The Fish and the Loaves, The Traveling Plate!!

I was having dinner at the DC Coast restaurant, in Washington D.C., last Monday night, with some dear friends I had not seen in many years. While catching up a bit, we began talking about Israel and how they were thinking about going next year. I shared with them this story (among others) about our traveling plate. This is from the archives, but, certainly bears repeating!

This plate of the Fish and the Loaves was given to us by our friend, Iddo in 1995. Iddo was our tour guide when we went to Israel in 1990. Edward was an infant at the time and Iddo helped make our visit so special and forever memorable. We connected with him, not just for the 10 days we traveled together, but now, 19 years later, we still have a story to tell. This plate, the miracle of the Fish and the Loaves, represents feeding the multitudes. Jesus blessed the two fish and fives loaves, and miracle of miracles, 'there were about 5000 men who ate aside from the women and children.' (Mat.14:21). Iddo and his beautiful wife, Irit, gave us the plate to bless our household, and it did. But then, a few years later, his household needed a blessing, with tourism in Israel at an all time low, he needed some help. I thought, let's make a deal. We'll send him the plate for 7 years and then wherever we are in the world each of us would share the plate for 7 years at a time. Well, his time was up, (and then some), but, yet again, miracle of miracles, Iddo was coming to the States, New York City, to be specific. Lo and behold, my husband had to be in New York City at the same time! Jimmy and Iddo met in mid-town Manhattan and had a wonderful reunion over coffee @ Starbucks, catching up like two old friends who had known one another forever! Our household has had many blessings now that we have our plate back, and we are certainly always expectant! Iddo's business of tourism and lecturing is thriving. He loves telling the story about the traveling plate! We all realize that the plate is just a plate, but, it has great meaning to us and it's ours until 2015!!!

A Glimpse of Battery Park City, Lower Manhattan, NYC

We just came back from NYC...yes, another visit to the Island of Manhattan. We had a FABULOUS time. There is nothing better than knowing that you can find your way from way downtown, almost the very lower tip of Manhattan, to the front of Bloomingdales, see 2 very special friends, eat lunch, get across town and way back down to the lower part of Manhattan, still have enough energy to go out to dinner and then take a long walk by the Battery Park City Promenade! The photos are all from Battery Park City. This whole area is landfill, much of it from the 'dirt' that was displaced when building the World Trade Center. It is an amazing part of New York., bustling with children, growing families, fierce basketball games, tennis, 'green' buildings going up in every un-used square foot, waterfalls, ducks and fish, rock walls, Whole Foods, restaurants galore, and magnificent view of NY Harbor. Today, we are all exhausted, glad to be back home to our cozy house and the QUIET!!! A great time had by all, with continued love and gratitude to my Mom, for being such a great sport, for letting us camp out in her living room and for her great Spirit. She can't see very well, but she gets around Manhattan like a teenager!!!

I must add, that the top photo, is of the Winter Garden. My husband and I had the privilege of living in Battery Park City for 2 years. This was where we lived when Edward was an infant. His first escalator ride was in the World Trade Center when he was 16 months old...I'll never forget the expression of WONDER on his face! The Winter Garden was connected to the World Trade Center with an enclosed bridge which allowed people to cross over the very busy West Side Highway. When the dust had barely settled after 9/11, and I saw photos of a very broken Winter Garden, that's when I fell apart. We had spent so much time there, going to concerts, giving Edward some great space to roam during the winter months, window shopping, noshing along the way. It was like a big, broken jewelry box. But, somehow, with the great resolve that all New Yorkers have, it was 'put back together'. A jewel itself, with millions of facets, it sparkles once again!