grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

three days in New York City

By 9 Comments

Sisters in NY

We just returned from a whirlwind three days in New York City, and by “we” I mean my sister, Staci, my niece, Taylor, and me. It was Taylor’s Sweet 16 birthday trip, and I’ve declared from here on out, this is destined to be an annual girls’ trip. Not necessarily to New York, but to somewhere.

Because travel is important. And family is important. And life is over in a New York minute. For real.

We hash-tagged it up with #TaylorisSweet16 and #SistersinNY which looked a little like “sister sin” every time we typed it, so we’ll let y’all wonder about that.Continue Reading

Merry Christmas from St. Patrick’s Cathedral

By 5 Comments

Merry Christmas to all my reader friends! I thought I’d share a few pictures I took a couple of weeks ago at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. Christmas in New York is gorgeous and visiting St. Patrick’s was a definite highlight for me. In the midst of such traffic and congestion and holiday hustle and bustle, directly across from the madness of Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral provides a place of peaceful sanctuary.

The building is beyond stunning. Incredibly, it was built entirely from donations from poor immigrants and $1,000 pledges from 103 prominent residents.The cornerstone was laid in 1858, construction was stalled for five years during the Civil War, and the doors opened in 1869.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

According to cathedral history, Archbishop Hughes’ original construction proposal was ridiculed. The site was considered to be in a “near-wilderness” area too far outside the city. Archbishop Hughes persisted in his vision of building the most beautiful Gothic Cathedral in the New World in what he believed would one day be the heart of the city. Neither the bloodshed of the Civil War nor the resultant lack of manpower or funds would derail the ultimate fulfillment of Hughes’ dream. Continue Reading

the trees of New York City

By 2 Comments

A Tree Grows in New York

Have you missed me? I’ve been in New York City. I don’t travel to New York very often, and in between trips it’s easy to forget the sheer massiveness of it all, the pulsating energy, the throngs of people, the noise. I wonder what it must be like for New Yorkers, to actually “be” from New York. Where do they go to be impressed by a skyline. Is that even possible? If New Yorkers vacation in the country or at the beach, do they long for all the concrete? Because I get antsy without stars and fresh air and wide open space.

I have lots to share with you about our New York trip—more than one post worth—but as I look back through all the pictures I took, I realize I snapped lots of tree shots. All sorts of New York trees.

I suppose that’s not surprising for anyone who knows me.Continue Reading

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!