Happy Birthday to my beautiful granddaughter, Tessa is 7! The day she was born was one of the best days in our family. She has brought laughter, love and great joy into our lives.
One day, when she is older, if she reads this, I would like her to know how much she is loved. She is smart, funny, beautiful and a ray of sunshine, she seems to have inherited the very best of both of her families.
I love getting to spend time with her, it never get tired of being with her, I love the fact I get to pick her up on Jeffrey’s weekends and spend a little time with her before he gets off work.
We won’t get to celebrate until tomorrow, I am going to get to Jeffrey’s early and decorate for her celebration. Turning seven doesn’t happen every day, we must celebrate and of course have cake!
Months ago she asked me for something specific for her birthday, of course Gigi is coming through. I got her a giant stuffed tiger, she asked for a stuffed animal, she was not specific in what kind. So a giant stuffed tiger it is, her Aunt Elizabeth had one as a young girl, it is only fitting she have one as well.
I can hardly wait to see the look on her face when she opens it! I hope she loves it, even just liking it would be nice.
I am incredibly blessed to have such an awesome granddaughter, once again, I don’t how God chooses which child goes where, I just know that His decisions are greatness. I cannot imagine a like that does not include this little bundle of energy. She is always on the go, wanting to be in motion, not content to just sit, she is a lot like her dad. He was the same way, curious, full of questions and always wanted to be outside.
I look forward to watching her grow and change in the coming years, it will only get better and better.
Happy Birthday Tessa, Gigi loves you an beyond the universe!
Owasso Thoughts
So, my friend Billy G. from Owasso said something provocative on Facebook (of course) the other day. He said “Facebook is a great place to be friends with people who didn’t like you in high school.” Well, I don’t have to tell you that set off a firestorm of comments.
I am going to add my own here, I came to Owasso in the 8th grade, actually the summer before 8th grade. Since I lived in the country I really only got to meet one person in my grade before school started. She has turned out to be my best friend, Tammi; she lived up the hill from me. Literally up the hill.
People in Owasso had been together already since Kindergarten, those cliques are not easy to infiltrate, so we began our own, some, like us, came to Owasso late, others had been there all their lives.
Not everyone gave me a warm welcome; I’m good with that, they already had their friend cards filled with others. Some were downright mean, I’m good with that as well, I can give as well as receive, and I really could then.
I was pretty snobby back then, total defensive mechanism, because the reality of it is I am the least snobby person alive. Well, certain things I am incredibly snobby about, crocs, hate them, judge people who wear them. Especially if you are not a worker that stands on your feet a lot or do not have health issues that require you to wear them. If you wear them to a sedentary job and wear socks with them, you will feel my ridicule. You all can judge me for judging others on that point.
I met a woman yesterday, who after speaking with me for a total of 5 minutes said, “you’re one of those people that make friends wherever you are, aren’t you?” Yes, yes I am, I am friendly by nature, I smile a lot and will talk to anyone.
However, that does not mean I tell my life story, that you will never get out of me, it’s mine, I choose very carefully who I share that with.
But back to Billy’s provocative posting, he was joking, because that is who he is, a jokester, and I love that about him. But the post struck a nerve with some people; it probably dredged up memories of meanness that one does not really get over. They get past it, but not over it, not me, I didn’t care if they were mean to me then and I really don’t care now.
If I had made friends with the really popular people I seriously cannot imagine the trouble I would have gotten into. I found enough trouble on my own, I heard about the parties that the popular people were having and believe you me, I was tame in comparison. My parents would have really disowned me if I had been involved with those!
Owasso was a great place for me, I came into my own there, I found acceptance in a family there, I found lifelong friends. I found my best friend there, who knows all there is to know about me and still loves me.
As for being friends with people who didn’t like me in high school, I’m not, I’m picky about my Facebook friends, I reserve it for people I would want to hang out with in person.
Independence Day
Independence Day. This is the Day that we, as a people, declared our Independence from England. What a day that was, I would love to be able to time travel and witness it, the men who signed it were all different personalities, had different ideologies, yet came together for one common goal. To fight for the freedom to become a country, a stand-alone country, with unalienable rights, the right to pursue happiness, the right to bear arms, the right to say whatever comes into our heads.
This is a day we must all, as Americans; take a day to not only celebrate those beginnings but to celebrate how far we have come as a nation since then.
Our country, The United States of America, is the only country on earth that is truly an amalgamation of other nations.
That formation began a long time before 1776, people of different nationalities were drawn here for centuries. The Spanish, the Vikings and yes the English, all were here long before we all came together to fight for our freedom to form our country.
