Ground Zero

Had a great time with my sister. Went to the shore, Reading Terminal Market, a family dinner and NYC to see the Statue of Liberty and Ground Zero. Taking a 5 y/old to NYC was quite an adventure. I had no idea that it would be so difficult because my girlies and me..well..we go everywhere together. But it was hard for the 5 y/old. We drove to Liberty State Park in Jersey City, caught the Ferry to the Statue and then to Battery Park to see the eternal flame and sphere. I had no idea that the sphere was there and it is not to be missed.

I haven't been to NYC since 9/11 and we have all been wanting to see Ground Zero. I'm not sure why but it's a personal need to see it. We have been there in the towers. We watched the attacks and watched the buildings come down. We sent whatever aid we could to the rescuers, the survivors and the victims families. We prayed and watched the cleanup. I was personally offended by the attacks, and enraged.

It's hard to describe the scene. It's hard to size it up. It's 6 stories deep and 4 acres of utter destruction that has been cleaned up. The subway running right through that hole. The cut steel foundation supports dotting the sides of it. It's huge but it doesn't look that huge until you see the stairwell over on one side and a set of doors on another. They look tiny and then you realize how huge it is. It smelled odd. There were hundreds of people with us there and many languages could be heard. Subdued and sober. Many people just quietly staring. I have the utmost respect and feel gratitude to the people who cleaned it up. Respectfully separating the human from the steel and broken glass. God. What a hard, hard thing to do.

We left in a bit of a funk. Agitated. Well - the sun was getting close to the horizon and we had no idea where the water taxi place was. How were we going to get to the other side of the Hudson?! We walked to North Cove and it was beautiful. What a beautiful place, parks and playgrounds - just wonderful. We walked for what felt like a mile or two and found the Water Taxi. I loved the Water Taxi - and so did the 5 y/old (and the 8 y/old and the two other 40-somethings)! It was fast, it only cost 5 bucks and the kids rode free. Bada-bing-bada-boom - on the Jersey side in no time. Our funk was cured with a cold beer and some grub and we were on the road back to Philly.

Now that I know about the Water Taxi - I will go to NYC more often. I'm scared to death to drive in Manhatten - not that driving in Philly or north Jersey is a piece of cake...

I feel bad about the 5 y/old. She was very whiny and didn't want to hold hands. She wanted to be carried everywhere, which is out of the question with our old backs and legs. She wasn't too fascinated with the Statue - but she was fascinated that someone spit gum onto the side of the ferry and wanted to take a picture of it. LOL! At the eternal flame and sphere in Battery Park she thought that she could just take a beautiful picture and poem that someone had left in remembrance. Couldn't understand the flowers left in the fence around Ground Zero. It had to be explained that many innocent people were killed that day and the people who love them and miss them leave something that has to stay there to show that they are not forgotten. They will never be forgotten.

Lawza Hep Us - Look at Rita.

Holy Moly - the pressure is at 899 mb and possibly lower. Via Drudge. That's one big, nasty hurricane.

I would just like everyone to take note of how a PROPER evacuation by local authorities is carried out. Texas doesn't screw around with the lives of IT'S citizens.

The prognosis for 'Hurricane' Grizzly's attempts at cleaning are good. Things are looking much brighter. Then the older girl had the audacity to just toss her dirty clothes into the middle of the floor when getting ready for bed. Harumph! Will they never learn? Don't they see me like a maniac here? Gathering items to rot in a 1 liter bottle to show what will decompose and what will not? Trying to get the little one to understand that it is NOT funny to deliberately give the wrong answer on an assessment? Putting the parrot into time-out because he continually rings like the phone? Helping the 17 year old cat down the stairs?

I'm done and feel cleansed now. Thank you and have a wonderful weekend.

Lawza Hep the Grizzly Mama

One of my sisters is visiting next week. We are very excited and also very worried. I never DID get that spring cleaning done this year and so it is now time for a fall cleaning. My left eye has been twitching for 3 days. I don't know why, though, because I'm not stressed. Really. I'm not. Well maybe just a TAD stressed.

