Moments
Friday, June 13, 2008, by Sherra
It’s hard to be nine.
It’s especially hard to be nine when you have three teenage siblings.
And it’s a hot summer day.
Which always makes me think of staying inside and reading a good book.
So I went to a special cabinet in my room to get one of those classic books out for Scary Baby yesterday.
It made me remember being nine and being able to walk to the air-conditioned library in the small town where we lived.
It made me think of some of my favorite books and authors that transported me to another place and made me love reading…as in it is one my most favorite things to do!
We have three out of four kids that devour books like PhilBillPaul and I do. One unnamed teen much prefers TV to a good book.
Nature vs. nurture is alive and well at our house.
Here are some of my all-time favorites that all my kids have read and still love (even the non-reader):
Ramona the Pest
by Beverly Cleary
(I love the whole series!)
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective
by Donald Sobol
(You don’t have to be a boy to love this series!)
The Boxcar Children
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
(might just be my all-time favorite series!)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
by Roald Dahl
(fun to read and then watch the *original* movie with Gene Wilder!)
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
by Judy Blume
(love, love, love all her books!)
The library is a fabulous place to spend some of your hot summer days. Most libraries have great summer reading programs and activities. Books make great gifts at any age.
Have you passed on your love of reading on to your kids?
Share the titles or authors of your favorite childhood books…it’s always fun to get book recommendations!
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Categories: Moments, Random Thoughts, Raves, Tweens
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Wednesday, June 11, 2008, by Sherra
It’s Tuesday night as I write my Wednesday post having totally missed writing on Monday. Being spontaneous can get in the way of blogging.
We spent an extra night in Nashville. You cannot believe how exhausting it is to listen to country music.
Actually, I think it was most exhausting to travel with three teenage girls.
From the teenage daughters’ perspective (because much to their dismay, I was both a teenager and a daughter) and as their mother, I am entitled to speak for them…
These are the observations I made on this trip that I realize will not be giant revelations for many of you. Think of them more as the beginning of the by-laws for our Mean Mother Club…
- Mothers are stupid.
- Mothers are embarrassing.
- Mothers should not dance.
- Mothers should not like country music.
- Mothers should not think a country music singer is
“good looking”, “cute” or “hot”.
My biggest personal revelation about teenage girls is that there are many ways that this season of their life is very similar to the one you thought you had already made it through–the toddler stage…
- They throw tantrums when they don’t get their way.
- They are loud at inappropriate times.
- They are very cranky when they don’t get enough sleep.
- They are very, very stubborn.
- Everything is a power struggle. “I do it myself.”
-
You have to keep your eye on them or they get lost.
(Roger Leroy & Sharté got on the wrong shuttle bus and went to Opryland which is nowhere near downtown Nashville.)
Fellow Stupid Mother and friend Lisa and I did have tons of fun in spite of the teenagers.
The teenagers had tons of fun in spite of their mothers.
I think they would all agree that one of the biggest highlights of the four-day festival was on Friday.
First the back story…
They had to walk seven blocks because Stupid Mother #1 (me) overheard that THE ONE singer who they HAD TO meet and get HER autograph, was shooting a video outside on the steps of the Ryman Auditorium. I actually had to demand that they come because they were *busy* at the Sports Zone about to play some game or spin some wheel to win a laminated calendar or matchbox car.
What followed was waiting for over two hours in sweltering heat standing curbside just five steps from a drum set waiting to see who was coming out.
SHE came out and was darling and was overwhelmed by the crowd that had gathered. SHE sang a new song that no one had heard before. SHE came down to the yellow police tape and shook hands and thanked everyone for coming.
The crowd dispersed.
Stupid Mother #1 quietly said to Roger Leroy, “You know SHE has to come out of the building but it won’t be out of these doors. You all need to go around and find the door with a car or limo and maybe you can get her autograph.”
Roger Leroy said, as she rolled her eyes, “I’m thirsty and we’re going back to the Sports Zone. We’ll get HER autograph tomorrow.”
(Because standing in line with 800 people who also got tickets to get HER autograph the next day would be super fun.)
