Bella Noble, kindergartner from Ramona, California
Seems to me Hannah Anderson may be guilty of something. But more on that later.
Here’s what’s been on my mind this week:
A five-year old kindergartner, Bella Noble, was accidentally run over by her mother’s van. When the mother realized what had happened, she pulled the van forward and ended up running over her daughter a second time…
In other news, do you remember where you were when JFK was shot? I do, and I’m writing a whole post about it soon. You probably know that the 50th anniversary of his assassination is coming up. Well, I don’t know why it still affects me but it does. Today I was in my local bookstore and saw all these books they have on the subject, including a new one called Rose Kennedy’s Family Album: From the Fitzgerald Kennedy Private Collection.
Right there as I stood gazing at all the book covers, while a saleswoman spoke to me about the anniversary, I started shaking and I felt myself on the verge of tearing up. Why am I so upset? It’s not as if I knew him. Much as I’d like to be a Kennedy, JFK wasn’t my father. But he left his mark on all of us who remember, his death marking the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. A loss of innocence, perhaps. Call it what you will, but it was the first collective experience of an entire nation and those of us that remember know.
PBS is airing some insightful shows about JFK, including an American Experience special, on November 11, 12 and 13. Check your listings and set your DVR’s.
After being run over, little Bella was rushed to a local Children’s Hospital where she died of her injuries after a short while. Her father called her his angel…
I am freaking out. Last night I watched a Frontline documentary on PBS called “Hunting the Nightmare Bacteria.” It was about bacteria and antibiotics, how the antibiotics are not working on some of these new super strands. OMG, it was fascinating and also scary. I mean, really scary. Nightmare on Elm Street scary, if you know what I mean.
The government is aware of the problem but doesn’t seem to be on the ball about it. It’s not a priority. But then, what else is new? And the pharmaceutical companies are even more frustrating. I want to wring their proverbial necks!
They’re not addressing the crisis as it’s not a moneymaker for them. They are for profit, after all.
The reason? Well, here’s the thing about antibiotics. They only work for a short time. Years, decades and then they run their course because a new bacteria—or super bug—are being introduced into our environment all the time and these are resistant to the current antibiotics. But pharmaceutical companies don’t want to invest in research to create new antibiotics because once they do, then eventually that which is created will become useless in time and, pretty much, they’ll have to start from scratch. Over and over again. It’s a never ending cycle!
But with nothing being done to address the end of antibiotics effectiveness, mark my words, we will have an epidemic—in much the same way we did when AIDS first came on the horizon. There will be loss of life as a result.
I suppose this is just one more thing for me to get upset over, because it seems Congress doesn’t get me mad enough these days. (Read with hint of sarcasm.)
I know I’m not doing this story justice. So, please watch the Frontline documentary by clicking on this link.
Back to Bella. On the night of her death, Bella’s father posted this on his Facebook page, “It is with great sadness I must tell you all that the Noble family has lost their youngest angel today. She left us at 6:30 this evening. It was a terrible accident. Please pray for us in this time of need.”
Hannah Anderson, taking a selfie. Was she involved in any murder scheme with James DiMaggio?
And while I’m freaking out about antibiotics, I learn that dogs are dropping like flies because of something that’s in the jerky snacks most dogs love. As do mine. No one knows yet what exactly is the problem but beware of jerky from China. The pet food industry isn’t regulated but now the FDA is saying it’s going to start doing so. At some point. For more information on this, please check out the NPR story.
Oh, and what about Hannah Anderson? Yes, I’m starting to think she may have had something to do with the death of her mother and little brother. Okay, maybe she didn’t do it herself, but I think she may have convinced James DiMaggio, the family friend who had a crush on the 16 year old, to do it. Which would explain why he burned his house down (with them inside) and then took off to Idaho with Hannah. Hannah acted all innocent when she was found (and when DiMaggio was riddled with bullets and killed by the FBI).
But then her behavior has been a bit strange ever since. Now, I know people grieve in different ways. But what she’s been doing is kind of bizarre. Even her own family is saying something’s different about her.
She hasn’t shown any signs of grieving. She’s been acting kind of cold and calculating, that I think we need to keep an eye on this. It ain’t over until the fat lady sings, if you ask me.