We will be visiting Ground Zero next week and taking a day 'down the shore' to lovely Cape May. Probably do some of my favorite Philly things. The Reading Terminal Market, Italian Market - should I take her to South Street? Hmmmmmm.

The girls are in the stratosphere with excitement.

I have found my new all time favoritest cleaning tool. It's the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Dang! That thing does clean, though. Grizzly has always loved that brawny, bald cleaning man with the earring.

Oh! And Happy Birthday, Constitution!!

HomeSpun Blogger Symposium Question - XXXII

And the question IS:

How do you feel about Hurricane Katrina?

It's an interesting question and my emotions - the way I feel - run the gamut.

First - I was anxious. Watching it approach. As it got closer and stronger it became apparent to me that this was the big one. The one we've been dreading for years. New Orleans taking the full hit. Yikes.

When it hit I was horrified by the size and the strength of it. Just look at that satellite pic - it's three states wide! I became worried. The people - did they get out?! Watching the superdome as the roof was partially ripped off. Hearing the reports of no power and water leaking through the damaged ceiling. Thousands of people. Not one of them a match for the fury of a category 4 hurricane. The winds over 100 mph.

After it passed - miles and miles of destruction. New Orleans on every day..24 hours a day. What about MS? What about AL? My God! Entire cities leveled. The oil platform crashed into the overpass. The gaming boats swept inland and deposited on rooftops. We have to help. I became agitated and couldn't stand that helpless feeling. We will wait until payday and buy some items. Frantically searching the internet for information, what, who, how to send supplies.

Then the anger came. Hearing the whining of Nagin and that stupid governor. Blame, blame, blame. More anger as the world criticized the federal government in their ignorance of how the United States of America works. Not just the Europeans though! Oh no! Our own home grown whacks not understanding a thing about responsibility, self protection, the strong helping the weak - your neighbors for God sake. Only the hand out. Only the complaint that someone couldn't wait on them fast enough. The looters and rapers and then the people who screamed justification for the behaviour of the looters and the rapers.

The amusement at the speculation of WHY the hurricane hit. It's a sinful city they said. Bull. It's hurricane season. Hurricanes hit us every year about this time.

The local leadership that the populace elected in La. failed - utterly and miserably. That same leadership tried playing the race card rather than face it's own shortcomings. Rather than have it's own incompetence and outright obstruction brought to the light of day - the leadership played the race card. The leadership abandoned the people who elected them - let them suffer and die and then tried to blame someone else.

Did you see that man who hung onto his wife as their house split in two? He was crying. She was swept away and called 'Take care of the children' as she went. That was sad. So I was sad, too. The little 6 year old boy with 7 babies that he'd kept together and taken care of for 2 days. The youngest 5 months old. Most of them 2 or 3 years old. Sad, but God blessed those children and he's a good boy and they're safe now thank God.

I am proud of Ms. and Al. The citizens and the leadership there did not fail each other. Horrible suffering and terrible conditions to be endured in those states did not result in rape, murder, looting and playing the blame game.

Let us allow the example of Ms. and Al. to be the example of the greatness of the American spirit. It's all about taking responsibility. While the mayor and governor in the New Orleans, La part of the disaster were dishonoring themselves, the people of Ms. and Al. were cleaning up with the help of their leadership.

My girls have seen the destruction and the best of it and the worst of it. I will highlight the best of it for them. Donating money to the Salvation Army and giving clothes to the pickup point. Buying items for shelters in the affected states and mailing them. Discussing ways that we can prepare for an emergency. Having them help get a survival kit together. That is the American way - to be strong and help. I let them know that we are responsible for our own safety and for the safety of the weakest in our community.

Finally, I am proud of my country and I am proud of my neighbors - every last one of us has done something to help and those of us who believe have prayed for ALL of the people who have suffered so terribly and we pray for the people who are helping them.

Other blogs who answered the symposium question are:

Thoughts by Seawitch, who is from the devastated area and

Cursed by a Classical Education.

Dane Bramage

We will never forget

God bless America. God Bless George W. Bush. God bless our allies in the W.O.T. We will never forget that Black Day.

