Patriot Day 2023 - Thoughts and Reflections

It seems inappropriate to wish anyone a "Happy Patriot Day", because commemorating September 11th with the preface of "happy" seems just wrong in so many ways. So, today is Patriot Day, a day of remembrance and solidarity. The nation has fractured greatly since 9-11, but the events of that day did one thing - it proved that when necessary, we could put aside our differences and simply become Americans, once again. 

Patriot Day - a day that we would rather we had never 
lived through, and a day that we really can't and shouldn't 
forget. 

Did that ability to join together in a single cause last? Of course not. It was the collective breath of a nation taken and held in horror as we watched the Two Towers fall and heard the bravery of the passengers on a single flight cause their aircraft to impact the ground in Pennsylvania - purposefully caused by those who refused to allow their transport to be used as a weapon against our nation. All held breaths must be released and we must breathe again. 

So many conflicts and deaths have happened since 
9-11. After all, it's been 22 years - an entire generation 
has been born and grown up into adults without the 
memory of 9-11. Nonetheless, it was a crucial turning 
point in our international footprint, and had 
echoes and repercussions for years afterward. 

It's been 22 years since the 9-11 attacks, and many people are in this nation who were not here when that event occurred. That binding thread that pulled us together as a nation has shredded a bit, aged a bit, faded a bit, but down deep, below all of the fractures and chasms, is a solid foundation of national unity and pride. It's something we lose sight of all too often these days. It's a banner that gets pulled out of the hall closet once a year to wave proudly and then it's replaced on the top shelf, not to return for another year. 

We live in a fractured society in a fractured world, and we 
wonder why there is no peace. Maybe it's impossible for 
nations to actually achieve peace. But if you can reach out 
to another person and help them, sere them as a valuable 
person, and maybe make a difference in their life, you might 
be achieving peace for both of you. Try it. 

But if we, as a nation, are to survive for another 200+ years, it's a banner that needs to be out, waving in the wind alongside other momentous events. Not pulled out and discussed once a year, but remembered on the odd days - like thoughts might turn to Pearl Harbor, or the Civil War, or the War of Independence - all of which were horrific, but which helped this nation grow and mature. We're not perfect. We're not anywhere close to that. But we're still the shining light in the hopes of millions of people around the world, and I think we sometimes lose sight of that in the reflected glare. 

This quote is from the wife of the pilot of the 
Pennsylvania plane - the one that the passengers 
forced to crash rather than allow it to continue 
onward to become a weapon of war. Brave people, 
brave actions, and often only an afterthought when 
thinking about the events of that terrible day. Don't 
put their actions on the sidelines. They were heroes 
as much as everyone who died in New York. 

Today is your opportunity, as an American (if you're one of my US readers) to remember. But please, carry that thought of a united nation through into tomorrow, and next week, next month and next year. Understand that everyone's life is different, but celebrate those differences. Acknowledge them and honor them as long as they are not harmful to others. Allow others to walk their own pathway, knowing that all of us share a single goal of peace and prosperity for all. But also, realize that is a goal and we haven't reached it yet. There's a lot of work that still needs to be done before we can call our democratic experiment successful. Just do your part. Make someone's life better today and every day. Give when you can - goods, money, time ... they are all valuable and helpful. And most of all, BE KIND. Treat people the way you would like to be treated - with respect and honor. 

I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and let's never forget September 11, 2001. 

Memories - September 11th and Mrs Peel (and Le Tour, Of Course)

Today is September 11th, and it's a date that will live in American history for as long as we remain a nation. The nightmares of watching the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center collapsing because of a terrorist suicide plot, followed by the planes in fields of Pennsylvania and into the Pentagon are seared onto the historic consciousness of the nation. We won't forget. We can't forget. Those images, for those of us watching the scenes play out on television sets and computer screens throughout the nation, are seared into our memories. As time goes on, it will become more and more a footnote in American history, but for those of us who experienced it personally or vicariously through the public media, that footnote is written in bold lettering on our souls. 

Where were you when the Twin Towers burned and fell? I was at
the shop, glued to the television, and phoning my sister-from-a-
different-mother, Maja, to turn on the TV. September 11th was
a defining moment for this nation and for everyone who lived
through that day. 

DH got the second section of the woodshed shingled yesterday. As he said, he's the slowest roofer EVER. I have to agree. It took him most of the day to do just the one small section. Today, weather permitting, he'll work on the flashing. The center section also needs to be shingled, but that's the hardest section to get right in the pattern. He'll be happy when the roofs are completed, though. Then he can put up the side slats and maybe start loading wood into them. He's been spending time on his computer looking at plants he wants to plant in the expanded garden, but right now that garden is taken up with cut up logs and branches waiting for the woodshed to be completed. 

I might have to look into getting some of these
pop-up tomato protectors for next year. I think my
plants would be happier with something like this
instead of being swaddled in old bedding. 

While the West Coast (and other areas of the nation) have been filled with smoke and fire, we've been dealing with unseasonably cold weather. Last night was the second night in a row for frost warnings. My tomatoes are covered against the frost, and the container tomato is once again spending the night in the tool shed. It's supposed to start getting warmer again. I can hardly wait. 

We're pulling over the Massif Central today, with some nice
climbs. It's not the Alps yet, but it's a nice preview. Mountains
will dominate Le Tour from this point forward. 

And, last but certainly not least, today is Day 13 for Le Tour de France. Although we're not in the Alps yet, the peaks will keep coming and coming for most of the next eight days, with the ninth day being the ride into Paris (if the next round of COVID tests allow the race to continue). It's been a great race so far, if a bit strange and slightly more subdued. The riders all seem to be totally into it and although the crowds are slightly smaller, they are still there to cheer on the competitors. 

The guys had James Bond, but for the girls, no-one was much better
than Mrs Peel in "The Avengers" TV show. From 1961 through 1969,
Steed and various companions fought to keep King and Country
safe from evil. Mes Peel, played by Diana Rigg, was the classiest of
those companions and the way she could wear a jumpsuit was a
thing of beauty. She was lovely, calm. collected, and deadly. She
was just about perfect. 

A final note - a fond farewell to a woman I loved - Diana Rigg. Her "Mrs Peel" character was one I adored and her grace and self-reliance inspired me as I was growing up.  

With that, I wish all of my readers a fond farewell until tomorrow. It's actually five degrees warmer than this time yesterday (meaning it's in the early 40's instead of the upper 30's). Maybe we're finally climbing out of this unseasonable deep freeze. Have an excellent day and please, be kind, be save and wear your mask. 

Ending With Style

What a world we live in! Terrorism hasn't ended, it's
just moved from the horrors of the Twin Towers to the
beheadings and brutality of ISIL. Still, 9-11 forged
a great deal of our foreign policy and our basic perceptions
of the Middle East over these past 14 years - not all
for the better. Honor those who died and are still being killed. 

I'm finally successful - all of my State Fair weight has been lost and I'm back to where I had been a week ago. Hallelujah! It's the little things like this that make my life happy - LOL.

Now I'm back to losing once more! Yippee! 

Shruti and I had a lovely talk yesterday for a half hour or so. I had ample time to prep the card stock I was downsizing while talking with her, and started the process of cutting and shaping when we had disconnected, after promising to try and meet up next year in New Orleans. I'm not sure if that will work out for me at all, but I'd sure like to try. Seeing Shruti in person is always like balm for my artistic soul,

I'm absolutely thrilled with this next portion of the holiday cards. The image is excellent and I'm looking forward to making this really sing. I got the ship confirmation on the actual blank cards this morning, so after I get this portion completed, it's time to plan the interior work. This year's card is NOT an easy one, but it's got the possibility of being the most interesting one I've ever designed. What fun!

The winner's lingerie will be produced and marketed with Heidi Klum
Intimates labeling and identity. That's a pretty good break for a
beginning designer. 

Although I've been feeling less than 100%, I still had to stay awake and watch "Project Runway" for this week. I missed last week because Sharon and I were having a late dinner at Red Lobster, and I wasn't willing to miss two weeks in a row. This week's challenge? - Lingerie! Bras and panties. I had to laugh with the guys' responses to this challenge. I certainly didn't disagree with who was sent home, but I think Ashley's design was better and more attractive than the winner's design. Oh well, next week we have another alternative materials challenge with products from a tech dump. That has possibilities.

Have a glorious Friday. It's back to the swimming pool for me in 45 minutes.

Thoughts on September 11th - Why I Mourn

As the US (and other people scattered throughout the world) think back on the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, I am taking a few moments to reflect on how much our world has changed since that horrific day and the ways that we have become harder, more volatile, and forever scarred.

Smoke pours from the North Tower of the World Trade Center on the
morning of September 11, 2001. 

Before September 11th:

The word "terrorist", although certainly in existence, was not an almost daily utterance. It seems to be now, to my sorrow.

Believers of Islam in the US were generally accepted. The Islamic world and nations were judged on how well (or poorly) they interacted with Israel. Mosques were not viewed as hotbeds of potential aggression and the rumblings in the Middle East were just that - rumblings.

We were not fighting any active wars, conflicts, or undeclared aggressive actions. Our soldiers were home with their families and our National Guard members weren't being sent overseas into zones of armed conflict.

We didn't look at women wearing the traditional head covering of a Muslim woman with automatic suspicion, rather we were curious about why they wanted to wear such a thing.

It took one day to change our world in ways that have emphasized and fed upon a lot of the darkness that lives in human souls.

The song is by Jewel, the art by Dorkside on Deviant Art.
To see the piece in higher resolution, follow this link. 

That's why I remember and that's why I mourn.

A Watershed Moment - Remembering and Honoring

Honor Their Memory - September 11, 2001

The number who died in the attacks of September 11th, eleven years ago, was modest when compared to the deaths in wars throughout the world over the same length of time. But September 11th is burned into the consciousness of America as well as many around the world. Wny do we focus on this single day to remember? Many different reasons including the visual images of the planes hitting the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the courage of the passengers of United Flight 93 who crashed their plane near Shankesville, Pennsylvania. But even more than the images and deaths, September 11th is one of those dates where things changed throughout the world. There is business and travel before September 11th and business and travel after September 11th, and they are not similar. Now air travel requires long security protocols, and the face of Terrorism has become front and center in world political councils.

I saw the second plane hit and couldn't believe what I was seeing.

As we enter this day and look back on the previous decade plus...are we any better off? Have we learned anything from this attack on our own US soil? I'm not so sure. Trust has become harder to win and easier to lose. Certain populations have been targeted for harboring terroristic factions within them, and that may well be true. The USA still has a target attached to our backside. I don't think that will change, only get defined and redefined in subsequent years as we track down terrorist cells and attempt to destroy their leadership in hopes of pulling the snake's fangs. But...

Rescue personnel went above and beyond the call of duty and defined heroism in my eyes.

Today I will think back on September 11, 2001, remember those who died and think about how innocence also died a horrific death that day.