Stupid Mother #1 said to Stupid Mother #2 (Lisa) “I just told her that SHE will have to come out the building and the girls should find the back door but Roger Leroy is thirsty and I guess I’m just having another stupid idea.”
I gave it one more shot and asked Roger Leroy if she had told Sharté
(#1 fan) what I had suggested.
They had a private teenager conference. Sharté asked where I thought they should go. I suggested the alley and walk around the building.
They actually started down the alley!
About 30 minutes later, they came around the corner, running uphill in 100 degree weather screaming like excited, happy toddlers.
Because they met HER and SHE asked if they wanted a picture with HER…
Taylor Swift
is a delightful and refreshing role model for teenage girls.
HER debut album where all the songs she either wrote or co-wrote is triple platinum. SHE is a recent high school graduate and is currently touring with Rascal Flatts.
And she TOUCHED our daughters!!!!!
The Stupid Mothers were very happy for their daughters!
We hope they will always remember this special trip.
We hope they know how very much we love them…
through every season.
Meanwhile, the Stupid Mothers loved, loved, loved listening and looking at Josh Turner, Keith Urban, Chuck Wicks, Luke Bryan, Craig Morgan, Rodney Atkins, Alan Jackson, Trace Adkins and many, many other great musicians.
Oh, and Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, Sara Evans, Kellie Pickler, Miranda Lambert, and many other ladies were really good too.
Teenage daughters will have to get their own blog to tell their side of the story.
P.S. Would you please send me an email and let me know if you received this post or my Friday post through your email subscription OR if you read my blog through an RSS feed? I think the service is not working again. I love to try to fix things that are out of my control…
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Categories: Finding the Funny, Friends, Moments, Teens
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Friday, June 6, 2008, by Sherra
I told you on Wednesday that I would share some of my favorite country music songs. I was thinking about why I love country so much and I know that a big part of it is that so many country songs tell a great story.
I love story-telling and I love how real so much of the songwriting is. I also love songs that move me. Whether it moves me to tears or it moves me to smile or it moves me to get up and dance, I love all the emotion music brings to our lives.
First, a few personal country facts I want to share:
1) I do not own cowboy boots
2) I do not own a cowboy hat
3) I do not line dance
4) I can ride a horse
5) There is such a thing as too much twang in country
(and too much banjo).
Now here are some great songs that I think ya’ll will love even if you think you don’t like country!
Five Great Songs by Women Country Singers
Every mama should make sure her daughters hear these…
1) This One’s For The Girls - Martina McBride
2) Somebody’s Hero - Jamie O’Neal
3) Room to Breathe - Reba McEntire
4) I Didn’t Know My Own Strength - Bobbie Cryner
5) I Hope You Dance - Lee Ann Womack
Five Great Patriotic Country Songs
These pretty much always move me to tears…
1) Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning) - Alan Jackson
2) Have You Forgotten? - Darryl Worley
3) American Soldier - Toby Keith
4) Some Gave All - Billy Ray Cyrus
5) God Bless the U.S.A. - Lee Greenwood
Come on now, don’t be scared. Search for the songs and have a listen–it should be no surprise that I’m an iTunes fan. You might be pleasantly surprised and want to add some new music to your iPod. 
If you already love country, take a moment and share a couple of your favorite songs in the comments section. I’m always looking for great new tunes personally recommended by friends!
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Categories: Moments, Raves
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Wednesday, June 4, 2008, by Sherra
Before I divulge the location of the birthday trip for the darling twin daughters, can I just say that I’m less than inspired that only TWO of you commented on Flexible Friday (thanks Kerri & Wendy) about whether you have a ME day or ME hour and what you do with your ME time?!
Ladies, seriously. No one schedules time for themselves and will share how they do it?
Or are you all so busy with your ME time that you’re unable to click the “Comment” link at the bottom of the post and comment? Come on, we’re suppose to be inspiring each other here!
Okay, I’ll stop ranting about that and move right into a rave!
I’m taking the girls to Nashville for the CMA Country Music Festival.
