America the Beautiful ~ September 11th Memorial

“You might want to turn on the news, there’s been talk that a plane hit the Trade Center,” Phillip said to me that fateful morning 14 years ago as he headed toward Wall Street on the subway. The phone lines went down and I didn’t hear from my husband for another 8 hours. My mother-in-law was visiting from England and we turned on the TV, watching in disbelief the horror unfold minute by minute. One of Phillip’s cohorts was on the 1st plane. Phillip saw the burning towers and felt his building shake as they collapsed to the ground.

We knew 6 people who perished that day; we felt great conviction to attend the memorial service at Yankee Stadium September 23rd, 2001. Our 9-year-old son came down the stairs in his boy scout uniform, “Is this okay to wear?” We were so proud of him. Little did we know this shy young boy would appear in over 60 publications worldwide shining as a beacon of hope for many people. Credit: Associated Press

  

  

            
Years have passed. We prayed with our fellow congregants for continued healing and peace. Many of the 800 members of this church either work(ed) in New York City or know friends who did. It is very personal for this community.

Try to imagine voices of passion in our New England church, established 1731, singing the 4 full verses of America the Beautiful. I dare you not to cry as you read and soak in those incredible words. It just says it all – who we are, what this nation is, and where we came from.

Later, we visited the September 11th Memorial in our area; it’s on the water and faces where the Twin Towers used to be.

Someone found a rock in the shape of a heart.

The Bright SpotTM – God bless our country and our diverse people. We work our way through adversity by standing together.

Amazing Grace

Blessed with lovely skin & timeless English beauty, my mother-in-law, Grace, and the Queen have always borne a striking resemblance. A woman ahead of her time, Grace, always gave new things a shot.

 
And nothing slows her down! Approaching 90, she has a personal trainer at the gym, Skypes us every Saturday without fail, uploads her digital images to her hard drive and e-mails family nearly every day.

The epitome of Englishness, she is gracious, discreet and always polite. During tough or sad times, Grace keeps a stiff upper lip and her chin up.

Her mainstay, of course, is proper English tea. It must steep in a         silver pot and the teacup must have a white interior.

She keeps her gardener busy and has redecorated parts of her home four times in the past 10 years.

In Grandma’s Gardens:     

Young Grace:

                  

Grace is an avid reader & animal lover. She enjoyed many years dancing with her dashing husband, Geoff, whom she misses very much.

        

                  

    
I’ve learned lots of things from my mother-in-law over the years, from baby tips and awesome authors to food advice, fabric care and beauty tips.

                
One of my favorite gifts from my mother-in-law was this beautiful statue sent from England shortly before I gave birth to our daughter.

A few months old (above)            4 years old (below)

To avoid arthritis in her hands, Grace knits and knits and knits. Beautiful sweaters and hats and any request our little one desires.

I mean any! Like the day our 7-year-old said, “Grandma, can you please knit me a cuttlefish & grimpoteuthis?” And in short order, the beautiful cuddly sea creatures arrived in the gift package made with grandmother’s loving hands. A whole array of knitted marine life:

 
Knitted headbands & sweaters, ballerina shrugs and ponytail hats!

              

 
The loss of her beloved husband took a toll on her but did not stop Grace from living life. She hopped on a plane to surprise my husband for his birthday and stayed for Christmas that year.

Grace flew over every summer to stay with us. In 2001, my Mom took Grace and me to Mohegan Sun, the big casino upstate for a grand shebang before my mother-in-law headed back to England. It was the 1st time she visited a casino. My husband warned, “My mother may weary, don’t stay out late.”

Honestly, nothing wearied her the past 8 decades… so when I arrived home at 4 AM with two happy grandmas, my husband was speechless. Not only did his mother have a marvelous time, she even won!

A few hours later, the towers came down and the world changed forever. Flights were canceled that week and Grace stayed with us longer that year. Phillip worked by the towers and felt the 2nd building crash to the ground. It took hours and hours and hours for him to get out of the City and back home. It was a mother’s nightmare and
a wife’s torment. Late that night, he finally made it home. We were grateful to be together as a family again, safe and sound.

The Bright SpotTM – A Grandma’s love. Every visit with Grace has been memorable. The stories she tells, reminiscing the history of the family and her great love of Britain; she is a treasure in our lives and all who know her.

My mother-in-law and the Queen were born the same year…Grace is our very own queen xoxo