Speaking of Hannah, crime analyst and profiler Chelsea Hoffman has written a book titled, The River of No Return, which will be released November 2nd. I’ve been doing some reading on this case and I’ve been tweeting a bit with Hoffman herself, and the more I look into this, the more I think, yup, Hannah has been up to something.
The day after she returned from being “kidnapped” by DiMaggio, she was already on social media, answering questions very nonchalantly and posting lots of photos of herself. She thinks she’s “all that” and maybe, just maybe, she is.
The funeral for little Bella was this weekend. It was a full house. Her mother spoke lovingly of the daughter she tragically lost. Everyone wore yellow as that was Bella’s favorite color, and at the end they released a small box of butterflies in her memory.
During the service, her father gave this advice to parents: “You never know when it’s your last day with them. Cherish every day you have. Hug them, love them. Just do it.”
So, tell me. What’s been on your mind?
Monica's Tangled Web 
Good morning, Monica. So glad you asked! 🙂
I thought I had other things on my mind this morning, but as I sit here watching my girls eat breakfast, playing handclap games with each other, while we await the time to depart for their bus, I can give nothing but thanks for being able to do exactly what I am doing. In light of the transition of little Bella from this physical earth, and the advice that her father gave at her funeral, I am tending to matters of the heart and the souls of my children, cherishing their smiles, laughter, and even their acting up.
At first, I was bothered by the way the stories shifted, then I thought: there’s a lot here to chew on. It was as if I was given a window into your mind, and the ways in which thoughts shift from one thing to the next, but still in a deliberate and thoughtful way. Thanks for mixing it up for me this morning!
Be Well.
P.S. Don’t even get me started on Hannah Anderson. smh
It’s interesting you say that about how the stories shifted in my story. I was trying to capture my train of thought through the week. Each day new bits of information about Bella would unfold. It wasn’t all told in one fell swoop. In fact, this week she was in the news again, as a concert fundraiser was done in her honor. I just wonder how hard it must be for her mother to know she played a part in her daughter’s passing. How does one live with that? The story will be over, but for Bella’s family they have a new normal to deal with. Time will tell how they manage.
Yeah, I can’t talk about Hannah either. Never in a million years would I have tolerated her behavior had she been my daughter.
We’re definitely aligned on Miss Hannah. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to cope for Bella’s mother. Praying for her. What a tragic accident.
I’m praying for her, too. I can’t imagine being in her shoes.
I love the way you composed this. Isn’t it just like life…the way thoughts run in, scamper away when another rushes forward…comes back again. I’m totally saddened by Bella’s death. Her parents must be so bereft.
Renee, it’s kind of like stream of consciousness. Yes, this is what I took in from the news this past week. In fact, I’m still soaking it in. Did I tell you how much I loved your moon photos? You’ve got great talent. They really remind me of a film noir style. I expect to see Humphrey Bogart in a trench coat lurking, about to solve a mystery. 😉
Hard not feel the pulse of so much — past, present, and future — when we’re on such information overload and so much is out our control. Trying to make sense of it all is what good writers do so well.
Amen to that.
And really, what I wrote about was just a smattering of what I learned from the news, from reading and listening to the radio. Like the prison escape in Florida, the healthcare roll-out, the Hurricane Sandy anniversary. There’s just way too much going on. How do you take it all in? How do you filter out the unimportant stuff, because what could seem unimportant now could be just a sleeping giant of sorts, a crisis waiting to happen, if you will.
All these, we face all these and it causes me to wonder what next for any of us.
Sunday night I sat in my hotel and clicked through channels landing on something truly frightening, some program about people preparing for the downfall. These people are frightening.
Val, I know what you mean. It takes all kinds.
Monica, it is a lot. But then, a lot is going on. I worry every year about new strains of the flu. This year they offered me a four strain or a three strain shot and I was wondering why I needed a four strain .. Will they develop a five strain and then the following year a six strain…It was more painful for sure. Will a six strain be more painful than a five strain? My girls complained of aching arms, more so than last year and er, well, who likes a shot.
Each year, like you say, antibiotics are less resistant to infection. I noticed it with one of my daughters who has asthma, and a weakened immense system. She has to be on antibiotics or steroids every winter – I loathe steroids. It doesn’t seem to be getting better. I am now watching her like a hawk as cold weather has hit us like a blast from the arctic.
