The Saturday Morning Post ..comes from NOO YAWK

Yesterday I went down to Columbia Uni proper at 116th Street, after seeing Jo to work. To get there I had to juggle trains, as some of them are express from up here.

To cut a long story short, I found myself at the same place last year where I was lost in the middle of Harlem. Except last year it was a rainy day! Fortunately yesterday was much more pleasant so I was able to navigate my way through Morningside Park and up the steps.

Here is the view from out my bedroom window. It was very kind of Jo and Andrew to move apartments to give me a much better view! This was taken as the sun was rising early the other morning!

I don't know if you remember , but the last view was of some very crumbling paint on window sills and ledges. But I do miss the black cat. Even though it frightened me by sitting on an aircon four storeys up. And jumping its way to the nearest balcony. It reminded me then of the book we read The Cat who came for Christmas, by a fellow in NY.

Here is the lovely rug that Judith and Bill sent for Jo and Andrew's baby. She loves it so much that it is presently sitting on their living room couch.

Those puppies are soo gorgeous. Sue at tennis was madly raising funds for the Guide Dogs as she had just met a little boy who was blind and would need a guide dog later in life. She baked heaps of cookies to give us in return for our donations.

And guess who this is? Jo is standing beside the crib near her bed. Won't be long Jo. She can't wait now! I was supposed to buy a pineapple for her. She said she read that it brings on babies!

Oops , I better go buy one today!




And here is her building at...right next door to the Children's Hospital. Couldn't be any closer!

I was telling you how I found the historic Dyckman Farmhouse down the road from here. Only got a little lost in the process. For those of you who are getting a little worried about me , yes, I do carry a map with me for emergencies..oh, and I am glad I bought that mobile phone...though I haven't had to use it yet round town!

This looked like a huge Hydrandea. Very beautiful.

You will be proud of me. Yesterday I caught the number 1 train home instead of the A train. So I knew it arrived in a slightly different place. And I even navigated my way correctly home by the sun. I knew I needed to walk West and I did! Good on me! Slightly difficult to remember that the sun is in the South. Such a weird concept!

That reminds me of a tap they have in the kitchen. It actually turns the opposite way to any tap I have ever turned in my life. Then we realised that the ones in the bathroom are the same , but they have levers on them, so you don't get so confused.

Here are some sweet decorations that are in the baby's room where I am sleeping presently. Jo and Andrew's friend Jennifer from the NY ballet and church helped organise the baby shower and she did the decorating at the shower. These are what she used. She also did a matinee ballet performance betwen decorating the shower venue, and coming back to clean up!

Jen is married to Matt the choregrapher , who was dancing on The Big Piano (from the movie Big) which resides downtown in the toy

shop FAO Shwartz down town. He is still dancing there apparently. I was very impressed by their hospitality last year when they invited us to a meal in their lovely apartment (much like this one), and they said they were trying to encourage others to do the same. So many people go out to eat, esp the young people after church. I guess it is the way of life over here.

And here is the babysitter. She currently resides in my room...a gift from a friend of theirs at the church from the baby shower. In New York (or is it just at their church?), all the men go to the showers as well. How civilised!

She is very cute!

The grandmother babysitter , that's me, actually managed to cook a meal for them the other day. And it didn't taste too bad either. Whacky do. A stir fry. I don't have a lot of meals in my repertoire, as many of you would know..in fact I bet a lot of you are surprised that there is even a repertoire. Well, if you can call two or three meals such a word.

And one from Columbia Uni again. The flowers are so pretty around.

Tune in again and you will find more images of the architecture around Columbia Uni...one of my favourite places.

It is such fun being back again. I always feel so at home here. Thanks for having me Jo and Andrew.