Stop laughing.
For many, country music has become more mainstream with artists like Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Sugarland, etc., who have all had crossover hits in recent years.
True Confessions
For me, I’ve loved country since I was in grade school. I have Charley Pride albums. I saw Kenny Rogers in high school at the State Fair.
I have the Statler Brothers autographed 8 x 10 picture.
Ahem, your laughing is getting louder. I can hear it in Georgia.
It’s not the only music I love. I really love all kinds of music. I can’t imagine life without music. As I noted in the “About Sherra” page, I had an iPod before iPods were cool.
I was a teen in the late 70’s and early 80’s and also went to Summer Jam concerts and heard REO Speedwagon, AC/DC, Cheap Trick, Head East, The Baby’s and even went on .38 Special’s tour bus.
See how well-rounded I am?
But Barbara Mandrell, Lee Greenwood, T.G. Shepherd were all concerts I loved too.
I can still hear the Tammy Wynette, Lynn Anderson, Roy Clark and Johnny Cash albums that my parents played.
Yes, we did watch Hee Haw at my house in the Midwest.
Should I not admit that? Sorry family.
It is a requirement to like country music if you live with me. PhilBillPaul tolerates it. The Grunter not so much.
“Poor Phil” (as my family likes to refer to him) has sat through Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney and some others I’m sure I’m forgetting.
All three of my girls love it. Maybe it is more of a chick thing?
I had always heard about this big Nashville event called Fan Fair and wanted to go. Some years ago, they changed the name to the CMA Music Festival and moved it to downtown Nashville.
My friend Ann shared with me that when Dan returned from Iraq that she wanted to do more things for herself (oh, that sounds like a ME day or even better, a ME trip and she might need a friend to go with her!).
One of those things on her list was to go to more music concerts because she loves music so much. She had just recently gotten more into country music and wanted to go to a live concert or two.
Don’t give me an idea if you don’t really mean it. I told her I knew of a concert that might be beyond her idea of a *little* live concert. It’s actually a four day event and anyone she could think of would be there.
We’ve been for the past two years and were going to go again this year. Alas, that darn husband surprised her with a trip to England.
(Nice job Dan 
)
I got over it and then mentioned to my girls that maybe we could go if they wanted to chip in and it would be their birthday present.
We’re leaving today and if you even remotely like country music - it is an event like nothing I’ve ever witnessed. You can check out the details and all the artists who will be performing at cmafest.com.
It’s an amazing event and this is fair warning that you will have to endure pictures that I will post next week when we return!
On Flexible Friday, I’m already thinking I’ll post some of my favorite country songs.
Yee Haw!
Admit it, you want to know what’s on my iPod.
If you stop laughing, I might just tell you…
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Categories: Finding the Funny, Friends, Moments, Raves, Teens
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Friday, May 30, 2008, by Sherra
Running a home business for more than 20 years has given me a lot of freedom and fun.
The best part for me has always been the flexibility.
I have always loved to set my own schedule. I am a night owl by nature and the structure of a nine to five job was something I never enjoyed. I know myself well enough to know that my internal clock makes me most productive when most other people are usually going to bed. It’s also why I’m glad I have a few friends on the West Coast!
Being your own boss and/or working from home is a dream that many people have. But I have often shared that the dream can become
the nightmare if you don’t give yourself some structure and boundaries.
Since The Grunter was born 18+ years ago, I have always been a full-time mom first and a home-based business owner second.
The structure I set for myself many years ago was setting up daily theme days. Anyone who knows me knows I have to keep things simple. Complicated means confusing and coma patients really don’t like to be more confused than necessary!
Back in the day with three toddlers, naptime, preschool, 5:00 meltdown, etc., my theme days went something like this…
Monday
“Me” Day…this was the day I got a babysitter or later kept them in an aftercare program at school so I could play golf. Often, I went and played 18 holes all by myself. Some Mondays I had lunch with friends. If it was a rainy day, I curled up at home with a good book or a few magazines. I did NOT clean the house or do any kind of work!
