I WILL NEVER FORGET

 Hello, friends.  I meant to post this yesterday, but I still was not feeling well following the biopsy I had the day before.  However, I don't want to let this special day pass without mentioning it.

How well we all remember that awful day in our country's history.  A moment in time that changed our world forever.  All those lives needlessly lost because of the evil of a few people.

I am so glad I was with my sister that day.  I don't know how I would have faced it alone.  The horror of it all.  And then heading straight for NYC and into the craziness of it all.  The trouble trying to find a way home around the city and the relief we felt when we reached Elaine's house.  I was happy to be there even though I wasn't able to get to my own home.  I really didn't want to be alone.

It seemed as if the attack on America brought people together.  Brought out the best in people.  Unlike today where all kind of evil is going on in our country.  No one is united anymore.  So sad.

What wise words these are above.  Life really is short.  If you talk to people who are 100 years old, they will tell you that their life went by in an instant.  And there really is no time for hate.  I pray that our world will find the Lord, that love will return and that all the evil and hate that has pervaded our world lately will end.

A rather somber post today.  I promise tomorrow will be more uplifting.

Kathy

NEVER FORGET

To read about my experience that day as I headed toward New York City trying to get home, click HERE

NEVER FORGET

REMEMBERING 9-11

Who could forget that day?  It's one of the turning points in our lives.  We can all say where we were and what we were doing when the planes hit the World Trade Center.  The world no longer felt safe.

It's 16 years later and what have we learned?  The world seems even more chaotic and hateful.  I feel as though each of us within ourselves need to feel love for others, peace toward our fellow man and an intense love for God.  Hopefully in another 16 years, if the Lord tarries, the world will be in a better place.

 

PATRIOT DAY -- NEVER FORGET

Hard to believe it's been fourteen years since that awful day.

I think everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when the planes hit.  My sister and I were on vacation in Mystic, CT and were going to head for home -- through New York City.  I told the story before HERE so if you are interested, please go there and read it.  It was a NIGHTMARE to be trying to get home and reading signs along the highway that said "NYC closed".

I really think this should be a holiday where people can reflect on things.  Unfortunately, being as we are, we would just make it another day to have a sale or a picnic.  Perhaps it's better this way.

Today was supposed to be my last day of work before my vacation.  However, we are getting four or five new people at work and three of them I am supposed to train.  So I agreed to come in to meet them and show them around.  It's OK though because when I got my pay stub today I saw that I have only 3 vacation days left.  Oops!  So I will get a doctor's note on Tuesday and take a sick day and then take the rest of the week as vacation.  Except maybe Friday because I have a meeting I really should go to so I may go in for that.  We'll see.

Tomorrow we are restarting Saturday evening service at church.  Joe will be preaching on Saturdays and Rich will be preaching on Sundays until we get a new pastor.  I am hoping to go over to church in the afternoon to set up the mics, camera, etc. and to time the length of the message so that I can get it all recorded.  I'm so concerned with getting everything to work right since this is the first time I am doing it by myself.  Joe calls me a "tech" girl but I'm really not.  I just know more about it than he does.

I was going to have him go over his message tonight so I could time it, but I fell asleep after work and woke up at 10 p.m.  I haven't even had dinner yet.  That's not good since I didn't have lunch today either because we were so busy.  Joe ate without me.  He didn't want to wake me up because I was so tired.  So when I get off of here, I will get something to eat and go back to bed.

I'm going to end with another picture for you.  Never forget.  When you wonder why people are fighting in the middle east -- remember.

Tonight in New York City

 Kathy

NEVER FORGET

The 11th anniversary of the events that changed our country.  I bet that everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when they heard about the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shwenksville.  Some things in life are just like that.  I remember being in 5th grade and hearing about President Kennedy being shot.  Some things you just remember.  And 9/11 is one of those things.  How sad that some people have no reverence for life.  How sad that some children have grown up without a parent.  And how sad that some parents have grown older without a child.  A husband or wife without a spouse.  Siblings without a brother or sister.

Last year I wrote in detail about where I was and what I was doing that day.  If you want to read about it, see here.

