Nuttin' But Stringz-Pulling My Heartstrings

Since it first aired, my family & I have watched NBC's hit television show, America's Got Talent. I was not pleased with the winner for the first season & could not have been any happier for the winner last season. For those who did not watch the show, Google Terry Fator to see one heck of an act. Terry walked in to audition as a ventroliquist & immediately, the judges were already not liking him. They had seen many that claimed to have that talent who simply were not that good. Something happened though. Terry started the act & from the start, they were blown away. I have never seen a ventroliquest as good as Terry Fator. Season 3 of America's Got Talent began weeks ago & as of lastnight, the Top 20 were narrowed down to the Top 10. While I was a bit surprised at some of the acts that did make it through & some that did not, I was correct in guessing that Nuttin' But Stringz would be in the Top 10. I have loved this act since they first appeared on the program & each week, my heart grows even more fond of them. Granted there are some gifted singers on the show, there are plenty of singing competition shows that singers could go on. I appreciate when a different sort of act wins a show that showcases all talents. Be sure to watch the video of these very talented guys. Every time I watch them perform, I can feel myself moving to the beat & just as Sharon Osbourne says,"It's electrifying." I can only imagine how good these guys would be to see live. I'm hoping they win the whole kit & kaboodle!

9/11 Recollections

September 11, 2001 is not a day that any of us will most likely ever forget. Now, 7 years later, it almost seems unreal that so much time has passed. I'm sure throughout the course of your day, like me, you have conversed with someone about your memories of 9/11. For me, I was headed into work. I am sure I was listening to a CD rather than the radio because otherwise, I probably would have heard something about all that was taking place. I pulled into work & as I opened the door & walked into the store, I could hear what sounded like a television. Sure enough, as I approached the back of the store, my boss & another coworker were looking upward--to the TV mounted on the wall. I saw smoke coming from one of the Twin Towers & as many did, figured it was a movie or something. Neither one of the laides said a word but kept their eyes glued to the TV. Within minutes, we heard the news anchors stating that an airplane had just flown through one of the Towers. At that time, they still were not thinking it was a terrorist attack. Even as the time approached to open the store for the day, we kept the TV on & remained in the back focused on what we were viewing. As things kept unfolding & we learned more, our hearts ached & we fought back tears. I remember a numbness sweeping over me as I saw the horrific images repeatedly. During this time, Michael W. Smith's first worship album had recently released. Naturally, we were playing it in the store. We already had the music on & I vividly recall that as we watched the Towers crumble, the song "Forever" was playing in the store. As I listened to the song, I began to sing along there in the store with my voice shaking..."Forever God is Faithful, Forever God is true, Forever God is with us, Forever." Further along, the song says, "But by the Grace of God we will carry on, His love endures forever." Indeed, 7 years later & Praise God, there has not been another terrorist attack on U.S. soil. In the good times & the bad, He has remained faithful, true & with us & without a doubt, His love has & always will endure.

Despite the many lives that were lost that day, I am pleased that God brought our Rosey-Posey into the world on that day. Today, Rose is 7 years old. While we watched New York City, the Pentagon & Pennsylvania from work & home, my Cousin Chanda was in Oklahoma giving birth to her firstborn daughter. Even still, she watched from her hospital room. I venture to say that no family member will ever struggle to remember when Rose's birthdate is. I am so glad that God blessed our family with this little girl. Not only is Rose beautiful on the outside, she has such a sweet spirit that loves to help people. Today, September 11, I say, "Happy Birthday Rosey-Posey!" So these are the things that will always come to my mind each year on 9/11. Many songs were written about the fateful day but of them all, one of my favorites is Alan Jackson's "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning" which is shown at the beginning of this blog. As I have shared my recollections, I ask..where were you?

What Happened to the Good Ole' Days?

Today, my coworker Christi, was waiting on one of our members. As she finished his transaction & he was leaving the building, she was yelling, "Bye Mr. Wilson" to him. You would have to have met Christi to see why I am saying this but when I heard her calling out to Mr. Wilson, my mind took me back to my days watching Dennis the Menace. I told the coworker next to me, Sarah, that I could see Christi being a little Dennis the Menace. I began to think about that show & how cute it was. I used to laugh so hard when I watched it. As I sat at work, I fell into a nice daydream thinking about all of the old t.v. shows that I watched on Saturday mornings. Camp Candy being amongst my favorites. Of course, Strawberry Shortcake, Rainbow Brite & CareBears were just beginning when I was a kid & when they made their arrival, they were huge--especially amongst young girls like myself. I had the sheets, the dolls, birthday cakes, lunchboxes, etc. I wonder, does anyone else remember Popples? I don't think they were on for long but what a great show. I still can remember the episode when the bathtub was overflowing with bubbles & it spilled out of the house. I think we still have some of those shows on VHS from our childhood. I'm now 29, I have no kids & don't have much of a reason to arise early on a Saturday morning to tune into cartoons. However, when I have seen them, I am saddened by what I see-I can't believe some of the cartoons that exist that kids are watching...crude humor, foul language, violence & much more. What happened to shows of my day...you know, My Little Pony, GI Joe, The Smurfs? Oh well, thanks Mr. Wilson for coming in & taking my mind down memory lane.

Extreme Makeover Rolls Into St. Louis

I am sure (actually, I'm certain after having seen the crowd that appeared) that I am not the only one who loves Extreme Makeover: Home Edition & watches it faithfully. That being said, when I heard that the show would be rolling into St. Louis to build a home for a family in need, I was thrilled. I was even more happy to find out that I could be a spectator. After work on Saturday, my family & I headed to Shrewsbury, MO (about 25 miles south of here) & took a shuttle over to the worksite. I was amazed at the great number of people that were not only volunteering of their time but those who, like us, were wanting to see it all unfold.

