We gave away a copy of Fireboat in 2008. As yesterday was September 1st, we broke out our copy off the paperback shelf and read it. BigBrother asks for it at random times during the year, but I make certain to pull it out during the first eleven days of the month of September. I always forget how the book makes me feel, and I got choked up near the end of our read through last night.
Our copy is kind of well-loved now. I just had to tape up one page with some packing tape due to a 3/4 page rip. The tips of the cover are curled. I don’t know if this book will last forever, but we’ll keep up with tape and general maintenance in hopes that it can be passed on to the next generation.
FireDad said to me last night, “Why didn’t you go and find the fireboats when you were in New York City?” I kind of blinked at him, tried to think of something witty to say and came up empty handed. “I don’t know. Good question. It would have been fun.” He has now decided that we need to make a trip specifically for fire boat spotting. I’m down with that idea.
I bought a new book to read with the boys this year, September Roses
. I hope it’s as good as On That Day: A Book of Hope for Children
which I’ve blogged about before. Add that to Fireboat and we have three age-appropriate books to keep the discussion going in our family… even when I don’t quite feel like keeping the discussion going myself. That said, I just ordered myself a book which I plan to read before 9/11 as well. Last year I read Bikeman
, an epic poem, on September 11th. Hard, worthwhile, gut-punching read.
We’re giving away another copy of Fireboat this year. Leave a comment on this post about how you discuss the events of 9/11 with your children for a chance to win. This giveaway will be live through September 8th at 12 noon. I will contact the winner via email for shipping information and place the order direct through Amazon with two-day shipping in hopes that it arrives on time. You may share this giveaway on twitter for an extra entry, just be sure to leave a separate comment with your tweet link.
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[Disclosure: I am paying out of pocket for this giveaway. However, links to books are through Amazon Associates.]
Less than an hour after arriving in New York City, I ran into this truck.
The website on the truck isn’t working well, but I found the info on Jim Beam’s website. I was not previously aware of the Terry Farrell Fund. What do they do? Jim Beam covered it well.
The Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund helps those who need it most. That’s why Jim Beam® is helping them. They don’t have a telethon. They don’t seek the spotlight. They collect unused firefighting equipment and give it to underfunded fire stations. They award scholarships to firefighters’ kids. We champion The Stuff Inside, and we found it driving families of injured firefighters to the hospital. We’re helping the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund. Donate. Volunteer. Swing by your local fire station with a pizza and say thanks.
Love it.
I’d love to get my hands on two bottles of the firefighter label whiskey: one to keep and one to, uhm, test. Apparently they were released in May 2009, so I’m late to this news and probably won’t be able to find any bottles, let alone two. That said, the FireFamily is adding the Terry Farrell Fund to our list of charities that we support. I’ll probably mention it in our September 11th post.
Until then, if you can track me down a bottle, I’d be grateful! (Edit: Found 4 bottles on eBay for $45 plus shipping. I’d prefer to buy it from someone/somewhere who isn’t price gouging to make a profit.)
I thought it would be a fantastic idea to take a nearly three mile nighttime photo walk with Burgh Baby (one of my all-time favorite Internet-turned-real-life friends) last night. You know. After I ran a 5K that morning. To be fair, I felt fine. And I still feel fine today. Just some sore feet.
But it was so worth it.
Mainly because I had great company.
But also because it’s NYC. And things get random. And sparkly.
And Buzz was there to remind me of my boys.
I complained to Michelle as we walked and talked and talked and walked that the only time that I had seen a lights and sirens fire truck while walking, I didn’t have my camera in hand. As we continued on our way, every lights and sirens situation was an ambulance. I sighed.
And then we stumbled upon a fire house. One in which two of their trucks were just returning.
And I squealed with joy.
I’m sure the firefighters were thinking, “Who is this crazy short woman with the tall friend? Why is she squealing with delight and taking 498590409 pictures?” They didn’t know that I was part of their extended family, that my nightshirt while in NYC is one of my husband’s old work shirts. I considered stopping, especially when Michelle pointed out the tall firefighter who, like my husband, didn’t look old enough to drive the fire truck. But my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth and we walked on.
But not before I snapped this with no flash in a low-light situation.
So worth the sore feet.
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