A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty

If I was quoted and it was put on the front of this book, it would say, "If you enjoyed Face on the Milk Carton as a teen, you'll love Jackson's A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty."  It's also reminiscent of  Esme Lennox with the southern feel of Harper Lee in today's world. Okay, it's not Harper Lee good, but I sure did enjoy it. It's almost a 5. Just not quite there yet. 

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty tells us the story of the three Slocumb women, 45-year-old Big, 30-year-old Liza, and 15-year-old Mosey. Yup, getting pregnant at 15 runs in the family, and even though Mosey is a virgin, she regularly pees on a stick to assure herself she's not pregnant. Big feels that God sends her biggest trials every 15 years, and this year is no exception. All three of these women tell us their part of the story as Jackson takes us down the winding road of Liza's past as we try to unravel her secrets as well as the truth. I liked the twist and the mystery, but I'm not sure that I loved this novel. It got a little blurry at parts, especially at the end, and the logical me things there are some legal ends that will need to be tied up that are not discussed in the novel. Granted, that's not the point of the novel or the moral of the story . . . 

It was weird for me, though, that I related more to Liza's high school years than Mosey's, that I'm closer in age to Liza at 30 than Mosey at 15. Regardless, I really liked this novel, and I think you will too! 

Spiritual Sunday: Visiting Teaching

I've been thinking all day about what I wanted to blog about today and nothing seemed quite right, til I remembered what I had done earlier this week. I did my visiting teaching! I don't really enjoy visiting teaching because I have a hard time talking to people I don't know very well and I just don't have much experience with it in general. Luckily, my companion is a member of the Relief Society Presidency, and she has been just great at arranging the visits and helping the conversation flow. This month it's my turn to do the lesson and I was really nervous; I had never done it before.

Wednesday came around and it had just been a rough day for me in general. I really did not want to go visiting teaching. I wanted to change into my jammies and watch tv and drink diet coke and eat junk food. But I told Dani I would go visiting teaching with her. And I went. 

The message this month is "If We Do Not Doubt" by Julie Beck. She discusses the stripling warriors and how 

“If they did not doubt, God would deliver them” (Alma 56:47).

saying:

“We do not doubt our mothers knew it” (Alma 56:48).

 She encourages us to strive to be like these mothers, so that our children, too, will not doubt we knew it. She concludes with

Latter-day Saint women who recognize that their strength comes from the Lord’s Atonement do not give up during difficult and discouraging times. As covenant keepers, we excel at upholding, nurturing, and protecting children and youth so that one day we might say of this rising generation, “Never had I seen so great courage, nay, not amongst all” (Alma 56:45).

 Even though Sister Beck didn't say it, I think it's also okay to take out of this message that even as women, we can be as the warriors too. We can emulate both the warriors and the mothers. It takes all types of courage.

Dani and I discussed this message with our sister and I really had a great time. We were able to just talk about our lives, which isn't something I get to do with other girls very often. And I left with a smile on my face. I didn't want to go visiting teaching, but I'm glad I did. It totally changed my attitude, and it wasn't the message that did it.  

Let Your Inner Tiger Roar?

So the other day I was reading one of my favorite mommy blogs, Suburban Turmoil, whose post was about Tiger Moms. And I'm not a mom, but it got me thinking.

I'm already a tiger, so I will totally be a crazy tiger mom. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm much less of a tiger now than I used to be. I can acknowledge When I didn't do my best, when someone gave a better interview or audition than I. But then there are the days I sit and wonder how I have had such an easy time with jobs I am seemingly unqualified (or at least under qualified) and am yet struggling to find a job in my field in Cedar. And at first I get a little 'tiger-y' about it. Almost to the point of entitlement. I mean, I'm Good!!  I have Experience!! But do do other people. And that's okay. I'll just keep trying. And so I've got to ditch the tiger sometimes. As my mom would say, be a duck. And as Dory would say, just keep swimming. And so I just keep going, keeping my tiger to myself. 

However, the tiger is very helpful sometimes. It gives me confidence. It helps me stick up for myself. Maybe we all need a little inner tiger, as long as we know when to cage it! But I think it will come in handy once I'm a mom. All kids need an advocate in their corner.  I look forward to being the biggest cheerleader for my children, and silently sulking when they didn't get the solo, even though they don't care.