Well, I did it. I broke down and got me a Dyson. For those of you who may not know, that is one of the highest rated vacuums on the market.
The old Hoover had run its course. I think it scattered more dust than it picked up. It had been a good one though and for the price, I had been satisfied. But I figured with twin one year olds running around I needed something that would really, really clean. Because whatever those two find on the floor it goes straight into their mouth. I noticed Kylie chewing on something the other day and ran my fingers in her mouth and pulled out a ladybug. Ewwww, a dead ladybug! I had been looking and pricing and comparing vacuums for a couple of months and that’s when I decided I’d better make up my mind quickly. Well that and the very convincing lady on HSN!
But now that I’ve got my vacuum I don’t regret it. I’m ashamed to say, it was unreal to see the stuff that the Dyson picked up. It’s worked great on the wood floors too. This is one satisfied customer. So ladies and gents, if you’re in the market for a vacuum, take a close look at the Dyson. I’d surely recommend it to a friend.
I’m just hoping the company slogan holds true and “it won’t lose suction”. As for the old Hoover, it’s gone to the graveyard already.
7.13.2008
7.07.2008
The Soldier
My husband and I decided to take the granddaughters to Hattiesburg on the fourth just to eat out and do a little shopping. We’ve learned not to be in any hurry when we take the twins. People are fascinated by multiples for some reason. They like to stop and look and ask questions. We don’t mind.
That day we brought the stroller and pushed the girls into Target. I looked up and there were two national guardsmen walking our way. No surprise to see guardsmen since Camp Shelby is located there and no surprise to see someone wanting to talk to the babies. Both were handsome men…but all men in uniform are handsome to me. The blonde haired one bent down and started talking to the girls immediately. Of course the girls just sat there and looked, being fascinated by a new face. He asked how old they were. He then said, “I have twin boys but they are a little older than you”…a short pause…”I sure do miss them”. He then just stayed there for several seconds, not saying a word, still squatted down just looking at the girls. I should have asked him where he was from, how old his boys were, something, but I was trying to hold back the tears from seeing that look on his face.
He finally stood up and I just said thank you. Hopefully he knew that thank you wasn’t just for giving my girls a compliment but for sacrificing his time, his time that could be spent with his own boys, to make this world a safer and better place. God bless him and all those like him.
That day we brought the stroller and pushed the girls into Target. I looked up and there were two national guardsmen walking our way. No surprise to see guardsmen since Camp Shelby is located there and no surprise to see someone wanting to talk to the babies. Both were handsome men…but all men in uniform are handsome to me. The blonde haired one bent down and started talking to the girls immediately. Of course the girls just sat there and looked, being fascinated by a new face. He asked how old they were. He then said, “I have twin boys but they are a little older than you”…a short pause…”I sure do miss them”. He then just stayed there for several seconds, not saying a word, still squatted down just looking at the girls. I should have asked him where he was from, how old his boys were, something, but I was trying to hold back the tears from seeing that look on his face.
He finally stood up and I just said thank you. Hopefully he knew that thank you wasn’t just for giving my girls a compliment but for sacrificing his time, his time that could be spent with his own boys, to make this world a safer and better place. God bless him and all those like him.
7.04.2008
Shot of a Lifetime
I hate having my picture made but this one is special to me. No, not because it's before I aged and gained an extra hundred pounds, but because of the photographer. This was made when I was a member of the Redline dance team in college. The photographer was Ted Jackson. He's a local guy. He was (and still is) a friend of my sister and I knew him through her. He also took drafting under the same instructor that I did at that college. Ted has worked at the Times Picayune for many years. And back in 1997 Ted won a PULITZER prize for a photo story he did for the Times Picayune. Yes, a pulitzer. Pretty special. So, that is why I cherish this photo.
This is a link to more about Ted and his ordeal after Katrina:
7.02.2008
Heal the Wound
Point of Grace has a song out called “Heal the Wound”. I get chill bumps every time I hear it. The lyrics are so profound. Here is the chorus:
Heal the wound, but leave the scar
A reminder of how merciful you are.
I am broken, torn apart,
Take the pieces of this heart and
Heal the wound, but leave the scar.
Here’s an article by NRT with Point of Grace about the origin of the song:
Can you explain the meaning behind the song "Heal The Wound"?
We didn't write the songs on this album, but we sat down with a group of writers and shared our personal testimony of what God had been teaching us. So Leigh shared her testimony and explained that when she was in college she had an abortion at age 19. Now this is a Christian girl who was raised in a Christian home, and for the longest time she dealt with that on her own—and didn't tell anybody! Obviously, when Leigh got married she shared this with her husband which was very difficult! You know Shelly, Heather and I talk so much about purity, and when Leigh became a member of Point of Grace she wanted us to understand her story—and we shared a real sweet time together. And when Leigh finally told her parents what had happened, she found freedom in that. God's word says, "The truth will set you free"—and that is so real!The Lord healed her heart and restored her. Yet for so long she continued to "ride the guilt" over what she had done, even though Christ died on the cross for our sins and by His wounds we are healed! But it does take a lot to really believe the truth and to walk in faith. So this song is based upon Leigh's testimony and what she had experienced.The song says "Heal the wound but leave the scar," and that reminds us of what God has done for us—He has healed our past—but to see the scar on his hands reminds us of what He did for us on the cross. For Leigh, it's the scars she carries from being in that particular situation but realizing where God has brought her, how He has redeemed her and how He has not condemned her, but loved her with an everlasting, steadfast love. Leigh even shared this testimony at our Girls of Grace conferences. We have to realize just how many women live under that particular guilt, so we're getting the word out that God is a redeeming God who loves them and has healed them because of His willingness to die for our sins. They can walk in redemption and joy, and they don't have to live under the umbrella of guilt anymore. This is a very powerful message for anybody who feels as if they will always remember their past—but now you will remember it in the way of redemption—because God has brought us so much farther than that!
