9/11

ON THIS DATE, ten years ago, we were on a road trip. We had spent the night in a cabin in the redwoods with no television or radio. We came late to the news of the attack. In my travel journal I wrote, "Susan and Tim were worried about us, but Chris felt certain that terrorists wouldn't aim at the World Trade Center and an old couple driving to Oregon." So we kept going although the urge to return home immediately was strong.

You know those free-standing signs in front of businesses? They have changeable letters and are usually used for advertising. I used a page in my sketchbook and noted the wording on different signs, feeling they were a form of folk art.

PRAY TODAY                    GOD BLESS AMERICA
  ----------------                     SAY A LITTLE PRAYER
                                                ---------------------------

PRAY FOR AMERICA  OUR HEARTS ARE WITH NEW YORK
       ------------------                 ----------------------------------------

AMERICA IS UNITED              PRAY FOR PEACE
      -------------------                      -------------------------

WE SALUTE                         AMERICA
EMERGENCY                   FREE, BRAVE, PROUD
SERVICES                           ----------------------------
---------------

GOD BLESS AMERICA              PRAY FOR OUR COUNTRY
LAND OF THE FREE                     ------------------------------
    ---------------------

REMEMBER THE VICTIMS             PRAY FOR OUR
------------------------------------               LEADERS
                                                                 -----------------

PRAYER TODAY                           PRESIDENT BUSH
HOPE TOMORROW                  WE SUPPORT AMERICA
------------------------                          ---------------------------

OUR PRAYERS                             UNITED WE STAND
GO OUT TO                                   STRONG AND PROUD
THOSE IN NEED                              -------------------------
----------------------

ZERO TOLERANCE                      PLEASE PRAY
 FOR TERRORISM                       FOR OUR NATION
---------------------                               --------------------

SUPPORT LOCAL                     HONK 4 AMERICA
BLOOD DRIVES                        ---------------------
----------------------

FREE SPIRIT RIBBONS                ONE NATION
   -------------------------                     UNDER GOD
                                                           -----------------

and perhaps my favorite

                           BLESS THE USA

                          3 TACOS  -   $1.99


Where were you on that fateful day?

HIDDEN MESSAGES

I'M TAKING A DAY OFF from writing an entry and instead I'm referring you to this link.

I hope you'll find it as intriguing as I do. Signs and alphabet letters fascinate me.

How can so much be done with only 26 letters?

SIGNS

I DO love signs and am one of those people who reads anything that crosses my path.
Soon the "Manor" will be gone from our name, which will take some getting used to.

OPEN AND CLOSED

• I once saw a small shop's sign that read "Open when open, Closed when closed". Makes sense.
• Once upon a time I changed our shop's opening time to accommodate an employee who was habitually late in opening up. It made no difference; she continued to be late.
• When some supermarkets decided to stay open 24 hours, I was thrilled. Certainly I don't take full advantage of it, but the idea that I could market in my slippers and robe had a certain appeal.
• Most little stores seem to open at 10 a.m. 
• Mr. Bob looked askance at my habit of arriving to open the store on the dot. His way (and I'll admit, a far better one than mine) would have been to arrive a half hour before opening time.

==============================

• We had certain clients who made a habit of coming in at 5 minutes before closing time and then shopping slowly. 
• At least twice in my retail career I left the store unlocked all night......once I arrived to find a woman browsing in a darkened shop, not yet wondering why service was so poor.
• In the early years, when the children were little, we used to close the store for the month of August, thereby proving to ourselves that customers helped to keep the merchandise dusted.
• All too many independent establishments are finding it necessary to close their places of business permanently. It's such a loss and a blow to individuality.