~across the atlantic & back again~

spooky and i at the 'top of the rock'

~well now, all is back to normal here in the new forest~

*the camper is fixed since being off the road since the new year*

*signs of the turn of the wheel are showing in our garden where mystery green shoots are showing above the earth*

*i have all of my books out for the next stage in my history degree and next week need to buy the exciting titles of...

The Long European Reformation: Religion, Political Conflict and the Search for Conformity, 1350-1750

and...

Exploring History 1400-1900: An Anthology of Primary Sources*

i have the tv on right now, i have been lucky enough to catch

*Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band Tour* on bbc4, if you like folk then its worth catching.

i have been unwell since arriving back in the country on tuesday~not so much jet lag~the flight was not long enough for it to affect me. i think my body just gave up after me putting too many demands on it over five days~i have found over the years m.e will let you get away with it for so long and then sweep in to remind you of its existence. so yes i have been reminded good and proper. i woke at 4am with a migraine and it took ages for the tablets i took to kick in~in the end i had two monster cups of strong coffee with a heap of creamer and sugar~the caffeine must have done its work for within an hour i had hardly any pain.

~so how was new york?~

***an experience and a half***

its odd to see the skyline and buildings only ever seen in films, appearing larger and larger in the front window of a cab that's being driven in traffic akin to the wacky races

the noise and the people

those big stores~we ended up going to tiffany & co twice and each time spooky bought something, macy's we went to quite a lot and i bought myself a green bag and a new purse.

of course we went to the top of the rock and the statue of liberty (which seems much smaller up close and personal but still impressive)

and there was the world trade centre site and tribute wtc visitor centre

i did not really know what to expect, but i didn't expect to feel the utter sadness i felt as we got out of the cab.

by the time i had reached the end of the top floor of the visitors center i was in floods of tears. swampy and i had seen 9/11: Ground Zero Underworld
and had been touched by the story of Lee Ielpi, whose story was followed in the documentary, well one of the final items on display was Jonathan Ielpi's helmet and jacket and you turn around and there are walls filled with hundreds and hundreds of photos of those lost in the attack.

*such a dreadfully sad place*

~so yes, back to normal, and i am glad~