Wilson Post Blogs

Dear Ken: Edie Falco is great on “Nurse Jackie” and was superb as Carmela on “The Sopranos.” Has she made many movies?

Falco, 49, who was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., got her big break in the 1994 Woody Allen film “Bullets Over Broadway.” She has appeared in about 30 films including “Cop Land,” “A Price Above Rubies,” “Judy Berlin,” “Random Hearts,” “Sunshine State,” “Family of the Year,” “The Quiet” and “3 Backyards.” She next stars as Artemis in “Gods Behaving Badly,” about a young couple who run into a group of Greek gods living in the Big Apple.

Dear Ken: Did Yankee slugger Mickey Mantle appear in any movies? I think I remember him and Roger Maris in one back in the early 1960s.

Mantle, who died in 1995, was no actor but he appeared as himself on numerous game shows, talk shows and TV series such as “Hee Haw,” “The White Shadow,” “Remington Steele” and “Mr. Belvedere.” But he did star in one film, probably the one you recollect, 1962’s “Safe at Home,” about a boy who runs away from home to try and talk the New York Yankees into appearing at his Little League baseball team’s banquet. Maris, Whitey Ford and Yankee skipper Ralph Houk also appear (they can’t act either), while real actors William Frawley and Don Collier hold down the fort. 

Dear Ken: How old would Minnie Pearl be if she were living?

“How-w-w-DEE-E-E-E!” I’m jest so proud you asked. The country comic, who was born Sarah Ophelia Colley in Centerville, Tenn., would have notched her 100th birthday on Oct. 25. A star of the “Grand Ole Opry” for more than 50 years, Cousin Minnie was also on “Hee Haw” from 1969 until 1991. A graduate of Ward-Belmont College (today known as Belmont University), the wonderful woman debuted as Minnie Pearl in 1939 and debuted on the “Opry” in 1940. Colley married Henry R. Cannon in 1947. The couple had no children. Their home was located next door to the Tennessee Governor’s Mansion. The grand old comedienne, who battled breast cancer, died in 1996 at age 83 of complications from a stroke  The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation was founded in her memory. In 1966, she had a top-10 country hit with “Giddyup Go Answer,” a response to a hit by Red Sovine, her only chart hit.

---

Dear Ken: I just saw the TV movie “Stagecoach,” starring Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and John Schneider. What other country music stars were in this Western?

The 1986 remake of the 1939 John Ford classic (which made a star out of John Wayne) also included June Carter Cash, Jessi Colter, David Allan Coe, Billy Swan and John Carter Cash.

Dear Ken: How many cast members of “Gone With the Wind” are still with us?

There are four actors still living who had speaking roles in the 1939 film. They include Alicia Rhett, 97, who played India Wilkes; Olivia de Havilland, 96, who played Melanie Hamilton; Mary Anderson, 92, who played Maybelle Merriwether; and Mickey Kuhn, 80, who played Beau Wilkes as a child. As for survivors who were in the film but spoke no lines, there is Patrick Curtis, who played Beau Wilkes as a baby, and Greg Giese, 73, who was 11 days old when he played both infants Bonnie Blue Butler and Beau Wilkes.

Dear Ken: How many movies did Paul Newman and Robert Redford make together?

Two. “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” in 1969 and “The Sting” in 1973. And in case you were wondering, Newman was 11½ years older than Redford, who is now 76 and stars in the upcoming thriller “The Company You Keep.” 

If you have a trivia question about actors, singers, movies, TV shows or pop culture, e-mail your query to Ken Beck at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dear Ken: How is Scott Eastwood, who co-stars in “Trouble With the Curve,” related to Clint Eastwood?

Scott, 26, is Clint’s son. He also has been in his dad’s movies “Invictus,” “Gran Torino” and “Flags of Our Fathers.” Eastwood’s latest film, about an aging Atlanta Braves scout who is losing his eyesight and wants to make one last trip to scoop up a new top prospect, also stars Amy Adams as his daughter, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman and Robert Patrick. Scott is set to play Deputy Carl Hartman in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D,” which opens in early January. Clint, by the way, is 82.

Dear Ken: How old was matinee idol Tyrone Power when he died? Did he have a son and daughter who went into acting?

