Susie's Steps

Happy Memorial Day, everybody!

Sorry I've been MIA. I had to write someone else up, and it's been weighing pretty heavily on my heart since I found out.

I had a really nice Sunday yesterday. We all went to church, and our interim minister was back. Then, we went home and I jogged a mile (in our neighborhood) with Daniel. After that mile, I came back to the house and picked up Madeline--who ALSO jogged a whole mile with me. GO MADDIEPOPPET! I had to jog a little slower with her, but made up for it in talking the whole way, as she is quite a chatterbox. And you workout that much harder if you're talking the whole time. You use more air. But it was so fun to jog with my kids! After I got home, we got busy! Daniel got to mowing, John was cleaning out and refilling the kiddie pool, Madeline and I washed my car, and Malachi took a nap! So, we got lots done. And a couple of us pinked up a little bit. The kids and I got in the kiddie pool and played around a bit--gently, because Malachi is nervous with the water. Today, we do some cleaning IN the house. As soon as I get enough coffee . . .

I know I'm slow in posting lately, but I'm trying to climb out of retreat mode. Do any of y'all have "retreat mode"? When my life gets a little too complicated, I subconsciously retreat (probably my unconscious self trying to make life simpler) from the world. But the bad part of this is that this is when I tend to gain my weight. Because I stay in and mostly read--and eat. But I'm coming out. I always do. : )

Tomorrow, I begin training a new girl. Wow. I wonder how my first supervisor did it. I have no idea how many people she trained. The turnover rate in my job is extremely high. It's a high-stress job. But it is also a very extensive job. I'm still learning a thing or two here and there. There is SO much to be taught to a person. Usually a person has to train minimum for a month at full time hours. And even after that, there are many phone calls from the trainee, asking this or that. And I really don't mind that at all. It's just the whole training thing that is rather mind-boggling at first. I always sit down with the person that first day and mentally say to myself, "Okaaay . . . where to even begin." And I know that it's all learned one step at a time. But that first day is a little intimidating at first.

With all that in mind, I guess I'd better get some sleep. It's almost 10pm. : )

I had such a nice weekend (I wanted to post in pink, because I'm wearing pink, but Momma says she can't read my posts well in pink.).

Friday I worked. It was a very busy day. I don't know how many tickets I entered. Or licenses I ran. But we've hired two new dispatchers. So, back to the training I go. I'm supposed to go in tomorrow to introduce myself and put them on a training schedule.

Saturday was my oldest baby's birthday. Daniel turned 13 (Help! I have a teenager!). It was also my favorite niece's dance recital. So, I asked Daniel if it was okay if we all went to Lyssa's recital on his birthday, and he agreed. After all, this may be Lyssa's last dance recital. She told her momma that she didn't want to do dance anymore. Daisy (very disappointed with this) asked Lyssa what it was that Lyssa didn't like about dance class. Lyssa very patiently stated, "The dancing, Mommy!" But we went to the recital which was held in a really nice university fine-arts auditorium in Birmingham. It was an AWESOME dance recital. They were all really good. Made you want to go sign up for a dance class somewhere, anywhere! And one guy there (recently became a teacher there) was unbelievable! He was better than anyone I've ever seen on TV. One of his numbers, he was clogging, and I'd almost swear there was smoke and sparks coming up from the floor! The whole show was very entertaining. I was so glad I'd gone. After the show was over, we all went to Joe's Crab Shack for Daniel's birthday. The waitress got the whole restaurant's attention, put him in a batman cape/hat/mask and made him run around the restaurant saying, "Have no fear, batman is here!" Daniel was just mortified! But it was really funny. And it was so nice having lunch with my whole family. I really love getting together with my brother and sister's families in addition to my parents. We're always easy to find when we get together. We're the loudest people around. But we always laugh and laugh when we get together. My family is awesome. I think Daniel had a good birthday. We had a birthday cookie together when we got home--just the 5 of us, because Madeline was very perturbed that she had not gotten cake out of this deal! LOL.

Today was kind of calm. We went to church, where we had a guest speaker--well, LOL, I guess they're all guest speakers when you get down to it. We don't presently have a pulpit minister. New building, no minister. But God will provide. I had John drop me off at home while the rest of them went to Walmart so Daniel could spend birthday money. (He recently got a Nintendo DS, and wanted more games.) And this way, I went ahead and got my jogging done. 2 miles today. I found a really nifty site that lets you plot out a running/walking route anywhere--and how far it is! Really cool! It's called USATF-America's Running Routes. So, I plotted out a 2 mile course in my neighborhood and jogged it. Daniel had an area-wide devo at 4pm, so we took him to the church for that. We went to church at the standard 6pm (LOL). And one of my dispatchers came to church. I was so glad to see her. Now, we're home, and I'm ready for bed!

Hope you all had as good of a weekend as we did!
(How was that, Andy? Did I do it justice?) ; )

Daniel as Batman ; ) (Taken by Uncle Brandon's cell phone)

God has smiled on me.
He has set me free.
God has smiled on me . . .
He's been good to me.

