Nature Songs continued

SEPTEMBER, 2001 ~~ continued

September 10, 2001 - The sermon at church yesterday was the beginning of a series of sermons in the following weeks, Something to Believe In. I must admit that I am one that does not take notes on sermons on a weekly basis, but this time I did. Once upon a time, I had a Bible jotted full of some wonderful thoughts to remember. It included a timeline offered by my Bible Class Professor in college. My aunt tossed it in the trash one summer’s day because it was "all messed up with writing." It dampened my need for recording notes in Bibles for years to come. Then as the years passed, the time came that I had a need to have a different Bible for different sources and made notes in each bible accordingly. Therefore, there are Bibles with all sorts of references noted within the pages strewn within my home, but each Bible has a special service to me. Probably, the one with the most notations would be the one used for losing weigh and dealing with related weight problems.

Notes to keep for future references this time will be kept in my Journal. (A process I should partake in each week.) The sermon shared with us - one full of information to ponder and dissect - takes time to understand and therefore I found myself hunting out my pen to jot down these things.

We were given a slip of paper with Sermon Notes ... “Why Believe in God?” The scriptures used were Genesis 1:1 and Hebrews 11:3.

Four levels of Faith:
Level 1 - Atheism
Level 2 - Agnostic
Level 3 - Theorist
Level 4 - Christianity

Five Logical reasons to believe:

1. The argument from cosmology, which simply says that the very existence of the world implies an outside cause. Was there a ......? (OOPS, I must listen and remember better. I can’t read my notes here.) It was caused by what command? What or who was the cause?

2 The argument from design, which says that a world as ordered and complex as ours implies that there must be a designer. In other words, a creation.

3. The argument from anthropology, which says that the presence of personal beings in this world implies a universe with personality.

4. The argument from morality, which says that humanity’s collective sense of morality implies an external law giver. In other words, good/evil; right/wrong.

5. The argument from experience, which says that religious people all over the world implies the presence of the Divine. Belief is Universal.

Each week different ones of the topics will be discussed and explained. As I spoke to the pastor after the service, he gave us much to think on during the week. This is a literary type sermon which takes much listening in order to understand much of it.

(Change of subject abruptly!)

I really planned to go by and get my nails redone today. I broke one again yesterday and now it is taped to keep from hitting and moving the broken real nail. At least it isn’t the same index finger I have broken the last three times. This is the index finger on the left hand instead. I did get up to Quest and work out on schedule today. That was good. I got over and made Mother’s fingernails pretty and rosy looking with a new coat of nail polish. She is ready for her trip to the hospital tomorrow for her bone scan.

BusyKid and his Mom came by shortly after lunch to pick up Bingo and take him home. As usual, Bingo would not leave under his own four-pawed power. He had to be carried out. It was sort of quiet when he left since he actually barked more than my own two puppies. He was not as sharp and loud as the others, so it was not grating on the ears and nerves. After all, Charlie makes the wind chimes sound when he is all bothered and barking at his best pitch.

The spray paint works pretty well on my two dollar hat as I attempt to make it a bright red. It will have to have another coat of paint tomorrow.

Master Buddy Boy was my charge for a while this afternoon. I was privileged to pick him up at day care and bring him home with me for several hours. He and I had a wonderful time together. I took along a HI C drink and some white seedless grapes for his delight when he got in my car. The car seat I have now is almost too small for him, but we made it home without a problem. I’ll probably be doing this more often and he may begin spending the night with me sometimes.

September 11, 2001 - A day that began so very right. How could it turn into one so very wrong? A day to be remembered forevermore for the great tragedy brought on by the horrendous acts of someone so very evil with no regard for human life and the sacredness of preserving the well-beginning of an immeasurable number of innocent human beings. No one can rule out that it may not have been done by someone within our own country as was the Oklahoma attack, with the growing number of terrorists discontent with the country they reside in. America is at war with a yet to be identified enemy. One that will be flushed out into the open and by the grace of God be brought to a proper justice.

Along with prayers for all those being affected by the actions of the day, there are times I find myself asking for forgiveness for my feelings toward those that were so devious and malicious. Yet, the Bible verse, “Vengeance is mine.” keeps coming to mind. Certainly, the good Lord is as upset by these actions as those involved and on-watchers. As my daughter said, I can pray for all that has happened today without having to go to a church. It would be good to gather with a group at church, but to drive by and stop along ... prayer can take place any place; any time. I’ve prayed a lot today.

