SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT NEW YORK

Sue wanted to go to NY to see the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and hear her song performed as part of the Tabernacle's Christmas program. She wanted me to tag along and so I did even as President Kennedy accompanied Jackie to Paris. It was a fun time for the two of us to have time together, attend the Christmas program, tour NY, learn the train schedules and walk, walk, walk.

The Brooklyn Tabernacle is, of course in Brooklyn. My earliest remembrances of Brooklyn had to do with the Dodgers before they sadly moved to Los Angles. The Tabernacle is located in the confines of a beautiful old theater. It is very ornate and its beauty is only exceeded by the friendliness of of the members. The auditorium has balcony boxes along the sides of the walls. When I was a kid in Springfield, those were my favorite seats at the Gilloiz Theater. Those boxes at the tabernacle were decorated with Christmas trees.

Here are some of my impressions of the Christmas program.

1. The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir is BY FAR the best choir I have ever heard.
2. Taranda Greene sang Sue's song and it was incredible.
3. Taranda Greene sang "Oh, Holy Night" better than I have ever heard anyone sing it and I have heard some great ones.
4. Pastor Jim Cymbala is the real deal. Previously, I never liked having a pastor take over after a concert, the effect of which, for me, was to ruin the message of the concert. He was prepared and did a fantastic job in concluding the evening.
5. Carolyn Cymbala, Jim's wife, is a very talented and gracious lady who led the choir in such a dynamic way.
6. Tony and Taranda Greene are very special and kind people who can really sing our Lord's message.
7. I loved it when pastor Cymbala came out of his office and said: "Where is this great song writer?" When someone says something like that about Sue, it is an incredible blessing to me.

I liked Brooklyn even late at night.

If I lived in the NY area, I would not own a car.

It was fun walking around NY on Friday. We passed by so many beautiful decorations, people in a hurry, people from many different nations (does anyone live in NY?) heard so many different languages. Only English appeared to be missing. In Sue's blog, she went into detail about the various sites so i will not go that way. I loved the walking and my left bun was sore from all that exercise.

When we arrived home, we found nearly nine inches of snow in St. Charles. I like snow somewhere I am not; however, I must admit it was beautiful. The trip was great but there is no place like .....