The handsome leading man, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, died of a heart attack in Madrid, Spain, in 1958 while making the movie “Solomon and Sheba.” He made nearly 50 movies from the 1930s into the late 1950s including “Jesse James,”  ”The Mark of Zorro,” “Blood and Sand,” “The Razor’s Edge,” “Captain From Castille“ and “Rawhide“ and was equally adept onstage. His eldest daughter, Romina, 60, became a singer and actress with mostly Italian films to her credit. Her sister Taryn, 58, made less than 10 movies, the most famous being “Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger.” The girls’ half-brother Tyrone Power Jr., 53, who was born two months after his father’s death, worked in a dozen films such as “Cocoon” and “Dreamkiller” and was a guest in an episode of “Cheers.”

Dear Ken: What’s the skinny on Dax Shepard, who stars as Charles Bronson in the movie “Hit and Run”?

Actor-comedian Shepard, 37, began his career on the MTV hidden-camera practical-joke reality show “Punk’d” before getting into such films as “Employee of the Month,” “Idiocracy,” “Let’s Go to Prison,” “Baby Mama” and “When in Rome.” He now stars on the TV series “Parenthood” as Crosby Braverman. Engaged to actress Kristin Bell, he graduated magna cum laude from UCLA with a degree in anthropology and enjoys racing motorcycles. Shepard wrote and co-directed “Hit and Run,” which also stars Bell, Beau Bridges, Kristen Chenoweth, Bradley Cooper and Tom Arnold. He’s already working on his next production, “Send Lawyers, Gun and Money.”

I couldn't wait for last Thursday to get here so I could go birding with Karen Franklin and her children, Anna and Nick. First off, we had lunch at Demos Steak House to whet our appetites before going on our planned journey, to visit the Old Hickory Lake area. It's much better birding on a full stomach, especially when it was lasagna and a salad.

We headed out to the Spencer Creek boat ramp in hopes of locating some wading birds. There were no fishing tournement going on to hinder access to the waters edge, this week, but there was hardly anything stiring in the air either. At Tyree's access we found a small raft of Mallards out toward the middle of the lake, and a couple of Common Loons. Vultures had made quick work of an expired dog which left little but dried skin and bones. Karen had a hard time trying to keep Anna from performing an autopsy on the remains of the deceased animal. It looks like that is a favorite dumping ground for someones dead animals, that are too lazy to use a shovel in their own yard.

Hope you all got out and enjoyed this beautiful weekend, which seemed to be a preview of weather to come. There will be a chance of rain during the week, but the temperatures will remain in the 70's. Remember that we have to go through what us old timers call the spring winters. First off is Red bud winter, followed by Dogwood winter, then Locust winter, and finally Blackberry winter. Sometimes a cool spell after all that is called Cotton Britches winter. Some of these old sayings may die off if not for us older ones remembering the past. Good fishing ties in with some of those seasons, just ask John Sloan, our resident hunting and fishing expert.

I would like you to mark your calenders for May 3rd and 4th, which will be my bird and owl programs at the Cedars of Lebanon State Park. Friday night is a time to get together with many of the people who will be doing programs and chewing the fat. Saturday morning will kick off with Birds and more Birds, I hope at 7:00am which should have many of our migratory birds coming through on their way to their breeding grounds up north. The Owls will begin just before dark and I am in hopes of being able to call at least two species of owls like we did last year, the Screech and Barred Owls. It seems that Wayne "Buddy" Ingram is under the weather and not feeling his best, but I'm praying that he gets on his feet soon and pulls off another successful annual program like in the past.

My alarm was set for 7:00 this Good Friday morning and when my feet hit the floor, it was time to take a peak out the window to watch the rising sun. Where was the sun? I thought it was playing a bad trick on me because I had not watched the weather on television last night before climbing under the sheets. My birding trip with Karen Franklin and her children, Anna and Nick, was in serious jeopardy. A few minutes later Karen called with the dreaded news that I should pull up the radar image from News Channel 5 online. I know for a fact that Anna was not going to be a happy camper, especially since there was no school today and she was looking forward to learning a few more bird calls. She is really into birds, while her brother Nick would rather go fishing or something more "worth while" for a young lad to do.