I still weep when I see the images presented there. I stood in front of my television and watched that second plane hit. Complete disbelief and shock. It came crashing into me, the realization that this was DELIBERATELY done. I was holding my 1 year old girl and my 4 year old was standing next to me. My husband was working in the tower at the airport. He called to see what was happening - they'd heard something about a plane crash in NYC. I couldn't even speak - I just babbled. I remember clearly it was a beautiful, perfect September day. The sky was so blue. We must never forget.

Have you forgotten?

Philly philanthropy phor phamilies in need.

There are a couple of ways that Philadelphians can help the displaced citizens of New Orleans locally. My fellow Philadelphia Blonde, Ala, at Blonde Sagacity has addresses for drop off points and a list of items that are being accepted. Go there to see.

My girls are very charged up about doing something.

Only one thing bothers me. It's something my husband heard on the news today. He heard that the displaced citizens will be put ahead of resident Philadelphians who are on a waiting list for housing. They will bump the disadvantaged citizens of Philly to the back of the line. If it's true it's just not right.

I've also heard many different versions of what is actually happening. Yesterday I heard that 1,000 persons of the New Orleans persuasion had landed here and were being put up in a school. We are ready for 3,000. I heard elsewhere that we are READY for 1,000 displaced families but only 35 have taken us up on it. My heart becomes faint at the thought of calling City Hall to inquire.

As for me and my phamily - we will clean the house and shop for the shelters this weekend.

Addresses for Katrina Care packages

Here is another link with addresses and lists of supplies that the displaced citizens of the areas devastated by Katrina need. The state of Texas especially is groaning under the weight of tens of thousands of people who have NOTHING. Don't forget about the other states with shelters filled to capacity, though. We can help. In addition to the links in my prior post I offer this:

Katrina Aid

God bless you and thank you for helping. No matter how small.

The cubs and I are going shopping this week for small items. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, school supplies - that kind of stuff. It feels good to help in some small way. I just can't stand that helpless feeling. Can't stand it.

I would like to point out that there are a few places on this list that are now accepting clothing items.

We here in my little corner of the world feel so much sympathy for the survivors of this ordeal. We pray for the ones who perished AND for the ones who survived.

Anarchy in New Orleans

They're sending in the troops - finally.

My God. What a horrific situation. The criminals have got the upper hand and it's time that they stand down. Everywhere you go there are those who only understand the wrong end of a shotgun. We are happy to oblige. This crap wouldn't be happening if we had a Frank Rizzo in charge.

Everyone in my little sphere is speechless about the devastation and suffering of those who would not or could not leave when the evacuation was ordered. Yesterday we were glued to our TV's just looking in horror at scenes from hell in New Orleans, Mobile, Biloxi. Even my good neighbor leftist. We commiserated early in the a.m. - 2:07 a.m. to be exact - through the screen door. He and I and many others feel a strange urge to hop in the car and go down there to help. Some way - any way. These people and thousands like them need our help. Please just imagine for a minute what it would be like to be stuck on your roof for 3 days with babies. Sweltering heat, stench, fires burning, little to eat or drink if you're lucky, armed criminals looting, raping, killing.

We will have to make do with donating what we can. Here are some ideas:

Home School Foundation has established a Hurricane Emergency Response program to help homeschooling families who have suffered great losses. Donate online at: HSLDA. Thanks Karen at The Thomas Institute for this information.


The Salvation Army is ALWAYS there to help. I was very impressed with this organizations help after 9/11. They were there giving everything FREE of charge to those who needed it and with very little publicity. The Salvation Army will take clothing donations for their thrift shops which in turn provides monetary support for the many ways that they help every day. See this link for information about donating items in this way.

Craig's list has been set up so that if you have some space to take citizens from New Orleans in - you may indicate your willingness here. Thanks Steven at Madam for this info.

We are Americans and we will help. We always help and gladly so. We WANT to help anyone who needs it. There are MANY worthy private organizations who are there to help. We will be able to send a mere 20 dollars and a lot of prayers. I'm sure we'll squeeze some more out next payday.

God bless America and God protect the innocents in New Orleans, Mobile, Biloxi and all other areas devastated by this storm.

**UPDATE**

The Common Room has an entry up with names and addresses of shelters that would welcome the items listed in their entry. Take a look at it and see if there are a few things that you would be able to send.