Sunday, April 19, 2009

Gardening happiness, and a bloody tragedy

I had my garden plot plowed up yesterday. I ended up with 8 nice-sized beds where I used to have 4. The paths between are smaller, naturally. I went today to try to get a pickup truck-load of mulch from Public Works, but there was hardly any there. Gee, I hope I won't have to buy mulch, I need a LOT to fill in the paths.

I mowed my neighbor's back yard with my tractor after church this morning, since it had gotten too long for her little push mower to handle and rain is predicted (again) tonight and tomorrow. Then this afternoon, I finished potting up the tomato seedlings and sowed peppers, eggplants, tomatillos and basil in a flat. Still plenty to do!

Tragedy ... a man killed his wife, their 3 little children, and himself, in my brother's little town an hour north of here. One of the little boys was in preschool with my niece. My sister-in-law is stunned (everyone who knew them is stunned). The mother had a blog -- she seems like a lovely, lovely person. I don't know how well they knew each other but she and my sister-in-law are Facebook friends. I haven't called yet ... I'm shocked. There is nothing to say but "I care".....

2 comments:

  1. WOW, Regina... There really is nothing to say, but, still I am in shock. You know, I hear these news stories all the time, about one member of a family killing everyone else and themselves, and I'm never sure quite what to make of it. It amazes me, saddens me, baffles me, all those things. But I can't imagine knowing the people involved in this horrible mess.

    That has to be strange for you and really strange for your brother's family who knew them fairly well! And your niece! I'm hoping she's too young to even fully process this yet. I feel so bad for them, and for the family of those who were massacred!

    I guess I'm with you, Regina, "I care."

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  2. Thanks for the note, Lisis. I've tried calling a couple of times, but just been able to leave a voice-mail hug. I'm sure my niece, at 4 years old, can't begin to understand, but of course they can sense that something very momentous and upsetting has happened.

    More reason to speak out about our own struggles with mental illness! It needs to be de-stigmatized, we need to talk about it without shame or judgment. People need to know how to recognize the signs, in themselves and each other, and to understand how to get help. I ache most for the father, the one who did the killing, his mental state must have been unimaginably anguished.

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