 

Later in the day, I received a phone call from Bob Archer telling me that the White Pelicans were swimming around in Spencer Creek at the boat launching area and were headed north from there. After a few minutes, my old car was headed in that direction down Coles Ferry Pike hoping to see what everybody and their cousin was telling me about. Of course when I arrived there, there were no Pelicans, but plenty of Ring-billed Gulls, a couple of Great Blue Herons, and even farther out a pair of Common Loons taking were a swim in the cold water.

Sitting outside just watching the birds after filling all my feeders, the Carolina Chickadee was going in and out of it's nesting box, then all at once it give out it's alarm call. I thought he might be fussing at me until a Coopers Hark came in at full throttle and disappeared behind my small out building. Curiosity got the best of me and I walked around the corner to see what he had grabbed, fearing for my little ones safety. There was a dead Common Grackle that had been dead for a few days after flying into a window at the house to the north, which the Hawk, probably with a head cold and couldn't smell the dead bird, pounced upon his prize and flew off with it in tow. There have been times that I have watched Hawks eat road kill before it got too ripe, so any meal must be a good meal.

While doing my bird seminar a couple of weeks ago at Garrs, I was presented a bird painting from Roy Garr of the Barred Owl on an old piece of barn wood. I already have this hanging on my living room wall. These wildlife works of art were painted by Mr. Bob Sullivan, who has several for sale at Garrs Rental and Feed.

What a beautiful morning to wake up to, sun shining and the birds singing so loud that you can almost touch them. After a JD's sausage, egg and biscuit, freshly prepared from the microwave, it's time for a little exercise. I left the kitchen window open so that a fresh warm breeze could flow through. The next 20 minutes was spent trying to corner my pair of Carolina Wrens that wanted to check out the inside of my home. Birds seldom notice a pane of glass, which to them doesn't look like anything at all. After several futile attempts of bouncing off the glass, they decide to go exploring in each and every room of the house. With me hot on their heels (I'm not sure that birds have heels) the Wrens finally completed their circumnavigation of the house and zipped out the now wide open kitchen window. As soon as they reached freedom, I could hear them singing their "Teakettle, teakettle, teakettle" song, probably in defiance of me not being able to catch them. You just have to love these little clowns. I could kick myself for not grabbing my camera as one of them actually landed on a model airplane sitting on top of my upright freezer.

Anthony Gray came over this past Saturday morning in response to my pleas on his Facebook page. I needed help pouring a concrete base for my newest adventure, another Purple Martin house, from Garr's that I bought when I was doing my seminar last week. There was no way that I could have done this by myself. Digging the hole was accomplished with the help of my little friend from next door, Andrew Boyd. His mother Ashley lets him come over so he loves to help me.

The sun is starting to set now. It does it every day and often, in more ways that one. The steaks are sizzling just the way steaks should, Jackie is keeping an eye on them and the potatoes are baking. There will be peach pie for desert. However, this column is not about food. Mostly.

Scene two: The three of us are kicked back on the balcony of our room at Edgar Evins State Park up on Center Hill. Jackie Taylor, Jerry Reed and I are up there fishing. It is the first time the three of us have fished together since 1978. That is way too long. I am feeding the crows.

We go through a process, we who prowl the hills and hollers and explore the waters, hunting and fishing our way through life. We grow and metamorph not unlike a butterfly. Trophies and limits mean little to us. We have changed. Our step has slowed, our hearing going, our sight dimmed and our desires softened.

Since Mothers Day is this month, I thought I might do a couple columns on the female type sports in our outdoors. This is the second one. JLS

They come from everywhere and do everything. One from Los Angeles owns a women’s professional basketball team and is an entertainment litigation attorney. One is from Detroit and works for the school board. One works in a shipyard in Mississippi. One is a high school student in WI. One is a physician in Oregon. As I said, they come from everywhere and do everything.

The sound of women’s laughter fills the air, accompanied by the screeching that women often do when they meet someone they have not seen in a year. As could be expected, they are doing a lot of comparing of clothing. Not to be expected is the style of clothing and the piles of equipment that is rapidly mounting on the big front porch. The clothing is camouflage and the equipment is composed of bows, arrows and knee-high boots.

Following a desire and push by Robert Pitman to get more women involved in hunting (he put his money and efforts where his mouth is), Does and Bows grew. The annual bow hunt for women only, grew from seven the first year to a capacity of 33, a few years later. At that time, women bow hunters were not on television every week nor were they the sexual centerfolds for hunting magazines. We had a waiting list for hunters.

