I got home yesterday afternoon and managed to mow the front lawn before something broke off the lawnmower. I wasn’t doing anything but mowing the grass: no weeds, no rocks, no nothing. What is it called? Planned obsolescence? Yep. Now the lawn mower most likely needs to be replaced. To say I’m ticked off is putting it mildly.
That’s why I love this girl. Built to last and last and last. (She’s two years younger than me, by the way, so she’s no spring chicken!)
I was so happy to see her when I arrived. So happy to see my house. I suppose it’s because my time in Hartford is almost over – not quite – but very close to being complete, that I just want to stay here now and not make the trip back there tomorrow. I’m such a nester. Ironically, Don was on his way to Jersey City while I was driving west toward home. He’s feeling lonely. I’m feeling lonely. What’s wrong with this picture?
Last night was the first time I really used the burners on the stove because the last time I was home, I made biscuits, but Don worked the cooktop. I just love having gas again. It’s so much easier to control, the food doesn’t cook too quickly, as I often find to be the case with electric. Don’t get me started on the electric stove in the apartment!
I chatted with Don when I arrived back home, and most importantly, I talked to my sister. Late in the evening, we realized that Irma was weakening and that she wasn’t going to inflict as much damage. When I talked to Mere earlier in the day, she was truly frightened. As were we. It was such a tense day, waiting, waiting and waiting. I can’t imagine how hard it was for them. This morning, Mere sent me a text saying they were okay. Some downed limbs. Obviously, they had high winds during the night, but miraculously, they still have power. My nephew went back to Orlando yesterday morning because he didn’t want to miss classes. They got much higher winds there and they have no power. But he’s okay. The family is safe. That’s all I ask for.
Having said that, I know many of you are surveying the damage to your homes right now. And I know that the eastern side of the state got a lot of storm surge and damage. I’m thinking of you and hoping that, most importantly, you are safe.
Today is Don’s first day of rehearsals for Escape to Margaritaville. His hiatus is over. I know he’ll be happy to be reunited with his pals. And Houston is still on. Don just got an email about hotel rooms, etc. I’m glad. I have a feeling the people of Houston could use an escape right now.
Today is also the anniversary of 9/11, a day we will always remember. We had just moved east and I well remember the eerie quiet that morning. Beautiful blue skies, much like today. But no sound – except for the fighter jets that were scrambled from a base north of us as they flew right over my head (we lived about a half-mile from the Hudson River.) I will never forget that sound. Or talking to Don (who was in Calgary doing a play) for hours on the phone, trying to grasp what had just happened, watching the second tower go down with utter disbelief. Such loss, the enormity of which is still hard to take in, all these years later.
We will never forget.
Happy Monday.
So glad to hear that Meredith and her family are ok. Such a relief for you to know she’s fine and as much as it’s not great to have fallen limbs down to take care of, much better than a roof off or a house destroyed. My cousin in Texas was not affected by Harvey and he’s okay as well. What big worries we’ve had with these storms and our family members living close to or right in the path. Happy to hear all is well.
Don was in Calgary on 9/11? That is just 2.5 hours from where we live! On that sombre day, my dh woke me up to tell me a plane had crashed in to the tower. I thought it must have been a small two seater kind of deal but when we turned the tv on, the second plane had just hit and someone had captured it on camera. Definitely not the tiny plane image I had in my head. Unbelievable. Our children were young and we tried to shield them that day but it was so hard as the World was glued to CNN and news traveled quickly. We actually contemplated packing our car and traveling out to our little island. We were terrified even this far away. I was so distraught all day that I ended up with a broken hand. My mind was racing about all the possibilities of what could happen and what we should do, and I ended up not moving my hand quick enough when I was closing the car door. Stood on my driveway for a moment with my hand stuck in the door, and that’s when the tears came. So much for being a “brave mama”!! The hand healed in time (though I still have one crooked finger) but the heaviness of that day remains and pops up at different times.
Thinking of you today as you miss Don and remember that day. Enjoy Stella and know you are in our thoughts.
X Chy
Don said that he and his fellow American cast member never felt so powerless – by that I mean, being far away from their families, etc.
Thanks so much, Chy.