We arrived to see a land with foundation & that was about it. While we were there, the trusses were arriving & we were even there long enough to see the first couple of walls go up. I always thought the homes were built in 7 days...such is not so. While in the midst of trying to complete all of their projects, the designers took time to greet the crowd, sign some autographs & stop for pictures. We were able to see both John Littlefield & Eduardo Xol on Saturday afternoon. When purchasing a t-shirt, another spectator was asking the worker what designers were at the build. In addition to the 2 we had already seen, we found out that Ed Sanders & Paige Hemmis were the other 2 that were on it. Though everyone hoped to see Ty Pennington, Ty had left not long before our arrival to fly to Ohio to do a doorknock for their next build. We were told that Ty would be back for the last 2 days of this project. Having not seen Ed or Paige before we left, we went to the coffee shop that the team was also rebuilding to see if we could catch a glimpse of either of them. Unfortunately, we did not. We returned to the home yesterday & I was shocked to see how much progress had been made since our departure on Saturday evening. A house stood before us with a roof over it, the drywall was done, people were painting within & many workers outside were preparing to put stone on the house. All of that done--overnight! Not long after we arrived yesterday, I spotted Paige. She was so busy that she never did come to sign as the others had. Much to my dismay, we never did see Ed. Haley overheard a conversation & found out that he was in a tent nearby working on painting animals for one of the rooms for the house. We left at around 6:00 lastnight & that was the end of our Extreme experience. Though I would love to go back & see the finished project & especially be there when the family returns on Wednesday of this week, I must work. I am so glad I was able to go & watch. I had hoped to volunteer but when we inquired, all of the slots were filled. Though we were told there was a waiting list to replace the no-shows,after seeing the house on Saturday, I felt I would be more of a hindrance than a help. I would have been in the way. If you watch the show, you know what an incredible program Extreme Makeover is. I encourage you, should the show ever come to a city near you to bless a family with a home, go & watch & if able, volunteer. As amazing as it is to watch the t.v. show, it's even more amazing to watch a house being built firsthand & see the team in action. For those wondering, the episode of this home is scheduled to air 6 weeks from yesterday (at least, that's what we were told). To read about the family, check out: http://www.extrememakeoverst.louis.com

Chanda

While we get to choose our friends, aside from marriage or adoptions, we rarely get to choose our family members. 29 years ago, on July 5th, my aunt gave birth to my Cousin Chanda. 13 days later, I came into the picture when my mom had me on July the 18th. For as long as I can remember, Chanda & I have always been around each other. Thankfully, we have pretty much always gotten along (well, except for the time she hit me with a stick when the whole family went camping!). I don't recall us really ever having much of a tiff with one another. Chanda is my friend that I have had the longest & is also one of my closest friends. Over the course of the last 29 years, we have had many good times as well as having been support for one another through a great number of difficult times too. We have experienced so much together that it's hard to recall it all. One of the highlights growing up was when her parents left us home alone as they went out for a Sunday drive. All of a sudden, the doorbell rang & it was a young guy outside. Immediately, we called 911. Just as Chanda's parents were returning home, so were the police arriving. The guy outside the door..he was the guy that lived across the street--not a burglar. I remember the two of us riding along in the backseat of our van when Chanda encouraged me to stick a Tic-Tac up my nose. For whatever reason, I followed her advice & did so. Let's just say that Wintergreen Tic-Tacs don't belong lodged up in nostrils. My mom was not too amused when I told her I did it because Chanda told me to. I don't believe Chanda had had her license for very long when a group of us were going out to eat after church one night. Several of us piled in her car & headed to the restaurant. We made it there just fine. Unfortunately, not a one of us in the car had any knowledge of how to return home & we wound up in a rough part of St. Louis late at night. Cell phones were not seen much back then so we stopped at a gas station to use a payphone--all the while not knowing that the area was not safe. When our parents found out where we were, they were wanting us to get out of there fast. We've done much baking together, been on the same soccer team,celebrated our birthday's together, played grocery store at our Grandma & Grandpa's as kids & spent the summers together with our other sets of Grandparents in AL. I was the Maid of Honor in Chanda & Mike's wedding 10 years ago. I can only hope that one day, I will be the bride & next to me, Chanda will stand as one of my bridesmaids. Until the past 2 years, Chanda & Mike have lived all over the country due to Mike's military service. It has not been easy having the two of them & their three children away but we have always kept in contact regularly. I have been able to go & visit them when they lived in Virginia as well as Oklahoma & most recent, Tennessee. I am pleased that they have moved a bit closer & can visit more frequently. I look forward to the day when they are back home, here in St. Louis. Today, Chanda & Mike have 3 children-Ian (10), Rose (will be 7 on Sept. 11) & Adrianna (5). Mike serves our country proudly in the United States Army. Michael currently is deployed to Afghanistan & is set to return to the states in January of '09. Please, pray for Mike, Chanda & the kids. Chanda is an incredible woman, mother, wife & friend. It has not always been easy for her--especially to have spent so many years away from family. At this time, with Mike's absence she's been tested even more so. Next year, Chanda & I will reach a big milestone, 30. She thinks it would be nice for the two of us to go on a trip somewhere to celebrate the big number. I hope that we will be able to do so. While 29 years have come & gone, our friendship has remained strong all along. I know it will continue to be too.