9/11/09

New Blog, Sister Visit

My sister's just left us...in town for a few days with her new(ish) boyfriend, Jimmy. I'm happy to say Jimmy's a great guy, and we had a great time hanging out with them while they were here (although the time was far too short).

Beruria and Toby especially seemed taken with Jimmy. I've discovered to my dismay that my little girl is a shameless flirt. Sitting in Pongol (our fave Indian restuarant on 28th and Lex), she actually sat across from him singing a little ditty that went (clearing my throat): "Dimmy dimmy dimmy dimmy [flirtatious smile] dimmy dimmy dimmy!" ("Dimmy" trans: "Jimmy"). Yeah. Huh.

Went to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island for the first time. The statue is fascinating, I have to admit. Interesting piece of belle epoch overstatement...I couldn't help but wonder whether it was widely regarded, aside from its monumental size, as a good piece of artwork - which is, in the end, what it is? I actually don't know; perhaps it's worth a few minutes in the library looking up. There must be some contemporary periodical literature on it...

Ellis Island. As a historian, I expected it to be the most interesting site of the day (I was wrong: actually, walking on Pearl from the Battery to John Street, which included passing Fraunces' Tavern, and several other fascinating 18th and 19th century buildings I didn't know existed - as it turns out, Pearl was along the 1609 waterline of Manhattan Island). Sadly, a great amount of the structure at Ellis Island has been restored in your typical modern museum chic. Luckily, they did have the foresight to keep the main reception hall largely intact. That, I admit, was fascinating (see photo). Found an Ole Olson on the placards outside the building -- I've decided to adopt him as my official "Olson" ancestor. To my reckoning, it is probable that my grandfather John Olson and his family were the ancestors most likely to have passed through Ellis Island. Kara's ancestors all came too early, and mine seem to have, for the most part, come either too early or from points not likely to have passed through New York.

A stormy sky moved in around 4 pm. Made for some rather dramatic images of the city skyline -- and, as always, the most striking absence is the Twin Towers. Their absence, I'm rather surprised to say, is still fresh when I see the skyline.

Sue, my mother-in-law, has begun a blog of her and Carl's journey east from Seattle to their new homestead in Vermont. It's worth checking out...very nice posts and images from their trip (my favorite is the Corn Palace).