Such good news about Meredith and family. I’ve heard from other blog friends and so far all seem well but Irma isn’t done yet. We should get rain and winds later today but not nearly as bad as it could have been. Praying for so many who have lost so much.
I remember 9/11. I was working and one of the salesman was on the phone and was told about the plane crashing into the towers. We got the radio going and could not believe what we were hearing. A TV in one of the conference rooms was put on and we could watch throughout the day. My office was near the Atlanta airport and several of us went outside (it was a beautiful day) and the quiet was eerie! No planes and just the world in stunned silence.
I’m going to drink another cup of coffee today and read a bit. Thinking of you and Don as you once again are apart. Hugs to you my friend.
I hope you’re doing okay, Linda. I know it’s hitting you about now!
Thank you, my friend.
I’m checking in early…I was wondering about Meredith. Glad to hear she and her family are safe! Your lawn mower…huh? Well…if it can’t be fixed….at least they are having lots of end of the season sales going on right now.
I don’t think any of us will ever forget 9/11…or where we were, or how it’s impacted our lives in so many ways. I was home alone, quietly watching the morning news, and all of a sudden, I saw this plane fly into one of the towers…it was surreal! As the minutes went by…I realized the enormity of what was unfolding. The people, the destruction…I was trying to make sense of it…and I couldn’t. I remember think about the safety of my boys…all in school, my hubby at work. Later…the F-16’s seemed to continually take off…not knowing where they were going, only that I knew they were there to protect us. And all those haunting pictures of the towers and NYC. The people…my nieces who were living not far from the towers…wondering where they were, if they were safe? (Yes they were, and they permanently left the city a few months later.). Who can forget?
So today we remember, and continue our lives…and rebuild now, in both Texas and Florida. My heart is heavy with all that is going on in the world. But, it’s the glimmers of hope…like the story of your Stella…that continue to warm my heart! ;)
It can’t be fixed. Darn!
I, like a lot of people, thought, when I saw the first news reports, that it must be a small plane. That was quickly changed as I realized with dawning horror that it wasn’t a small plane.
Glad your sister and family are safe. Hope this ends the hurricane season. Just got back from a 9/11 memorial ceremony. Three people from my small town were on the first plane. Very sad. The husband of one of our public school teachers was to be on that flight; got stuck in traffic and missed his flight!! Will always remember that day.
How sad that three people in your town were killed. So sad. I think we’ll never forget that day.
Yes, turned the calendar this morning to Sept 11 … and we can never, will never forget.
I’m so glad your sister and family ‘weathered’ the storm, Claudia. Huge relief all around.
All I can say about Don and missing him is that maybe the time will go fast.
Maybe. It usually doesn’t. But he’ll get home when he can on his day off.
I’m so glad your family made it through safe.
We were stationed in El Paso on 9/11.
Thank you, Trina.
Claudia, I’m Sad that you and Don are apart for a while. When does the Hartford job end? I forgot if you have another job lined up.
9/11 has a dual meaning for me. First and foremost, it’s the date I now celebrate alone in my heart as the anniversary of when my late husband proposed to me….38 years ago. Many years later, we watched in horror as the events unfolded, then we rushed to our children’s school just to hug them tightly. We made the decision to keep them in school for the day (I knew there was an excellent emergency plan there), but we were told by our employers to stay home. Yes, most of us will never forget…
And I’m glad your Florida family, Meredith and all, are safe.
xo
The Hartford job ends this week. I have another small job starting – a day here and there in NYC.
This has to be hard day for you, my friend. You are in my thoughts.
Relieved to know that your sister & the family in Florida are safe & relatively unscathed. Though she was bad, Irma wasn’t nearly as gruesome as predicted – and of course it’s always better to err on the side of Gruesome. Just heard that Gov Cuomo is sending NY National Guard members to Florida to help – glad that our state is doing what we can to help as many areas have been hit hard.
