Marigolds for October

Almost skidding to the end of this month, but not quite:

Lots of flowers in the pieces this month, plus a butterfly.

Which echoes the image itself.

I am thinking about what I should do next year.  I almost bought a paint-by-numbers calendar, but the images were less rich than I wanted, very flat.  I thought of buying some kits and painting one per month, but that doesn't seem quite right.  I need to start planning, it's almost November.

That thing we do.

T-shirt from Woot.

I have not lived here long, so I have not voted in many elections.  The first was the Presidential one two years ago (and the primaries, same year) and there were no lines at the polling places.  Today, the line was almost out to the "no electioneering beyond this point" signs when I arrived, and past them when I left.  I was recorded as Voter #11,100 - two years ago, I was maybe in the 3,000s.  Obviously people are Wanting To Voice Their Opinions, and using the democratic way to do so.

The line was friendly, the day sunny and warm, and I knit four rounds on a hat while I waited.

A taste of autumn.

 Some days at the conference, I walked a lot:

I was part of a group doing morning walks, and then all the walking to sessions and the vendor hall, and from and to my hotel, and sometimes in the evening at or between events......  It adds up quickly!

I was happy to see the glowing reds and greens of autumn, and didn't take many photos as I was driving and didn't want to keep pulling over.  I do have a few shots, and lots of memories.

Near Birdhouse Coffee, where I met a friend to catch up and
have a light late lunch/early supper.

A friend told me about a showing of "The Librarians" and I went; I'd seen a preliminary partial cut, and enjoyed the full documentary, very appropriate during Banned Books Week 2026.

I also saw a play, which I recommend to anybody.  As we lose the survivors, we must keep their stories alive.  #NeverForget.

 

I was able to see some friends, and both of my rabbis, and enjoyed being in-person for worship and Torah Study.  I stayed at a farmhouse, got to see some of the sheep, and was able to relax and sleep between work and visiting people.

Not like the movie.

This trip has involved planes (two, because of a connection through BWI), trains (two, again because of a connection, plus one for the return trip), and automobiles (technically, two were buses) because I came into Boston early so I had time to visit friends before a conference began.  Not at all like the movie, and had we thought ahead supper might have involved a sunset cruise, but instead a friend and I enjoyed some photograph-worthy ice cream.

September's alternative flower.

It seemed appropriate to put this one together on a "September Morn".

I pulled out the special pieces and they are nearest to
the puzzle box.  Turns out, I missed one!

When I put together the puzzle, I found this little bird.

In case you are wondering, while aster is usually identified as the flower for September, morning glories are a recognized alternative.

All those bits of history.

When I was a child, in 1976 there were Bicentennial Minutes, with snippets of history.  This year we have 250 to 250, another series of history, some of which may overlap the earlier set but many show the broader interest and knowledge that people have today.

OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) created a list of non-fiction books about the USA from every year since 1776 that is the most widely held in libraries today.

Major League Baseball has its own set of 250, with 25 Top Ten lists.  I haven't seen any by the National Football League or others, but I haven't looked at most other sports.

Remembering.

Twenty-five years ago it was.  So many people remember where they were "when the world stopped turning", as one song recounted, just as earlier generations remember Pearl Harbor or when John F. Kennedy was shot.

I was about to leave for work when my mother called and told me to turn on the television.  "Which channel?" I asked.  "Any of them," she said.  And I knew it had to be bad.

I watched the second tower fall, and went to work, and it was a subdued day.  They told us to leave early as it was clear work was not getting done.

So much has happened in the 25 years since that day.  I have been hearing and reading the commemorations all week, and it's still a lot to absorb, and a lot to remember.  All the towns and countries that stepped up to house and feed and help people whose flights were detoured.  All the people who went to the sites and started cleanup, and made repairs, and memorials.  The people who helped others get out, the ones who "rolled" on the flight in Pennsylvania.

In the last couple of days, I've noticed contrails in the sky during my morning walks.  In the days after 9/11 (and that's all you need to say in the USA, people know which year) when planes were down, we didn't see contrails.  There were studies about the effect on weather and climate.

And when we did see contrails again, it seemed a sign that things were going to heal.  They still have not, and in some ways things are worse, but it was a sign of hope.

When planning this post, I kept thinking about more to say, but somehow the words seem inadequate.  American pulled together in 2001, and the world pulled with us, and I wish we could get back to that mutual support instead of the divisions we have now.