Homes I've Lived In-#4!

January 2015

It was August of 1966. I was 16 years old. My oldest brother Ken was living in New York City. I don't know whose idea it was, but my parents and my aunt and uncle decided to send me and my cousin Mary Beth to live with Ken for a month!!!

We were ecstatic, of course. Mary was 18 so I suppose they thought we would be safe enough! I don't remember where we flew out of, but I do remember Mary and I running through O'Hare airport in Chicago to catch our plane to New York. Ken met us at the airport which was La Guardia. He lived on Manhattan. I couldn't tell you the address. We were enthralled with the elevators!

Ken sat us down and gave us a map of the city. He told us that we should decide on every place we wanted to see and then to use the map to find it. I have memories of walking down the street and stepping over people sleeping on the sidewalk. We used the subway several times. That wasn't too scary. We went on the Circle Line cruise that took you all around the island. We also took the boat to Liberty Island and climbed the stairs inside the Statue of Liberty all the way to the top! I remember looking out of her crown.

We were big flirts and we had fun talking to boys wherever we met them... in the elevators and in the subway. And then we went to see the movie "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming" at Radio City Music Hall. We both fell madly in love with Alan Arkin! We ended up going to see that movie three times!

Sometimes Ken cooked for us. He made a roast leg of lamb with mint jelly. I tried it, but it tasted way too "gamey" for me.

Ken gave me the job of re-doing his entire address files using his electric typewriter. I'm not sure exactly what he was doing in New York at that time, but there came a time when he told us to pack up our bathing suits, we had to come with him to move a yacht to Connecticut!

I remember how free it felt to be on that yacht. I honestly don't remember where we got on the yacht or what our route was for sure. I just remember that we sailed under some bridges right next to Manhattan. The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was one of them. When we were in open water Ken told us to get into our bathing suits because he was going to let us swim in the ocean! He had rigged up this seat with ropes that took you over the railing and down to the water. I was chicken... I don't swim very well so i just held onto those ropes for dear life. I kept thinking there were sharks just below the surface waiting for me to jump in!

And all too soon it was over. We got off the yacht and had to take a taxi back to Manhattan, I think. It was quite an experience.

Mary and I also went to Columbus Circle and to the Frick Collection which is a very cool museum. And then we went to the United Nations building. That was quite interesting. I bought some souvenirs in the gift shop... a little Spanish dancer doll, a carved egg cup for my dad and silver charms for my charm bracelet. I also bought a white lace Spanish fan that I eventually used for my wedding. My Mom wired it open and put green orchids on it!

And before we knew it, our month was almost up and we would have to fly back to Iowa. My very favorite memory of New York City is of the Chrysler Building. It is so beautiful! I loved looking out the window at it. And so our Grand Adventure came to an end.