On a lighter note Joe began his new session of teaching the Bible study we host -- Tuesday Morning Fellowship.  We had nine people attend today including one new lady.  We started a study in James.  Everyone was getting into it, conversing, asking questions, answering questions.  It was great!  I always bring a treat and today I made another of the Amish Peach Long Cakes.  It was wonderful and everyone was complimenting me on it.  I had asked Pastor Justin to show up to meet the people who attend the study that he didn't know.  He did and everyone liked meeting him.

Next Sunday is our 6th wedding anniversary.  Every year I take that week off from work and we go away somewhere or do something special.  So as sort of a countdown I thought I would show you some pictures from the past years' vacation.  Today, being the 11th, I am sharing the first year.  We went to Ocean City, NJ.  It wasn't the greatest trip.  Joe got sick, we left the shore early to go to the doctor in Philly, got in a car accident and I ended up in the hospital.  But we made the best of it while we were away.

It was a very cold September.  This is 9/15/07.  If you look closely you can see a guy standing out on the pier.

A view of the sunset over the ocean on 9/15/07.

It was so cold that Joe bought himself this jacket.  He hadn't brought anything with him that was warm enough.

Here I am on our way to breakfast on our first anniversary 9/16/07.

There had just been a hurricane a few days before and the surf was still really rough.  You can see it crashing against the pier.

Another view of the waves.

Here is Joe right before we said let's leave here and go to see the doctor.  He was running a fever and feeling awful, but he doesn't look sick.

It was so cold and windy that the beach was empty.  The only people on the beach were this man and his child.

I am going to try again to post this.  The internet has gone down three times and it's been over 2 hours since I started this.  I lost the post twice, so here's hoping it works this time.  I really have to go to bed so I can get up for work tomorrow.  Hope you enjoy the pictures.  Can't wait until next week.

TEN YEARS AGO TODAY

September 11, 2001 was a beautiful day.  My sister and I were vacationing in Mystic, CT.  We remarked that morning how blue the sky was and the weather was the perfect temperature.

Mystic is a beautiful little town that was once a major seaport in colonial New England.

 

We had been there for a few days.  We had seen the Mystic Aquarium, Mystic Seaport, and had spent some time in Olde Mistick Village, taking pictures.  We noticed that there was a restaurant in the village that served breakfast, so we got ready and went there to eat.

 

We kept hearing about an accident, but didn't know what had happened.

After eating, we wandered around the village a little bit and then crossed the street to our hotel and started packing up to go home.  Elaine was in the bathroom brushing her teeth and I sat on one of the beds and turned on Good Morning America.  They were showing a picture of a burning building and mentioned that it was one of the Twin Towers.  I called into Elaine and asked if that wasn't where she and her friend had eaten once.  She said yes.  I told her it was on fire.  She came into the room, holding her toothbrush and together in horror we watched the second plane fly into the other tower.

Then we saw the Pentagon.  We didn't know what to do.  Here we were in Connecticut and to get back to New Jersey we had to drive through New York City.  Obviously we couldn't do that.  We were both in shock by this time and so confused.  Finally we decided to try to get as close to home as possible.  We had some money if we had to get a hotel room for the night.  And if no hotels were available, we thought we could sleep in the car.

We went back to Mistick Village and bought lots of water and snacks because we didn't know if we would be able to find someplace to eat or drink.  We also went to the bathroom because we didn't know when we would find another restroom.  Then we started out on I-95.

We had to drive the entire width of the state.  All along the highway there were signs saying "NYC closed.  Please use another route."  I thought this was a historic day and took pictures of them.  We had the radio on too, changing stations as they faded out so that we knew what was going on.

We got as far as we could and stopped at a rest stop that happened to be open.  (Some of them weren't.)  All the people there were so nice.  We bought a map and tried to decide what route to take.  One of the rest stop workers came over to us and helped us determine which way to go.  He said he would pray for us.  The other travelers looked as shell-shocked as we were.

We ended up traveling north into Massachusetts, west into northern New York state, and then south (west of NYC) into northern New Jersey and from there to my sister's house.  It took us all day to do what was a 2 1/2 hour trip there.

I will never forget this day as long as I live.  It was the worst day of my life.  It is so sad that there is so much hate and evil in the world.  People do not want to follow God's laws.  We need to never forget this day and to pray for all men. We need to pray for healing for the friends and families of those who died.  Only God can heal this land.