Barbara Curtis's Blog, page 190

9/11 Consider the Firefighters

When I think about 9/11, I keep coming back to the firemen - the men who went up to face the flames and hopefully save lives while the innocent targeted by radical Islamists (yes, I will keep saying that since the current regime and propaganda press want so desperately for us to forget) came down. 

They were so brave. So manly. So American. So sacrificial. Such role models for our sons, beset on every side 10 years later with encouragement to become less than the men God intended them to be.

9/11 is many things.  But as a parent, I saw it framed from the beginning as an object lesson in manhood, bravery, and self-sacrifice (See "Are Our Sons Ready to Roll?")  In the last 10 years of pop wisdom/propaganda supporting gender confusion, I feel the same way today.  Christian parents need to commit to raising strong, curious, creative, resilient, resourceful, confident, brave, loyal, faithful, faith-filled and self-sacrificing (feel free to add your adjectives in the comments below) boys.  Mothers and fathers, this is our number one priority!

In light of this, I offer Peggy Noonan's reflections on the tenth 9/11 anniversary.  Peggy Noonan was a favorite of mine until she abandoned her conservative roots to inexplicably support Obama's candidacy in 2008 - a tragic error in a history of faithful service to communicate the American vision to the American people.

Still waiting for her apology, I am glad that on the anniversary of 9/11 she gets it right. and as a New Yorker her first-hand reports ring true.  From today's Wall Street Journal, We'll Never Get Over It, Nor Should We: Ten years later, remembering a day of horror and heroism:

And there were the firemen. They were the heart of it all, the guys
who went up the stairs with 50 to 75 pounds of gear and tools on their
back. The other people who were there in the towers, they were innocent
victims, they went to work that morning and wound up in the middle of a
disaster. But the firemen saw the disaster before they went into it,
they knew what they were getting into, they made a decision. And a lot
of them were scared, you can see it on their faces on the pictures
people took in the stairwells. The firemen would be going up one side of
the stairs, and the fleeing workers would be going down on the other,
right next to them, and they'd call out, "Good luck, son," and, "Thank
you, boys."

They were tough men from Queens and Brooklyn and Staten Island, and
they had families, wives and kids, and they went up those stairs.
Captain Terry Hatton of Rescue 1 got as high as the 83rd floor. That's
the last time he was seen.

Three hundred forty-three firemen gave their lives that day. Three
hundred forty-three! It was impossible, like everything else.

Many heartbreaking things happened after 9/11 and maybe the worst is
that there's no heroic statue to them, no big marking of what they were
and what they gave, at the new World Trade Center memorial.

But New York will never get over what they did. They live in a lot of hearts.

They tell us to get over it, they say to move on, and they mean it
well: We can't bring an air of tragedy into the future. But I will never
get over it. To get over it is to get over the guy who stayed behind on
a high floor with his friend who was in a wheelchair. To get over it is
to get over the woman by herself with the sign in the darkness:
"America You Are Not Alone." To get over it is to get over the guys who
ran into the fire and not away from the fire.

You've got to be loyal to pain sometimes to be loyal to the glory that came out of it.

You've got to be loyal to pain sometimes to be loyal to the glory that came out of it.


This is exactly what I mean about it being important to remember in a solemn and reflective way - not in the distracted Day of Service promulgated by the Obama Regime , but in a way that honors the senseless deaths and sacrifice of first responders - a day that like Pearl Harbor stands in infamy as part of our history.


We need to resist all efforts to minimize and gloss over the reality and implications of this horrendous assault on American values and our way of life.

In some ways, looking over the past 10 years, I feel that with the help of our Misguided Media, we have lost so much, marginalizing those with the character to rescue us and teaching our citizens to mock them.



We are the resistance. Never forget.



The picture above is Mike Kehoe, from Staten Island, who went up the stairs but somehow survived. Time Magazine did a photo essay on him: Portrait of a Firefighter.

MommyLife 9/11 series

9/11 Where were you?

This weekend, MommyLife will focus exclusively on 9/11.  I will be researching and combing through a multitude of reports and videos to highlight those I think will have the most meaning for you and your families.

The 10-year anniversary of the most traumatic collective event of our lifetimes is important.  Important because so many layers of politics and anti-Americanism have turned the official remembrance into a lie. No clergy at the Ground Zero ceremony - did you know that? - and no first responders invited, either  There will probably be no mention that this heinous crime was committed by radical Islamic terrorists, because of the continuous program of indoctrination of our citizens to believe that Islam is a religion of peace - without the concomitant understanding that the Islam definition of peace involves all others submitting to Islam.

As the Old Left pointed out in the 60s, the personal is the political.  The New Left doesn't believe that.  It doesn't trust the citizenry to look at the facts and form conclusions contrary to the rigid agenda they're trying so hard to implement to keep us all under control.  Ironic how the true conservatives of today are the ones defending personal rights - life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - even as we alert our fellow citizens to resist the Permanent Political Class/Propaganda Press efforts to tell us what to think.

