Mouse Tales: September 2011

Sep 11, 2011

In Ten Years Time

The towers fell ten years ago. I'm seeing and hearing sentimental, "I know where I was ten years ago" stories all over the place today. I don't want to talk about that. But I would like to share an experience I had visiting New York City earlier this year.

During our visit to New York City in May this past spring, we got to visit the Ground Zero Museum. Click on the article below to read about the official Ground Zero photographer, Gary Marlon Suson, and how he's shared his experience. He was inspired after visiting the Anne Frank house. I was there in the fall of 2000, wish I'd had a good camera then. Sigh...

The Museum is located...

...in the meat packing district.

The museum is 1,000 square feet, on the second floor of the building that Suson took rooftop photographs on September 11, 2001.

The space is full of photographs, dioramas, artifacts, quotes, and other images, all numbered. First we watched a short film about the museum...

...then we explored the room and listened to additional information on headphones by entering an artifact's number.

Some artifacts recovered from the south tower. The reflection gives you an idea of the size of the space.

A clock from the south tower...

...that stopped at 10:02 and 14 seconds, when the plane hit.

A 3D image, with rubble from the pit.

"Let Us Understand Each Other"

"Genesis 11 - The Tower of Babylon"

We're all looking for meanings in this. So...why? Why do things like this happen? A massive failure of communication? A massive lack of understanding each other? Where do you go for the answers? Some people choose to address God with these questions.

It wasn't only two legged people involved.

Sirius, along with other dogs and humans, died from exposure to breathing the Ground Zero ash.

This dog was in a lower section of the south tower with her handler when the building collapsed.

There were a lot of images and stories to take in. We had 3 hours. It was intense.

Here are some photos from Ground Zero itself, May, 2011.

The preview site, on the corner.

St. Paul's Chapel.

Sep 10, 2011

Vegetarian Crab Cakes

Last night's dinner was yummy. I made a batch of pan sauteed swiss chard, with lots of pot liquor to soak up with garlic toast. (And little Dee Dee had some fresh chard for dinner too.) Mmm.

I also tried my hand at The Vegan Ronin's crab cake recipe. I tinkered with it, adding a little more old bay seasoning than called for and a dash of Frank's Hot Sauce. Because of the way the last two batches of bean burgers I've made turned out (mushy, refried beans), I also altered the recipe to be vegetarian instead by adding two eggs to help hold them together, just in case. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl first, then add them to the mix. Very awesome and super easy. Thanks Jhenn!

I picked up this saucepan at a garage sale for 25 cents. It doesn't like to stand up by itself, so I had to prop it up to make the garlic butter.

Served with Veganaise and homemade garlic toast. Healthy and taaaasty!

Sep 9, 2011

2 Things Challenge: Satisfaction/Old

Satisfaction: Romeo enjoys a pigskin chew that I got him. At first, he took it and stashed it under his blanket in his crate. But 20 minutes later, he unburied it and started munching.

I love my fur-stepchild.

Old: There's quite a view from the old cemetery in Erie. This 137 year old plot is on the old dirt road that I took photos of for last week's challenge.

Sep 3, 2011

2 Things Challenge: Door/Road

This week's challenge is Door/Road. Romeo and I found a break in the foliage, that makes a natural doorway into the little field on the other side.

The library I frequent is 15 miles north, in Erie. I can't hear that name without thinking of the Great Lakes I used to hike next to and swim in on family vacations back east, once upon a time.

The area is mostly fields and wide open spaces. It's very peaceful to go for walks here if the wind is being friendly, with just the occasional hawk for company.