Musings on a cold, rainy day

We are having 2 northeasters back to back. The first one hit on Thursday, our day off. We knew it would be rainy with a high of 48, so we had planned to go to a movie and hear a lecture on Mayan birds. However, Br. Fred was going to New York City to the motherhouse, and asked if we wanted to come along. The only problem was that he was leaving at 5:30 am. The time was not a problem, so off we went and we were at the friary about 7:30. We ate breakfast at a diner, then Mark and I got on the subway at Penn Station and headed for the Statue of Liberty. We had not planned enough in advance to go up in the crown, but we did go inside the monument and had a wonderful time despite the cool, wet day.
Today was the third day of rain, and the sewer started to back up into the basement of the Inn. Mark and Br. Fred spent about 4 hours with the shop vac getting the water out of the basement until the plumber arrived. Apparently the flooding occurs a few times a year.
I was out in the yard giving out tickets for the meal. Most of the guests were adequately clothed, but one young mother arrived with her 3 children, the youngest being born last Saturday. Another woman was wearing flip flops. I had on two pairs of socks, and was ready to give her one of my pairs, but she took off before I could offer. One man, walking with a cane, came up to me and said he had a problem The tongue of his shoe was stuck down too far, and he needed it lifted out and the shoe retied. He was not agile enough to squat down, do it himself, and get back up. I told him I would do it, and was somewhat shocked to discover he didn't have a foot in the shoe. He was either an amputee or had a clubfoot. I fixed the shoe, and he was so grateful. It was a really humbling experience.
Finally, Mark got his first haircut today since arriving. There is a barber across the street who cuts hair for $5.00. He doesn't speak English, but he has pictures of men with various haircuts on the wall, and you point to one and he does the cut. I went along to watch, and try to intervene if the barber went crazy with the shears. The cut actually looks pretty good.