To see this group of women unpack the latest in hunting equipment and know how to use it was definitely not the norm. However, in a few years, it became so. Hunter skill level varied from entry level to professional with world champion archers rubbing quivers and trading tips with beginners. Actual competition did not exist. When one woman killed a deer, they all celebrated. The pros spent hours coaching the newbies.

Does and Bows became an industry pattern for a few other outfitters. Hosted by the famed, now closed, White Oak Plantation near Tuskegee, AL, it was the first such venture in a struggling industry. “It is the women who take kids to soccer and dance and ball practice.” Said Robert Pitman, owner of the sprawling lodge. “We need to get them started taking the kids hunting.” A few years later, one hunter brought her 13-year old daughter to the hunt and they became regulars.

Strangely enough, industry wide, women began to show up in serious magazine articles and on television. Today, it is hard to find a television, hunting program that at some point does not feature a woman. Make no mistake they are not just there for window dressing (most of them). They can hunt with the best of the men and some of them may be better hunters.

Over the 13-years, the hunt existed. I saw a lot of growth in the skill level of the hunters. I saw several women kill their first animal at White Oak and made note of how they had grown in hunting ability since their first year there.

The archery/bow hunting industry also took note of women during these years and began to provide products designed just for them. Shorter, lighter bows became stock items with every bow company. These were serious bows, bows designed to shoot fast, accurately and kill animals up to elephant size. Women’s clothing began to show up in real camouflage designs and other manufacturers started taking notice of the “new” corner in the market. One year, according to a survey, women were the fastest and maybe only growing segment of the hunting industry. I would not be surprised if it is not still.

I am proud to have been a part of the formation of Does and Bows. I was at every hunt. I grinned as suddenly other outdoor writers began to see the marketability of stories on women hunting and more than happy to share information with them and get them with the women for interviews. I grinned even more as other outdoor guides and outfitters tested the waters of hosting women hunters.

Many made a logical and common mistake. They dumbed down the hunt. They allowed women to only kill does, not trophy animals. They did not regard the women as serious hunters. They quickly learned. I pushed hard to do more with women in the hunting sport.

Hunting today, especially bow hunting is alive and well. PETA and other so-called animal rights organizations are learning to leave hunting alone and fund their sky-high salaries by begging money to save poor, bedraggled pets. Each year I hear stories and get pictures of women with their kills. Lately, the women have been young…as in teenagers. I like seeing that.

It feels good to look back on my half-century of hunting and think of the changes. My earliest mentors would not think of going to the hunting camp without their wives. They were not there to cook, either. As a youngster, growing up in LA, I just assumed all women hunted. It was somewhat normal in LA.

As I became involved in the hunting industry, I was again surprised they were not. Only a few hunted and in most camps, were degraded by the men or relegated to doing the camp cooking. Even fewer bow hunted.

That changed at White Oak and at many other locations. At Does and Bows, there were no men with whom to compete; only other women and you could not really call it competition. The women were comfortable.

Today, it is as common to see a woman in camouflage as it is a man. Not just at Wal-Mart, either and not as a misguided fashion statement complete with tattoos and pierced noses. You can quickly tell the hunters from the rest.

I am glad to think hunting is in good hands. I think Robert Pitman’s goal has been reached. I truly think the women are taking the kids to soccer, dance and…Hunting.

Contact John L. Sloan / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Since Mothers Day is coming up, I decided to devote a couple columns to the women and mothers in the outdoors. I think they deserve some special recognition. JLS

Surrounded by dogs, horses and a houseful of hunting trophies is a hardcore huntress. Kristi Lynn Hair is passionate about hunting. In fact, that is about all she does. Along with Idaho hunter, Meagan Johnson, she formed Hardcore Huntresses, an online community for women to come share their hunting experiences. It is catching on. I think it is a neat deal.

It is no surprise that someone would remember the first deer he or she killed. It is right up there with the birth of a child or the first girl with whom you ever made love. You don’t forget those things. What is a surprise, at least to me, is that I can remember the first largemouth bass I caught. Among my fishing memories that go back almost 65-years are bits and pieces of several fish I caught or did not catch.

Lipscomb was hesitant to follow Nashville neighbor Belmont from the NAIA to the NCAA.

