Author Archives: Country Mom

Coming Out of the Country Music Closet

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I realize that living in the country doesn’t mean I have to like country music, but I do.

I don’t even own cowboy boots or a cowboy hat, and I don’t wear Wrangler jeans, but I do listen to country music. It’s not that I’m opposed to cowboy boots and hats – my husband and two older daughters wear them – I just don’t prefer them for myself.

The same is true of my opinion of country music. I do listen to other forms of music from time to time, especially when my oldest daughter has control of the radio dial, but I keep coming back to country. I think I prefer this genre over others because the songs generally tell a story – the words actually make sense and often apply to everyday life. Here are some examples:

• Kenny Chesney’s “Don’t Blink” uses a centenarian (a 100-year-old man) to tell folks how quickly life passes.

• Tim McGraw sings about living life to the fullest in his song, “Live Like You Were Dying.”

• Rodney Atkins details the influence parents have on their children with his song, “Watching You.”

• John Rich gets political with his song about the recession, “Shuttin’ Detroit Down.”

• And in the current most-downloaded country song on iTunes, Taylor Swift tells of a modern-day Romeo and Juliet in “Love Story.”

Not that these are my most favorite songs – they just illustrate my point that country songs often make a point. And as a trained journalist, I can appreciate that – especially if the “point” is positive.

I’m Definitely Not GaGa Over ‘Poker Face’

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I traveled thousands of miles in my youth listening to Conway Twitty, Ronnie Milsap and Emmylou Harris, among others, crooning from the 8-track stereo system in the back seat of our family station wagon featuring the classy faux wood side panels.

When I finally discovered my peers listening to Top 40 music in my teens in the 1980s, I quickly conformed. And I swore I would one day be the cool mom who still listened to the “in” music after I had kids. Unfortunately for my kids, that only lasted for me until my oldest started school, and she doesn’t even remember those days.

How is it possible that the Top 40 music of each generation just keeps getting crazier? I’m not saying these artists aren’t talented – and they are definitely creative – but the line between creative and weird is incredibly thin. I speak specifically now of Lady GaGa’s performance of her number-one hit “Poker Face” on last Wednesday’s American Idol results show. For those that missed it, you can view it by clicking here. (I’m sorry, but the originator of this video won’t allow it to be embedded.)

Sports Girl informed me during the Idol performance that she has this song on her iPod, and that Lady GaGa must have just cut her hair – it used to be really long. I try to keep from smiling, or even from laughing, as I ask her at the end of the song if the “eye zipper” is a regular part of her costume? (She says it’s not.)

Compare Lady GaGa’s performance to that of Carrie Underwood and Travis Tritt from two weeks ago. Now, I will admit that the black bow in Carrie’s hair is a little weird, but it’s no worse than the black star rising off Lady GaGa’s left shoulder, and it’s certainly much milder than the eye zipper.

I have long prided myself on my ability to enjoy many genres of music, but frankly, these days I prefer country music to most others.

At 13, Sports Girl has started turning the radio dial to the local Top 40 station when we are in the vehicle, and I handle it pretty well, I think. Better than Horse Lover, who at almost 10 still prefers my country station.

I guess that’s the good news – I’ll only really be considered “uncool” for the last five or so of the 18 years my daughters will live at home. Things could be worse – at least I can’t WATCH Lady GaGa while I’m driving my car – not yet, anyway!

Say It Isn’t Snow! (Or, Enough Already!)

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This second storm of the winter left behind 18 to 24 inches and drifts that were much larger.

This second storm of the winter left behind 18 to 24 inches and drifts that were much larger.

Even though the calendar says it’s now officially spring, one look outside says otherwise. The last time I wrote back in November, we had just finished our first blizzard of the 2008-09 winter season.

While we’ve had lots of cold winter weather with some glimmers of nice weather in between, we experienced our second blizzard last week leaving 18 to 24 inches of snow behind and three snow days home from school and work. Then our third blizzard struck earlier this week when 12 or so more inches fell, resulting in two more snow days stuck at home waiting for the weather to quiet and the plow to come.

After both recent storms the plow left only a single-lane swath cleared down our nearly three-mile stretch of gravel for the first 24 hours or so. That made for a harrowing couple of trips to town. I hoped and prayed I didn’t meet any oncoming vehicles as there aren’t very many driveways or side roads on which to pull over. The school bus didn’t want to have such an adventure on our road; we had to meet the bus at the highway or take the girls to school both days immediately following all three blizzards this winter.

Now we’re facing another winter storm warning for tonight and tomorrow. I stocked up on milk and diapers yesterday, so I guess we’re ready for whatever Mother Nature throws at us. At least this time of year we know it won’t be around for too long … if it would just stop coming!

Stuck At Home

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It’s 10 p.m. Friday, and I have only left my house once since Sunday. It’s not uncommon for me to make two or more trips to town in one day, so this staying home thing is quite unusual for me.

