On Remembering 9/11

I was going to write on fashion today. I had my notes and magazines out, ready to discuss the edgy vs classic...but after watching the news this morning, I think I will wait until next week. The news is full of flashbacks to 9/11...one of those days that you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing. Eight years ago this morning, I was just waking up after a long night at the emergency room. Little One had been very sick, and so The Boy (who was the Little Boy at the time) and Little One were still sleeping, and I had stumbled downstairs to make some coffee. I flipped on the tv just in time to see the first plane fly into the towers. I was watching the Today show and I remember Matt Lauer and Katie Couric were confused...trying to determine whether it was an accident or deliberate. Minutes later, when the second plane hit, it had become clear...and I remember The Husband calling from work...asking if what he had heard was correct. Soon after, the plane flew into the Pentagon...and for hours, Americans walked around with a sense of sadness and fear...wondering if there was more to come.

After making sure that everyone in the family was safe, I remember saying a prayer of thanks...because we have a lot of friends and family in that area. Then a second prayer of thanks, because The Husband travelled extensively in those days, and had just returned from a flight the day before that could have been...and that was as far as I could let myself think....

I still remember the look on the President's face when Andy Card whispered to him as he read to some elementary school children in Florida. Years later, it still angers me when I think about how some people ridiculed and judged him for his immediate response and the look on his face. To be the President and hear those words...in front of a group of children...and try to compose yourself, yet quickly decide what to do...is unimaginable. For all the debate that will continue for years on how, why and what he did over the next several years...I think there can be little argument that for those next few weeks, he was a source of comfort and inspiration for our country. I will always appreciate his strength and emotion in those first few days...and I will never lose the picture in my mind of how he flew into Ground Zero to be with the workers in those first hours....

And so this morning, as I watch President and Mrs. Obama observe a moment of silence at the White House, I'm saying a prayer for all of those who lost loved ones and friends that day. And for our country, which lost some of it's innocence that day. But I'm also reminding myself of the love and support that we received from all over the world...the image of Tony Blair speaking to crowds of sobbing people in England, vowing to help us in any way they could...the messages from my friends in France...the outpouring of support from our usual naysayers...a reminder that it is a very small world and most people are good...

So until next week, with a moment of silence and a prayer of thanks....

On Selena Gomez and Bad Dreams

Last night was unusual. No activities, no practices, no classes...everyone was home. By 8:00, we were all settled into our respective areas...The Husband was watching the Braves game, I was watching The President, the Boy was pretending to study science, but actually watching the Braves game...and Little One was standing by on my laptop awaiting the big Selena Gomez webcast.
For weeks, she had been looking forward to this...and hour where Miss Gomez, referred to occasionally in this blog due to her Disney channel fame, would "chat" it up with her fans and answer any questions that people "sent" online. Little One had her list of questions ready...by 7:30, she had me log on and set up so that she could immediately press that "send" button at 8:00. I tried to explain to her that almost 12,000 people were going to be participating in this little webcast, so not to get her hopes up about any personal "chat"...but this just enraged her, forcing her to declare that she was Selena's "biggest fan ever" and her questions would be answered.
At precisely 8:00...nothing happened. Little One rushed in the kitchen, interrupting the President and yelling "It's not on! You did something wrong! I'm missing it!" So I abandoned the President and ran to the computer...and thankfully, it was not my fault. Selena and friends were having technical problems... but minutes later, the adorable Miss Gomez appeared, and the questions began. Little One shooed me away so she could type (or mis-type) her questions and send them in. She was so fully absorbed in this that at 9:00, already past her bedtime, she was still typing away. She glanced at me hopefully, adding "You always let (the Boy) stay up for the Braves game"....Ok, I gave in. She finished up and we headed upstairs to go through the bedtime routine. As we were walking up the stairs, I heard the phone ring, and faintly heard the voice of Big Sister laughing and mentioning facebook. I put Little One to bed after a short discussion about how her questions had indeed been answered and how there was to be another such webcast in a few weeks..,
When I came back downstairs, I logged on to check my facebook page...and lo and behold, I understood Big Sis's message. Little One, being logged on my facebook page, had used my status to post her questions. This meant that all of my "friends" had been greeted with an hour worth of Little One's questions for Selena...."What is your favorite color? Do you have a pet? Do you have any fears? I love you and I'm your biggest fan."....all perfectly valid comments for Selena...however, there was my picture accompanying all of them, sent out to all of my "friends"...well, it took me about 10 minutes to delete all of the posts. I hated to have to do it, but already I had some confused replies, wondering why I would be asking "Do yu have any fears?"...
In the middle of the night, Little One made her way down the stairs and into my bed. " I had REALLY, REALLY, REALLY bad dreams"she cried...no doubt due to all of the evening's excitement. As I watched her climb in next to The Husband (who was happily snoring away, the subject for a whole different blog), I had a big smile on my face. Little One is not so little anymore, and Selena may be the new female in her life...but it is still mom that can make the bad dreams go away...and that is a good thing...