We all have wounds. Hopefully we all have scars too. We are never out of reach of God’s mercy and grace. If you don’t know Him, seek Him. He will be there.
Heal the wound, but leave the scar
A reminder of how merciful you are.
I am broken, torn apart,
Take the pieces of this heart and
Heal the wound, but leave the scar.
Here’s an article by NRT with Point of Grace about the origin of the song:
Can you explain the meaning behind the song "Heal The Wound"?
We didn't write the songs on this album, but we sat down with a group of writers and shared our personal testimony of what God had been teaching us. So Leigh shared her testimony and explained that when she was in college she had an abortion at age 19. Now this is a Christian girl who was raised in a Christian home, and for the longest time she dealt with that on her own—and didn't tell anybody! Obviously, when Leigh got married she shared this with her husband which was very difficult! You know Shelly, Heather and I talk so much about purity, and when Leigh became a member of Point of Grace she wanted us to understand her story—and we shared a real sweet time together. And when Leigh finally told her parents what had happened, she found freedom in that. God's word says, "The truth will set you free"—and that is so real!The Lord healed her heart and restored her. Yet for so long she continued to "ride the guilt" over what she had done, even though Christ died on the cross for our sins and by His wounds we are healed! But it does take a lot to really believe the truth and to walk in faith. So this song is based upon Leigh's testimony and what she had experienced.The song says "Heal the wound but leave the scar," and that reminds us of what God has done for us—He has healed our past—but to see the scar on his hands reminds us of what He did for us on the cross. For Leigh, it's the scars she carries from being in that particular situation but realizing where God has brought her, how He has redeemed her and how He has not condemned her, but loved her with an everlasting, steadfast love. Leigh even shared this testimony at our Girls of Grace conferences. We have to realize just how many women live under that particular guilt, so we're getting the word out that God is a redeeming God who loves them and has healed them because of His willingness to die for our sins. They can walk in redemption and joy, and they don't have to live under the umbrella of guilt anymore. This is a very powerful message for anybody who feels as if they will always remember their past—but now you will remember it in the way of redemption—because God has brought us so much farther than that!
We all have wounds. Hopefully we all have scars too. We are never out of reach of God’s mercy and grace. If you don’t know Him, seek Him. He will be there.
6.29.2008
Happy Anniversary to Me!
It is my twenty seventh anniversary today…with my employer. How have I managed to hang in there that long? Not because it’s the greatest place to work. Pay is terrible. Benefits are terrible. But it’s a living. And we don’t have much choice in this area. It’s a thirty minute drive one way but that beats an hour and a half drive.
One reason I’ve stayed so long is that it’s kinda like family there. I spend most of my waking time there with those people. Many folks, like me, have been there for two or three decades or more. I’ve seen hundreds of people come and go. I've made some really good friends over the years. Many of those friends have left the company but we still keep in touch.
I have noticed how today’s generation of younger workers are nothing, I mean nothing, like the old days. Turnover is huge because they want to do as little work as possible for as much money as possible and then skip out to go spend their money. Whatever happened to “any job worth doing is worth doing well”?
The company itself is very different today than when I first started. At one time there were over 700 employees in the plant. We had two other plants in the US and an R & D center. Now it’s down to this plant and the corporate office which is located just up the road. There are less than 300 employees. The economy has really hurt this type business. Hopefully that will change soon. We’ll see.
So maybe I don't have the greatest, most exciting, best paying job in the world but I'm thankful I'm employed. It has paid many bills and helped provide for my family. But now I’m just looking forward to retirement. I only have twenty years to go.
One reason I’ve stayed so long is that it’s kinda like family there. I spend most of my waking time there with those people. Many folks, like me, have been there for two or three decades or more. I’ve seen hundreds of people come and go. I've made some really good friends over the years. Many of those friends have left the company but we still keep in touch.
I have noticed how today’s generation of younger workers are nothing, I mean nothing, like the old days. Turnover is huge because they want to do as little work as possible for as much money as possible and then skip out to go spend their money. Whatever happened to “any job worth doing is worth doing well”?
The company itself is very different today than when I first started. At one time there were over 700 employees in the plant. We had two other plants in the US and an R & D center. Now it’s down to this plant and the corporate office which is located just up the road. There are less than 300 employees. The economy has really hurt this type business. Hopefully that will change soon. We’ll see.
So maybe I don't have the greatest, most exciting, best paying job in the world but I'm thankful I'm employed. It has paid many bills and helped provide for my family. But now I’m just looking forward to retirement. I only have twenty years to go.
6.27.2008
You Might Be a Redneck...
...if you get excited about a culvert. But this was a really BIG culvert! The county road crew brought it out to replace a decades old wooden bridge that is now unsafe for traffic. This is a little gravel road that runs beside our house. When you live way, way out in the country it doesn't take much to amuse you.
6.22.2008
The Birthday Girls!
One year ago today our granddaughters came into this world. Kylie weighed 3 pounds 13 ounces and when Kassidy was born 2 minutes later she weighed 3 pounds 10 ounces. Even though they were tiny they were healthy. It has been an interesting and fun year. It is amazing how they grow and learn. I am so looking forward to the future.
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