Miss Ann Says

thoughts from everyday life
Miss Ann Says
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    • Travel Tuesdays- S1E25- New York Botanical Gardens

      Posted at 11:31 am by missannsays, on October 29, 2013

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      Recently I spent a delightful day with friends at the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. As I was traveling over the George Washington Bridge with one of my friends she commented “Tony said he thought the botanical gardens were in Brooklyn”. I chuckled because the night before I had thought wait, are we going to the Bronx or Brooklyn? So to clarify the New York Botanical Gardens are in the Bronx and the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens are in Brooklyn. I haven’t visited the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens that is a trip for another day.

      According to NYBG website “In the late 19th century an eminent Columbia University botanist named Nathaniel Lord Britton and his wife, Elizabeth, also a botanist, were so inspired by their visit to England’s Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, that they and other members of the Torrey Botanical Club determined New York should possess a great botanical garden as well. A magnificent site was selected in the northern section of the Bronx, part of which had belonged to the vast estate of tobacco merchant Pierre Lorillard. On April 18, 1891, the land was set aside by the New York State Legislature for the creation of β€œa public botanic garden of the highest class” for the City of New York. Prominent civic leaders and financiers, including Andrew Carnegie, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and J. Pierpont Morgan, agreed to match the City’s commitment to finance the buildings and improvements, initiating a public-private partnership that continues today.”

      I know nothing about botany or gardening but I can tell you the gardens were magnificent. My friends and I did a guided tour of the “KIKU:The Art of Japanese Gardening” Exhibition. We also rode the trolley around the 250 acres and strolled through the Halloween Pumpkin Patch. Since a picture is worth a thousand years I have posted a couple of photos and there are a few more at http://randomsightings.wordpress.com. Enjoy, I know I did.

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      Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged friendship, Japan, travel
    • all done up and dvds

      Posted at 10:02 pm by missannsays, on October 26, 2013

      On Thursday evening, I attended the 28th Annual Gala for the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Fund. What an amazing event. Over the past twelve years I have been blessed to receive a yearly check from the Benefit Fund. On September 11 of this year I meet the chairman of the board of directors of the Benefit Fund when we were both invited to ring the bell at the NASDAQ. This year when invitation to attend the gala arrived I looked at it more closely and thought maybe I will go. While having lunch a few days after the invitation had arrived, two of my FDNY widow friends decided we would get “dressed up” and attend together. We figured we would have fun being together and really why would you turn down an invitation to dinner at the Waldorf! We decided we would rent a limo so we didn’t have to drive and to be honest attending a gala at the Waldorf Astoria sounded like something you should arrive in a limo for. We sounded like three teenage girls planning for the prom. πŸ™‚

      I decided my hair needed to be cut so I scheduled my appointment for the morning of the gala because my hair only looks really good right after my hairstylist has done it. I figured I probably should get my nails done as well. While I was at the salon getting my nails and hair done, my hairdresser commented “you should get your make up done, too” so I did. I was all “done up!”

      The entire evening was lovely. There was a cocktail hour, dinner,a live auction to raise money for the fund and then an after party. When we arrived we checked in and were given a Swarovski crystal bracelet and our table number. We were seated with other beneficiaries. Our table was right down front behind the head tables. Mayor Michael Bloomberg set directly behind me. Rusty Staub was at the Mayor’s table. FDNY Commissioner Sal Cassano was diagonally to my right. Mark Messier was one table away. There were probably many “movers and shakers” and dignitaries there but those are not the circles I travel in so I wasn’t aware. Plus my daughters say “I never know who anyone is” which is true. Before the event I was thinking that I might feel like Cinderella but to be honest I felt nothing but gratitude. I was grateful for good friends. I was grateful for such an amazing opportunity. I was grateful for a delicious meal. I was grateful for the generosity of people. I was grateful for the kindness of strangers. As we were transitioning into the after party, I made a point of thanking Mr. Staub for the invitation to attend the event as well as thanking him for the generosity of the Benefit Fund. He gave me a big hug.