At the time, longtime Lipscomb basketball coach Don Meyer didn’t believe it was in the school’s best interest to move to the NCAA.

It was basically a three-year move to be fully vested at the NCAA level. And Meyer was Lipscomb’s winningest basketball coach.

Belmont took its lumps during the transition, which is pretty much the norm for every institution that takes that leap of faith. But the Bruins actually thrived after going through the tough times. They have been to the NCAA Tournament four times, in addition to getting an NIT bid.

Lipscomb eventually decided to follow Belmont to the NCAA. Meyer resigned, refusing to make the move. It created a messy situation, pitting Meyer fans against Lipscomb.

The school hired Scott Sanderson, son of former Alabama coach Wimp Sanderson. He is the one who would take the brunt of making the transition. I remember Wimp telling me he didn’t think Scott should have taken the job because Wimp knew Scott was going to get his brains beat out.

Scott survived. Both Lipscomb and Belmont joined the Atlantic Sun Conference. In recent years Lipscomb basketball has fallen on hard times. Last year Belmont left the Atlantic Sun and joined the Ohio Valley Conference.

The Bruins won a hard-fought two tournament games in its first year to win an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Lipscomb forced Sanderson to resign and 40 days later hired longtime Belmont assistant Casey Alexander. Even though Alexander has been head coach at Stetson the past two years, he is a familiar name in Williamson County. He was a three-sport athlete at Brentwood Academy and was Rick Byrd’s top assistant for 16 years.

In the near future I predict we will see Lipscomb leave the Atlantic Sun and join the OVC. The Atlantic Sun is all over the map and in danger of losing East Tennessee State and Kennesaw State.

The OVC should covet Lipscomb and vice versa. Can you imagine the financial savings Lipscomb would realize in cutting travel costs?

But here is where the OVC can profit. It will give the conference three teams located in Nashville – Tennessee State, Belmont and Lipscomb. That means increased attendance.

Former Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray came to Knoxville with the size and arm strength that college and NFL scouts drool about.

He is 6-foot-6, a lean 215 pounds, has a rocket arm and brought Vols fans to their feet with his ability to put deep downfield passes right on target.

Christmas came early for Titans quarterback Jake Locker.

Thanks to General Manager Ruston Webster, Locker is a beneficiary of an improved supporting cast. Thanks to owner Bud Adams because he gave Webster the money he needed to add free agents and draft picks. Coach Mike Munchak now has the personnel he needs to make the playoffs. There will be no excuses.

Is Tim Tebow finished in the NFL?

It was no disgrace to be let go by the Broncos when they had their eye on Peyton Manning.

Terrorists attacked a major sporting event last week, the Boston Marathon. It was a soft target, virtually impossible for authorities to prevent.

It was an attack pulled off by amateurs compared to lifelong terrorists determined and trained to bring this country to its knees.

Bikini Waxes and other tasks that are better left to the professionals…

Pinterest has created a lot of arrogance. Making us think turning an old door into a headboard for the guest room is a piece of cake or turning old wine bottles into tea glasses is an easy task. Over the years, I’ve tried my hand at many things. Sometimes with success-hello boeuf bourguignon and other times, not so much-at home hair highlight. Because we all seem to be in a hurry when it comes to…EVERYTHING, I’ve compiled a list of things you shouldn’t waste your time trying at home! And please trust me on this, I’ve done the leg work. So here it goes:

Telling Tales

 

By Angel Kane

Wilson Living Magazine

 

 

Who will it be?

 

Like most parents, my husband and I have each assumed our parental roles.

 

I’m the Mom that requires good grades and clean rooms, reminds them to say “please” as well as “thank-you”, and returns them to their room when skirts are too short, shirts are too wrinkled or hair is disheveled.

 

And their Dad, like many other dads, is the fun one. 

 

The Dad who takes them on roller coasters while I sit waiting, on the bench, holding backpacks, jackets and caps.

 

The Dad who lets them jump off the side of the boat into the deep ocean or ride the wave runners while I scream “be careful!” from the dock, in my oversized life-jacket whilst clutching their SPF 100 sunscreen.

 

The Dad who avidly cheers them on at tennis, cross country, soccer, baseball and basketball in his matching team shirt while I desperately try to find a signal - - any signal - - on my phone.