So until tomorrow, when dreams will hopefully better...and we will be back to fashion...

Politics is suppose to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize it bears a strong ressemblance to the first." ...Ronald Reagan

The President is speaking on tv tonight, once again trying to convince us that his health-care bill is what we want. I have a suggestion...why can't we focus on the areas of agreement? Why can't we start with coverage for pre-existing conditions...for those who have lost their jobs? There are several areas where everyone seems to agree...so why not start there? This so-called "public option", whether real or imagined, has scared everyone off. Can our Great-Communicator not see this? At best, the public option will give more people coverage, but the cost will be exorbitant. At it's worst, it's going to force some private health-care out, or the costs to sky-rocket.

The President needs to face the fact that he has not sold this program well. Leaving it the hands of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid has turned it into an ugly "them vs us" thing. Americans are compassionate people. If you got to them honestly and explain why there is a need, it will usually be met. But we are not a people who like having anything shoved down our throats. And after months of stimulus packages that are costing a fortune without showing much result (thus far), I think people are saying "What 's the rush? Slow down and do it right."

I think our President was caught off-guard by his falling approval ratings. He has a bit of arrogance that made him think that he could convince anyone of anything. But he needs to take a long, hard look at what he is doing. With only 39% of people supporting this bill...he hasn't gotten it done. And when, as President, you start believing that You know what is best for the American people...even when they have told you differently....When members of your own party are hesitating and hiding....When you have caused the "crazies" on the opposing side to come out...this is when you need to take a step back and remember that you were elected to carry out what the American people want...not to fulfill your own agenda, whatever that may be.

This whole issue has leaked everywhere...and now The President is going to have to tread carefully. Imagine the uproar that he caused yesterday by speaking to our elementary school children. This should have been a non-issue. The fact that the President would take the time to address the kids should have been a great thing. I read the transcripts...there was nothing "inflammatory" in his talk. How can encouraging kids to work hard to succeed be a bad thing? How can pointing out that he wishes he would have worked harder as a student be considered leftist or conservative? But here's the deal....the moderates and conservatives have become suspicious of him...and his motives. Anything he does from here on out is going to be debated because he mis-calculated how far his persona would carry him.

In my opinion, he needs to take a step back. What he owes the American people is more explanation and less chastising. Stop making fun or putting down people who don't agree with you...it doesn't mean they are stupid...it doesn't indicate a decaying of public discourse...it just means they don't agree with you! Take the time and effort to spell out your plans...and then accept that you cannot shove an agenda down people's throats without consequences...

So that is it for today's political lecture...I realize I lost a chunk of readership with the words "our President'...but it can't all be fashion and cell phones, can it?

Until tomorrow, when we will return to more pressing matters....

"It is by chance that we met, by choice that we became friends."

It's always good to be reminded of how precious friendships are in our life. Last week, a good friend and I finally "synched" our busy schedules and had lunch together at Grandma's house. We hadn't seen each other in a year...a fact that I cannot believe even as I write it. We keep in touch all the time by e-mail, facebook, blog and phone...(that lovely technology, right?)...but with 7 children, 2 husbands, 6 pets and an hour drive separating us, we had just let too much time accumulate since our last face-to-face visit. I drove the hour to Grandma's, and she came out of her way from classes, and for a blissful 2 hours, we caught up on every subject imaginable. I am always amazed at the range of subjects we can cover in the course of a visit. She truly knows ME, all of my flawed self and life...and she still hangs out with me, so I love her. As we finished up and said good bye, she pulled out the most beautiful scarf that she had brought back for me on her last trip to Paris. Now you could bring me back an empty bottle from Paris, and I would treasure it, knowing it comes from the most beautiful city in the world...but this scarf is absolutely gorgeous, and again, I thank her for her thoughtfulness and kindness...and most of all, her friendship.