I took in two water classes this morning and was feeling fine. The day was going to be fine. As I came out of the showers one of the other ladies made a statement, “The Twin Towers is gone.” I thought she was kidding. “No, I’m serious. Terrorists hit it with two planes.” They just told us out at the front desk.

The rehab section of Quest has a television in the waiting room. Everyone was drawn to it watching as the horror unfolded. I had to shake my head. It had to be bad. Much worse than most of the others around me knew. They spoke so casually about it. I had to add. “Oh, this is much worse than you can imagine. I have been there. I have seen the size of the place. There has to be at least ten thousand persons in that.” (My daughter used to work in a building of five thousand!)

Someone said, “You think so?” “I know so. I’ve been there. There will be children as well as adults because schools make trips there regularly. There are those in the Subway below that workers in other parts of the area come to work on. This is a bad time for something like this to happen.” I didn’t add that I thought there was a day care in it. Even with my daughter living in New Jersey, and a 45 min. drive from that spot, I had to worry about her and her husband. There are any times they are on a plane flying on business. Would this be one of those days?

Cotton left me a message on my home phone assuring me she and hubby were okay - as well as an email. She was able to call me, but could make no local calls. I emailed her back just to say “I love you” mostly, but to also know once more that she is okay. She may have some problems as the smoke and dust spreads across the bay, but they will be small compared to what so very many are experiencing. She is a chronic asthmatic and this has been a worse than usual summer for her as she has had to make several trips to the doctor and had extra medications. She will have no choice but stay indoors and use caution when outdoors. Her in-laws are in Teaneck, NJ, very, very near the Washington Bridge. He often goes into the City to work in the university library.

I knew that Tbird’s very best friend works in Washington and works under the streets and on the streets keeping the city working. All that electrical and computerized sort of stuff that architects do. It was after 9 p.m. that I heard from Tbird that he has been working with the crews on the remodeling of the Pentagon! She had been unable to reach his home. This is her friend that gave her the nickname Bird and presented her with his handmade blue buzzard! He stood up for her when she remarried instead of a brides maid. I suggested she try calling his family here in town. She did and then called me back. According to his Dad, he had been in the very area that was hit!!!! He had just stepped out around the corner to be in a meeting on bids for yet another project being done at the Pentagon only minutes before the plane struck. It saved his life. He left the area to go home in Maryland and pick up his children from school since all schools were closed. He was one of the fortunate ones.

I almost had my own minor mishap. I drove to Mountain View for a perm. It is an appointment made two months ago. Guess maybe others could have been listening to the radio as they drove, or had their minds on other things. First I was in a traffic jam and had to use my cellular phone to let my hairdresser know I would be a little late. After about fifteen or twenty minutes the traffic began to move and we passed a three car wreck. The worst of the damaged vehicles was off the roadway. Less than a mile away, the traffic was still jammed up because of the stop lights. I looked in my rear view mirror and held my breathe as I stopped for the fifth light. The Mercedes behind me barely missed running into the back of my car. He was not so lucky as he got rammed from behind and lost his bumper. He had a Virginia tag I noticed as he pulled over into the median beside me and got out to check the damage. Meanwhile, the other car - that rammed him - got hit from behind! It was another three car wreck, but not as bad as the one we had passed and been stopped for. However, I’m sure there were plenty of trucks and cars still backed up behind them.

The Hair Salon had a very small black and white TV on today’s tragedy and everyone was listening. My own hairdresser was very upset by all that was happening and it caused her stomach to bother her enough that she had to stop twice and take a brief break. However, once the hair was done, I drove on back to Caldwell County. I had planned to get my driver’s licenses renewed today after my hair was fixed up all prettified. I thought about not doing it since all the upset of the day was still taking place. Then, I thought, I might as well go ahead and stop because there may not be as many people there this day. I was right. I was in and out in less than thirty minutes. That in itself is a milestone for getting through the driver’s licenses office. I only thought afterward that in fact, I had a grim reminder and keepsake since my new licenses had today’s date which I can keep and pass on to whomever....

Life here in America will never be the same. We are at war. We will never look at things quite the same way as we did only yesterday. Our freedom had been robbed away from us We are STILL the United States of America UNITED UNDER ONE GOD. Now is the time for all of us to draw together as one and pray for our Country and look forward to a brighter day through the LOVE of that ONE GOD.