The gracious mountains, the earth that was so rich to grow good food was a drawing card for humans all over the planet.
This day, of all the days on the calendar, we, as Americans, should take the time to not only celebrate, but to reflect on the lives that were given so we can be here today. Never forget the ones that came before us, never forget what they were fighting so hard to have.
Freedom, freedom of speech, freedom to defend not only our nation; but also our very homes, freedom to explore, to find our inner peace. Freedom to worship God, not only worship, but also worship the way we want to. To practice our religion, Freedom of Religion, I think in this day we forget that.
Christianity itself is under attack, sometimes, as I read the news, and read Facebook, I believe Christians themselves have forgotten what we are supposed to be. Faithful, Hopeful, Loving, those are the things we are supposed to be as Christians. Just in case you are wondering where I am getting my information, straight from the Bible itself. 1st Corinthians 13:13 (interesting side note, 13 is a much beloved number in my family) “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” I think we, as Christians, forget that Love is the greatest of these things that are left.
So, today, as we ponder our independence, let’s declare a new independence, one free from hate, prejudice, hopelessness, faithlessness, let’s declare a dependence on faith, hope and love.
As a country we has so much to be proud of, today we focus on that, and rightfully so, tomorrow, let’s focus on building up our country to being even greater than it ever has been before.
Ponderings
Once again I find myself having a love/hate relationship with Facebook and the internet in general. First I will address the love aspect, I absolutely love getting up in the morning, having my coffee and reading Dear Abby and the “funny paper”, as it were, without getting newsprint on my hands. Don’t forget shopping, I love that I can order shoes and they just show up on my doorstep, incredibly awesome.
I love reconnecting with old friends from Owasso, churches I have attended and cousins I was separated from at a young age. I cannot tell you how much joy I have found in seeing Cindy, Pat, Paula, Larry, Albert and the list goes on, way too numerous to mention as it would take up all of angieworld for all time. I love the fact that it has brought friends back into my life that I had lost contact with; it really has been an incredible tool.
I love that I get to keep in contact and see what is going on with children, who are now adults, that have been friends of my children since they were all young.
I love all of that, what I hate, with a passion, is the fact that one cannot voice their opinion on political matters or even non-political without someone being insulting.
I have seen it over and over, someone posts something, and if another person disagrees with them, even in a respectful way, posting facts and counterpoints. The other person becomes vicious, name-calling ensues and we have an internet brawl.
These are adults, I have never seen adults behave in such a fashion; it’s embarrassing. If you do this, please stop, it’s insane behavior, we are all allowed to have opinions and as long as they are expressed in a respectful manner why the viciousness?
If someone has a different view than mine, I welcome it, because it makes life interesting, I believe, at that point, we can have a spirited debate and walk away friends. Because I learned that behavior from my dad, he and I always had great debates on many topics. I learned from him, to research a topic, in the days before the internet, if I were going to go toe to toe with my dad, I needed to be well informed. There was never a more well read man than my dad, well, my grandpa, he totally rocked in that area.
I come from a long line of people that love debate, that are avid readers and researchers. People on the internet typically don’t research, they just love to belittle and attack on a personal level.
Do not wonder any longer why the younger generation is bullying more frequently on social media, they learned it honestly, by watching the adults.
Funny Life
Life is funny, nothing is random, nothing is happenstance, we are where we are supposed to be and lessons can be learned every day. I had to work yesterday, Sunday, I do believe we all know how I feel about that, I like my weekends. However, it had to be done if I wanted the 4th of July off. So off to work I went.
A lot of people were there, I was surprised at the amount of worker bees on the floor. Typically, in my experience in a major telecommunications corporation, Sundays are a filled with a skeleton crew. Not yesterday, needless to say a lot of fun was had.
I am now sitting by such an interesting young man, he is a little younger than Jeffrey, he writes, produces and sings his own music. He gave me one of his CD’s and it is really good, I am going to give it to Alex so he can listen as it is hip hop and Alex loves that music.
Anyway, this particular young man also reads a lot, so, in the spirit of carrying on the tradition, I suggested he read Joseph Campbell, and start with The Hero with a Thousand Faces. A great read, and very thought provoking, the first time I read it is when my BBFF suggested it and loaned me his copy.
Then we had a rousing discussion regarding the material, I know the same will happen here as well. I am going to read it again so the material will be fresh in my mind, I do love a good discussion.
In case you missed Saturday nights show you can go to http://www.convosate.com and catch up. You can actually hear me talking about my near death experience; I am still in awe at how much God protects me.
It really is amazing when one thinks about it; I am the clumsiest person around, yet I am alive. Amazing.
