Sunday, August 9, 2009, Bradford, PA~

I am sick, just heartsick, over what's happened last night. 

I just got back from an Alaskan cruise earlier in the day; we were tired, so Fred (that's my husband) and I went to bed early, like about six o'clock.  Around 1 this morning, I find red, orange, and yellow lights reflecting through our window, and dancing on our ceilings and walls.  I couldn't figure out what was going on, so I walked over to the window (on my sealegs!) and was stunned to see firetrucks, ambulances, and police cars congregated in front of our neighbor's place.  The Anderson family's place.

I grabbed a robe, put on my slippers, grabbed my cane, and hobbled outside, to see what was going on.  I asked a big, burly policeman what had happened; he said that there'd been some people killed; he couldn't give out any more information than that.  It really shocked me.

The Andersons were a couple who loved children.  They had a son of their own who was in high school, and they adopted six more children, all of them disabled.  Several of the children were in wheelchairs, one was on crutches, and another one was blind.  I think there was one who was deaf as well.  I knew them, but not well enough to really call them friends.

They'd just moved to our neighborhood roughly around six months ago.  It was the first family that'd moved in to the old Tippleton place after the Tippletons died; some folks rumored that the house might be haunted because it seemed bad or odd things happened there. 

At hearing the news, I began praying for the Andersons:  the mother Carole, the father Edward, and the children--Braddford, Rickie, Jamie, Julia, Eric, Daniel, and Quinton.  I wondered if the children were okay, or the parents; if not, which ones got slain, and why.  I cried like there was no tomorrow.

Still crying as I write this down.  I can't believe that something so horrible would happen to a couple who only wanted to give hurting children a better life.  I am going to have to see if I can find out more information as to who did this, which family members were killed, and try to make sense of it all.

Well, I am too upset, and I have to see if I can settle my stomach; my stomach's gone on a revolution this morning.  I can't seem to keep anything down.  Nerves, I guess.  I will write as I find out more information about this.  I am in a state of shock and disbelief; I can't believe that something like this has happened--and just across the street!!

~To be continued.