Sunday in Manhattan

It's always neat to go to church in another place.  It is a good reminder for me, coming from such a homogenous community, that the LDS church is a worldwide church, and that there is room for everybody, no matter their level of imperfection.  Everywhere we go, the gospel is the same, though the people are as varied and unique as you can imagine.  Seeing the diversity of the church population reminds me that successfully growing zucchini, being an active member of the PTA and skillfully using a flatiron are not central to my salvation.  I think I might just go to sacrament meeting in jeans one of these days to keep that idea fresh in my mind and to keep my intentions focused on the basics.

We thought visiting Ground Zero fit in nicely with our after-church frame of mind.  The museum was impossibly crowded, so we stopped in at a small church across the street from the World Trade Center.  Inside, they had displays of letters, mementos and pictures from 9-11.  The above photo hit me in the gut.  All the emotions of that day flooded back.  It was surreal to relive that morning a little bit, and to try to explain to Golda and Ruby how life irrevocably changed that day.

We found this farmers' market downtown and spent some time browsing the food carts and handicrafts.

I thought Ruby had spotted Madonna or something when she came into a store breathless, saying, "You'll never believe what I saw outside!"  It was an Amareno gelato truck, the first one in the states.  Of course, we had to get gelato immediately.

Then it was back to the hotel for a rest before the big game. Yankees vs. Red Sox in the Bronx!