It is off to work I go, 3 more days, then I am off for four, without using a vacation day! How awesome is that! I hope everyone has a great Monday, I know I will because I will be working with excellent people!
Impressions of New Job
I’m in my second week of actually being on the job, out of training, sitting at my desk, taking calls and helping people. How do I like my job you may ask? I don’t, I LOVE my job! This is the most fun I have had at work in years! My tools all work, we have numbers and contacts to actually get issues corrected! We are not told we can only talk to a customer for a certain amount of time; we are given leeway to get the customers issues fixed.
I cannot say enough about how much I am enjoying this change in my life, it’s incredible. I was a reluctant to make this move; it is not something that I even thought that I would want to do. I was hesitant to even accept the offer, as I had not put in for it, I felt I wasn’t being given a choice in the matter.
I am here to tell you, God really does what is best for us even when we don’t think so at the time. I feel like I fell into someplace I belong, like I am making a real difference.
I, of course, have new neighbors in my cubicle neighborhood, and I will repeat, I don’t believe in happenstance, accidents or luck. The new people I am sitting by are awesome! My cube mate to the left of me is a young man that is truly going places. He does music on the side, hip-hop with a positive message. He gave me one of his CD’s and it is really good. I know without a doubt he is going to be successful at it. More than that, he has such a great attitude and is so helpful. I truly am enjoying getting to know him.
The man right in front of me is also awesome; he welcomed us to his team and is incredibly helpful. No resentment at all that we have more seniority than he does, and he recognized right away that I am happy all the time. He doesn’t even seem to find it annoying. The woman to the right of him (kitty-corner to me) is so nice, I sat with her my first day. She is from Las Vegas; this was a big change for her, and a great opportunity for not only her but also her family. She has such a great spirit about her; all of the people on the team are so helpful. Ready with a contact if you need one to do your job, or telling what tool to use in order to help the customer.
My new boss has a great attitude as well, she is new like me, and she gives encouraging words every day. She sends emails letting us know how we are doing and offers help if we need it.
The whole center has welcomed us even though we bumped a lot of them way down in seniority. If any are resentful I have yet to see it, all I have seen are sunny smiles and friendly hellos.
That’s my new job in a nutshell, after my near death experience it is a nice week.
Close Call
I’m still processing what happened today, I have not had something like this happen, well, ever. I was driving to the radio station to see Shanon Jay when I lost control of my car.
The roads were wet, I must have hit a puddle of water and my car hydroplaned, that is all I can think that happened. My car started spinning, around and around we went, I honestly didn’t know if it was going to stop. A voice in my head said just let it, then go toward the grass. I spun 3 or four times, I lost count. I saw a tree, the metal guardrail and then I stopped.
I looked around me, praying no one had been hurt because of my vehicle; the fire truck that had been behind was still there. Only now it was sideways in the highway, blocking all oncoming traffic from hitting me.
Their quick actions probably saved a life; I know for sure it saved vehicles from damages and people from injuries.
As for my vehicle, not a scratch, and me on either of us, I didn’t hit anything and I am fine, just a little shaken.
All I can think is God must want me to do something; He’s not ready for me to come home yet. I’m ok with going, I just don’t want to, I have things I want to accomplish myself.
I honestly thought this is it, I really didn’t foresee myself dying in a car accident, and I really see myself dying at 115 years old, surrounded by my children, grandchildren and many greats.
We never know what today holds, tomorrow is not promised, only God knows the exact number of days we have left. Apparently I have many more days left in front of me.
Newness
Well here we are, Thursday, the day before Friday, the gateway day, so happy it is here. This week has really flown by; I was thrown into the deep end of the pool work wise. On Monday, all of us who were in the training class were thrown into the fray, taking calls and helping customers.
I feel clunky with the tools still, but helping people is not something new to me, I have been doing that for years in the major telecommunications corporation I work for. Identifying with the customer, feeling their pain at the trouble they are having is something I do really well. Now I am just adding television and voice issues to the fray, and trust I understand television woes. Yesterday I had to tell a woman we really needed to replace her DVR and when she gave a wailing no, I knew exactly how she felt. I told her so, I said listen when I had to replace my DVR I about died, I have so many things recorded. Not just season finales SERIES finales. She said I’m so happy you understand, other people think I’m crazy. I said no ma’am, we are the normal ones, she laughed, said give her a week to clear it out and then she would call back and have it replaced.
I have often said that I am placed near the most interesting people; this time is no different. My new teammates are nice, helpful and have a great sense of humor as a whole. I feel good in my new place, while I miss seeing all of the familiar faces that I had grown accustomed to over the years, I like where I have landed.
God always has a plan and even though I balk at times in the end I know He is right and places me in the right place.
