there is something wonderful to be said about vacations

I have been hanging out in Lake Barrington, IL with my sister and her family
it has been a relaxing and fun time - with lots of laughs, lots of stories

I visited a great quilt store in Barrington, bought a some fabric   (lovvvveee fabric)
went to St. Peter's for mass and met their new pastor, Father Garcia
did some shopping - got some really nice things   ♥   yeah
worked on genealogy with my sister
read a book

tomorrow I will be heading home with lots of memories going with me
I still have a few more days of vacation, added to the long holiday weekend to look forward to
it will give me time to work in my garden and start a new quilt
take Becky and Scott to the airport for their trip to California early Friday morning
and pick Keegan up to spend the day and night with me    yippppeeeee

so as I go through today I will be sad that this visit is winding down (I get crazily sad)
but I am happy for the opportunity to spend time here
and to still have vacation days ahead of me

yes, vacations are good ............. in so many ways   ♥

my vacation in pictures will follow

Little-known story from 9/11/01

This is a little-known story from the Pentagon on 09/11/2001:

During a visit with a fellow chaplain, who happened to be assigned to the
Pentagon, I had a chance to hear a first-hand account of an incident that
happened right after Flight 77 hit the Pentagon.

The chaplain told me what happened at a daycare center near where the
impact occurred. This daycare had many children, including infants who were in
heavy cribs. The daycare supervisor, looking at all the children they needed
to evacuate, was in a panic over what they could do. There were many
children, mostly toddlers, as well as the infants that would need to be
taken out with the cribs. There was no time to try to bundle them into
carriers and strollers. Just then a young Marine came running into the
center and asked what they needed. After hearing what the center director
was trying to do, he ran back out into the hallway and disappeared. The
director thought, 'Well, here we are-on our own.'

About 2 minutes later, that Marine returned with 40 other Marines in tow.
Each of them grabbed a crib with a child, and the rest started gathering up
toddlers. The director and her staff then helped them take all the children
out of the center and down toward the park near the Potomac and the
Pentagon. Once they got about 3/4 of a mile outside the building, the
Marines stopped in the park, and then did a fabulous thing - they formed a
circle with the cribs, which were quite sturdy and heavy, like the covered
wagons in the Old West. Inside this circle of cribs, they put the toddlers,
to keep them from wandering off. Outside this circle were the 40 Marines,
forming a perimeter around the children and waiting for instructions. There
they remained until the parents could be notified and come get their children.

The chaplain then said, "I don't think any of us saw nor heard of this on
any of the news stories of the day. It was an incredible story of our men
there. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. The thought of those Marines and
what they did and how fast they reacted; could we expect any less from them?
It was one of the most touching stories from the Pentagon." 

Remember Ronald Reagan's great compliment: "Most of us wonder if our lives
made any difference. Marines don't have that problem."

God Bless the USA , our troops, and you.

Compliments of Rik - upon his return from New York City - I guess he was inspired (I shudder to think what inspired him)

Bernie and Mary had been neighbors forever—and friends even longer. They had faced many of the same challenges as they raised their families. They found connection not only in things shared but also in ways they were different. But mostly, they were the same. With babushkas on their heads, walking arm and arm, they would go down to the corner market, buy a six-pack of beer, come home, sit on the porch swing and drink until they worked up the nerve to holler at the men driving by, “Hey big boy, want summa’ this?”

Vacation

2 days to go
Chicago    ♥

my garden is getting that tattered look
the heat and humidity of this summer has taken its toll
hanging baskets - in spite of lots of water and food, are not very pretty anymore
select perennials look depressed
some annuals are doing well, others have died
a few things that have just gone wild
the Boston ferns are status quo

as summer's end approaches, sadness sets in
the wa-wa begins because it is hard to let go of another garden season
I am going to keep enjoying what is left
and admitting to myself that I didn't do half of what I should have
maybe that bad case of poison ivy was the cause
or the heat
of just maybe my procrastination
excuses, eh?

The First Day of School

thoughts of the first day of school always surface about now
the memories are a mix of my own memories and of when my girls were little

being a single, working mom - I took the first day off to be a part of that first day
sometimes there were pictures
and the list of required supplies
new backpacks, lunchboxes
clothes, shoes
those first few days were busy and exciting
and then the routine set in and the exhileration waned

and I have my very own memory of my very first day of school.   Ever.
those that know me very well are most likely aware that I did not go to Kindergarten
(I seize every opportunity to complain about what I 'think' I missed)
I don't really know why I wasn't enrolled - or my older brother
my older sister and younger brother went
one of those 'things'

so, my very first day of school was at Guardian Angels School in Detroit
my mom took me (she must have walked me because I don't believe she drove then)
and to my dismay, deposited me with this woman dressed in black from head to toe
I can only imagine what I was thinking that day
I am sure I pretty much thought my mother was getting rid of me
I assume when I was naughty, this might have come up    just a guess
because I vaguely realized at that moment 'this was it'

I cried and cried - not wanting my mom to leave me
it was the worst day of my young life - one of those profound moments
it must have been quite the scene, now as I think about it
but I remember Sister Joanna Mary wrapping her arms around me as my mother walked away
all these years later, I still feel a ping in my heart when I recall that day

I don't know how long it took me to settle down and relax that day
or what it was like when the school day was over
I don't even remember if my mom came to pick me up or I walked the 8+ blocks home with my sister and brother
but that first day of school was a big ordeal for Little B

and after all these years, I still wonder what Kindergarten would have been like     ♥

Ground Zero - New York City

I shy away from controversial issues, but there is one that I can't keep my opnion to myself.

Ground Zero-New York City is where I have to give my two-cents worth. 
9-1-1 was devastating to I am sure most Americans (I would like to think ALL Americans).
We Americans are a kind and giving people.  We always pitch in when there is a need.
We have turned the other cheek often; we have licked our wounds many times.
Ground Zero is personal.  We are entitled to that. 

So as I have been listening to the recent stories of building in that area.
To tell you the truth, I get all upset about a potential building.
I was happy to read this on the internet and feel a need to share it here.
I support this with my whole ♥
I hope you will, too.

They won't build it! Hardhats vow not to work on controversial mosque near Ground Zero

A growing number of New York construction workers are vowing not to work on the mosque planned near Ground Zero.


"It's a very touchy thing because they want to do this on sacred ground," said Dave Kaiser, 38, a blaster who is working to rebuild the World Trade Center site.

"I wouldn't work there, especially after I found out about what the imam said about U.S. policy being responsible for 9/11," Kaiser said.

The grass-roots movement is gaining momentum on the Internet. One construction worker created the "Hard Hat Pledge" on his blog and asked others to vow not to work on the project if it stays on Park Place.

"Thousands of people are signing up from all over the country," said creator Andy Sullivan, a construction worker from Brooklyn. "People who sell glass, steel, lumber, insurance. They are all refusing to do work if they build there."

"Hopefully, this will be a tool to get them to move it," he said. "I got a problem with this ostentatious building looming over Ground Zero."

A planned 13-story community center and mosque two blocks from Ground Zero, Park51 has exploded into a national debate.

Louis Coletti, president of the Building Trades Employers' Association, said unions have not yet taken a "formal position" on Park51, but he understands why members would be hesitant to work there.

"It's a very difficult dilemma for the contractors and the organized labor force because we are experiencing such high levels of unemployment," he said. "Yet at the same time, this is a very sacred sight to the union guys."

"There were construction workers killed on 9/11 and many more who got horribly sick cleaning up Ground Zero," Coletti said. "It's very emotional."

L.V. Spina, a Manhattan construction worker who created anti-mosque stickers that some workers are slapping on their hardhats, said he would "rather pick cans and bottles out of trash cans" than build the Islamic center near Ground Zero.

"But if they moved it somewhere else, we would put up a prime building for these people," he said. "Hell, you could do it next to my house in Rockaway Beach, I would be fine with it. But I'm not fine with it where blood has been spilled."

Spina, who sells 9/11 apparel on his website, said he's printed thousands of stickers and plans to produce thousands more.

"They're going all over the country," he said. "They got pretty popular fast."

Popularity aside, there are some construction workers choosing not to set themselves against the project.

"Hundreds of guys here are wearing stickers as a sign of protest, but I'm on the fence about it," said Frank Langan, 50, a site superintendent from Queens working at Ground Zero.

"It's a tough debate," he said. "I sympathize with workers' position, but at the same time, you can't single out all Muslims because of a small number of terrorists."

sgoldsmith@nydailynews.com

when it's hot, a sure way to cool a little munchkin off

how hot is it?

I believe in dragons, good men,

and other mythical creatures    

 :-)

no matter how old a girl is

no matter how young

we all need our girlfriends   
♥

my garden, Sunday, August 8th

Phlox

Phlox

Phlox and purple ButterFly Bush

   HibiscusPhloxBee Balmbaby buds - PhloxBlack-Eyed SusanHibiscus buds

Hostas next to the garage

back porch

Moon Flower

white Butterfly Bush

I love my garden    ♥