For myself, I needed to read a book about what happened in the Twin Towers - 102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers - to feel some connection with those who had suffered together that day.  My own life felt so remote and yet so connected by our common humanity.  I couldn't be there, but I wanted to somehow share the suffering in the only way I could.

This was a moment when as Americans we were all connected. It was tragic, but that part was beautiful. We need to revisit those moments and share what they meant and what they have come to mean to us.  They help us reach that place of absolute connectedness.

This morning our mobile vet service came to give our dogs shots and our conversation turned to 9/11.  He and his wife had arrived in Ireland on September 10 and though he is very Irish indeed, his American accent is a giveaway.  He told me that Irish people - complete strangers - when they saw Americans, would come up and hug them.  I thought how healing that must have been to be so far from home and to know that people cared.

 I hope that many of you might share your own stories of that day, as well as reflections of the ten years since.  So important to remember.  And so important to pass on this history to our children, who may be getting a very different message at school.

I'll get things started with something I wrote 9/11/2008 - two months before Obama was elected:

9/11 Where were you?

On September 11, 2001 we were living in California. I'd gotten up at
6:30 to start the day and get my boys off to school (St. Vincent's
Catholic High School in Petaluma - though we weren't Catholic then). Everything was habit: a stop in the
laundry room to put in a load of laundry, then to the kitchen to start
the coffee, reaching for the radio dial to tune in the morning news.

That's when reality kicked in. Instead of our local radio hosts, the
voice of Peter Jennings. I went into the family room to turn on the TV
(our TV hookup has always been on-again/off again, but it happened to
be on that month) and this is what I saw:

September 11, 2001 - As It Happened - The South Tower Attack

Somewhere in there the kids got up and we watched in disbelief as one
event shattered our nation. Obama supported talk today about before
Obama/after Obama. What we need to remember is that 9/11 was the date
which should be our reference point for American politics.

I cried driving the kids to school, cried as I sat riveted to the
news and the shots of people suffering not knowing what had happened to
their loved ones, reports of first-response teams killed en masse,
stories of bravery like the passengers who rushed the terrorists,
bringing down Flight 93 in Pennsylvania wilderness to save the lives of others.

As the mother of four teenage sons trying to raise them as strong men
and responsible leaders, my focus was on profiles in courage that day.
I heard the story of Todd Beamer, whose last words were: "Are you guys ready? Let's roll." and wrote this very personal response:

Are our sons ready to roll?

I watched in amazement as our usually posturing, ridiculously
divisive politicians - even the most anti-American - joined to sing God
Bless America:

9/11 Congress sings "God Bless America"

Within days, however, the Democrats began to politicize the event, blaming
Bush, pushing him to do something, then criticizing him when he did.

And of course, this feeling of being united as Americans was quickly
undercut by the American Mainstream Media, which began criticizing Bush
within minutes of the events and quickly banished footage of the
terrorist attacks from their repertoire. In the years to come, I
couldn't help but notice how they avoided covering terrorist beheadings
of Americans with their relentless harping on random incidents of
American servicemen and women humiliating terrorist prisoners.

Certainly, you've got to wonder whose side they're really on. And
what the talking heads and actors like Matt Damon would do living under a
government that would never tolerate their constant betrayals.

It boggles my mind that leftists try to cripple our defense and
standing in the world while enjoying the benefits of those who are
willing to sacrifice their very lives to guarantee freedom for us all.
That they do not see that the reason we have suffered no subsequent
attacks is because of Bush's leadership. While I am no fan of Bush's
betrayal of conservatives through overspending, he has made our country
more secure and safe - despite the constant attacks and ridicule of
elitist, cosmopolitan people like Obama and his friends.

If you are reading this and were personally affected by the loss of
someone you love because of the 9/11 attacks and America's response, I
am so sorry. My prayer is that we will keep the memory of this day -
its history and significance - alive and that we will never forget how
much we have to be grateful for.

Love,

Each person's story is important and I really want to hear yours. What were you doing? How has your life changed? What about your children - how did you explain to them? Please write as much as you want in the comments - or blog and link below. Just be sure the link you submit is to the URL of your post and not your main blog URL, and please include a link back here:

Pugs head-tilt

We have a pug named Pippin, so love this so-typical:

Pug Head Tilt X 4

Loudoun County: traditional, family friendly

I have readers far and wide - from a loyal Loudoun contingent to worldwide.

This is for both: for Loudoun families to rejoice in the wonderful county in which we live, and for others to see why we choose to live here:

A Note from your School Board Representative, Priscilla Godfrey:

As we study the 2010 census, we find several facts that explain why the student population continues to grow even though there are not as many houses being built due to the economy. One out of every five residents is a Loudoun County public school student! By demographics the largest resident age group is 25 to 34 years of age and Loudoun County has the highest birth rate in the State of Virginia with an average of 5,000 live births a year. The smallest grade level currently is our graduating seniors with 3,969 students. On the other hand, the largest grade level is 5,448 first graders. By the time these first graders get to high school, they may have even more students as we are seeing the interesting phenomenon of "high school move-in". Because of the outstanding reputation of our high schools, we are seeing parents and their middle school children moving further west from Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax to take advantage of new facilities, experienced teachers and successful competitive sports.