      092 During the after party, they had a raffle. My friends and I each bought $20 worth of raffle tickets and proceeded to put our tickets in the containers of the items we hoped to win. There was a “Blue Bloods” gift basket with autographed DVDs, an autographed photo of the cast, baseball hat, beach towel and t-shirt. I placed two of my raffle tickets in that container and shared with my friends a story about Blue Blood DVDs. Every year my daughters ask what I want for Christmas and my yearly response is “Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards men.” Last year when they asked I said “Blue Blood DVDs”. They responded “What no peace on earth, no goodwill towards men.” I chuckled and I said “yes I want that too”. Guess what, I won the Blue Bloods gift basket. I now own two sets of Blue Blood DVDs πŸ™‚

      FYI according to their Facebook page “Since the Benefit Fund’s inception in 1985 by Daniel J. “Rusty” Staub, the Benefit Fund has distributed over $123 million to the families of New York City police and fire personnel who have been killed in the line of duty. Though the Benefit Fund was initially created to assist families of New York City Fire Fighters and Police Officers, we now include the families of Emergency Medical Services and Port Authority Officers as well. In 1987 we provided 320 families with annual financial assistance and by 2010, we made the same commitment to nearly 700 families. Our need has certainly grown, but our mission remains pure: help children and spouses who lost a loved one in the line of duty, charged with the task of keeping our families safe.”

      Thank you!!!

      Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged friendship, little things, randomness, September 11
    • random happenings or thoughts from this week

      Posted at 10:40 am by missannsays, on October 11, 2013

      1. In the last few days I was at the exact same location in Manhattan, Broadway between 47th & 48th Street, at two totally different times. Tuesday I was walking on that block at 2:00pm with my very good friend heading towards the TKTS booth. There were lots of people – visitors, business people, street vendors the usual hustle and bustle of the city. The billboard and marquee lights were glowing and flashing. Thursday I was walking alone on the block at 5:20am heading to volunteer at the Movement Day conference. There were very few people – the construction worker was covering up the holes in the street, a businessman or two, a young woman talking on her cellphone. The billboard and marquee lights were still glowing and flashing. They seemed brighter since it was still dark out. To be honest, I walked a little faster, was more aware of my surroundings, and held my purse tighter to my body. I was struck by how different the walk seemed and realized the difference a friend and sunlight makes. πŸ™‚

      2. The Bible Quizzing lesson this week was Noah. I decided to mark off the dimensions of the ark with my 6 students. We headed outside armed with a 30 foot tape measure and the dimensions – 75 ft wide, 45 feet tall and 450 feet long. We used feet not cubits. πŸ™‚ First we measured the width and then we measured the length which with a 30 foot tape measure becomes a game of leap-frog. Mark a start spot, someone pulls tape to 30 feet, mark the spot and do over again and again – 15 times to be exact. And then the kid QTOD “Wow, the ark was really big. That must have been the start of cruise ships.”

      3. Over the past weeks, the acorns from the white swamp oak trees at the National September 11 Memorial have been falling. Sometimes startling a visitor or myself. I have been thinking that an acorn is an amazing thing. To think a tiny acorn becomes a mighty oak tree. The difference in the trees on the Memorial in the last 2 years is a wonder to behold. It was very difficult to find a shady place to stand in the summer of 2012. I remember trying to fit 20 people in one tiny area of shade. Now it is difficult to find a place to stand to able see the surrounding buildings because the trees supply a beautiful canopy of shade. I once read or heard “which is more of a miracle if an acorn was planted and immediately an oak tree appeared? Or if an acorn is planted and after years there is a mighty oak tree?”

      Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments
    • Travel Tuesdays -S1E22- national preparedness month

      Posted at 11:12 pm by missannsays, on September 17, 2013

      September is National Preparedness Month. Both the Red Cross and FEMA have some great information on their websites. I thought I would share a few thoughts for emergency preparedness when traveling.

      1. Add a I.C.E. ( in case of emergency ) contact to your phone.

      2. If traveling oversees, add the American Embassy’s phone number to your phone.

      3. Pack a flashlight and extra batteries.

      4. Carry your prescriptions in your carry on. Put an extra glasses in your carry on. Hearing aid batteries in your carry on as well.

      5. Pick an emergency meeting place. This is something we usually do when we travel as a family. In case things “go bad”. Last year, my daughter and I were at a conference together in CA and the convention center had to be evacuated. We were able to reach other by phone but the first thing we said to each other was “we forgot to pick a spot.”

      6. If you are told to evacuate, evacuate!!!

      7. Let someone know your travel plans. Even if you are “running away”, let someone who will not bug you know where you are.

      8. As I say to the school groups at the Tribute Center, we don’t live “afraid”, we live “aware”. Pay attention to what is happening around you.

      9. Have a photocopy of your passport.

      10. Write the toll free number for your credit card on a piece of paper, in case your card is lost or stolen.

      Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments
    • a few words

      Posted at 6:40 pm by missannsays, on September 12, 2013

      033The question is usually posed in one of two ways. “Would you mind saying a few words?” or “Would you like to say a few words?” My answer is typically “No, I don’t mind” or “Yes, I would like to?” Breath! Think! Smile! Lucky for me the person who asked either question can’t read my thoughts. “Okay now what?!?” “How many words are a few words? ” “What do you want me to say Lord!” “Oh boy, that may have been the wrong answer?”

      Yesterday, I had two amazing opportunities to say a “few words”. As I began my day, I knew I was the spokes person for the Tribute Center at the ringing of the bell at NASDAQ. That whole experience makes me smile because really, what the heck am I doing at the NASDAQ? A few weeks ago, Tribute Center had asked for volunteers to ring the opening bell on September 11. At that point in time, I was sorting through how I would spend the day. I was already planning on attending the dedication of a memorial in Bruce’s hometown of Rochelle Park, NJ but that was in the evening. At first I thought nah, I won’t say yes to the NASDAQ and then I thought why not? So I said “yes”. Then last Friday the volunteer coordinator from the Tribute Center called and asked if I would mind saying “a few words” as Tribute’s spokes person. I chuckled and said “this is so weird on so many levels but why not?”. Then they asked “would you like talking points?” “Yes, please.” Now this whole time I am assuming that ALL the people representing the Tribute Center, Tuesday’s Children, New York Fire & Police Widow and Children Fund, the NYPD and FDNY will be on stage. Not!! It is just me and 4 other people – one from each organization. “Oh, my! how did I get here?” . So much for safety in numbers. Eventually, all those other people join in. Thank you, Jesus!! But the piece de resistance was when we went outside for our tower photos. The photographer took a few photos of the five representatives standing in the middle of Time Square with the NASDAQ tower in the background. And then he took individual photos* and there was my name in huge letters on the tower. Unbelievable. And I had to laugh. I remembered my dancing teacher, Miss Betty, saying “Stick with me kid, you will have your name in lights and your ass in tights!!” But it was my hubby that got my name in lights. Thanks, Bruce. πŸ™‚

      Last evening I attended the dedication of the September 11 memorial in Rochelle Park, NJ. When I arrived, I was asked “would you like to say a few words?” The memorial in Rochelle Park has two names on it – Richard Bruce Van Hine and Father Mychal Judge. As I pondered what to say I thought about was there any connection between Bruce and Father Judge besides they were both FDNY deaths on September 11. And then it came to me or probably more accurately God whispered in my ear. They both loved God and they both fulfilled their callings. So my “few words” included that Bruce and Father Judge both loved God. I also stated “I never had the privilege of meeting Father Judge but from what I read about him I can think Bruce and Father Judge have something else in common. They fulfilled their callings. My prayer and hope is that each of us will fulfill the callings on our life.” 034

      “Lord, Take me where you want me to go,Let me meet who you want me to meet,Tell me what you want me to say and keep me out of your way” Father Mychal Judge

      *I don’t have the photo yet but when I do I will post it.

      Posted in daily life, memories, September 11, then & now, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged following Jesus, little things, September 11, telling the next generation
    • Travel Tuesdays – S1E20 Oxford and Stratford

      Posted at 6:30 pm by missannsays, on September 4, 2013

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      Lateness of blog is due to babysitting my nieces. Shout out to moms who blog “you rock.”

      I almost called this post “scholars and Shakespeare”. I love Oxford – the colleges, the gardens, the bicycles, thoughts of who walked the cobbled stones streets before you, who sat in the church you are seating in, who hung out in the same pub or cafe. Oxford is so rich in history, architecture, stories. Oxford is the place of my birth many years ago. My mum always says “she gave me a good start and after that I was on my own.” πŸ™‚ I left England when I was under two years of age. Not sure I could glean much from Oxford at age 1. I will admit that when people hear where I was born, many times they say “really?!?”. I control myself and don’t respond “no, I was lying.” Anyway.

      Radcliffe Infirmary where I born no longer exists. My mother’s cousin and I joked that after I was born there and then years later her son, there was no need to keep it open – the best had been delivered. lol. I hadn’t realized it was only a block away from where I had booked a dorm room during my visit this summer.

      University rooms is a good website for finding dorm rooms to rent. http://www.oxfordrooms.co.uk. Bed and breakfasts and hotels in Oxford are pricey. My daughter, her hubby and I stayed one night at Keble College. Keble College is one of the 39 colleges that are part of Oxford University. It has the longest dining hall in Oxford. Think Harry Potter. Wow!! Full English breakfast is included with your nights stay and the atmosphere of the dining hall is worth every penny. Added bonus, the food was delicious and plentiful and the staff was delightful. One thing I noticed in each place I stayed in Britain was the rooms have a hot water pot, china cup and saucer, tea bags, biscuits aka cookies, milk and sugar all beautifully placed on a tray. It seems so much more civilized than the coffee pot and styrofoam cups in American hotel rooms. I also spent two nights at the Merifield Annex of Wadham College in an area of Oxford called Summertown. A 10 minute bus ride and I was in the city center. In England you don’t say “round trip” the term is “return.” Another lesson learned. Merifield Annex was very convenient to city center and the neighborhood included grocery stores, cafes, and even the community center with pool.

      After Oxford, I headed to Stratford-upon-Avon, the home of Shakespeare. Great black and white buildings, some with thatched roofs, swans on the river Avon, and boat tours all make Stratford a lovely place to visit. Shakespeare’s birthplace and visitor center is informative without being “stuffy”. http://www.shakespeare.org.uk You do have to watch a short video before you can proceed to the next room in the visitor center but the video is short and sweet. They actually do that with each room. There is information that is presented and the door to the next room doesn’t open until it is done. Not sure how everyone feels about this technique but I found it worthwhile and not overly long or boring. Most of the sights connected to Shakespeare are within easy walking distance. (Anne Hathway’s Cottage is not as centrally located as other sights. Learned that many years ago when a friend and I walked there. it was further than we thought it would be).You pay one admission for a couple of different sites and your admission price allows you to return within the year. Good deal.

      “And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.” As you like it

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      Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments
    • Travel Tuesdays – S1E18 Japan – lost in translation

      Posted at 8:09 pm by missannsays, on August 20, 2013

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      All the hotels we stayed in while in Japan had a complimentary robe/nightgown and slippers. The above emergency exit sign on the back of the door at one hotel was puzzling. My “roommate” and I weren’t sure if the hotel was worried about you being properly dressed. Or were they worried about you stealing their nightgown and slippers. In an emergency, aren’t you just suppose to get out.

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      Twice during my trip to Japan I received emergency alerts. It is wonderful that your cell phone let’s you know there is an emergency. Unfortunately, I knew there was an emergency that part is written in English. However, what the emergency was is written in Japanese. So I know to be concerned but don’t know why. Duh!?! Fortunately, our guides could explain.

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      Where is the sink? Oh, the sink is part of the toilet. When you “flush” the toilet, the water first comes out the top so you can wash your hands and then that water is used to fill the tank. Good for small bathrooms and good way to conserve water. πŸ™‚

      Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments
    • A gentle tap on my shoulder

      Posted at 9:31 am by missannsays, on August 15, 2013

      It wasn’t actually a physical tap on my shoulder. You know the kind that says “excuse me” or “don’t forget” or “I am here”. None the less it was a tap on my shoulder. Let me explain. I was sitting in the doctor’s office with my daughter. Her doctor was looking over my pathology reports from five years ago. Not to worry all is well with me and my daughter. We were making sure her doctor knew the family history. Anyway, her doctor is reading my reports and states “your doctor must have been very pleased with the results.” I mention again I am 5 years cancer free and he continues with the task at hand of examining my daughter. As we are getting ready to leave he summarizes the visit for my daughter and then looks at me and says something like “wow, you had 3 negatives and here you sit.” And that is when I felt the tap on my shoulder “it was a bigger miracle than you realized. I have a plan. I always have.”

      I never doubted that God, prayer, chemo, radiation, good doctors, great friends played a part in my cancer recovery. But sometimes I need a gentle tap on my shoulder to remind me of how far I have come. I am grateful and so very blessed.

      I have a feeling we all need to pause sometimes and see how far we have come and be grateful. I like a tap on the shoulder better than getting hit head on the head with a 2×4. Just saying…

      Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments | Tagged cancer, little things
    • Japan – the journey begins

      Posted at 9:01 pm by missannsays, on August 14, 2013

      The flight to Japan is long. 14 hours to be exact. The flight actually wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. Partly because I had a bulkhead seat and had leg room so my attitude was better than average going into it. Also partly because traveling at night I did sleep a bit. The good news is they do “feed you” unlike on domestic flights or even when I flew to Scotland via Iceland in July. They actually “feed you” multiple times – dinner, random sandwich and then dinner again. That is the strange part of flying to Japan, you skip a day. We flew out of JFK at 7pm on Wednesday evening and arrived in Tokyo at 9:00pm on Thursday night so I didn’t really have Thursday daytime. Going into the trip I decided to sleep when it was dark and eat when I was hungry so I just went with it. πŸ™‚

      The first night in Japan was at the Hotel Metropolitan Marunouchi. The hotel lobby is on the 27th floor of an office building. The next morning a buffet breakfast was available. You had the choice of Western breakfast – cereal, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, croissants or Japanese breakfast – rice, fish, fruit, omelets (looked more like quiche), soup or salad. And thus the exploring new food combinations began.