Someone commented something to the effect that revenge is best dished out once it is cold. Is it revenge or justice? Will it be enough? Forgiveness will be the hardest.

September 12, 2001 - A very sad day for our country. That one sentence could lead to many books of today’s happenings and no doubt many books will be written about those sad events. We, Americans, have taken on the burden that many smaller countries have been burdened with for many years - that of the attack of faceless cowards doing dastardly deeds of horror and tragedy. Hopefully we have the Solidarity to bind ourselves together and root out the terrorists that lurch waiting to inflict pain and suffering on innocent victims with no explanation or warning of why they desire to snuff out the lives only to reap a deep hatred against the ones doing the inflicting. Americans will not turn their backs on these acts of abhorrence. United we will stand and face the faceless enemy. There will be the day that we shall have a face or faces who will have to answer for their actions. Not only in our lifetime, but in death, they shall be sought and punished. We shall not buckle under these attempts to break up our country. We shall overcome with God’s help and guidance.

My own morning had it’s own life to take care of. I drove to Hickory to meet Mother and the van driver at the doctor’s office. There was enough time for me to stop and get a cup of decaf coffee to sip on through the morning. This Asthmatic cough of mine is getting worse instead of better. I’m sure all the pressures of our Nation is giving me more tension and increasing the cough. Sipping on the warm coffee helps to relax the lungs and ease up the spasms for me. Using the special inhaler helps, but I hate to be dependent on it. (Now I sound like my daughter - I’d rather overcome it on my own instead of having to use the extra medication. I’m using the one inhaler twice a day regularly.) Sometimes I must accept that which I cannot change.

Halfway happy news for Mother. No, her gall bladder does not seem to be a problem at this time. Not to worry; if it should flare up it will not take much to remove it. There is more indication that the problems she has would be more from one or two small kidney stones floating around.... She had to go across the road to Frye Regional Hospital for some blood work. While she was rolled in her wheelchair up that steep driveway to get into the hospital, I took the shortcut up the few steps into the admitted desk to get her registered for her blood work. Before long she was being threatened to be turned loose to roll freely down the steep driveway to get back to the van and heading home. I lagged behind since I followed her down the drive and I don’t do slants well whether they be up or down....

My own trip was to pick up my medicine the drugstore had called to tell me was ready to be picked up. From there I had the mission to get my nail repaired and the others worked on. On a sudden impulse, I did something most unlike me. This Red Hat Society is causing me to do strange things. I walked out of the nail salon sporting flashy purple nails! After all, I will be wearing purple when we meet next week, so I want my nails to be coordinated! The more I look at them, the more they appeal to me. I have decided that I like purple on my fingers.... am I growing old? Is this a bad sign?

After Lady came to spin her magic through the house and leave that nice springtime smell throughout, I took Mother over some watermelon for a late evening snack. She was already in bed, so I didn’t stay for long.

I can’t believe there was another call from the drugstore this afternoon that there is another prescription awaiting me. Why did they not give it to me when I drove by to get the other one? They could have scanned through to see if there was only one bag there....

September 13, 2001 - Wow! I made it to the water again today and stayed through two hours of working out in the water. We are kidding about learning to dance in the water. As we face our legs to the side to walk or kick, we look forward and move along. It’s not as easy as I would like for it to be. We are doing some other neat steps in our new early morning class. Some elderly man using a cane came in to do some water workouts and he was not a happy camper when he saw us. Seems that most men think they are too manly to be in the water with us at the same time, or to join in and workout along beside us. This man was somewhat irate about the new class and left us to ourselves.

This has been a most difficult day for the United States of America. Folks are lining up to buy flags to display at homes, on cars and in businesses. I noticed that Treasures which I shop at times had gone as far as to move their flag stand down by the highway with the American flag draped on it. This is completely out of sight of their store which is above the roadway. I took my Fourth of July flag that goes on a hanger on the front door which changes through the year and placed it on the hanger in place of the bright orange leaf already in place.

