot over foot using the hand rail going up and back down the stairs.  He had me walk up and down the hall a few times and then told me that next time we would go outside. His assignment was for me to walk about the same (3-4 times a day) that I was doing, but to use the walker and the cane about 50-50 percent of the time.

On Wednesday, Dan and I walked from the apartment to Central Park and toward Tavern on the Green, down some steps and back to the apartment again, using the cane.  This was about 3 blocks each way--amounting to almost a quarter mile.  I had a chance to do some family history on my own Dutch Steenblok ancestors, as well.

My assignment was to walk about 5 blocks each way two or three times a day on Thursday, I walked from 66th Street up to 69th Street and back; Diane and I walked to Central Park West and up to 69th street and back; then later 66th Street to 71st Street and back.  I also walked a couple of blocks to Duane Reade and back and to Gourmet Garage to do a bit of food shopping.  I did a bit more research on one of my Dutch families preparing them for temple work.

On Friday, I started the day walking from 66th and Columbus Avenue uptown to 71st Street and back again.  When Dan Brown came in the afternoon, he had me climb a flight of stairs up and back (all of this walking and climbing was aided by a cane) and then gave me exercises to do to strengthen the muscles.  The most painful and difficult one was to not use my hands to lift from the chair but the use my legs and stand up quickly and sit down slowly for 5 times.  Without his encouragement, I would not have been able to do it!

Dan then prescribed a flight of stairs each day--no more than 4 times, sitting and standing (no hands) 10 times OUCH!! and exercising each leg out 20 times and back 20 times.  Then he taught me some of the New York Trivia:  Short blocks (going north and south-Avenues) took 5 blocks up and 5 blocks back (10 total blocks) to equal a half mile.  He also said that the price of a subway ticket and a piece of pizza were the same--both prices having just gone up.

I walked in the rain this afternoon to Pioneer Market for a couple of items for supper -- up to 74th street and back, so .8 miles.  I was prescribed to walk between 1/2 to 1 mile two or three times a day until he comes again on Monday.

Saturday, I concertrated on my physical activity; did my exercise as prescribed, walked from 66th Street Downtown to Columbus Circle (59th Street), over to Park West and then back Uptown to 66th Street and west back to Columbus Avenue; thence to Bed, Bath and Beyond for a couple of things for Diane.  This was 18 blocks or .9 miles.

In the afternoon, I walked the same route.  However, I stopped a couple of times and had a passerby take some photos and I took some on the way back along Park West.

Golden at Columbus Circle next to the Trump Hotel and Tower