Sunday Stalker Spotlight - Picking Out A Thermos

If you've ever felt a glorious rush from having too much caffeine all at once, then you are going to appreciate this week's spotlight. Deanna is woman with Spunk (that capital S is on purpose) who blogs about being a "special needs" kids' mom (Angelman Syndrome) to things that make her want to puke, and EVERYTHING in between.

Her whole family reads her blog, which we all know can be a good and a bad thing. She's considered starting a networking blog group called "Parents of Teenage Boys Who Know Everything and Belong to Parents Who Know Nothing." Having just joined the club myself, I'm sure I could learn a lot.

Readers, it's my pleasure to introduce you to Deanna: Wife, Mother of 6 (you read that right), Sister, Daughter, Blogger, and fellow caffein A-D-D-I-C-T.

**Your Blog(s). – You can find me at Picking Out a Thermos -
http://nochurchsignsallowed.blogspot.com/ - yep, the title and the blog address aren't related in the slightest way. That should be a warning about the content...

*I swear I could not get this picture bigger!*

**What does your blog say about you?: - I'm sarcastic, mostly, with periods of "thoughtful introspection" that most likely effectively prove why I should stick with the sarcasm. It also says I talk. a. lot.

**What is your favorite part about blogging?: - I get to talk to an adult. (Too bad it's just me.) Well actually, I know that sometimes I manage to make people laugh - which I love to do. If I could get paid to talk and make people laugh till they cry, I would be ecstatic. And I kinda really do like it when people comment, even if it's just a "Hi, I was here" thing. I don't say that in an egotistical manner - I just REALLY REALLY like knowing someone stopped by my corner of the world and found amusement. Or whatever they found. (Hopefully if it was money they left it for me.)

**What DON’T you like about blogging?: - 1. I'm no English teacher, but lots of grammatical errors drive me nuts. The occasional misspelled word doesn't bother me, but things like "Yesterday I done something..." Ugh! 2. Victim-mentality is something I can't stand. 3. And people who take themselves so darn serious all the time! Lighten up, people! You might as well laugh at yourself 'cuz the rest of us are!

**Does your blog personality match your offline personality?: - HA! Pretty much!! Judging by the fact that when my kids read what I write, they raise their eyebrows in the same fashion as when they actually hear me say something that they raise their eyebrows at...I'd say so. I tend to not write about heavy stuff, even though I have plenty of experience with heavy subjects, because there's not much point in dwelling on the sadness of something. Deal with it, get angry about it, ask God WHY ME???? if you need to, learn from it, and move on...help someone else with similar things when you can, but don't wallow in self-pity. And besides, if you need drama and twisted lies, watch the news. Come see me for fun.

**What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re NOT blogging?: - I could spend 24 hours a day with my husband - I like him that much. I pretty much like my kids, too - but I rather appreciate an occasional break from the childishness of children. In my mind, I'm a great scrapbooker, a wonderful seamstress, and an awesome chef. Mostly I just look at pictures. And lose the extra buttons. And get fat from baking Betty Crocker brownies too often.

*How CUTE are they?*

**How often do you blog?: - Whenever the mood strikes. Or when I see stupid in action. It probably averages a couple times a week. That is, the blogging part averages twice a week - I can find stupid in action pretty much anytime.

...AND ALWAYS MY FAVORITE PART OF THE INTERVIEW...

**Tell us more about YOU!!
I turn 40 this year. I have less gray hair than any of my sisters at this age, so I'm OK with 40. Because that is important, you know.

I grew up never knowing from one day to the next if my parents were going to be together. They finally divorced when I was 13. The teenage years - I believe a girl MOST needs her father then, for so many reasons. I wasn't allowed to see my dad for over 4 years. Not a good plan. Nope.

I've been married to Tom for almost 18 years. I've got 6 kids. 2 are foster children we're hoping to adopt soon. I home-school all of them except for my son with Angelman Syndrome. I recently realized that the fine print of the application for a SAHM says "Please be advised that the salary for this position has been redirected to the grocery budget, piano lessons, travel expenses and braces. See Administrator with any questions."

I live in an area of Ohio that has an unemployment rate double the national average. At more than 15%, we are all feeling the effects of bad politics in action. My husband's employer is laying off 15% of the workforce this Friday. No one knows who.

I am a very imperfect person who tries her best to follow God. I've learned that loving people shows them so much more about God than my judging them ever will.

I like public speaking. I would absolutely LOVE to be a motivational speaker - so move over, Anthony Robbins, I'm comin' to your town! No, really - not for the sales crowd. I've been through too much sales training - HATED sales! But if I could help influence people to feel encouraged despite their adversity, I would SO love it!

I can't stand husband-bashing. I can't stand "Boys will be boys" mentality as an excuse for bad behavior. I can't stand men calling their wives derogatory names. I expect girls to behave like girls, not boys or bimbos.

I drink way more coffee than I really need. But I don't smoke, I rarely drink, and I only cuss when I'm PMS-y and way overstressed and chocolate deficient and dealing with sick kids in cold weather on dreary days and long overdue for a roll in the hay with my husband. Which generally fixes everything. So since all that stuff happens simultaneously about twice a year, (Except the fixes-everything part - THAT would be bad news!!) which means I only cuss twice a year, I'm keeping the coffee habit. It hides my lying habit.

I'm in counseling for my run-on sentence issues.

I blog on a computer that is (still) operating on Windows 98. I'm sincerely hoping that Ohio doesn't start issuing IOU's for tax refunds so that I can purchase a new(er) system. I routinely get booted, despite high-speed connections.

I appreciate Grandy inviting me to leap onto her blog for a day. She knows I can ramble on for days, and she still asked me over for tea and crumpets! Come see me at my place - the coffee's fresh!

Thank YOU, Deanna, for sharing so openly with everyone here in Grandy-Land. It has truly been a pleasure.

I pray that you get your 2009 Wish...