Saturday, May 23, 2009

Memorial Day

This weekend as we gather at the campground to stuff ourselves with goodies in celebration of the long weekend, I'd like to take a moment to thank all of our armed forces, both active & retired.  I'm collecting some more pictures from my Dad's side of the family, and wanted to share this one of my great-uncle.  His name is Michael, though we have always called him Uncle Mickey.
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Mickey landed in Europe eleven days after the invasion of France, while there were still bodies floating in the water.  He was part of a machine gun squad.  He was wounded by artillary fire from an 88, which tossed him in the air ten feet or so.  He feels that his life was saved because he had so many clothes on because of the winter weather.  He lost part of a lung as a result.  After being wounded, he was left in a farmhouse with a German prisoner, which he thought was interesting.
Uncle Mickey is still alive & doing well, and he has our thanks for his brave service.  May God bless & protect all of our troops, and may God bless America.

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Thursday, May 21, 2009

Facebook Ads

Some of my favorite Facebook ads....

Ad1.jpg ad 1 picture by Shay7474
for when squeezing the air out of a ziploc bag is just too challenging for you


Ad2.jpg ad 2 picture by Shay7474
I'm a nerd, but this cracked me up and I love that movie.


ad3.jpg picture by Shay7474
wow, that's some targeted advertising.... now I feel almost stalked.....hm


Ad4.jpg picture by Shay7474
I think I've seen this guy near the bus station preaching about the end times


ad5.jpg picture by Shay7474
because when you're searching for a complete stranger to watch your children for several hours, 'fast & easy' is what you want


ad6.jpg picture by Shay7474
naaaahahaha, how awesome is that?!



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Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Internet Friends

When the MySpace rage first began, I was resistant at first.  I joined, but really couldn't get into it.  It just seemed a breeding ground for teenage angst and sparkly pink graphics.  But after a while, it began to grow on me, and I was pleasantly surprised when I found some old friends from college there.  Having gone to college 400 miles from home, it had previously seemed unlikely that I'd be able to make very many amends to my college peers.  It felt great to start making those amends with people I hadn't seen in so many years.
Then the Facebook rage began, and I joined that as well.  And slowly but surely, as word got around and it became more popular, I ran into friend after friend, from college, from high school, elementary school and the list goes on.  I was able to find friends I had been  looking for and hoping to reconnect with for years.  Every one that I made amends to was gracious, forgiving, and I could feel a lot of my hurt from those years melting away.  Reunions are being planned and I've seen pictures of what everyone looks like now, what their kids look like. It's funny to see us all as 'grown ups' now.  
As I was pondering this this morning, I thought about all of my internet friends that I have made over the years on various sites.  I have my moms group that I joined when I was expecting the Boy, my recovery friends on different AA sites, and my fellow stay at home moms from a message group that I co-managed for several years.  I have several girlfriends from that last one that I am incredibly close with.  We went through many heartbreaks & triumphs together, and formed bonds that are hard to explain to outsiders.  If you haven't made online friends, it may seem strange to you.  But these women have been a lifeline for me, as I spend a lot of my days with no adult contact.  I've been a stay at home mom for nearly eight years, which is a long time to be 'alone'.  With the hours and schedule that the Man works, I'd have lost my marbles long ago if not for the internet.
My nonbloggingfriend is one of these women.  We have never met in person, but have been close friends for several years.  We joke about getting in our cars and driving to meet each other somewhere in the middle of the 12 hour distance between us, just to finally meet.  When her home was flooded with sewage from a poor drainage system in her town, I wanted to get on a plane immediately.  I hated that I couldn't be there in person to hold her as she dealt with the mess, the sickness from eColi and a township that refused to take any responsibility.
When a former member of our moms group began harrassing me, and sent a letter to my husband with pictures of our children to 'prove' to him that I was a bad mother, my friend wanted to get on a plane as well.  In the darkest days, we have lamented the miles between us, and I have asked God why He gave me a friend that I cannot touch.
But I wonder now at His plan, for He of course knew that she and I would feel this way.  We share a different kind of bond for having never met face to face.  I can only be thankful that I have her in my life, and be satisfied in knowing that if not in this life, then surely in the next, she and I will finally be able to be neighbors.

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Sunday, May 3, 2009

Saturday, May 2, 2009

How Great Is Our God

Hello citizens, here I am. I was stewing a bit tonight, trying to think of something to blog about. Honestly, I feel so darn good lately, that I haven't felt like blogging much. I have always used writing as an outlet, and these days I haven't needed one. God has been so good to me, and the medication is finally working, and I feel GOOD. I don't think I even realized how badly I was feeling, until I felt this way again.
I was in the car recently and heard Chris Tomlin's song, How Great Is Our God. I love this song dearly, but it's been hard to listen to since we left our old church. It was a tune that the kids used to sign to and it always moved me so much. Anytime I would hear it since December, I would get teary and ache for what we had given up. I miss all of those dear people so very much, and it's hard to lead a new life without them in it. But as I listened to it last week, I found myself singing along, and smiling and I suddenly realized, that I had joy in my heart. Not just joy, but overwhelming, heart filling JOY. As I drove down the road, I sang my heart out, and cried my eyes out in thankfullness, knowing that my dark night of the soul was over. I made it out the other side. It's time to move forward, and live the amazing life that I already have.



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