Friday, September 11, 2026

Friday, September 11, 2026

Tonight's picture was taken at the end of September of 2001. The point of this photo at the time was to capture my pregnancy. I was two months pregnant with Mattie and it was an exciting and yet very scary time. The pending notion of being a new mom can be frightening as it is a huge responsibility, but I was also pregnant during 9/11. In fact, on September 11, 2001, I was supposed to have my first obstetrician visit. Of course that never happened, because it was the day the world stopped turning as our Country and region was under attack. This morning my 'former' mother-in-law wrote to me and asked.... where was I on 9/11 when I learned about the towers being struck? I explained to her that I was pregnant, at home, and was watching the horror on TV. While I was home, my other half was at work in the neighboring state of Virginia. People were fleeing the city and he was desperately trying to get back in to me. It is hard to believe this nightmare happened 25 years ago. It is a tragedy that destroyed families, that severely impacted the health of those who survived, and the threat of our safety remains ever present. May we never forget the thousands of people who died on that day and the incredible heroism of the first responders who worked around the clock to search, rescue, and recover victims.  

Quote of the day: It’s the nature of the world that most people have moved on, but the people directly involved with 9/11, for them, twice a day it’s 9/11. ~ Robert Reeg, former FDNY firefighter

It was another difficult day with my dad and his irritable bowel issues. Fortunately after five rounds of clean up, he was able to go to his memory care program, so I could regroup. Regrouping doesn't mean resting.... it means grocery shopping, laundry, and other chores. Given that I know it is 9/11, I feel the depths of the sadness of the day, as I know how traumatic it is to lose a loved one. With time everyone forgets and moves along, but for the bereaved, time doesn't heal all wounds and we never forget. 

Later this afternoon, I took myself outside to the backyard to do more weeding. I find that being outside is the only thing that helps my sadness and anxiety. 

How do you like this huge germanium? I bought this plant in the spring of 2005. It was very small when I purchased it. It grew so well that I winterized it inside the house. I brought it back outside this spring. Can you see on the very top of the plant is a red blossom. Talk about the strength of plants to grow up and toward the sun. 

I absolutely love Mandevillas. They are hearty and can handle our extreme summer heat. They also attract hummingbirds and butterflies!!! So I have many of them around my house. 

This is the first summer that this hibiscus is blooming. I have grown to love this plant and when it starts getting cooler this fall, it will be coming inside for the winter. 

I have four large planters in the backyard. My other half purchased them and planted roses in them. I keep the tradition going!

This is one of my Sunny hibiscuses. I bought them in 2024, the year that Sunny died. They are my tribute to my beautiful Australian Shepherd. I literally transplant them into plastic pots in the Fall and carry the plastic pots into the house. In the spring, I plant them back into the ceramic pots. I have no idea how I haven't killed them yet, but they are survivors, and I love them! 

This photo was taken in June of 2014. Hard to believe this was 12 years ago. We went to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a week. During our trip, we visited the Elizabethan Gardens. A place we took Mattie and my former in-laws many times. We all loved this amazing botanical garden. During that visit in 2014, we bought a small plant in the gift shop that was featured in the garden.... a butterfly ginger lily!

This is the butterfly ginger lily! When it blooms, the flowers are incredible fragrant and in the shape of a white butterfly. Last summer, I brought the plant outside, but did not put it in direct sunlight. When I winterized it inside, the plant looked like it was dying. This spring, I carried it outside and put the pot in direct sunlight. Ginger Lily is happy and thriving. As crazy as it sounds, this plant is a reminder of my marriage and the bond we shared together, so the notion of it dying, was very upsetting.