How did it change your life?

My friend Celise has this way of inspiring me to write... perhaps it's because she IS a Writer and I aspire to be one... or at least I like to write a lot. :D

Today she wrote "Where Were You..." about 9-11. Something about it caused this to spill out of my fingers...

I first heard about it on the radio, getting ready for work. I'm like "no big deal, it's probably a small plane, one or two people died, sad, but an accident." Then, the more the DJ's talked, I realized I was wrong. I woke my husband and told him about it. When I got to work, we turned on the news and started watching. Soon, the number of employees around the TV in one guys' office was too much, so, he moved the TV to the break room where our software development company pretty much lived for the day. What we watched was UNBELIEVABLE!

I actually went out and bought newspapers and magazines that day... before the headlines changed. I finally sensed that this was a "Big Deal" and wanted to somehow mark the time of my life "before" and "after". I have a stack of publications from anniversaries of the date too.

Just the month before, we'd taken my step-daughter, then seven, on her first plane ride. At that time, she would build whole towers with wooden blocks, then knock them down "for the fun on it". Afterward, she would completely freak out if someone even tried to knock down one of her towers. She progressed to building whole cities all around her towers. If something fell... "the people worked together to rebuild it." She was terribly upset, in large part because she'd had her first plane ride so recently. Her devastation made what I was to do so much harder!

Gratefully, I didn't loose anyone in the September 11 attacks ... but in the days following, when everyone was *renewed* in their commitments to each other, I found myself wishing my husband had been there (not that he'd ever been to NY or DC), but if he had perished in one of these tragedies, life for me would have been so much easier.

Realizing you wish your husband had died in a terrorist attack, when everyone around you is Hugging-and-Kissing-and-Loving on their families, is a hard thing. So, I did what I always did in times like this... went for a "Phoenix Fix" to see my brother. I spent a long weekend with him, and made my Game Plan. I arrived back in Salt Lake on Tuesday. I filed for divorce. Quit my job. Found a Realtor and put my house on the market. While my Mom and Brother drove up and packed my entire house. On Saturday, five days later, I was on my way "back home" to Arizona.

It was an interesting time to be trying to find work. My brother (whom I was staying with) had been working as a Temporary Software Programmer... he was let go because of his "Security Threat"... ie, he was a Temp, not a regular employee. I'd always worked as an Administrative Assistant, but, couldn't find that type of work.

As luck would have it, while trying to "escape" my bad marriage, I'd started working "part-time, for-fun" as a Portrait Photographer with Lifetouch Portrait Studios (Target and JCPenny have in-store locations, and there's also a school division). When I arrived in Phoenix, it was to find a Management Position in a Portrait Studio... suddenly, *everyone* wanted pictures of their loved ones!

Anyway, that's where I was, and also where I went and what a catalyst 9-11 was for me.

Thanks again for your beautifully written memoir.

Instead of asking the same of you, I would ask, what direct impact did 9-11 have on you and your life?

Frank's Best Question

Tonight I took Frank to a Congressional Forum. I didn't know much about it when I went, and I called around to the city and they didn't know much either, but I *felt* like I should go. So. We went.

As soon as we got there I was handed a brochure which caused me to be glad I went. We have one seat available for the Wyoming Representative to the House. Our Primary is on Tuesday. There are SIX candidates on our primary ballot, four of them happen to be from my party. So. I was VERY GLAD to see and hear them in person.

Anyway.

This is suppose to be about Frank's Great Question.

When we first sat down we were handed a form to write a question on. I helped Frank to formulate his question for the candidates. When he turned it in, the President of our Town Chamber (whom he handed the question to) started laughing and showing everyone around him. By the time Frank got back to his seat, several people were giving him "thumb's ups."

At the break, between the planned Round Robin questions and the Audience Questions, I was told that they were planning to "lead off with Frank's question" because it would "be a good ice breaker."

So, we all sit back down (about 30-40 members of the community and 20, or so, support staff) and the Moderator lays out the rules for the questions, "except for this first one, which we'll ask all the candidates to respond to, in order." Then, he reads Frank's question "What is your favorite kind of cookie to make and eat?"

The WHOLE ROOM erupts in laughter! And then, they all answered...

1. Peanut Butter
2. Fudge Graham
3. Snickerdoodles
4. Beer & Chocolate Chips for Breakfast
5. Proprietary Chocolate Chip Cookies
6. "It should be Marijuana ones, since I'm from California, but if you can make a cookie that tastes like a Lemon Meringue Pie, I'd like that one"

(Leave it to the Libertarian to come up with an answer involving illegal drugs for a five year old!)

After this, Frank was credited (as if there was any doubt that a question about cookies would have come from the only child in the room!) then asked to stand, where Frank received huge round of applause.

After his applause died down, the Commentator said "now, we have some other, less important questions to ask the candidates..."

The whole thing was pretty funny!

At the end of the Forum, The President stood up and thanked people, including Frank (by name) for "Winning the Best Question Award." Then, Frank was sent home with all the decorative balloons for his "Award." He was just so tickled! He didn't understand why so many people came up to shake his hand afterwards and thank him.


OF COURSE, I left my camera at home because BOTH my batteries had died JUST before we left! So, no pictures of Frank schmoozing with the Politicians! (Actually, he turned quite bashful with most of them, but was still all-smiles!)

In this picture, you can get a peek of the antique treadle sewing machine I talked about last summer. You can also see the chair I traded one of my couches for. I love this vignette I've created by my front door (which I completed with a potted PALM plant!)

Oh, and Frank went up to wish his favorite candidate good luck on Tuesday (the primary).

It was great fun for us and a great opportunity for us to talk about Politics and Government! The President of the Local City Chamber told Frank he wants to see him back... I'm sure he will!

Censorship in America

So. You need to read this post by my friend, Celise. Then, check out the article she's talking about.

Go read. Now.

Did you read it?

Wow!

I just.can’t.believe that this stuff is still going on in our Country!

I mean, it was on the list of the twenty approved books. They were told, in writing, of her intent, their were permission slips signed by parents and still she gets fired over it! Wow! Sad.

Country Mouse, City Mouse Article

I think this article speaks of much since our recent move from "The Fifth Largest City in the Nation" (Phoenix) to "The Least Densely Populated State in the Nation" (Wyoming).

It's Earth Day, What Are You Doing to Help?

I have been trying to think of something brainy or witty or just plain appropriate to write about for Earth Day. What I thought might be best was just to share with you my current little crusade.

Recently I've made the switch from "Paper or Plastic?" to "Fabric." Last year, I bought a few bags from ReusableBags.com, but my efforts really became a part of my daily life when I bought a pair of old curtains for a quarter last December. In January, I sewed my curtains into fourteen Reusable Shopping Bags (using the pattern from My Many Colored Crayon's Tutorial). I also bought a sheet for a dollar to accent some of the bags and made about six more. So, for $1.25, I got TWENTY shopping bags! Quite the bargain, especially considering the local grocery store has been paying me a nickle per bag every time I shop there.

In any case, ever since I started using my nifty home-made bags, I've been thinking about plastic. I've realized it's EVERYWHERE in our society. That's not necessarily the best thing. I've read and heard about how bad it is for landfills, wildlife, etc. Some things I recently became aware of include the fact that many plastics last OVER ONE HUNDRED YEARS! Aghck! Do we really want to be finding someones old, broken plastic in 100 years? The other thing is that firemen now need protective gear, as much to protect from the smoke as they do from all the melting plastic (and subsequent fumes) in homes and buildings.

I don't know. It's just something I've really become aware of, the fact that plastic is EVERYWHERE... tables, bags, wrappings on packages, beverage bottles, vehicles, etc, etc, etc. Maybe I'm more aware of it because here in Hicks-Ville, we don't have as many recycling options, where, in the Phoenix Valley, we took out recycling one day and garbage another... curbside collection made it easy to think all that EXTRA packaging was okay.

So, not really for Earth Day, but for our Earth Everyday, I'm making conscious choices to choose non-plastic alternatives when I'm shopping. A little bit at a time, in my own corner, I'm trying to make a difference.

What have you been doing lately that helps the Earth?


PS: Here are a few other websites that offer patterns (sewn, knitted, and crocheted) for making your own Reusable Shopping Bags.

GIGANTIC TV's

You may have already seen this on TV, or perhaps SOME of YOU have a 13' projection system... but check out these GIGANTIC TV's!

I'm in the market for a new TV, but I have a few questions about something as BIG as this Panasonic 150" plasma screen:

1. who delivers it?
2. how do you fit it in your door?
3. how would you actually view it?... I mean, you'd have to be like 20 feet away from it!
4. What would you put it on?
5. HOW MUCH!?!
6. Kids. Objects. Large glass electronic fragile item... OUCH!

Not to mention, I don't think I'd even have a wall big enough for it!

Anyway, thought you'd like to see it too. I mean, WOW!

Suzy :)

Electric Car for SALE at Wal-Mart!

I just read an article that says as of next year you should be able to buy an electric CAR through Wal-Mart. Wow! That's interesting!!! I'd heard that Wal-Mart may have hit it's prime and was in need of revitalizing, but I just never pictured them selling cars!

This picture actually caught my eye on the story, because I took a couple photos in traffic in Chandler last October, of this car. I had never seen such a small car. It looked funny in rush-hour traffic amidst all the big vehicles, almost like a toy!

Suzy :D

Hot Hollywood Hunks

I've never been one to oogle Hollywood Hunks... at least not publicly! Today I diverge from my usual "good girl" posts and induldge the need for hunks. This week I've been watching Smallville Season 6 on DVD and I'm having hot flashes over something I've never had before... a blonde Hollywood Hunk! Usually I like tall dark and handsome... some of whom (listed in chronilogical order of my lust) are:

1. Harrison Ford
2. Mel Gibson
3. Sean Connery (did you ever notice that my boys' middle names are Connor and Sean... coincedence? I think not!)
4. Dean Cain
5. Viggo Mortensen

See what I mean? Tall. Dark. Handsome. That's my MO, but blonde and spikey hair? Pretty weird huh? But if you saw Justin Hartley in action you'd see what I mean. I checked him out on the Internet Movied Database and found that he's only been on TV series so far. I look forward to the future and seeing Justin Hartley on the big screen.

Okay. I think I have The Pioneer Woman to blame for my temporary fit of lustfulness... her and her Chaps / Chinks post yesterday plus Smallville's Arrow episode was just too much good stuff for a girl to handle at bedtime last night!

All right, all right! I'll get back to kids and cooking and cleaning and "good girl" stuff like that now...

Suzy :P

PS: Justin Hartley plays Oliver Queen/The Green Arrow in Smallville.