On this day each year I can remember in minute detail that “first” Sept 11 in 2001. Our office was having its normal Tues am staff meeting, just the four of us at that time, in our building’s conference room. One that just happened to have a large TV. Our VP’s assistant came in to turn it on about 10 minutes into our meeting, telling us that a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers. A few minutes later we actually saw the second plane hit, and I’ll never forget the face of one of my colleagues when she turned around to look at me. Increduousness. Fear. Disbelief. Sadness. A whole smorgasbord of emotions & I understood her completely. Within 30 minutes nearly everyone who worked in our building – about 55 people – were crowded into the room watching with us, in addition to most of our student workers. No one did anything else all day but watch & talk. My youngest brother happened to be on our campus that day on a job [he’s a welder with our local utility company] and stopped in to see me during his lunch break. I don’t remember if I ate my own lunch that day – I really doubt it. Felt totally disjointed. My commute home took me past our airport and the sight of all those planes on the ground was the weirdest scene. Hoping none of us who lived through that day will ever experience anything remotely like it again. That no American will EVER again as well. Peace.
#Resist
#NeverForget 💔
I bet every one of us knows exactly what they were doing that day. I sure do.
Just as I remember the day that President Kennedy was assassinated.
I remember as I was backing out of the driveway to go to work that morning that I looked at the sky. It was a perfect blue ~ and not a cloud to be seen. I was thinking that I wished I had the day off to stay home and enjoy it. After just a few minutes at my desk someone came in and told me to turn my radio on. We were all in shock. My vision was someone in a tiny plane got lost and hit the tower…… oh, how wrong! I was about to train a group, and when I went into the Training Room I turned the TV on and literally collapsed into a chair. As people came in for the class, no one said a word and we just sat in silence. Within the hour we closed the building and were sent home. I don’t think my emotions had ever been ~ or hopefully will ever be again ~ so close to the surface. I remember crying for days as we watched and heard the stories. I think the world was Pre 9-11 and Post 9-11. We were changed forever in that day.
So glad to hear that Meredith and the family are safe. It was another crazy day. Mother Nature proved again that with all of the technology we have, and all of the forecasts made, she has a mind of her own!!
Everyone says that. It was perfect blue sky day. I felt the same and I remember specifically thinking that when I took the dogs outside that morning. I also thought it must be a tiny plane when I saw – on my computer – a news bit about a plane hitting the tower. I went downstairs, only to learn it wasn’t.
Thanks so much, Chris.
Glad to hear that your Florida family are safe. It looks as though we may be, too. Others in or near the neighborhood have come through relatively unscathed and, though nobody has been able to check out our shack, we all think that we made it through okay.
I’ve got my fingers crossed for you, Shanna. It sounds very hopeful!
So glad that your sister and her family are safe. Today is a sad day for America. Fortunately my sister’s boss was heading to the towers but was late. We did find out a friend lost his brother who was on the 104th floor in the North Tower. He told my sister when we saw the plane hit we knew he was gone. Hearing the families reading out the names is so heartbreaking. It is a day no one will ever forget.
Marilyn
I can’t imagine how hard this day for those who lost loved ones.
Thank you, Marilyn.
I thank the powers that be for keeping Mere, Little Buddy & the rest of the family safe…I was so worried about them all!..And to anyone who lost a loved one on 9/11…we will remember them always!…We may not know their name but we will remember…Be safe…everyone out there…
We will never forget. Thank you, Nancy.
Glad to hear that your sister made it through the storm relatively unscathed. Out here in Gainesville, there are a lot of downed trees and a little flooding, but things are slowly returning to normal. No damage to our home and the power came back on mid-afternoon.
So glad there was no damage to your home, Bridget!
What a mix of emotions for you yesterday!!! Very glad to hear your sister survived Irma safely. Claudia, I wonder if you would trust me with your mailing address. In honor of Stella’s arrival, I have a small gift I would like to send you. If you’re not comfortable giving a stranger your address, I understand. I did mail you some miniature magazines a few years ago and nothing bad happened after that. LOL At any rate, let me know. By the way, I just finished the new Louise Penney–it may be my favorite of hers to date. –Nora
I’ll send you my mailing address, Nora. Thanks so much!
Very glad your family is safe. Hurricanes were part of my growing up in New Jersey and they are scary. To this day high winds freak me out. I still cry on 9/11. I can’t watch the shows anymore. You are right, we’ll never forget. Kit
Thank you, Kit. No, we won’t.