Balloons, Japan and Veggie Burgers

Yes, they are all related, if only because they have been a part of our lives this week.

There is a little boy with a tricycle in our neighborhood...only on this week, he has a large pink helium balloon on his handle bars that floats above his jolly little self everywhere he goes.  It's charming, if I do say so!

To sum up this week.  Other than the fact that tomorrow is Friday, and I'm not sure how it got here so fast, this week has been great!  Greg and I attended Redeemer again on Sunday, and again, were blessed with solid Bible teaching, beautiful worship, and excellent fellowship during coffee hour.  We connected with a couple other artists, and an actress who attend church with us, and have been in the industry far longer than we.  It is such an encouragement to have new folks surrounding us who share our passion to be a part of re-shaping culture with art and media.  We are blessed indeed!  When we got to the subway station, there was a fellow playing the Master and Commander music on a beautiful black cello...and we found some lovely tile murals.  The little things in life here are beautiful.

Monday was another good 'ol day at the office.  We spent a couple hours in studio with a group we'll be working with on an upcoming film project, Greg really honed in on his pre-production, and I handled a passel of graphics related projects.  Work goes at a nice little clip here in NYC ;)  After work, we went out with some friends to hear a local blues band, and enjoy sushi afterward.  It was a fun experience...so much so, we did it again Tuesday night, to hear a band that our Boss' wife was singing with.  Again, a good time!

Greg flew out to Japan on Wednesday morning, where he'll be scouting out locations for some upcoming projects.  I stayed back home, got inundated with the local building codes and basic architectural drawing guidelines, and spent the the next two days doing just that...who knew?!

Wednesday evening, I joined a Manhattan community Bible study group from Redeemer.  It was so good to have more good teaching, fellowship, and prayer time mid-week in the bustle of life.  I met a couple delightful young ladies from Jersey, and we went out for a Veggie burger after study.  Again, more encouraging uplifting fellowship!

Thursday I finished up the architectural imagery, and then started on layout for some custom wall installments for stores in Sydney and Melbourne.  We're running up against a hard deadline to get this one off to print, and part of the layout wok includes developing the installation instructions and guidelines.  There is SO much to learn, my brain is quite happily busy!

I think I told you that I'd give a little report on Trader Joe's.  You must go.  That.  Is.  All.  The prices are some of the best I've found in the city, the food excellent, and store simply charming.  We didn't make it to Whole Foods due to the time, and I highly recommend saving adventures in downtown Brooklyn for nights when it is NOT cold, windy and only 3 degrees, and all ears and heads are exposed. ;)  It was an adventure we're not too eager to repeat.

Overall, things are going well.  Greg and I have had to deal with working through some of the stress issues of new jobs, learning curves, and being the closest friends...who hear and bear the brunt of each others frustrations.  We're learning again how to be gracious, kind, forbearing, and forgiving at the end of looong days.  Thank you all for the prayers, as a whole, we are blessed to be making a very easy transition to NYC life, and all the changes.  There are moments of tension, but we're working through them well.

Please keep us in prayer, as our rental here is half up.  I'm actually going on Monday evening to look at a flat in Midwood (another Brooklyn area) to see if it would work out well for us.  God knows!!