Just praising today . . .

This is what I needed--a little perspective. : )

This poem was written by a terminally ill young girl in aNew York Hospital.

SLOW DANCE

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask how are you
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,"Hi"
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

Test your '80's music knowlege! Click on the picture and take the test! ; )

These questions are from www.juliajuliabohemian.blogspot.com The INTERVIEW ME game. Janjanmom asked me. : )

1. You just found out that an important person is coming over for dinner and you only have one hour to prepare something suitable. What do you do?
Suggest going out for dinner.

2.Would you ever go to a clothing optional beach?
Nope--do you really want to see people without their clothes? Kinda scary!

3.Have you ever shoplifted and if so, what was it?
Actually, I sorta did. I think I was about 5 y/o, and my family was eating at a seafood restaurant. On the table was a bottle of lemon juice shaped like a lemon. I don't know why, but I desperately wanted that lemon bottle! So, I snagged it and sneaked it out of the restaurant (I thought!). My Momma called the police to come out and put the fear of police in me! I never took anything again!

4. You won a contest and have been given the chance to donate $10,000 to any specific cause. what is it and why?
I would give it to our church to use for benevolence in our community. I've struggled and had to have help in the past, and I'd love to be able to help someone else.

5. Describe your worst haircut ever.
When I was 5 (I was a demon at age 5!), I cut my own hair. I had waist-length curls. I cut one strand to chin length and another to my scalp--at Christmas picture time! My Momma liked to have killed me!

Tomorrow is the day that we traditionally honor our mothers. My brother and sister and their families (including my ADORABLE niece and nephew!) are coming to church tomorrow with us. I'm so excited. There is nothing closer to Heaven to me than to sit among my family and sing praises. It fills me with joy--and overflowing!

I was in the bath (quiet time!) thinking about funerals (not in a morbid way), and how people say the nicest things about people at their funerals. And you know, that if they actually said these wonderful things to the person BEFORE they died--WOW, what a day-brightener! So, in honor of Mother's Day, here ya go, Momma!

My Momma is the most positive person I know. She has worked so hard on me as far back as I can remember, to look for the positive . . . to find the exquisite blooms amidst the thorns. My Momma has always told me I could do things long before I even thought about it. When I lost 60 pounds and was doing aerobic classes, she was the one to tell me that I could do well as a fitness instructor. With her encouragement, I went to Atlanta with my two friends and came back the only one to pass.

My Momma is a fighter! She has always taught me to never give up--keep trying. Things worth having are worth fighting for. My Momma got married and moved to Birmingham in 1991. She had lived her entire 41 years in Houston, Texas, where her parents, sister, family and friends all were. Her husband was gone quite a bit, travelling with his job, and Momma was home alone with only my little sister (11 years old). She didn't know where ANYTHING was in Birmingham. So, did she hide out in the safety of her home and wail piteously? SHE DID NOT! My Momma went out every day (in a very contrary Ford Mustang) to drive around. Every day, she went just a little farther. And although to this day, she claims that she likes highway and main thoroughfare better, she KNOWS those little side streets and shortcuts. It the main streets and highways are closed, my Momma is a handy person to have with you!

My Momma is unafraid to learn new things. For 41 years, my Momma longed to dance. Of course, being traditional Church of Christ, this was frowned upon. Even school dances were frowned upon. I can remember when Urban Cowboy came out at the theater, and Momma couldn't wait to see it, because likely that was the only way she would ever get to see the inside of Gilley's. Did she give up? She did NOT! My Momma learned to country and western dance and ballroom dance at age 41. (She can line dance, too, but she doesn't like it much--she loves to dance with her husband.) When my Momma and her husband take the floor, everyone watches. No one can help but notice the couple waltzing so lovingly, that it makes all around them want to fall in love too! And no one can keep up with them as they tear up the floor with the Orange Blossom Special! You watch them dance, and you've just got to do that too!

My Momma taught me the importance of responsibility. You like to eat? You like to have a home to come home to? You get off your behind and work! So, you feel a little puny? People are counting on you to come in, and people are inconvenienced when you are not at work. If you don't do your job well, there is always someone waiting to be given a chance to do your job well. And today, there are three adults in this world with better work ethics than most--thanks to my Momma!

My Momma taught me the beauty of being a Momma. She always put our needs above her own. She stayed home with me for about 10 years before taking a job at my Christian school in the mothers day out program--so she'd be close if we needed her. She's always supported me in everything worthwhile I wanted to do--she never missed not one choir concert.

This is my Momma--a wonderful, Godly woman that I count as one of my richest jewels from my Heavenly Father. Happy, happy Mother's Day, Momma! Loveyouthemost! (I gotcha!)


Momma, Daisy (my sister), Me, and Becky (my sister-in-love) at Christmastime.

