Friday, September 11, 2009

Remembering 9-11

Every generation has a defining moment that they will never forget. The rest of their lives they will be able to recall where they where when everything changed. I think the defining moment for my generation was 9-11. It forever changed my life even though it happened over 1600 miles away.
I remember that day starting out grey and dreary and something didn't feel quite right. I thought that it was just because I was have one of my student teaching observations that day. I was always weird and nervous when the university supervisor was there. However, looking back on this day I have a feeling it was something different. I remember having this sadness in my sole that I could not shake. This sadness just wouldn't leave me and it keep urging me to pray. I remember thinking to myself, "Lord I don't know what's going on, why I feel this way but whatever happens-I trust you." Little did I know how much my faith would be trusted-along with everyone else.
So I drove to the school. I was student teaching on Fort Hood in Kileen,Tx. Even on the way to school I could not shake that feel-but I kept saying "God I trust you!" Well I get to school and every thing is going great despite the way I felt. It was my tern to teach the reading lesson. My teacher leaves the room as I am teaching. No biggie I though-she might have gone to the restroom or something. Nothing to worry about right? Well She comes back white as a ghost. I wanted to ask her if she was okay but I was in teh middle of the lesson. Next, I heard the sound that I will never forget. ((((((((((ANNNNN)))),(((((ANNNN))))). I asked the teacher what that was. Then she told me that Fort Hood was on lock down! Oh my goodness! She told me and the students not to worry about anything and to just keep on doing what we had been doing. Yeah right. We all tried but we were definitely on edge after that. Well, after I had finished my lesson the university supervisor pulls me off to the side and says that the World Trade Center had been attacked and collapsed. I was speechless! Then she said that since Fort Hood is the largest military base in the world that we were on lock down as a precaution. Then she stressed not to let the kids know. Well, second graders are not idiots and kept asking what was going on and we couldn't tell them. Finally it's lunch time. The principals are talking to the kids and all the teachers are huddled around the tv in the lounge. I will never forget the first time I saw the planes hitting the tower and the Trade Center collapsing. Well, the rest of the day passed in a burr. I remember driving home thinking-God how could you let this happen? No sooner than I said it than my prayer from earlier popped in my mind "Lord I don't know what's going on, why I feel this way but whatever happens-I trust you."
It's been eight years since that fatefully day. I don't know if American society has improved or worsen since then but I do know for a fact that this country will never be the same. We must never forget the men and women who lost their lives that day. Thank the military for keeping us safe! America forever!
4-planes
19-hijackers
2-110 story towers
1-pentagon
1-farm field in Pennsylvania

246-deaths on the planes
2603-deaths in the World Trade Center
125-Deaths at the Pentagon

17,400-people were in the World Trade Center at the time of the attack

1366-deaths came on floors above the impact

200-jumped to their deaths

411-emergency workers died at the scene


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Thursday, September 10, 2009

Oh no!

Well I tired to sew earlier but I kept breaking needles. So I decided to try to figure out why. I was looking at the bobbing and the case fell out along with two metal pieces that were attached to bobbin. I hope Matt can fix it when he gets home! So instead of sewing, I am looking at sewing books I checked out from the library. Here's some great books I've discovered: Subversive seamster, 501 Sewing Tips by Nancy Ziemen, and Sewing for Plus Sizes by Barbara Deckert.

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Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Blah

My mood is as gloomy as the weather is today. Not that anything is wrong. I'm just having a blah day. It's not an awesome day but it's not awful either. It is just blah! I wanna curl up with a good book and read all day. Come on, You know you've had those days before!

I forgot to tell Matt to help me take the broken needle out of my machine. Not knowing where any pliers are I am probably take a break from sewing today and do something else that I love. I know, I know, I'll read. I've been reading since before I was born. Okay, I couldn't read then but I was being read to. Hence my love for books!
I am currently reading 3 totally different books and genera. (Dr. Stafford aren't you glad that I am using English verbiage and spelling it correctly! I did learn a few things working in the English Department all those years! :) )
I am reading: Harry Potter and the Scorers Stone, Why I am Lutheran and Audition by Barbara Walters. You are probably wondering why I am reading three things to totally and completely different. Here's why.

First Harry Potter and the Socrcers Stone is just fun. I am a huge fan of Harry Potter. I am rereading the books with some friends and discussing them as we go along. We haven't started actually discussing them yet. I'm sure when we do things will get interesting because we all have very different opinions of things.

Next, Audition by Barbara Walters. I started reading this book because someone recommended. I thought that I wasn't going to like it though. However, when I started reading this book I began to relate with Barb.I didn't think we had anything in common but we do! :) She and I both have sisters with developmental disabilities. I can totally empathize with the wide range of emotions she has toward Jackie and how their relationship has evolved over the years. I that is what my sister and I have (and continue to go through). More about this in upcoming blogs. This book has all kinds of funny moments as well interesting facts about Barbara's life. It's quite a large book at 579 pages but well worth the read!

