NYMYSTERIES

NYMYSTERIES.COM  JuLY 31, 2021 

What about masks? I wear them out of guilt. Love to know your opinion. 

 Chinatown has been hit hard. I’ve always found busy, confusing Chinatown a great place to wander.  My companion, Pei Yi Wu, and I would meet friends to celebrate various birthdays, graduations. Recently, I was meeting friends for dinner. I got off the Number 9 bus on east Broadway. The street has gone downhill from being a noisy, bustling shopping area.

But there is HWA YUAN. It’s a spacious (three stories), elegant, Szechuan restaurant at 42 East Broadway. Everything is perfect: the service, the setting and most of all the glorious food. Some classy details: Beautifully laundered napkins and each guest is given two sets of chopsticks: one is for serving and the other is for eating. 

Here’s a quote from the current owners: First opened in 1968, Shorty Tang’s original Hwa Yuan is returning to Chinatown this October, 2017, under the reign of Tang’s son and grandson.

NYMYSTERIES.COM  JuLY 24, 2021 

Abdul Latif Nasser was imprisoned without charge at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for 19 years. He was transferred to his home country of Morocco on Monday. He’s the first detainee to be released from Guantanamo under President Joe Biden.  Mr. Nasser had been scheduled to be released in 2016. Former President Donald Trump, had reversed his predecessor’s efforts to depopulate the prison. 

We Judsonites are surrounded by gifted poets, writers, musicians, dancers. actors, cartoonists. The poet, Phil Eggers, wrote A Quiet Homecoming.

In celebration of returning to our space for Sunday services here is a poem, an offering dedicated to those who have come over the past two weeks, those will will come in the future, and for those who can only attend in spirit (for I am aware that a church and community is much more than four walls).

With love and gratitude,

-Phil Eggers

A Quiet Homecoming

No choir, no crowd, no coffee.

No banners, no banquet, no band.

Quite what to say.

Some sliding out.

But here and there

Some not knowing

Some slipping in.

A hand is shook,

A back is clapped.

Across the aisle

There’s a knowing nod

Or welcome wave;

Quiet and easy

“How do you do”s

Whisper and ripple

Inside the cavern.

A right, little company

To commune with.

To sit,

To share,

To summon

Whatever spirit that will serve.

Ah.

Breath in the building

Once more.

The semi-silent, seismic sound

Of returning home.

NYMYSTERIES.COM  JuLY 16, 2021 

Yesterday we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the first time since last March. We wandered through two wonderful, diverse exhibits: Alice Neel’s People Come First and The Medici: Portraits & Politics 1512-1570. Room after spacious room with great art. Neel captured New York City and the sixteenth century artists, Jacopo Pontormo and Francesco Salviati (among others) captured Florence. For dessert we went to the roof and gloried in the city landscape and Alex Da Corte’s whimsical As Long As the Sun Lasts.

NYMYSTERIES.COM  JuLY 10, 2021 

Please watch:

Fwd: WATCH: Deconstructing Trevor Noah’s commentary on Israel-Palestine – IAK Weekly recap

On a blistering hot morning I joined friends west of the High Line to go to the Little Island, Pier 55 at Hudson River Park Hudson River Greenway. Show up before noon and you walk in. Decide stairs or ramp. Either way there are beautiful views of the Hudson. It opens at 6 am. At that time it has, of course, fewer visitors. We were there around 9 am. Not too many people, relaxed crowd taking lots of selfies. Us too! Check out the website’s photos of the plants and the unusual cup like structure. It’s made of concrete. Its color and texture resemble elephant skin. 

  At the beginning of each month, Jane Thomason posts a reminder that Judson Memorial Church will be celebrating Agape. This is Jane’s delightful July 2021 message.

July is here !! And so is our AGAPE service. Right off the bat, I want to invite President Joe Biden to join with us in sharing our Sacred Communion Service this first Sunday of the month. We will not mind his illustrious entourage. If he decides to attend, however we will ask that he bring along bits of bread, cheese, fruit or enough wine to serve his Secret Service Agents who will be protecting him. There may be a problem with his ability to join one of our group tables, he might have to have his own well protected seat. It is possible that some of our members might have a question, celebration or concern for him to address. All are welcome but Joe needs to give us a little heads up if he is coming. Jane Thomason