      After breakfast we ventured next door to catch the bullet train to Sendai. We had been warned that the train stops for 1 minute – 30 seconds for people to get off and 30 seconds for people to get on. No pressure!?! There is no confusion as to where to stand as there are markings on the platform as to where to line up for which car – very orderly. Getting on and off trains with luggage (or even without luggage) is a challenge for me. I get really nervous if there is a “gap” between the train and the platform. I am sure I am going to fall through and become a “movie of the week”. The subway in NYC makes me nervous. When I was in Oxford last month, there was a space so big I really could have fallen through. Thankfully my son-in-law grabbed my bag for me. Luckily there wasn’t a gap in Japan and we all got on the train in a timely, orderly fashion. πŸ™‚

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      From Sendai we boarded a charter bus and traveled to the temporary housing units in Gankoya, Soma, Fukushima. We shared our stories, Christmas in summer treats for the children and adults and a meal with the residents. The families at this housing unit are here because of the nuclear radiation spill caused by the earthquake. Most of their homes were not damaged by the earthquake or tsunami but they were within the evacuation area for the radiation. It is not safe for them to live in their homes and they don’t know if they will ever be able to return home. Some people have relocated to totally different areas of the country. Many people’s jobs have also been impacted. An elderly woman’s daughter had owned a farm but has had to find work elsewhere leaving her mother behind at the relocation housing center. She commented “I see her once a week”. So sad.

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      I spoke with a young woman whose husband has to travel much further to work because the hospital he worked at has been closed due to the radiation. So she is alone with three small children much of the time. Her youngest daughter was born after the earthquake. And the young woman commented that “she has never seen her home.” 😦

      A quick visit to see the mental health center and then a bus ride to Koriyama our home for the next two days. more to come…

      Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Japan, little things, travel
    • Travel Tuesdays – S1E17 Japan

      Posted at 9:31 pm by missannsays, on August 13, 2013

      244Japan wasn’t on my list of countries I wanted to visit. But after my recent trip to Japan, I would definitely go again (with a guide/interpreter) and would encourage you to go as well. My trip to Japan wasn’t vacation. It was conferences, meetings, photo ops, making connections by telling “our 9-11 stories”. Through my connection with the Tribute Center I was invited to be part of a “9-11 meets 3-11” trip. The trip was an amazing journey. It is a journey I am still processing.

      A few things I observed/learned from my 9 days in Japan.

      1. Japan is a beautiful country – clean modern cities and lush farm lands.

      2. Japan is a proud country – modern conveniences steeped with ancient traditions.

      3. Japan is a country that is still recovering from a devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear spill.

      4. I listen better when I don’t understand the language. I don’t speak or understand Japanese. But I found myself really tuning into the person who was speaking. Trying to read their body language, trying to read their heart, trying to see what their eyes were saying. And listening carefully to the translation. At the school for the deaf it was double translation Japanese and sign language.

      5. A “mom hug” can help. At one of the mental health centers, we meet a young American who has been teaching English as part of the JET program. He has been in Japan for two years. He arrived two months after the earthquake and has been teaching in one of the badly hit areas. As he was telling us what he has been doing and how he will be leaving soon, there was something that “wasn’t right”, something not being said. I was listening and chatting with him suddenly I said to him “Could I give you a mom hug?” At which point, he said “Yes, it has been a long time.” And then he burst into tears. I also started crying. It was a humbling experience that lead to conversation with not just a “mom” but he also spoke with a few “dads” in the group.

      6. I can read about an event. I can watch videos and see it on the news but being there makes it real. It was like ground zero or the devastation from Super Storm Sandy until I saw it with my own eyes I couldn’t believe it. In all three cases, it was worst than I could imagine. And how quickly we forget that people are still recovering, struggling and trying to establish a “new normal”.

      7. Lastly, God doesn’t waste anything. All of my experiences can be used to help someone else. I don’t have the answers. Most of the time I don’t even know the question but I have my story. And if my story can help someone else on this journey called life then I have to share it. I believe that is true for each and every one of us. And when in doubt of what it is the right thing to say, your presence, your smile or hug can say it all.

      Posted in daily life, faith, relationships, respect in the real world, Uncategorized | 2 Comments | Tagged little things, respect, September 11, travel
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