Tuesday & Thursday
“Telephone” Day…a good part of my business was and still is spent on the phone. I learned that I didn’t have to answer the phone when it rang. I could return calls on Tuesday and Thursday. I could make business-building calls on those days.
Wednesday
“Wacko” Day…this was the day I made lists and ran around running errands and doing all those little things that piled up throughout the week. It always felt like a crazy day but crazy didn’t start with “W” and Errand Wednesday didn’t fit my theme week. This is where this form really came in handy because I wrote on it throughout the week and then took it with me on Wednesdays.
Friday
“Finances & Family” Day…Since Friday was usually pay day for PhilBillPaul and I always had bookkeeping tasks related to my business, I handled that kind of stuff on Friday. Friday night was reserved for pizza or tacos or whatever “fun” food the kids wanted to have. Then we’d play a game or rent a movie.
So now with these three teenagers and the nine year-old, most every day feels like Wacko Wednesday and my theme days seem to have disappeared.
It got me thinking as I’ve been working on this website and a few other web business ideas with a good friend, I should re-institute my theme days.
I also remember how many moms of multiples and other home-based business moms have told me how my “theme” days have helped them. It really is hard work to be at home without a boss or some structure. It’s easy for the days to all blend together and feel unproductive.
So as we start this summer and I know the benefits of setting boundaries for myself, I bring you “Flexible Friday.”
It’s a running joke with a few friends who will understand when I say this loudly…
“I AM THE MOST FLEXIBLE ONE IN THIS GROUP.”
Which is a big lie. Well, I guess it depends on the group I am in.
“Flexible Friday” for me means that I’m going to quit stressing about what to write about on Fridays. For some reason, I feel the most self-imposed pressure.
“Flexible Friday” will hereby be a day where I am free to blog about four or five fascinating or fabulous or free or fun or favorite facts (or fiction) I FEEL like writing about.
Are you feeling my theme? And because I’m sooooo flexible, I’m starting Flexible Friday…next Friday. Hush already, I don’t need the pressure.
I also hereby institute MONDAY ME DAY for every MOM who doesn’t schedule a day for herself. Come on, you can do it!
(Okay, start with a ME hour if the day concept is freaking your inner martyr.)
I really want to hear from every woman who has a ME day and I also want to hear from all of you who are now adding a ME day to your life! Click on the comment button and make a commitment to YOURSELF–you are worth it. Share it with us here!
Your ME day doesn’t have to be on Monday…see, I’m flexible like that.
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Categories: Finding the Funny, Moments, Random Thoughts
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Friday, May 16, 2008, by Sherra
Doesn’t that sound like a fabulous thing to do?
Spend a year by the sea. Ahhhh…
Sign me up. My bags are packed. I’m ready to go…
But I have a few obligations and responsibilities I have to tend to before I can go. I’m guessing you do too.
So short of leaving, you can read the book…
A Year by the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman
Joan Anderson is the author of that book and she is one of my favorite authors. I saw her almost a decade ago on Oprah and went right out and got the book. I still love the tagline of the book because I know that is really who we all are — unfinished women.
Since then, she has published 4 more books and I have devoured them all and given some of them as gifts.
On Wednesday night I had the privilege of attending a Borders event called “Getting Better All the Time: Women and Writers in Conversation.” If you’re in Atlanta, I’m sorry you missed it.
She was an absolute delight! Warm, funny, sincere and truthful - all the qualities I love in a women at any age.
My friend Wendy and I were so glad we made the trek downtown. It’s still an effort to get out and do things like this that feel selfish to many women but are really the things that lift us up and keep us going when we’re tired and overwhelmed.
Of course, having dinner after we left Borders was an added bonus!
I was sad that I forgot to snap a picture of us with Joan (our new friend whom we now feel like we can call by her first name).
I did, however, snap pictures of our desserts at The Cheesecake Factory.
I chose the LEMON RASPBERRY CREAM CHEESECAKE
Raspberry Vanilla Cake, Creamy Lemon Cheesecake, Raspberry Lady Fingers and Lemon Mousse
Wendy went for the CARAMEL PECAN TURTLE CHEESECAKE.
