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Dear Fellow Celiacs:

Today is exactly one week after the terrorist attack on New York, and sadder,
even, than the last few days, if that's possible. So I wanted to take this
opportunity to simply "speak"  from New York. Everyone so wants to talk to
everyone else.

       There are no truly appropriate words to describe what has been done to
New York City. A few minutes ago, I heard they are about to change the search
from "Rescue and Recovery" to "Recovery." While that change must be made, it
takes away all hope, even though everyone has known for days that no more
people will be found.

       The people who died were disproportionately young. We will never know
how they might have contributed to humanity. Hundreds of  fire fighters and
police were mowed down just because they responded so quickly and willingly.
They leave behind too many widows and children to want to count them. The
landscape is forever marred. The towers were not really "beautiful," but they
were stalwart and impressive and symbolic and a testament to what humanity
can do. They said not only "New York" but also "America." To me, they said
"Welcome home."

       But it is not all gloom and doom. There has been so much support here,
you can't do anything! So much humanity, that you can't help being in awe. I
tried very hard to donate blood, but was advised not even to go to the Red
Cross even though I am a universal donor! They are overwhelmed with clothes
and food and volunteers, so you can't do that either. We are left with our
checkbooks, and that is really needed, as well as construction equipment that
will help in the effort.

       Today it is so easy to say New York will never recover, but we all
know it will! There is no doubt of that. Today, everything beyond life, love
and liberty seems so trivial and unimportant.

       A friend sent the following link, which contains pictures of
international reaction.

They are is very moving and you might want to go there:
http://stonekitty.net/wtc/thankyou/
If you do, you will find the following in one of the pictures from Oslo,
Norway. In it's primitiveness, it seems to sum things up better than anything
else:

I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me.
So I gladly stand up next to you
And defend her still today.
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land.
God bless the USA.


Thanks for listening.

Ann Whelan
Gluten-Free Living