Watching on TV and saying 'Oh my God!"

My husband and I were living in Las Vegas at the time and our daughter, Jacquie, called me in tears telling me to turn on the TV -- that planes were crashing into the World Trade Center. I turned on my TV and stood there looking at the screen and repeatedly saying, "Oh my God."

I remember sitting down but it was much later that I realized I was sitting on the coffee table. My mind immediately starting tracking where everyone I know was at. I remembered that my husband's niece was living in New York City at that time and no one could get a hold of her. She was among the lucky ones.

The news media started trying to figure out where another attack might happen. They mentioned San Francisco and I immediately was scared for our oldest daughter, Deserea, and our grandson, Joey, living there. In a panic, I was trying to get a hold of her. I was finally able to talk to her and it was such a relief to just hear her voice.

The news media started trying to figure out where another attack might happen. They mentioned San Francisco and I immediately was scared for our oldest daughter, Deserea, and our grandson, Joey, living there. In a panic, I was trying to get a hold of her. I was finally able to talk to her and it was such a relief to just hear her voice.

I still had to go to work. I drove to my shop, and of course, turned on the TV there. As we watched over and over the attacks and all that was being said we were not getting much else done. By the end of the day, it seemed like every car in Las Vegas had American flags on them to show their pride in our country.

We drove down to the Vegas Strip to the New York New York hotel and Casino. There, we found another odd thing. When the Casino was built, the entire affect was to look like the New York City skyline. They had a miniature Statue of Liberty, the George Washington Bridge, the Coast Guard boats, etc. But what everyone noticed and asking was "Where were the Twin Towers? People were leaving T-shirts and flowers, pictures and other stuff and staring at this Casino that had so much of New York's history, but not the famous towers.

It did become a big topic of conversation, some felt that the architect must have known that they would be taken down. I don't think that was it.

I couldn't help but realize that inside the Casino the shops and food courts and the steam coming up from the ground. It was just a strange thing to notice. A few days later, I got a phone call at the shop I was at. I was told to "please hold for your Senator from Washington."

Knowing that my husband is quite the prankster I figured he was up to something. Then a man came on the phone saying he was Senator Ensign and he wanted me to paint a flag for him. Still thinking it was a prank involved with my husband, I did what I do best, sarcasm. I said sure and I am Betsy Ross. I hung up and then called my husband to tell him his joke backfired.

He was playing the "I don't know" a little on the heavy side. Later that afternoon, the senator's grandmother came into the shop and said" I assure you that was my grandson on the phone."

Now feeling really dumb, I went ahead and painted the flag with the words "In Honor of all the Men Women and Children who lost their lives on September 11, 2001."

I got a beautiful thank you from the senator which I still have. My son joined the Army Guard and has done two tours in Iraq and is on his second tour in Afghanistan. I am very proud of him and every person who is serving.

My family was among the lucky ones who didn't lose anyone on that tragic day. I feel that the horrible memories of 9/11 will still remain strong for those who lived through it and have even more meaning. For the rest of us, we can be thankful we were not there in harm's way.

My family was among the lucky ones who didn't lose anyone on that tragic day. I feel that the horrible memories of 9/11 will still remain strong for those who lived through it and have even more meaning. For the rest of us, we can be thankful we were not there in harm's way.

When Pearl Harbor was attacked (before my time), those who lived through that had a stronger feeling of that experience and the sense of pride that came with victory in World War II. This attack on 9/11 was a completely different kind of war. Hopefully, there will never be another tragic act of terrorist bloodshed on any land anywhere. We can hope.