 

So it won’t come as shock to any of you that when it comes to field trips, any time the list of items to bring includes: bug spray, hiking boots, flashlight or your own pillow - - I’m basically out. Likewise, you’ll understand then that during a recent parents meeting for our eldest daughter’s upcoming missions trip to Honduras, when the words: rebels, malaria pills, no running water, tent and jungle - were uttered, in perfectly legible writing (so that there could be no mistake), I wrote down: Brody Kane will be attending as Guardian.

 

 I didn’t even let the fact that the teacher had advised he really didn’t need dads on the trip but instead needed moms, stop me from writing down: Brody Kane will be attending as Guardian.

 

Brody then whispered, “Didn’t you hear him, he wants mothers to go, not fathers. This one is yours.”

 

I whispered back, “Are you kidding me, the rebels will smell my fear one mile away. I might as well tatoo - “take me” on my forehead.”

 

 “The rebels don’t want you! After three days they’d give you back. I can hear it now - ‘there isn’t hot water in my cage, my coffee is too strong, are you kidding me, you guys don’t have wi-fi in this camp!’

 

Laugh all you want funny man, this one is yours! (And for the record, I’m pretty sure my ransom would be double his.)

 

So I was completely taken aback, when two weeks later, while visiting colleges with our eldest, it hit me like a ton of bricks - - her leaving us forever was imminent.  Soon, there would be no more field trips, no more lists of what to bring, no more permission slips to sign, she would be gone and I’d regret that we’d not experienced this trip together.

 

After a few days of thoughtful consideration, I announced over breakfast, “I’m going to Honduras with you!”

 

The silence was deafening.

 

And then it started...first they all just looked at each other, then nervous giggles and then outward, hysterical laughter.

 

“Mama, you won’t make it! They said the landing is one of the most dangerous ones in the world. There is a mountain right before landing and the plane has to take this nose-dive to miss it. You’d freak out even before we got there.”

 

Huh? Malaria pills, no running water, and now....a nose-diving plane.

 

And just like that I remembered that I still have two other kids I can attend field trips with.  Sounds like fun dad is going to have the time of his life!

 

To read more of Angel and Becky’s columns go to www.wilsonlivingmagazine.com or www.wilsonnpost.com.

 

 

 

By Angel Kane       

Wilson Living Magazine

 

People often ask Becky and I how we met. Like many other women, we bonded over “motherhood” when our children attended the same Preschool. Through the years, we‘ve been there as our babies have grown into teenagers and along the way, laughed until it hurt and cried until there were no more tears, always thankful, that there was another Mom out there experiencing the same adventure.

 

In honor of all Mothers this upcoming Mother’s Day - we bring you an Ode To Motherhood.

 

          And so it began...

 

1.   Buying not not one but four pregnancy tests - confirming and reconfirming that there really is a baby in there! Going to the OB/GYN and being utterly horrified when he explains EXACTLY how that baby will come out!

 

          Thinking...the hell it will!

 

2.  Reading “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”  three times. Buying maternity                  clothes long before they’re needed. Stocking up on baby must-haves way before they’re necessary. Decorating the nursery before one should. Telling everyone you can about your birth plan. Picking a name that is perfectly perfect....and then waiting....waiting...waiting.....

 

3.  Feeling the first contraction and realizing what you’ve always known - you don’t do anything in life naturally. You eat processed food, you don’t recycle, your carbon footprint is enormous, you medicate to fly and aging gracefully just seems moronic.

 

          Give me the big needle in the back please and make it a double dose  - I feel more pain than the average person.

 

4. Seeing, for the first time, this tiny, pink, wrinkled up creature whose piercing cry is like nails on a chalkboard.

 

          Oh hell, what have I done?

 

Watching her sleep for hours on end, poking her every 15 minutes  to make sure she is breathing. Terrified she will flip onto her stomach and suffocate. Thankful each morning when she’s still alive!

 

5.  Boiling bottles, fretting over the fact her IQ may be lower because you started her on formula, the guilt of returning to work and the secret guilt that it’s kind of nice to be back there.

 

Getting out of the house takes a good 45 minutes, packing the matching baby bag and diaper bag, the stroller that weighs at least 55 pounds, the car seat that never quite fits back into it’s holder, goldfish and cheerios in those perfectly proportioned plastic baby cups.

