Baby F.'s grandparents, all the way from good ol' Blighty, have
come to visit her and Papa-in-Training. We've all been playing tourist
with Nanny and Grandpa, showing them places we really like as well as
visiting places we've always meant to see, but just haven't had a chance
to.
Last week, we popped on over to Branch Brook Park in Newark, NJ, a wonderful park minutes away by light rail from our penthouse-in-the-sky. This is one of those places that produces a big 'face palm' moment, as in, "why don't we go there more often, i.e. more than once every 20 years"?*
I've trekked over many a time to Central Park in Manhattan, while all the time I've had this beauty in my backyard.
Silly really.
So a few weeks back, J., a Brooklyn friend, came over to check out all the cherry blossoms in bloom, the second biggest collection in the US after the ones in Washington, D.C.
J. and I had a good time, while Papa-in-Training dealt with a far too fussy Baby F., so when a few weeks later, Nanny and Grandpa showed up at our doorstep, I knew we had to take them to this little jewel in our city.
This time Baby F. was in a better mood, so together with her grandparents, we headed out to the park. It was a lovely day and we encountered much wildlife...well, a couple of waterfowl :o)
I found a friendly goose and shared some saltine crackers with him. It was the best interaction with a goose I've ever had, as they usually have a tendency to chase me while hissing as loudly as possible. Oh, and biting me, or at least trying to.
But this time with this goose, all was different and all was good :o)
(Little side note:
When I approached the goose, there was a gentleman that was on the same
path heading towards me and the goose. Upon seeing me feeding the goose -
and then having a little photo session with the goose and its' pal (as
seen below) - he stopped and sat down on a bench so as to not disturb
us. He only got up and continued down the path once he saw that I'd finished and had walked away. He didn't have to do that, so thank you sweet stranger for
allowing a silly woman some time with a goose.)
I should also point out that while all this was going on, Baby F. was in a deep, deep coma ;o) Which is good, 'cause she'd likely try to eat these:
We also popped over to the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart so Baby F.'s grandparents could see that we too have some impressive cathedrals in Jersey. Not very old compared to English ones, but nonetheless impressive.
You might be asking yourself though, what does this all have to do with a hat? And a runaway one to boot?
Well, upon our return home, we separated so the grandparents could go and pick up some late afternoon refreshments. I went on ahead to our flat and then waited at our front door, since Baby F.'s other grandparents were going to drop off some supplies. And well, we live on the 4th floor, so must conserve our energies ;o)
Soon enough, the Brit grandparents join us and that's when Grandpa mentions that a man has walked by carrying Baby F.'s hat.
What?!
But she was wearing it!
Somewhere along the last block or so to our building, she'd apparently thrown it off and I hadn't noticed. Meanwhile some enterprising and eagle-eyed soul had picked it up and was now walking speedily away from us with it.
I ran like a banshee after the man, all the while yelling 'Excuse me, excuse me!', which apparently no one pays attention to. I finally catch up with him and tell him in English that he's holding my baby's hat. He proceeds to try to tell me that he'd found it on the street. I spot from his accent that he's Brazilian so I switch to Portuguese and again state that it's my baby's hat and could I please have it back. Possibly operating under the old playground rule of 'finders keepers, losers weepers', he continues to argue with me about having found the hat. I point out again that it's a baby's hat, and he mentions how bacana it is. Yes, I know it's cool, that's why I gave it to the baby. I think from pure possible fear that this crazy lady in front of him might jump him for the hat, he finally handed it over. All the while, I'm just thinking, 'what in the world was he going to do with a small baby hat?'
I then rejoin the first set of grandparents, who have now been joined by the second set, as well as one of my downstairs neighbors, and we all wonder at the strangeness of people and at the case of the runaway hat. :o)
*Wish i was kidding about that every once 20 years bit. I think the last time I'd visited, outside of going with my friend J. a few weeks back, was in 1986!
Bad Newarker! Bad Newarker! ;o)
Last week, we popped on over to Branch Brook Park in Newark, NJ, a wonderful park minutes away by light rail from our penthouse-in-the-sky. This is one of those places that produces a big 'face palm' moment, as in, "why don't we go there more often, i.e. more than once every 20 years"?*
I've trekked over many a time to Central Park in Manhattan, while all the time I've had this beauty in my backyard.
Silly really.
So a few weeks back, J., a Brooklyn friend, came over to check out all the cherry blossoms in bloom, the second biggest collection in the US after the ones in Washington, D.C.
 |
| Pretty flowers! |
 |
| Sacred Heart Cathedral Basilica viewed from Branch Brook Park |
 |
| Lovers' Lane |
J. and I had a good time, while Papa-in-Training dealt with a far too fussy Baby F., so when a few weeks later, Nanny and Grandpa showed up at our doorstep, I knew we had to take them to this little jewel in our city.
 |
| Teeny tiny flowers - squee! |
This time Baby F. was in a better mood, so together with her grandparents, we headed out to the park. It was a lovely day and we encountered much wildlife...well, a couple of waterfowl :o)
 |
| Duckies! |
I found a friendly goose and shared some saltine crackers with him. It was the best interaction with a goose I've ever had, as they usually have a tendency to chase me while hissing as loudly as possible. Oh, and biting me, or at least trying to.
But this time with this goose, all was different and all was good :o)
 |
| My new bestie ;o) |
 |
| My new bestie's bestie |
I should also point out that while all this was going on, Baby F. was in a deep, deep coma ;o) Which is good, 'cause she'd likely try to eat these:
 |
| Mushroom, mushroom! |
We also popped over to the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart so Baby F.'s grandparents could see that we too have some impressive cathedrals in Jersey. Not very old compared to English ones, but nonetheless impressive.
 |
| Big, ain't it? |
You might be asking yourself though, what does this all have to do with a hat? And a runaway one to boot?
Well, upon our return home, we separated so the grandparents could go and pick up some late afternoon refreshments. I went on ahead to our flat and then waited at our front door, since Baby F.'s other grandparents were going to drop off some supplies. And well, we live on the 4th floor, so must conserve our energies ;o)
Soon enough, the Brit grandparents join us and that's when Grandpa mentions that a man has walked by carrying Baby F.'s hat.
What?!
But she was wearing it!
Somewhere along the last block or so to our building, she'd apparently thrown it off and I hadn't noticed. Meanwhile some enterprising and eagle-eyed soul had picked it up and was now walking speedily away from us with it.
I ran like a banshee after the man, all the while yelling 'Excuse me, excuse me!', which apparently no one pays attention to. I finally catch up with him and tell him in English that he's holding my baby's hat. He proceeds to try to tell me that he'd found it on the street. I spot from his accent that he's Brazilian so I switch to Portuguese and again state that it's my baby's hat and could I please have it back. Possibly operating under the old playground rule of 'finders keepers, losers weepers', he continues to argue with me about having found the hat. I point out again that it's a baby's hat, and he mentions how bacana it is. Yes, I know it's cool, that's why I gave it to the baby. I think from pure possible fear that this crazy lady in front of him might jump him for the hat, he finally handed it over. All the while, I'm just thinking, 'what in the world was he going to do with a small baby hat?'
I then rejoin the first set of grandparents, who have now been joined by the second set, as well as one of my downstairs neighbors, and we all wonder at the strangeness of people and at the case of the runaway hat. :o)
 |
| Odds and Ends : Odd monument found in a less traveled area |
*Wish i was kidding about that every once 20 years bit. I think the last time I'd visited, outside of going with my friend J. a few weeks back, was in 1986!
Bad Newarker! Bad Newarker! ;o)
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