30 hours in America 10-11 September 2001

I had a great day on Monday 10th and was pretty bubbly when I rang my son Sam in New York that evening. It was the third day of my 6 weeks in the States. I was looking forward to spending 2 weeks with Sam and Jodi in their apartment in New York after my West Coast trip and after that I had another tour booked to see the autumn colours in the east of the continent, travelling from Boston up to Quebec, and finishing in Washington before a few more days in NYC.

The day began with a dawn flight in a hot air balloon over the Arizona Desert. I had never been up close to a balloon before so it was interesting to watch all that had to be done to get it afloat. Then it was quite a sensation to be standing in a wicker basket suspended underneath a bag of hot air and floating oh so gently and peacefully (despite the roar of the gas burners) while enjoying a bird's view of the desert with its growth and fauna so different from those in Australia. You get a bit rushed around on these tours and later that morning we were in Monument Valley. Oh, the thrill of seeing the weird rock formations which figured in the background of all those Westerns we watched at the Shenton Park Matinees on Saturday afternoons! Then on to the Grand Canyon where I experienced another first with a helicopter flight over that amazing and beautiful water-carved valley.

Guess what? I said to Sam on the phone that night from Sedona, Arizona and told him of my great day. Guess what? he said and told me he had watched Lleyton Hewitt beat Pete Sampras in the final of the US Open the night before.

Before retiring I rang home. Robert seemed subdued and didn't enthuse as much as I expected him to and this was the first time we had spoken since I left home. And then he told me. The benign lump he had had removed last week was not benign and he had received a diagnosis of Lymphoma. The doctor said there was no need at all for me to come home early. He would die with, not of, this disease and there was no need to start treatment in a hurry.

At breakfast the next morning, that blue, bright and brutal Tuesday 11th, I was a bit miserable and tired after not sleeping well. At the same time Sam was receiving a call from his friend Cameron in London, overhead tv cameras were turning on in our hotel dining room and minutes later Robert back in Perth was receiving a call from Cameron. Thousands of miles away people knew what was happening before many New Yorkers and it was Cam who was to tell Sam what was happening a few minutes' walk from his office. Sam asked Cam to ring us at home in Perth (he forgot I was in the States) to tell us he was ok and then went to look out the window just in time to see the second tower collapsing. Robert had gone to bed and was confused to hear Cam ringing from London to say that Sam was ok!

I had checked out of my room and so could not use the phone there. I had to rush around looking for coins or a phone card so Icould ring Sam to make sure he was ok. I couldn't get through and had to get on the coach and travel to our next stop before I could call and be assured that he and Jodi were ok. I have some purple beads - uncut amethysts I think they are- which I purchased later that morning at a touristy store called Danny's Wigwam. Right inside the door there was a large sign which said 'Your husband just called and said you can buy whatever you like today' so I bought my 9/11 beads and I love them. Although it was a terrible day to me they somehow represent hope.