Times are when one would wish that what one had said may be wrong. I predicted that as many as ten thousand could be killed in the Twin Towers.... Tonight on the late news, it is reported that sixty thousand body bags have been ordered. They may be to place pieces of bodies in which is such a sad and morbid thought to have to realize that it is real ... it is happening ... way too many are caught in the faceless war and we know not who we are fighting. We shall win, but it is going to have to be a worldwide working together of many nations to really wipe out the terrorists of the world. It appears that many leaders of the world are ready to work together. With each new nation pleading allegiance to the cause, more strength for wiping out the evilness grows even stronger. More of the enemy were caught today as they attempted to board planes much as those on Tuesday. If I remember correctly, some of the tickets were from the flights being canceled that day. What more may have happened.... if ... thank God it didn’t happen. It is all already out of comprehension even for those working in the midst of the turmoil. One company alone had one thousand employees. He had four floors of the tower. Now he has 700 persons missing. Not a single person in the office is accounted for. The CEO was late for one of the few times ever, because his son started to school for the first time. His own brother was one of those lost... An unprecedented loss. A useless loss. A magnitude of work yet to come.

North Carolina has too many killed in this ordeal of death. Each time we look, there is yet another name of one unaccounted for. There is one in the Pentagon that may be a son of one I went to college with.... the unusual name would at least have to be a relative. How many people throughout the whole world is being affected by this needless act? The Twin Towers was home to many places throughout the country. There were many in it that were not citizens of this country. Many, many thousands of people were visitors on top of the one tower as visitors each day. On each of my visits there, one thing was always noted. I was one of the minorities in the group. The biggest number of visitors were from other countries here visiting and sightseeing. We had, in fact, commented that it was sad that people from other countries were interested in visiting landmarks of America more so than those living so much closer and call America home.
Wow! I made it to the water again today and stayed through two hours of working out in the water. We are kidding about learning to dance in the water. As we face our legs to the side to walk or kick, we look forward and move along. It’s not as easy as I would like for it to be. We are doing some other neat steps in our new early morning class. Some elderly man using a cane came in to do some water workouts and he was not a happy camper when he saw us. Seems that most men think they are too manly to be in the water with us at the same time, or to join in and workout along beside us. This man was somewhat irate about the new class and left us to ourselves.

This has been a most difficult day for the United States of America. Folks are lining up to buy flags to display at homes, on cars and in businesses. I noticed that Treasures which I shop at times had gone as far as to move their flag stand down by the highway with the American flag draped on it. This is completely out of sight of their store which is above the roadway. I took my Fourth of July flag that goes on a hanger on the front door which changes through the year and placed it on the hanger in place of the bright orange leaf already in place.

Times are when one would wish that what one had said may be wrong. I predicted that as many as ten thousand could be killed in the Twin Towers.... Tonight on the late news, it is reported that sixty thousand body bags have been ordered. They may be to place pieces of bodies in which is such a sad and morbid thought to have to realize that it is real ... it is happening ... way too many are caught in the faceless war and we know not who we are fighting. We shall win, but it is going to have to be a worldwide working together of many nations to really wipe out the terrorists of the world. It appears that many leaders of the world are ready to work together. With each new nation pleading allegiance to the cause, more strength for wiping out the evilness grows even stronger. More of the enemy were caught today as they attempted to board planes much as those on Tuesday. If I remember correctly, some of the tickets were from the flights being canceled that day. What more may have happened.... if ... thank God it didn’t happen. It is all already out of comprehension even for those working in the midst of the turmoil. One company alone had one thousand employees. He had four floors of the tower. Now he has 700 persons missing. Not a single person in the office is accounted for. The CEO was late for one of the few times ever, because his son started to school for the first time. His own brother was one of those lost... An unprecedented loss. A useless loss. A magnitude of work yet to come.

North Carolina has too many killed in this ordeal of death. Each time we look, there is yet another name of one unaccounted for. There is one in the Pentagon that may be a son of one I went to college with.... the unusual name would at least have to be a relative. How many people throughout the whole world is being affected by this needless act? The Twin Towers was home to many places throughout the country. There were many in it that were not citizens of this country. Many, many thousands of people were visitors on top of the one tower as visitors each day. On each of my visits there, one thing was always noted. I was one of the minorities in the group. The biggest number of visitors were from other countries here visiting and sightseeing. We had, in fact, commented that it was sad that people from other countries were interested in visiting landmarks of America more so than those living so much closer and call America home.

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Nature Songs ~~continued~~

SEPTEMBER, 2001 ~~ continued

Nature Songs continued