The last book I am currently reading is Why I am Lutheran? I haven't gotten very far in this book yet. Okay, Okay I am still on the 2 page of the Introduction! But I have every intention of reading it all the way through. Why you ask? Because my husband and I recently started attending a Lutheran church in Baytown. A friend of ours recommend it and we felt instantly at home there. The people are so welcoming and friendly. For those of you that know how I grew up this is a big change. I grew up dyed in the wool Baptist. So to go to a Lutheran church is sacrilege to some of my family-but they will get over it! Yes, the Lutheran church is very very different from being Baptist but it's not bad! Just different. Okay, Carol, back on topic. I am reading this book to help me get a better understanding of what Lutherans believe and why the do the things they do. As I learn more I will share with you.

Time to go read some more!

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Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Frustrations.........

Today has been a Monday-Tuesday if there ever was one. Let me clarify. It is technical Tuesday but since I was off for Labor Day yesterday it feels like Monday. First of all, I went off without my umbrella and I got caught in the middle of a down pour. I eneded up running around town wet. I had just gone to the gym and gotten one shower but I guess I needed another one *sigh*. After that no major hangups till I got home and got ready to sew. First of all, my sewing machine wasn't sewing properly. I couldn't get the tension right. I am using a sewing machine made in the 70's and it won't sew properly unless the tension is just right. Well in the process of trying to adjust the tension I broke my needle. No biggie right? Well I cannot get the screw/bolt thingy that holds the needle to come loose. I will have to wait till Matty gets home and see if he has some small pliers. That's not the worst part.
I am looking at my pattern. Part of it doesn't make sense. It's talking about putting one leg inside of the other to sew the crotch! Witch makes no sense at all to me. I asked my mom and it didn't make sense to her either. She's a seasoned sewer and didn't think it made any sense either. Then I found out that instead of sewing the legs together first I was supposed to overcast! I thought that was what sewing was but no it means to serge the seams.
I am so frustrated with my pajamas! It doesn't seem like it would be that hard but it is! I am thinking that maybe I should put this down and start with something simpler but then i don't want to give up. I tried to ask someone on a sewing website (BTY the Stitcher's Guild Rocks! http://artisanssquare.com) and they only confused me more!
I think that I am just gonna put my needle down for tonight and hope things look better tomorrow!

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Monday, September 7, 2009

Labor Day Labors



Well since today was a holiday I decided to sew more than 10 minutes. I have the pajamas legs ready to sew together tomorrow. I didn't sew a lot because I wanted to get out my new toy! Okay it's not a real toy-but it's a toy to me. It's a vintage Kemore sewing machine (model#1774). I bought it a a garage sale last month for $30 included the sewing cabinet and the accessories! :) I finally hand a chance to get it out, clean it, and oil it. I'm really excited about using it. The directions say it can sew,embordary and serge! I am going to sew on it for a while and see how I like it. I am going to post a picture of the Kenmore along with a picture of my sewing area.I've also decided to post a article I saw on the history of Labor day. It's very interesting and I thought I share.
Labor Day History
As the Industrial Revolution took hold of the nation, the average American in the late 1800s worked 12-hour days, seven days a week in order to make a basic living. Children were also working, as they provided cheap labor to employers and laws against child labor were not strongly enforced.
With the long hours and terrible working conditions, American unions became more prominent and voiced their demands for a better way of life. On Tuesday September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers marched from city hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first-ever Labor Day parade. Participants took an upaid day-off to honor the workers of America, as well as vocalize issues they had with employers. As years passed, more states began to hold these parades, but Congress would not legalize the holiday until 12 years later.
On May 11, 1894, workers of the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago struck to protest wage cuts and the firing of union representatives. They sought support from their union led by Eugene V. Debs and on June 26 the American Railroad Union called a boycott of all Pullman railway cars. Within days, 50,000 rail workers complied and railroad traffic out of Chicago came to a halt. On July 4, President Grover Cleveland dispatched troops to Chicago. Much rioting and bloodshed ensued, but the government's actions broke the strike and the boycott soon collapsed. Debs and three other union officials were jailed for disobeying the injunction. The strike brought worker's rights to the public eye and Congress declared, in 1894, that the first Monday in September would be the holiday for workers, known as Labor Day.
The founder of Labor Day remains unclear, but some credit either Peter McGuire, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, or Matthew Maguire, a secretary of the Central Labor Union, for proposing the holiday.
Although Labor Day is meant as a celebration of the labor movement and its achievements, it has come to be celebrated as the last, long summer weekend before Autumn.

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Sunday, September 6, 2009

Back in the swing of things

Well for the first time in two weeks I got to sew today. I must admit that I loved being back behind the wheel of my machine. I sewed together the out side seams and started on the inside seams. Not a lot done, but not bad for 30 minutes. I have decided to spend at least 30 minutes a day doing something I love. It can be anything I choose from reading, scrapping, sewing, or even knitting (Marissa I haven't given up on learning to knit-it's just taking a while!). I don't think I am going to include watching TV even though the new season of shows is about to start. I owe at least this much to myself. As women I believe so often we are just swamped with everything we have to do (from cooking, cleaning, laundry, our jobs and families) that we put ourselves at the bottom of the list. Not anymore! I promise to start taking better care of myself by spending at least 30 minutes doing something I enjoy. I can feel the liberation already!

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