Sunday, the kids were invited to the Braves game with friends. We invited them all back to Grandma's house for dinner, along with some other old friends. The Husband was channeling Bobby Flay all day, creating and grilling, while I was channeling the Barefoot Contessa...or Giada..or Paula Deen...ok, whoever...just basically messing around in the kitchen. That evening, as we all sat outside on a beautiful evening, overlooking the golfers, it was a fitting tribute to Grandma, for this would have been her 68th birthday...and this would have been her perfect evening...lots of food, friends and conversation. The Husband told some "Grandma" stories...some appropriate and some not, but that was ok, because it is not a normal night if The Husband is not saying something inappropriate...and if truth be told, Grandma was known to throw out an inappropriate line or two also. We laughed and laughed...and inside I cried just a little, because in a perfect world...she would have been there with us. Our old friends had known her, but our new friends had not...and I guess that is how life goes. We move on and make new friends if we are very lucky, but we are fortunate also to have the old ones, the ones that "knew us when"....and are still around.

And so today, I'm thankful for friends old and new, for holidays and normal days....and until tomorrow, when there will be more stories to share...

The 5 Top Reasons The Husband does NOT tick me off...

I had several concerned responses to yesterday's blog on falling asleep in pick-up line. These ranged from whether or not I was drooling when I woke up, to whether or not there was now a You tube video of the whole thing.....Then this morning, as I was patiently waiting in line to drop off Little One, a kindly friend knocked on my window and said "Just checkin' to see if you're awake"....
Many people were also concerned that I was not using the A/C. One friend suggested forming a coalition against The Husband to convince him...others suggested ignoring him...the Brother-in-Law might have called him Hitler.....I began to feel a little guilty. Especially when The Husband sent a note saying "Why don't you just write a blog on the 10 ways that I tick you off?" (Ok, The Husband never says "tick you off", but you can fill in that blank). Well, I explained that it would take more than 10 to....ok wait, that isn't sweet. And so today, in honor and appreciation of The Husband, the following are the Top 10...wait....Top 5 reasons that The Husband does NOT tick me off...

1) I had a lovely lunch with a good friend at Grandma's house this week. I will have more to say about this lunch next week...but for now, let me explain that when I got to the house, I lit a candle to help air out the house. After the lunch, I cleaned up and left. Later that afternoon, Little One and I realized that she had left her softball cleats at Grandma's. I called and asked The Husband to pick them up on his way home. Not only did he do this without complaining....but he didn't even yell at me when he discovered that I had...left the candle burning. He calmly walked into the house and said "You may want to be sure to blow out the candle next time.".....I couldn't believe it! Was this my husband? Anyway, this did NOT tick me off...

2) I usually refrain from sending The Husband to any information-gathering meetings, ie pediatrician, orthodontist, vet, school...anything that requires listening and learning...because he will inevitably go, socialize...and come home without knowing anything. But last week's middle-school meeting on lap-tops fell on a bad night. I could not be 2 places at once...so with fear and trepidation...I sent The Husband, begging and pleading with him to PAY ATTENTION. Imagine my surprise when half-way through the meeting, he sends me a detailed e-mail listing all of the information from the meeting. This did NOT tick me off! I was so proud! Of course, then he said he was going to nap the rest of the time...The Husband is always a smart alec....

3) For days I had been craving a soft-serve cone from McDonald's. After the above meeting, the Boy came running in to the house with a cone (melted and half-eaten, but still...) and announced "Dad said to give this to you!")...This did NOT tick me off...

4) Last weekend, while the kids were out playing, I was cooking dinner. The Husband was watching TV in another room. All of a sudden, he comes into the kitchen, turns on the TV to HBO where the 'Sex and the City Movie' is playing. I have seen this movie 432,00 times, but I love it. He turns it on, sits down in a chair, and watches the last 30 minutes with me. He doesn't laugh when I cry...AND he refrains from making his obscene gesture that tells me he thinks it is silly until AFTER the movie......That is The Husband for you..my own version of Mr. Big....This did not tick me off...

5) And finally, 2 nights ago, as the Braves game went on and on...The Boy asked to stay up late and finish it. The Husband responded "No, I want to have some time with your mom." At first, I was a little nervous. What did this mean? Had I done something wrong? But no, to my surprise, we sat in lovely silence, watching the game alone together...This did not tick me off...

And there you have it, 5 reasons why The Husband does not tick me off...and I say this with the acute realisation that it is indeed the small things in life that mean something...and as Meg Ryan said to Tom Hanks in 'You've Got Mail' (I know Thomas, an "oldie" ) ... "all this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings"....The Husband will know exactly what I mean...

And so until next week, with an appreciation for The Husband...and a happy holiday weekend to all....