Pecan Brownie and Caramel Fudge Swirl Cheesecake, Topped with Caramel Turtle Pecans and Chocolate
Obviously, we were both counting calories. Not.
I can’t wait to dive in to her new book this weekend. Just the title makes me smile…
Second Journey, The: The Road Back to Yourself
And I love the tagline of this one too. “The Road Back to Yourself” It’s like she wrote it just for me.
My personal recommendation is to start at the beginning and read every one of Joan’s books. Or go wild and read the new one first. Read them out of order. Just read them!
Do something for yourself this weekend - eat some cheesecake and curl up with a good book! Make every weekend Mother’s Day…you deserve it!
P.S. If you click on the purple text link of the book titles, it will take you right to Amazon.com and you can order the book and have it delivered to your door!
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Categories: Friends, Moments, Raves
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Wednesday, May 14, 2008, by Sherra
I am alive…
I am well…
I am overwhelmed…
I am “well” is relative in terms of allergy season in the south. The pollen count is off the charts and some of us can barely walk outside to get the mail without serious side effects–even with meds!
I am “overwhelmed” as in managing a house of six can really reduce me to a raving lunatic–even with Valium (but I haven’t taken one today thank you very much)!
I’m off to an author event at Borders for a much-needed girlfriend night out. I’ll report back on Friday and tell you about the author, the books she has written that I love and any new, exciting things I learn by listening to her!
P.S. My email subscription and RSS feed service seems to have abandoned me and my site. (sob). I’m looking into changing services. Thank you all for your patience while I work to fix the problem.
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Categories: Moments
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Monday, May 12, 2008, by Sherra
At our house, we call it the “Never Enough” syndrome. It seems that no matter what we buy, give or do, it’s “never enough.” If we say yes, they ask for one more thing. If we say midnight, they say “12:30.” If we say pick one, they say “two. If we say pick two, they say “three.”
Okay, you get the idea. Anyone else relate to this syndrome?
Reflecting on a quiet Mother’s Day yesterday and keeping focused on my job as the mean mom with Scary Baby grounded for the day and the teenagers all working, I thought of one of my favorite Erma Bombeck writings. I know it has made its way around the internet email forwarding system many times. Often without proper attribution.
My kids actually read the blog from time to time and I wonder if they’re still too young to really “get it.”
Fellow mean moms get it.
Erma got it.
It’s really worth reading again.
You Don’t Love Me
“You don’t love me!”
How many times have your kids laid that one on you?
And how many times have you, as a parent, resisted the urge to tell them how much?
Someday when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a mother I’ll tell them.
I loved you enough to bug you about where you were going, with whom, and what time you would get home.
I loved you enough to insist you buy a bike with your own money that we could afford and you couldn’t.
I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover your hand-picked friend was a creep.
I loved you enough to make you return a Milky Way with a bite out of it to a drugstore and confess, “I stole this.”
I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your bedroom, a job that would have taken me fifteen minutes.
I loved you enough to say, “Yes, you can go to Disney World on Mother’s Day.”
I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, disgust, and tears in my eyes.
I loved you enough not to make excuses for your lack of respect or your bad manners.
I loved you enough to admit that I was wrong and ask your forgiveness.
I loved you enough to ignore “what every other mother” did or said.
I loved you enough to let you stumble, fall, hurt, and fail.
I loved you enough to let you assume the responsibility for you own actions, at six, ten, or sixteen.
I loved you enough to figure you would lie about the party being chaperoned, but forgave you for it … after discovering I was right.
I loved you enough to shove you off my lap, let go of your hand, be mute to your pleas … so that you had to stand alone.
I loved you enough to accept you for what you are, not what I wanted you to be.
But most of all, I loved you enough to say no when you hated me for it. That was the hardest part of all.
–Erma Bombeck
I hope all you mean moms (and nice moms) had a wonderful Mother’s Day.