Speaking of, I had an argument with Jesus the other night and of course He won, I did what I was told to do and had awesome results. It wasn’t the ending I thought it was going to be; in fact it has turned out to be a beginning. Life is amazing when you follow what you’re supposed to do and not what is comfortable or what you really want to do.
Must go, time to get dressed, go to work, help the people keep their entertainment and windows to the world working.
Reunion Time
No child left behind has a whole different meaning in the Testerman family, we see a child within the family that is in need and people step up to meet it. I, myself, was one of those children, my birth mother should never have had children, she was not the mothering kind. This is not a bid for pity, it is a fact, she knew it, she gave all of us away, I have often said I fared the best.
I digress, allow me to explain my thought pattern, this weekend was my family reunion and as usual there were a ton of kids running around. A truly great sight to see the younger generation there running around getting to know each other; making memories with their cousins that will last a lifetime.
One of my cousins was telling me how he was trying to get permanent custody of four of the little boys, for whatever reasons their mothers are not able to care for them. Some have even been put in foster care at this point; he is hiring an attorney to get the boys.
Several are his grandsons; several are his brother’s grandsons, his brother that has passed away. I am not surprised by his endeavors, you see someone who was not in my direct line stepped up and took me. My cousin’s generosity in this area is inherent, I have seen it over and over, Testermans stepping up and taking on a responsibility that really isn’t theirs but we consider it ours due to the children being our blood. Whether they are direct line or not, we do this because, well it’s what we do.
When someone gets married, and the other person already has children, we take those as well. They are now family, they are ours, in all the important meanings of the word family.
Elizabeth Anne’s fiancé will find this out when I start stealing his little girl to come over and play with Tessa and the Irishman’s girls. She’s a little young yet, but soon she will start saying she wants to go to Gigi’s house. I already consider her my new granddaughter.
The Irishman went with me again to my family reunion; we took his son and his youngest daughter. The oldest one had plans that she didn’t want to give up, understandable at her age, she is 12 almost thirteen, and well at this point there was nothing but strangers at this event.
So off we go with two kids, a dog and an Irishman, yes we took Stormie with us, after a quick stop at Starbucks we were off on our road trip.
We get there and my family is as loud and crazy as usual, I’m so happy some things never change. My cousins all embraced the Irishman’s children, welcoming them and even asking if they would be back next year.
When we were leaving my cousin Cindy hugged each one and told them welcome to the family.
I asked the Irishman’s son how he had liked being there, and here is a direct quote from him: “Angie your family is crazy, not the scary kind of crazy, the kind of crazy you want to be around again.”
I believe the world would be a better place if all families had the philosophy of no child left behind.
Friday the 13th
Today is Friday the 13th, I LOVE Friday the 13th days, it’s a good luck day in my family. So, to my children, I say enjoy today! It’s our day.
Today is the official end of training class, yesterday was our big test, pass or fail, if one failed they would be out on the street as there is nowhere for us to go. I am incredibly happy to report all 27 of us passed the test. Today is one more module to go over, then we will be upstairs setting up our desks, making sure our computers and phones work.
I saw my desk yesterday, I will be bringing Clorox wipes today, it was, well, gross, is the only word. The former occupant left two rolls of toilet paper and two cough drop bags filled with bottle tops. It was odd to say the least, and it was so dusty I started sneezing right away.
As I walked the length of the building I saw so many familiar faces, not only from my last position, but also from all over the company. It was like a big homecoming, we are, for the most part, well received.
Some are not happy about the seniority we bring, one of us is literally number one, I myself am number 5. It feels good to be that high up in seniority, this is a company that bases everything on it, so to be that high up is nice. When I first started, off the street, I was on the bottom; some of those women had 35 years seniority. This feels good.
My only sadness is I won’t be going to the family reunion today, it will have to be tomorrow. I will miss the Turner Falls excursion and lose a day of visiting with my cousins that makes me sad. Happy to be employed, sad to miss a day of visiting, however, it all works out in the end. That’s what my grandma used to say, and man she was right.
I hope Patrick goes, I find myself really missing him, he was my favorite boy cousin growing up. He looks just like grandpa, it’s really incredible to see him, he has grown into a man our grandparents would be proud of.
I also cannot wait to see Cindy and Paula; they are two of my favorite girl cousins. Cindy first, sorry Paula, she was closer in age to me and we are so alike. They are all so awesome and I love talking to them. There are way too many to name singularly, let’s just say I love them all. I missed them so much, at times I didn’t know whom I was missing, I just knew they were missing.
Off I go, to enjoy my last day in the classroom, I hope you all have a fantastic day!
Angie World 