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.