And I hope and pray that my kids know that I have always loved them enough even when it seems like it is never enough…
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Categories: Love Languages, Milestones, Moments, Teens, Tweens
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Wednesday, May 7, 2008, by Sherra
I got home late Sunday night from five fun-filled days visiting relatives in Indiana.
As I shared last week, I went back home to Indiana to visit Imogene.
One week ago on Wednesday I surprised Imogene and spent the afternoon with her. She has fallen twice since I was there last year so she spends most of her time in a wheelchair. She has made a remarkable recovery especially at age 92.
She doesn’t go out very much, if at all. Since I was there by myself and was not on a schedule, I made myself available if she wanted to go anywhere. After a little encouragement because I’m sure you know how much her generation “doesn’t want to be a burden” she finally said “I sure would like to have some good food at Gray’s.”
Gray Brothers Cafeteria is a local landmark in Mooresville, Indiana.
Photo of Gray’s sign came from this fun food blog.
Cafeterias are not my favorite kind of restaurants. I actually refuse to eat at them here in Georgia. (Another one of my issues…for another day.)
But Gray Brothers is different. I love it.
PhilBillPaul loves cafeterias so I had to take a picture of our food so I could show him I had his favorite chicken and noodles (and corn and potatoes and a roll and butterscotch pie if you’re taking inventory.)
I found a far better picture of their food at RoadFood.com which is a fun site that features reviews the kind of down-home restaurants we love.
“A tray of lunch, Gray Brothers-style. Clockwise from the bottom left: candied beets, dinner roll, banana cream pie, orange chiffon Jell-O, lemonade, chicken with cornbread dressing.”
- Michael Stern
Imogene had those candied beets (yuck) and jello salad and fried potatoes and strawberry pie with her chicken and noodles. My photography skills really didn’t do justice to our meal.
Yes, it does appear that we might have thought this was our last meal. I’m happy to report it wasn’t. We actually took some beets, jello salad and pie back to her room.
Everything was absolutely delicious and words cannot describe what it meant to me to get to spend the afternoon with her and take her out to dinner.
The waitress took our picture and I’ve already ordered two 5 x7 prints that I’m framing–one for me and one for her!
Life Lesson (LL): In spite of gas prices and a nine hour drive, the trip was worth every moment I got to spend with Imogene and other relatives!
Share a Life Lesson (SALL): Any trip you’ve taken or are planning to take to visit someone special in your life?
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Categories: Food, Life Lessons, Milestones, Moments, Raves
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Tuesday, May 6, 2008, by Sherra
First, thank you to all my email subscribers who are being patient as I continue to try to get help from the service that actually delivers the emails.
I am back in town from a week in Indiana visiting Imogene and some other relatives. More on that visit on Wednesday!
I am overdue in telling you the answers to the questions about the doll and the record album from my little impromptu history quiz.
Everyone got the doll right!
Yes, it was Chatty Cathy.
However, the album stumped everyone.
Maybe we were the only family who owned this little gem?
I remember it well. And I personally never thought Puff was about anything except a Dragon!
The album “quiz” made me ask PhilBillPaul to dig out a few albums from our extensive combined collection we still have in the basement.
The Puff the Magic Dragon album and Chatty Cathy doll were a few years before we started listening to really cool music and being boy-crazy.
These were my boyfriends.
These were Julie’s boyfriends.
We’ve always had different tastes in music, boys, clothes, hobbies, etc.
I figured this was as good a time as any to tell Julie (my older sister) that I’ve had her albums for all these years.
Did I mention they got wet in our basement? Sorry. Out of my control. I would send them to you but they are really in no condition to be mailed or played. Like you have a record player anyway?
Side note: I usually read each post out loud to PhilBillPaul to make sure it makes sense. He just asked me if I had contacted our boyfriends to be sure they knew I was posting their pictures. He was totally serious. I’m still laughing.
I said “I’m pretty sure Julie hasn’t kept in touch with Donny Osmond or Tony DeFranco and no, I haven’t actually talked to Bobby Sherman or David Cassidy in YEARS. ”
Okay, maybe never.
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Categories: Finding the Funny, Moments
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