It's Friday night and I've been here a little less than 24 hours. I'm falling asleep as I type this.
My flight out of Eugene was late departing and so late arriving in Seattle. They told me my next flight, the final leg to JFK, would be at a gate very close to my arrival from Eugene so the 35 minute layover wouldn't be a problem.
Wrong.
My JFK flight was on a different concours that required getting to the underground train and riding to the S gates and then hustling to S7. When I got there the plane was boarded by all the other passengers and I got a "hurry" from the gate attendant. I hustled to the middle seat in row 22, buckled up, and started thinking about how I'd manage until Delta got my surely-delayed suitcase to me.
Four and a half hours later we landed, I found my way to baggage claim and....SURPRISE!...my bag was one of the first off (because it was last on?).
Nathan picked me up outside and we made the one-hour drive to the church and the house next door where I'll live for the next month.
It's a cute little house that was probably built in the 50's or so. Two bedrooms, one bath, a tiny kitchen and a dining room. Full basement and an attic accessed by stairs.
They've done a GREAT job of setting it up for me. It's stocked with absolutely everything I need including fresh eggs, cereal, bread and sandwich fixings, soup, and COFFEE.
The basement has a washer and dryer. On the counter is a package of laundry pods. (No, I won't.)
Today I guy came and hooked up cable TV and a modem for the internet.
I'm tellin' ya, it's like a resort. Certainly nicer than MoHo.
The weather? Not so much. Cold, windy, and raining.
Nathan took me to see some houses here on Long Island this afternoon.
Oh. My.
First you have to understand that Nathan is a true craftsman with serious skills primarily is custom woodworking, but he also does pretty amazing stuff with tile, and glass, and custom paint finishes, and more.
These homes are summer homes and/or rentals that he has keys to because he's done lots of work on them, the owners trust him completely, and he does any maintenance necessary in the owner's absence.
Every one of the four was very old and gorgeous. They were relatively small - what might be considered cottages by today's standard but were normal houses 100 years ago. Wonderful.
I didn't get pictures because it didn't seem appropriate to take pics of someone's house without their approval.
The last one was beyond incredible. It was built in....
wait for it....
1749!! That's before the War of Independence. Imagine the things that went on in that house, the conversations they had.
All the beams were hand-hewn, all the (original) flooring hand cut and planed, all the hinges (!) hand made at a forge....
The owner is the curator of a museum in NY about historic homes. Her family has been here on Long Island since before the house was built and her great, great, great, great (and more) grandfather was captain of a whaling ship that sailed the Atlantic and the Pacific and she has things from his career. Everywhere I looked there was something amazing to see. Just standing in those rooms.....!
Tomorrow the church has a men's b'fast I'll attend. Afterward I'll go upstairs and take some pictures of the church sanctuary. The current building dates to 1893 (the previous one burned down).
I'm torn. The architecture and furnishings are beautiful and qualify as art. They're also not very conducive to worship in a contemporary culture. Pews facing forward, railing at the front of the platform, massive carved beams and posts....
Conundrum.
OK, I promise pics tomorrow night. But now....bed!
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