PEARL RIVER, La. (Tuesday, July 28, 2009) – Friends and family,
As many of you may know, Pam, Camryn, Matthew and I left Madison, Miss., earlier this month for a new start in Pearl River, La., and Southeast Louisiana after I took a new job in New Orleans. It was tough and not something we really wanted to do. But when my job with the Mississippi Democratic Party ended on Jan. 31 and my efforts to find work in Mississippi went nowhere, we were forced once again to relocate. Our 2½ years in Madison were great and memorable.
But our nation's and our state's economy took its toll. And after weeks of unsuccessful attempts to find work in Mississippi, we were forced to expand our search. Luckily, that led me to my new job as director of communications for the Housing Authority of New Orleans. With my hometown still suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, this seemed like a good way to help people help themselves.
So on July 2, movers packed our belongings into two trucks, headed South to Pearl River, La., and delivered it to our rental home the following day. Pam and I placed our Madison home on the market, hoping to sell it as quickly as possible so we can turn our attention in Southeast Louisiana to finding a more permanent home next year.
Meanwhile, Pam has landed a job as kindergarten teacher at St. Margaret Mary Catholic School – an elementary school that teaches children from pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade. Camryn, 4, our oldest, will attend pre-K there beginning this fall. Matthew, 2, our youngest, will attend day care near the school. And I will make the 30-minute commute to and from work in New Orleans every day.
The past few months have been incredibly stressful on our family as I looked long and hard for a permanent job. I had a brief gig in March and April as campaign manager for Democrat Brenda Scott's Jackson mayoral race. We weren't successful, but I had the distinct privilege of working with one of the best people I have ever known. Brenda is a warm hearted, hard-nosed, hard-working person who would have served Jackson well. Despite her loss, I hope she considers running for office again the future; she has a lot to offer. Together, Brenda and I gained an awful lot of political experience.
I also started my own media and political consulting company, Cassreino Consulting LLC, www.cassreino.net. Even though I'm now living in Southeast Louisiana, I still have a lot of great friends and political contacts in Mississippi; I intend to maintain those ties and my business remains active and available to work with political candidates at anytime throughout Mississippi. Note, please, that I'm only focusing my consulting business on Mississippi.
Matthew, whom we adopted from China in December 2008, continues to adjust well to his new home. You may remember that he suffered from a club foot that was repaired; he goes to see a specialist in New Orleans and may require minor surgery later this year to permanently correct his problem. Other than that, he is your typical 2-year-old boy: He's incredibly active, loves Thomas the Tank Engine, has a great sense of humor and loves to eat.
Camryn may be 4, but she is still our baby. She is growing up fast and has become a beautiful 4-year-old girl who loves the water (like her brother) and seems to be incredibly smart and perceptive. Camryn has played a major role in helping Matthew adjust – she and Matthew play well together and she continues to help him with his vocabulary and other skills. Without Camryn around, I doubt Matthew would have progressed as fast and as much as he has since we brought him home in December. Matthew couldn't have had a better big sister.
Now that Pam and I live in Southeast Louisiana, prospects look slim that we'll be able to attend any Ole Miss games this fall in Oxford. We'll have to hope they appear a lot of TV this fall and, possibly, snag a spot in the Sugar Bowl (I don't think that's too far off because Houston Nutt's team should be pretty good this year). Unfortunately, we will have tolerate more LSU fans than ever before. But that's OK – Pam and I both have jobs in a pretty lousy economy.
For those of you who make it to New Orleans or Southeast Louisiana, please drop us a line or give us a call. We would love to meet up with you. Please note our new address, phone numbers and e-mail addresses. Thank you all and God bless.
TERRY R. CASSREINO
1109 Forest Ridge Loop
Pearl River, LA 70452
Phone: (985) 250-9466
Terry's E-mail: cassreino@gmail.com, terry@cassreino.com
Pam's E-mail: pcassreino@gmail.com
Cassreino Consulting LLC E-mail: terry@cassreino.net
Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.