(Hopefully my post has made some sense. I've been up since 1:30am, and it's now 9:15pm. Good night!)

Here I am. Exhausted as usual, but blessed. It's been a challenging day. I've wrestled with the phone system all day. I have no idea what I've done wrong, but when you click on that particular button, it dials 2 numbers at once! ACK! But the phone system company promises to help. I've also been training all day. I've got a couple of days to turn him into a dispatcher or not. And on my first day of supervising, I had to write someone up. It was not something I wanted to do at all. I am a supervisor--that's my job. But it is my personality to want everyone around me to be happy--and to do my best to help everyone around me be happy. So, although, I did what I had to, I didn't feel good about it.

On the bright side, Maddiepoppet has field day tomorrow! WHOO HOO! She's so excited! I wish dearly that I could go. But with my previous supervisor leaving, we are short-handed. I hope she has a great day!

Daniel's school will be showing a movie of a live birth. He's very excited about that. Maybe he'll be an OB/GYN? Or maybe an obstetric nurse. LOL--or maybe he's just excited about the lack of the usual forms of school work. Y'think?

Well, I've got to get some sleep. I was working on something for work last night, and got about 4 hours of sleep. But some of that was also starting a new position and my nerves being a little jangled.

Have a very restful night! : )

I have the "don't want to's". I'm almost to the "Can't freakin' make me's", but not quite. Anyone else have either of these diseases?

It'll be better with a little more sleep, I think . . . Although, I could sure use some good sunshine. ; )

Okay . . . guess I must be a favorite? No one else gets any surprise jewels from their heavenly Father who loves them? Or no one wants to share them?

I must confess I'm disappointed. I do love hearing about what God has done for others--especially in a surprise.

I think of all these nifty things while I'm jogging, and I always forget to write them. I didn't jog today, but here's a few things that happened:

When working on my second lap (each lap = 1.5 miles) on Tuesday, I was really getting tired and calling out to the Lord not just to help me survive this jog, but to help me TRIUMPH in this jog. Then, on my third lap, I realized that my knees weren't painfully popping as they had done the day before. I was really feeling good! That was my surprise jewel that day. And I made it through all 4.5 miles that day--plus walking 3 more.

And when jogging on Wednesday, this was my 3rd day jogging, and I struggle on my 3rd day. My legs are tired by this time. And I was really flagging. LOL--but God gave me a little hurry power. He sent me a DOWNPOUR! LOL--and He waited until I was on the other side of the park from my car before sending it. So, I was RUNNING! LOL--I got a workout that day. And from the time the heavens opened up until I got to my car, I never thought about being tired once. That was my surprise jewel.

Maybe these things seem tiny and only mean something to me, but at the times they happen, they are just exactly what my Father knows I need at that time. I do love surprise jewels.

Tell me about some of your Heavenly surprise jewels! : )

I've got to quit saving this for last! : (

I jogged 4.5 miles today, and walked 3 miles. It was perfect today. Cloudy when I jogged (and needed it cooler), and the sun came out to warm my walking. And the honeysuckle smelled just HEAVENLY. What a nice day to be at the park.

BTW, Terri--I forgot to tell you--Momma went to Talladega yesterday. She came home with a Jr. visor. She burned her body pretty good too. (rueful giggle). But she said she really enjoyed it.

Wish me well tomorrow, everyone. I'll be training with my soon-to-be-ex supervisor in supervisor paperwork tomorrow. Then, I'll jog for balance. ; )

Jack wakes up at home with a huge hangover after the night of his office Christmas party. He forces himself to open his eyes, and the first thing he sees is a couple of aspirins next to a glass of water on the side table. And, next to them, a single red rose! Jack sits down and sees his clothing in front of him, all clean and pressed. Jack looks around the room and sees that it is in perfect order, spotlessly clean. So is the rest of the house.

He takes the aspirins, cringes when he sees a huge black eye staring back at him in the bathroom mirror, and notices a note on the table, "Breakfast is on the stove, I left early to go shopping -- Love you, Jill"

He stumbles to the kitchen, and sure enough, there is hot breakfast and the morning newspaper. His son is also at the table, eating.Jack asks, "Son . . . what happened last night?"

Jack's son answers, "Well, you came home after 3 a.m., drunk and out of your mind. You broke some furniture, puked in the hallway, and got that black eye when you ran into the door!"

Jack says, "So, why is everything in such perfect order, so clean? I have a red rose, and breakfast is on the table waiting for me."

His son replies, "Mom dragged you to the bedroom, and when she tried to take your pants off, you screamed, "'Leave me alone, lady, I'm married!'"

Broken furniture - $85.26
Hot breakfast - $4.20
Red rose bud - $3.00
Two aspirins - $0.38
Saying the right thing, at the right time . . . Priceless

Well, I waited so late again, and I'm too tired to post much. I jogged 3 miles before Malachi got tired of playing at the playground with Daddy, then we walked 3 miles.

Very tired--going to bed now. Good night!