New York

I hesitated saying anything about the 9/11 anniversary on my blog.  As you can see, I even posted a wine shop post earlier...which, I argue, is a major tribute to New York, given that I was throwing money at my local neighborhood businesses yesterday.  I really wanted to just move on and not talk about it publicly.

But it also just doesn't feel right not to say anything.

So I'll say this: ten years ago, I had a 2-month-old daughter and I was house-shopping with Adam in Phoenix (we were living in Olympia, WA at the time).  My mother was with us.  As we got dressed to meet our real estate agent, we watched the towers fall.  All I could think was that I had done the worst thing ever, bringing a child into the world.  I looked at Isabell (yes, Bug is named Isabell for those of you who don't know) and couldn't believe she had to live in this world.  That day, September 11, 2001, we signed the papers for our house in Phoenix.

And if you had told me then that I would eventually live in New York City, I would have laughed and told you that you were crazy.  I had never even been to NYC ten years ago.  Yet here I am today.  And there's nowhere else I'd rather be.  I love it here.  It's part of me.  It's part of my family.

I have gone from a place where I didn't know how to raise a loving, open child in this world...to where I'm so happy to be experiencing all this - by which I mean New York - with her.  With Adam.  And now with the family we have here: Brian, Andrea, Phil, Jenn, Laura, and so many others close to our hearts.  We're in New York with them and I'm so full of love that my cup runneth over.

And that's all I want to say about 9/11.  I consider myself so lucky, and I'm counting my blessings.  I'm celebrating today, actually.  I'm celebrating love, laughter, friends, and family.  I'm celebrating food, the table, lovely wines, and my local market.  And that's how, in the end, I hope that we've won.

Eat and drink with those you love.