"I Love My Sleep. My Life Has a Tendency To Fall Apart When I Am Awake, You Know?" ....Ernest Hemingway

I woke up at 4:20 this morning and I was so happy. I felt rested...and I still had 2 hours of sleep to go. I turned over, and what felt like 2 minutes later, the alarm went off. Now I understand all of that stuff about cycles of sleep and blah, blah, blah...but it just doesn't make sense that at 4:20 I feel great, yet at 6:20, I feel as if I cannot move. I glanced over at The Husband, and he was still blissfully snoring away. (I am always a little jealous of The Husband's school year routine, which involves a leisurely shower and a bowl of oatmeal waiting for him on his counter...though as he is now getting ready to say, it all balances out in the summer, when he kisses me good-bye while I am still in bed...)
Anyway, the problem is that lately there have been too many late night baseball practices, Braves-game rain delays which resume about 11:00,...and then of course, no matter how tired we are, The Husband and I are glued to "Friends" re-runs at 11:00 no matter how many times we've seen them...and these often morph into "That 70's Show" at 11:30, which we try to turn off, but keep saying "next commercial".

This silliness culminated yesterday into a true moment of embarrassment for yours truly. I arrived early to school pick-up line. I had forgotten my book, so there was nothing to do except sweat in the heat (because The Husband always says "DON"T WASTE GAS BY RUNNING THE AIR CONDITIONING IN LINE!"....Now the little catch there is, The Husband doesn't have to sit in 105 degree heat...but that aside...). So I listened to the radio, made a few calls....and then, with about 10 minutes to go, I decided to just close my eyes and "rest" for 2 minutes. Well, 15 minutes later I awoke to the sound of moving cars and honking horns...Yes, I had fallen asleep in line, and instead of someone kindly running over and tapping on my window...they all chose to drive around me and HONK. This proved to be highly humiliating, but I recovered quickly and made my way though the line. When I told The Boy and Little One what had happened, the first thing they asked was "Did anybody see you?" It was as if I had killed someone and was trying to hide the body....Nothing worse than embarrassing the kids...

So this morning, as the rest of the day stretches out beyond me, I'm a little concerned. Though I am granted a reprieve from pick-up line, because both kids have help-sessions after school...there is still that late-night softball practice that doesn't end until 9:00pm....so if you happen to see me at practice sleeping in my car...please don't honk...just tap on my window....

Until tomorrow, when I will look forward to sleeping late on Saturday...

The first Thing I Do In The Morning is Brush My Teeth and Sharpen my Tongue"

I'm off to at late start today after a late night. Just as bedtime rolled around for The Boy last night, the Braves game resumed after a rain-delay. The Boy moaned and groaned and negotiated for 3 innings...and got it. So he was a bit grumpy this morning, along with Little One, who was nervous because she had an orthodontist appointment.

We got the big news last week that not only was it time for Little One to go back into braces, but she also needed to have this appliance called the "herbst". The Boy is already in this, and the cost is approximately that of a small car...so the orthodontist , who is actually an acquaintance and nice guy, started off the consultation by apologizing for what was about to happen. He talked about "these economic times" and "no pressure"...but here is the deal. When the orthodontist brings several people into the consultation to explain why things are necessary, you can basically count on a thousand dollars for every person he has brought into the room. So instead of listening to his very interesting explanation, I was multiplying by the number of people in the office to figure up how much I was going to owe.

He was also kind enough to remind me that there was a "summer promotion" going on...but that also meant that I had to make up my mind in the next 72 hours...because that is when the promotion ended...but "no pressure". Now look, I don't know why he bothered to say that, because basically he has already stepped through how Little One will look if we don't go through with it...so when he says "If you want to just hope she will grow out of it"...he really means "if you are a horrible mother who would not do this to help her child'....or maybe this is what I hear...Either way, we of course decided to proceed, and so by the end of the consultation, I was somehow having to comfort the orthodontist, because he was so distraught that I would, in essence, be paying for his children's college education....

As we walked out the orthodontist's door and got into the car to head back to school, Little One kindly asked me "Why are you wearing the same thing today that you wore yesterday?"...Well, I explained, I just wore this to your softball practice last night...it's clean...and I don't think I'll see anyone today that I saw last night." Little One gave me the glazed look she gives me when I have given too much explanation...Meanwhile, she was wearing the same uniform shirt from yesterday...but I left that little tidbit alone..

So I dropped her off, came home to change, and let The Husband know that there would be no birthday or Christmas presents this year...but there won't be any overbites either...

Until tomorrow....