I read your story about little Bella.. How it broke my heart. I put myself in her mom’s shoes. How do you live with this, how do you go on?…
And Hannah Anderson..wow? Something is certainly going on there. Reminds me a little of that other girl Casey Anthony.
My mind is buzzing…
MM, I’m on overload with all these issues, and worrying about antibiotics. It’s downright frustrating and scary. Poor Bella. But I wonder what was her mother thinking in that moment when she started backing out and didn’t see Bella. How fast was she going? Rear view cameras are a God-send. My car has it and it’s so helpful. Yeah, I don’t know how she can live with this knowledge of what happened to Bella. Very sad.
Monica, my goodness, there’s so much here that I hardly know where to start!
As to antibiotics — yes, I’ve heard about the super bugs and how frightening they are. Personally, I try to stay far away from antibiotics (my body doesn’t tolerate them very well), but I know others who insist they get one for even the smallest situations. And that’s not helping things.
As to Bella and her family — how tragic. I can’t imagine losing a child, let alone being the cause of the child’s death.
As to Hannah — I heard about that case and yes, it sounded bizarre to me from the get-go. Time will tell, I suppose, but her behavior certainly has been odd.
Debbie, in watching the Frontline documentary, what I learned is that even if you try to stay away from them, if others around you are using them, it has the same affect as if you are using them. Think of it like second-hand smoke. As long as people are using them, bacteria is becoming resistant to them. Which is absolutely mind-boggling. Watch the doc. It’s fascinating and scare, which makes it a great Halloween flick! 😉 But seriously, please watch it.
I was in 5th period math that day in eighth grade at Thomas Jefferson Jr High. I was very active in politics as a young teen and always read US News and Time and often Newsweek too cover to cover each week. I was never a Kennedy fan but I did break down and cry when little John John saluted his father’s casket as it passed. I still have a set of Miami Herald saved from that week. I’ll have to do a post with them. I cannot possibly describe how terrified we were in Miami during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
I wish you would describe life in Miami during the Cuban Missile Crisis. I was in 3rd grade at the time, and I don’t really remember being aware of it. Looking forward to seeing your post on the Miami Heralds of that week.
omgosh,
sooooooooooooo very sad…..It is amazing how the body and mind continue to go forward after something utterly tragic.
Xxx Love to you, Monica.
Kim, you are a living example of that. I bet that Bella Noble’s mother is practically kicking herself wondering what she could have done differently. My heart aches for her. The pain is so fresh and new and will stay with her for some time to come.
I can’t imagine. They must be on autopilote right now. Monica, work on building your immune system, let’s fight this the natural way!
I’ve had a good deal of gum surgery in the last two years and every time I do, the doctor makes me take antibiotics for 10 days. I can do all I can to build up my immune system, as can all of us, but there’s nothing to stop a super bug. Even the best immune system can falter in the face of the resistant bacteria. Which is why, from now on, I’m locking my door and staying inside. I’ll only go outside when I go to work, walk the dogs, food shopping, movies, bike riding and that’s it. Parties, library, park and that’s it. I think. Yeah, inside for me from now on.
Yikes, Monica, rainy days and Mondays do really get you down :>(
I’m not down. I’m worried about antibiotics and their overuse. I feel bad about little Bella. I’m sickened by Hannah Anderson, and am looking forward to all the coverage of the JFK anniversary. And that’s that! 🙂
Ok, I should not have read this on a Monday!
Yes you should and I’m glad you did. Consider this a wake up call!
Wow, NOW there’s a whole LOT on my mind. Sounds like that’s been your experience, as well.
Interestingly, I just read another post that was full of unusual information. Now I’m beginning to feel like it’s April Fool’s Day–but, I suppose, it’s just Halloween week. Goodness, that superbug sounds more trick than treat, does it not? And those poor parents, not to mention little Bella!
Hope you had a wonderful weekend, my friend.
Hugs from Ecuador,
Kathy
Kathy, that superbug may very well be the end for us all. We need to get going and find the next antibiotic but don’t look at me to do it. I’m no scientist! Watch the documentary and then let’s talk!