When the boss watched the news last night I had to walk away from the television and go upstairs. As is I am sure the case with most of you, my memories of September 11 are still as sharp as if it happened yesterday. I shuddered to be reminded so strongly and needed not to be in that room.
On the other hand we need to remember.
I think we have been encouraged to let the horror slip from our collective consciousness and to move along into our usual round of national guilt for anything and everything that happens anywhere in the world. We were attacked in a cowardly and horrific manner.
It was not our fault.... No matter what the American-haters would have us think. The people who died were just living their lives as best they could not bothering anyone.
We should not forget that.
My beloved brother works long weeks and hours, alone without his family far below the site of the horror, laboring to fix parts of what was broken. I worry about him every day. A few years ago a large number of bloggers joined together to remember each person who died in the assault upon our nation for the 2996 project.
Carl DiFranco, an innocent young man just doing his job, who died that day was my assignment. Here is a link to his story as best as I could find it.
Here at home, it was sirens and Sadie all night again. It is worrisome to hear them screaming up and down the valley especially with 9-11 on my mind. So far no news reports to tell me what was going on with the sirens, but the state of the porch gives me a Sadie suggestion. Gael had a bad night with her old dog vestibular disease; the porch is a mess with a chicken feed bag torn up all over the place and who knows what else. She wouldn't eat when I put out her food.
This is just heart-wrenching. Yesterday she had a great day and even trotted out to meet us when we came in from the barn. With her balance problems trotting is not exactly an every day thing. Now today she is terribly bad off again and can barely walk. Poor old girl. We lavish pets and praise on her and feed her treats and tasty foods but....It is different than with Mike. He lost himself long before he passed away. There was no Mike there, but only a shell of dog. With Gael, the body is weak, but the doggy girl, the Wissa Queen, Beanie dog, Queen Bean is still inside her fragile old body. Mike was my special boy but losing Gael is hurting a lot harder.
The windows were fogged solid this morning. For a minute I was worried that we had had a frost last night. Most of the house plants are still outside and the garden isn't done and I am so not ready for frost....although I suppose that I really should get ready. However, I had forgotten that the boss opened the plenum on the furnace yesterday, allowing a little passive heat to seep upstairs. The house has been damp and dismal and that tiny bit of warmth is welcome. No frost either.
TC.
ReplyDelete" . . I'm not ready for frost."
I imagine you intend that as much metaphorically as literally.
This is a difficult time of year.
Losing the sun affects my husband and I.
But the fact of 9-11 throws a shadow that, like you, has me turning away from the TV and annually fighting an inner rage toward those who believe that we 'had it coming'.
I have 'former' friends who voiced this obscenity.
The depth of your concern for your brother is moving. How I understand. I imagine he has some strong feelings about that mosque that will throw its shadow over that sacred ground.
I am so sorry about Gael. I am so sorry for your pain. A pain that I am reluctant to endure again. How we love these loyal friends.
She's been lucky to be sheltered in your heart.
I'm so sorry about Gael ThreeC. I hope she gets up later on to have another fine day like she had yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI am just glad that he wasn't anywhere near the sight when the 9-11 occurred! He could of so easily been down there. I defiantly feel for the victims families though! So hope she has a better day tomorrow, the weather sure doesn't help any!
ReplyDeleteHi- New follower to your blog-hoping you will come and follow mine.
ReplyDeleteTC,
ReplyDeleteSorry to have introduced the controversy over the mosque. This was a lovely piece and I promise I'll not do it again.
I'd be happy to have it deleted. I promise :0)
Here is my 9/11 tribute to Ronald Orsini. Yours was lovely.
http://lookingup1.blogspot.com/2006/09/2996-ronald-orsini-victim-of-911.html
Cathy, as always thank you for your kind words. They light up my day. I too have trouble with the sun leaving. Screaming SAD if you want to call it that. It gets me and I have to force myself to drive on and do things. Every winter I thank God for this sun dressed house with all its huge windows. We don't have very many curtains. Take care kind friend
ReplyDeleteDani, thanks, she is breaking my heart. It was easier with Mike. She is so valiant and brave.
Lisa, I worry about him so much. I am so glad he is home this weekend!
Stonehenge Farm, welcome aboard and thank you so much for stopping by to comment. I will be delighted to learn more about donkeys....and we seem to be having a horrific year for fleas as well.
WW, it is so hard watching her decline, particularly because her "good" days, which come perhaps once a week, remind us of what a delightful littler personality she has been these fifteen years that she has been with us. I fell in love with her when visiting the farm where I bought her brother Mike and saw her staring intently at a blowing leaf, wanted to get out of her kennel to herd it.
Cathy, you have never, ever said anything here that I would want to delete. No apologies desired. I wish we had been able to take the chance to talk face to face this summer. I am so sorry that work interfered. I think for two people from such vastly different worlds, we have an amazing lot in common.
But we're not from such different backgrounds, TC.
ReplyDeleteI had to google the source of the quote (Wordsworth)
"The child is father to the man"
First: Born in the USA and grew up loving her.
Second: Small town. Yeah, I was a townie, but the countryside and farms were just over the crest of sheltering hills of Loudonville, Ohio.
I loved the fact of the hard-working, no-nonsense farmers who were my classmates parents.
I watched an aurora borealis on a 4H hayride back in the 50's :0)
See? I've got a little bit of country in me.
Third: Reared Catholic. I'm pretty sure you were, too - maybe I misread. For all the complex reasons that life presents - I no longer practice my faith.
And Fourthly: Bears repeating.
We both love this great good land.
Now. Down to practicalities. I turned on my SAD light two days ago. I think it helps. You have one?
Honey. I so dread losing the light. But I try to look ahead to spring and pull up pictures that remind me that the light, the sun - the goodness - will return.
So sorry to hear about Gael. It's very hard to lose them, especially since they are such a big part of our lives.
ReplyDeleteCathy, so sorry to be so slow getting comments answered. I plead absent offspring, leaving beaucoup des chores. lol Looks like you are right and much is explained. A lot really. I didn't grow up on a farm, but in close proximity too. And I was raised Catholic as well. Don't have an SAD light although I probably should because it REALLY messes with me badly. I get a lot done on sunny days.
ReplyDeleteCTG, thanks for the kind words. Right now she is having a better spell, still staggers around like a drunk but eating and being a bit of her funny old self. This old dog vestibular disease is a ...well...insert a not very nice word here.