Photo by Maria Helen Carey
Good morning everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend. We had fabulous weather for it. The sun finally reappeared after a prolonged absence so there was no need for Sharee to build her ark.
More than one person remarked on how blue the sky was…almost like that day ten years ago.
The normal weekend revelry and chores were interspersed with reminders of that day. People felt compelled to share the stories of where they were when they heard. Most of us did not lose anyone that day and yet the tears are still easily accessed by the mention of firefighters…mothers, fathers, children… Every single story from that day is still compelling and heartbreaking.
I’ve been talking about it with my kids a lot recently. How the oldest, who was barely a toddler, and I were at Stompin’ Grounds when suddenly we were surrounded by staffers on cell phones. How I felt so guilty about watching tv all day that I took him to Lincoln Park in the late afternoon. It was full of parents and kids sent home from school and work. The kids played, parents shared stories and the fighter jets rumbled over our heads.
Life of course has gone on. Many things have changed. There are children, new neighbors, businesses and blogs that were not here ten years ago.
It was good that this ten-year anniversary fell on a weekend. It gave us the time to process and revisit that horrible day.
And now back to our normal routines… so, what did you do this weekend?
Nichole: I enjoyed a Friday night in, then spent Saturday at the H Street Chalk Walk. I was happy to get off the Hill later Saturday afternoon for a trip out to a friend’s parents’ in VA for a huge celebratory feast of Peking Duck. Sunday I continued my recent “I need a change of pace” streak and escaped the neighborhood at the Old Town Festival of the Arts. Although, I did duck into a bar every block or so to watch my Ravens beat the Steelers on opening day!
Sharee: We hit the Argonaut for brunch Saturday and then played photographer’s assistant to my dearest while he took pictures of the amazing artists (including THIH’s own Jen DeMayo!) during the Chalk Walk. Sunday we had our own day of service by passing out flyers for a community meeting and chatting with everybody outside on a warm, sunny day.
Lauren: Purchased a large (and possibly suspicious) quantity of Nyquil from Harris Teeter in an effort to ditch the horrible cold that came out of nowhere a few days ago. Spent much of the weekend in a strange, medicine induced haze, but it was all worth it as I felt much better on Sunday and had a fun brunch at Ted’s Bulletin with a friend.
Jen: This weekend we began the frenzy that will be our fall. Two kids on two teams, each. Saturday was a blur of soccer, baseball, sudden sadness brought on by a 9/11 story on the radio and chalk. I drew the Atlas’ sad entry for the Chalk Walk. I was so impressed by the rest of the artwork. Note to self: next year we go with a real artist too! Sunday was more sports for the eight year old while we got the 11 year old ready for a week away at an environmental education camp with the rest of the sixth graders. The picky, vegetarian, celiac child is on his own until Friday night. I keep having to reassure myself, he won’t starve.