I stayed home voluntarily on Monday to get some housework done, and I did go into town Tuesday to vote in the nation’s presidential election. But then Wednesday I was home with a vomiting and feverish Busy Toddler, and Wednesday night the blizzard hit.

The blizzard dropped about 6 to 10 inches of snow at our place. It’s difficult to determine exactly how much snow we received, because the ferocious wind blew it all around leaving tremendous drifts along with a few bare spots. But somehow most of the drifts ended up across our roads, which meant no school for our two older daughters on Thursday or Friday and no way for my husband to get to work, either.

Perhaps it’s due to the extra company I had Thursday and Friday, but I am handling my home-bound situation very well. I’m not going near as stir-crazy as I thought I might. In many ways, it’s been a treat not having to run kids back and forth to extra curricular activities around town. Sports Girl did have basketball practice Monday through Wednesday, but she had it early in the morning before school, and at those hours, Handsome Hubby handles the transportation duties.

Even though gas has come down to the low $2 per gallon range in my area, I know my staying home has saved us some money. I told my husband about my single trip to town this week. “That explains why we actually still have money in our checking account,” he said. But, I reminded him, it also explains our empty refrigerator and empty cupboards. Everything’s a trade off.

Staying home has also saved me time as a single trip to town and back takes me about 45 minutes with only one quick stop while I’m there. Usually I end up staying in town for at least an hour or two after I drop off the girls so that I can pick them in the same trip.

I might not even have left the house Tuesday to vote if my two older girls hadn’t insisted that they accompany me to the polls. I couldn’t deny them such a noble request, so I made a special trip into town to pick them up from school and go vote. It actually meant I had to wake Busy Toddler early from her nap, so it was a bit more of sacrifice than at first it might sound. But now I’m especially glad that I did, because otherwise I wouldn’t have left my house at all this week!

Someday I’m sure I’ll be writing about the three or four trips I made to town in a single day, but right now I’m happy to write about the oddity of staying home for most of a week. I wonder how many city folks have had that experience?

The Pains of Selling 4-H Livestock

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Horse Lover watches as another 4-Her wins overall champion black-face lamb. Patrick was the champion feeder black-face lamb.

Horse Lover watches, holding Patrick, as another 4-Her wins overall champion black-face lamb with her market whether. Patrick was the champion feeder black-face lamb at our county fair.

Maybe if the lamb hadn’t been named, it wouldn’t have been as hard. Or maybe if he hadn’t done so well at the county fair. Or maybe if he just hadn’t behaved so well when Horse Lover led him around the fairgrounds.

Then again, it probably would have been emotionally hard for Horse Lover no matter what. Patrick had to be sold at the 4-H county fair livestock auction.

“Why can’t we bring him home,” she lamented, sniffling and wiping at her tear-stained cheeks. No matter how hard I tried to explain it, she just couldn’t understand why her father and I wouldn’t let her keep a whether sheep forever and ever.

“It just doesn’t make business sense,” I explained for the third or fourth time. “We are trying to raise a flock of sheep, and a whether cannot have babies.”

My argument is wasted on this 9-year-old who obviously now also loves sheep. “But I love him, and he’s been so good for me,” she retorts. “And this is the thanks he gets …”

Of course her sister, 12-year-old Sports Girl, is quick to point out that Patrick will likely be killed after arriving at the sale barn. Our only salvation is that he is actually still considered a “feeder” lamb; he isn’t really finished and ready for slaughter, so he most likely won’t be put down right away.

I didn’t personally have a hard time selling Patrick, but then, we don’t eat lamb. I’m not sure I could actually butcher and consume an animal I had been feeding or even one I had looked in the eye. I just kept thinking of all the feed we would save and all the extra time we would have with one less sheep.

I don’t know where my husband stands on the “fed animal” dilemma. I know, however, that he’s not entirely opposed to eating an animal after looking into its eyes, because he has butchered and eaten many animals he has killed while hunting. And my oldest daughter hardly seemed upset about selling her first 4-H sheep five years ago, although she says now it did bother her.

Horse Lover’s angst was truly a surprise to me. Back in May when we selected animals, this girl hadn’t even wanted to show a sheep for her first year in 4-H; she wanted to show a pig. But just like it made better business sense to sell the whether after the fair, it made better business sense for Horse Lover to show a sheep. One of our ewes had had a whether lamb on St. Patrick’s Day (a.k.a. “Patrick”) that would need to be sold anyway, and we were already set up and ready for sheep.

So began Horse Lover’s routine of feeding, watering and walking her sheep through the summer. She gave him baths and broke him to halter. In mid-August, Patrick served as a gentle companion for Horse Lover and her friends as they walked him around and around the county fairgrounds. Ultimately, Horse Lover led him through the 4-H show and sale rings and then had to say goodbye.
Neither the trophy for champion black-face feeder lamb nor the check for $256 eased her pain. These things may have actually made it worse for Horse Lover; each served as a reminder of her dear Patrick.

Next year Horse Lover wants to show another whether, but her father and I plan to have her show a ewe lamb, as well, so she can bring at least one of her animals home. I hope it gets easier for her.