Loudoun also has the highest percentage of nuclear families (mom, dad and 2.2 children) in Virginia. We now have 46 percent of our households with children younger than 18; and 88 percent of children or 4 out of every 5 are living with their married father and mother! South Riding has the highest percentage of nuclear families in the county with 53 percent of households fitting this category. In the last four years, the county has only had two schools on the bond; hence this year we have four projects for you to consider as we are getting seriously behind.



I am more than happy to answer any questions on population growth or any area of education; you can reach me at Priscilla.Godfrey@lcps.org.

Thanks!

Loudoun County: traditional, family friendly, free

I have readers far and wide - from a loyal Loudoun contingent to worldwide.

This is for both: for Loudoun families to rejoice in the wonderful county in which we live, and for others to see why we choose to live here:

A Note from your School Board Representative, Priscilla Godfrey:

As we study the 2010 census, we find several facts that explain why the student population continues to grow even though there are not as many houses being built due to the economy. One out of every five residents is a Loudoun County public school student! By demographics the largest resident age group is 25 to 34 years of age and Loudoun County has the highest birth rate in the State of Virginia with an average of 5,000 live births a year. The smallest grade level currently is our graduating seniors with 3,969 students. On the other hand, the largest grade level is 5,448 first graders. By the time these first graders get to high school, they may have even more students as we are seeing the interesting phenomenon of "high school move-in". Because of the outstanding reputation of our high schools, we are seeing parents and their middle school children moving further west from Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax to take advantage of new facilities, experienced teachers and successful competitive sports.



Loudoun also has the highest percentage of nuclear families (mom, dad and 2.2 children) in Virginia. We now have 46 percent of our households with children younger than 18; and 88 percent of children or 4 out of every 5 are living with their married father and mother! South Riding has the highest percentage of nuclear families in the county with 53 percent of households fitting this category. In the last four years, the county has only had two schools on the bond; hence this year we have four projects for you to consider as we are getting seriously behind.



I am more than happy to answer any questions on population growth or any area of education; you can reach me at Priscilla.Godfrey@lcps.org.

Thanks!

Off to college

My current column for the Catholic Herald:

What's so good about goodbye?






By Barbara Curtis
9/7/11

How did it get so late so soon?

It's night before it's afternoon.

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December is here before it's June.

My goodness how the time has flewn.

How did it get so late so soon?

-- Dr. Seuss

What they never told me in my "Megamommy Guide" was that on the other
side of diapers and finger paints and peanut butter and jelly was an
endless season of goodbyes.

OK, I'm talking to you older parents here -- parents who've married
off kids or sent them to college or boot camp. And I'm wondering if it
ever gets any better. I mean, there's the first good-bye and then there
are all the ones that come after. There's dropping your daughter off at
college freshman year, but there's saying goodbye again after her third
summer at home. Is one any easier than the other?

And I'm talking to you parents of many kids -- now grown-ups or almost
grown-ups spinning off in all different directions. Home for vacation
or visits and then off to their own real world again -- the entrance that
once was the dividing line between family and the outside world now a
revolving door. Do you ever feel like Dorothy in the Land of Oz? "My,
people come and go so quickly here."

You'd think it would come easier after all these years of 12 kids
coming and going, but it doesn't. Last year, when Sophia went back to
college, I was wondering aloud why life seems so full of hellos and
goodbyes. Maddy sagely reminded me of that great spiritual classic Go,
Dog, Go! -- you know, the one with the guy dog who keeps running into the
fancy poodle:

"Hello."

"Hello again."

"Do you like my hat?"

"No, I do not like that hat."

"Good-bye."

"Good-bye again."

I found that comforting in a strangely metaphysical way. But maybe
it's because I've spent way too many years reading books to kids.

On the other hand, there's The Runaway Bunny, where the baby bunny
tells his mommy of his plans to hide as a fish in a stream, a crocus in a
garden or a rock on a mountain. His mother assures him that if that
happens, she will become a fisherman, a gardener, or a rock climber to
find him.

My take on the runaway bunny? That it would give the child a sense of
safety and security that mother loves her little bunny enough to follow
him anywhere. But as one of my kids explained to me later, there's a
more creepy side to the tale: that the mother will not let go.

Yet another aspect of the juggling act known as motherhood: loving completely, but letting go.

Read more at Catholic Herald.

ABC: How Big Family Moms Make It Work

sorry, no embed code available, but this link is worth your clicking:

Big Happy Family:
11 Kids Under One Roof: How One Mom Makes It Work

HT: Mary C

We Are Catholic - youth video

Love this and had to pass it on. I hope my beloved evangelical readers will forgive this burst of Catholic youth exuberance, which I got from a 19-year-old friend of mine, Victoria:

We are Catholic

Catholic youth video

Love this and had to pass it on. I hope my beloved evangelical readers will forgive this burst of Catholic youth exuberance, which I got from a 19-year-old friend of mine, Victoria:

We are Catholic

9 Giveaways - last day to enter

Don't be shy - you can enter all nine, but do it today because tomorrow is the drawing day:

Scoot over to my giveaway page or click on the pictures below: