9/11/01

I shared a little about my experience on 9/11/01 in an earlier post, but it really seems to be the thing this year to talk about where you were and what you were doing on this day 7 years ago. I cannot believe it has been 7 years. This is probably the thing that I will think of when asked about significant historical events in my youth. I was a little too young to remember where I was when the Challenger exploded.

I was at work in the Admissions Office when the planes hit the towers. I remember we were all in shock that this could even happen and I remember even thinking how could a plane crash into the tower before we knew about the second plane. I fielded tons of phone calls as to whether the university was still open, which NGCSU chose to be so that students would have resources and could come together in the terrible time in our nation, but most professors canceled their classes.

I didn't get to see any footage of what was going on until just before the South tower fell. I had a not so nice boss that didn't want us leaving, so I went out on a break to go to the Student Center. NGCSU quickly organized a candle light vigil that was attended be probably over half the student body. My sorority sisters and I gathered on the drill field, many of them distraught that their boyfriends had been called up to serve and no one knew what was going on.

While I did not know anyone personally that died in this tragedy a friend's dad would have been killed in the Pentagon had he not been late for work that day. I have many friends who are still fighting the war that truly began this day 7 years ago, and I thank the Lord for them everyday.

Thank you members of the Armed Forces!
Thank you all the heroes and normal citizens called to duty action this day!
My thoughts and prayers are with those who lost loved and those that have family serving our country!

I am proud to be an American and I support our troops!

Ode to Doodle

My old cat Nick died today and he will be greatly missed. He was my buddy as well as Bill's and he lived to be 16.5 years old. He was known as doodle, I don't know why, but it stuck. He was also known as a few other choice nicknames when he had a bad attitude or did something wrong. Nick was with me when I moved to Clemson and would sing to me all the way home (aka meow). I remember the time I thought that he would do better if I let him out of his cage for the ride, boy was I wrong. That cat was all over the car and wouldn't sit still.

Nick was actually one of the reasons I knew Bill was a keeper. On our first date, Bill came in my Mom's house (that is where I was staying that weekend, as I still lived in Albany) and Nick and another cat we had named Norman got in Bill's lap. These cats don't do this to anyone new!

My morning routine will never be the same because Nick came in every morning to have his teeth flossed. Didn't help his breath any, but he loved it just the same.

Nick, Christmas 2007
When we originally got these antlers back when I was in college he was the only cat the didn't freak out and run when they were put on. He didn't like them by any means, he was just too lazy to do anything about it.

This bib says "Mommy loves me"

Nick loved his Meredith and watched over her all the time when she was a baby. He also was very tolerant of her wanting to pet him (read: grab his fur).

One final memory is one time when I had to go out of town while at Clemson and my friend Brooke took care of Nick. She took him over to another friends' apartment and one of them saw Nick in the kitchen and said "Hey, you know there is a mountain lion in your kitchen?" He was a big boy.

I love you doodle, you will be missed.

Big Girl

While I don't have any pictures of this yet, Meredith if getting to be a big girl. She now rides facing forward in her car seat, which she loves, and she is no longer on the bottle. She still struggles with some things, but she is learning!

A Little Creepy

Yesterday we went to my Aunt Sharon's house for a Labor Day get together. To get there from our house you have to go through a little town named Hoschton (pronounced like Shooston without the S). Normally this is a very cute town, but not now. When last my mom was here we went through the town to go to the outlet mall and noticed a lot of scarecrows. We had no camera to take pictures but it was all we could talk about, the scary scarecrows. I thought it was creepy.

Well they have taken the creepy to a whole new level. The town is trying to get into the Guisness Book of World Records with 4000 scarecrows. I am not sure how many they have now, but here is a sample of what you will see.

You should go see the creepy for yourself!

For more info:

http://www.scarecrowstampede.com/

http://www.hoschtonfallfestival.com/

Wordless Wednesday

I LOVE PUDDING!!!

10 years ago...

I was moving into my college dorm. Not that 10 years ago is that long, I just can't believe it has been 10 years. Now that I am a mother I can no longer so those were the best years of my life because I wouldn't trade anything in the world for my husband and daughter, but they were definitely some of the best years of my life.

I loved college! I think a lot of that was because I chose to go to a small school and was able to get involved in many things. I joined a sorority, was on the activities board, became a tour guide, an orientation leader, and worked on campus. I met some of my very best friends and still talk to them to this day. I had a lot of fun, and I was smart enough to know how not to get into trouble.

My freshmen year I lived in 3 different rooms and after the Fall semester landed in a room with not just one roommate, but 3. One did move out in February or so, but everyone always laughed that I couldn't make it work with one roommate and now I had 2, but these girls were awesome and I think it was mainly because we liked each other but did our own thing as well.

I guess one of the things that sticks out the most about that year was that was the year that Columbine happened. I remember staying glued to the TV and was in shock that such a thing could happen. It is hard to believe that things have gotten worse in violence since then.

Unfortunately 9/11 happened during my senior year and I went to a military college, which made my experience a little different. I was at work in the Admissions Office and one of the counselors had just heard it on the radio. We didn't have a TV and of course you couldn't get on the CNN website because it was flooded. I finally took a break and went to the Student Center to sit in front of the TV with many other students and witnessed people jumping from windows just before the second tower fell. It was all very surreal. Friends were gone the day after because they were called up from their Guard units. It was scary to think that you might not see some of your friends again.

But college was filled with so many good memories that they outweigh the bad. I am in my career field because of my college experience. I just love college and I while I may not be a student anymore, I never left college.

As my students come back to class tomorrow, my mission begins to make their college experience mean as much to them as mine meant to me.

Baby Changing Stations

I said a long time ago that I should keep a log of baby friendly places, especially those that have spaces for breastfeeding mothers. I had a very difficult time when breastfeeding Meredith out in public. Of course after about 4 months you get to where you just don't care who sees your boobs. But anyway, I digress., I am going to start blogging about places that are baby friendly and more importantly those that are not. I am blogging from the Saturn of Gwinnett waiting area as we get Bill's oil changed. We have not been here for an hour and have changed Meredith twice. But this place is baby and kid friendly. Each restroom has a station in it and they have a play room for kids. Thank you Saturn of Gwinnett!

Now some places that I can remember that are not baby friendly, Fatz Cafe in Winder, GA. They say they are a family restaurant but have no changing stations! I changed Meredith on the table. For those of you who know me, know that if you piss me off I do things like that. Yes, we had finished eating dinner and we getting ready to leave. That is the only one that is jumping out at me right now, but I will blog as the arise.

Another friendly place is the Chick-Fil-A on Epps Bridge Rd in Athens. They give you free cheerios!

Please feel free to let me know places you love and hate so we can let all the moms know out there, I don't care where you live.