 

     Driving back up the driveway 5 minutes later because you forgot her blanket.

        

6. Deciding the most special baby in the world is lonely and needs a sibling.

         

        Hoping the second one is as cute as the first!

 

7.   It all works out perfectly because you’re still wearing the majority of the maternity clothes from the first baby.

 

     Who cares - all you do is work, take care of the baby, eat and sleep. 

 

The new doctor tries to talk you into Lamaze classes again - - explain this is not your first rodeo. You have absolutely no desire to breathe through any plan that doesn’t include high powered meds.

 

          Oh Hell, what is she writing down in your chart??

 

8.  Baby #1 tries to feed Baby #2 dog food! She looked so innocent while doing it...but it’s obvious she hates her. You’ve ruined her life.

 

They both cry in unison. That blood curdling, open mouth, closed eyes, turing bright                                   red, then blue, cry!

 

       This must be the 10th level of Hell!

 

9.  Two baby seats, and a stroller for two - cute matching bags go out the window, any old bag will do. Hoping against all hope you packed the right size diapers and formula, knowing  you can find some cheerios at the bottom of the bags.

 

Throw up in the van, throw up on the rug, throw up all over your new shirt. Ear infections, fifths disease, rashes and strep. Antibiotics, cough syrups, baby Tylenol, Vicks and cold compresses. 

 

Fish sticks become a complete meal, add Mac & Cheese and it must be your hubby’s birthday!

 

         Where are the matching bows??? They must have matching bows! Heads will roll if I don’t find those bows!

 

10.  Dance class, tumbling, four year olds playing soccer while skipping down the field,

the Easter Bunny and Santa photos scar them for life, finally doing Disney and realizing you are more excited about seeing Mulan than they are.

 

          Suddenly wake up from this hazy dream to find there are clones of you and your husband everywhere you go...they look crazed and tired.

         

11. Number 3  is almost here - most people think you’re crazy, others outwardly pity you,  no one believes it was planned.

 

Building a new house, selling the old one, moving into a rental when the new one isn’t ready. The builder becomes your mortal enemy, your husband is just glad you’re not yelling at him anymore.

 

        Outraged when the nurse at the hospital tells you its too early for the epidural. Lose your mind, your chart is checked, shot administered, emergency averted.

 

12. It’s a boy!!!

 

He wears pink onesies and pick socks, eats dog food every so often (you checked - its actually not a bad source of protein), the girls carry him around and you’re just thankful for the help. Hope against all hope he’s as smart as the other two, convincing yourself he’ll be fine - a kid can learn a lot from watching every episode of Zack and Cody.

 

13.  Homework and class projects that keep you up all night, Christmas programs that never end, field trips you forget to sign up for, much less pay for. Basketball, tennis, baseball, cross country, soccer, birthday parties, movie parties, bowling parties, painting parties...I am seriously out of money!

 

14.  Uncontrollable giggles, slumber parties where no one sleeps, crushes and tears.

Deciding the meanest human being on earth comes in the form of an 11 year old girl!

 

Hair pulling, screaming out “MOM” at the top of their lungs just to ask you a question, footballs and baseballs in every corner of the house, name calling, closet raiding, clean clothes on the kitchen table, dirty clothes everywhere else, threatening to put the dog to sleep if someone doesn’t feed him.

 

      I don’t know -  made sense at the time.           

 

15. Grades matter, permits, licenses, ACTs, SATs, everyone has an I-pad, I-pod, I-phone - except you! Confirming there is no greater power on earth than taking away I-pads, I-pods and I-phones!

 

16.   Oh Hell No!!  How much do I weigh!?

 

Stalking old friends on Facebook and noticing how much they look like their mothers.

 

Joining a gym, planting a garden, reading a book, taking a trip that doesn’t include visiting an aquarium, a zoo or having breakfast with a princess.

 

17. Watching your eldest drive away one morning, with the younger two smiling and waving out the back window.

 

      Googling - how old is too old to have a baby?  

 

 Buying a new car instead.

 

18. Seeing a random stranger out with her precious new baby.

 

     Oh Hell....really wishing you could do it all again. But this time you’ll do it all perfectly! Promise...

 

 

 

By Becky Andrews

Remember when we were kids and all you ever wanted was to be treated like a grown up? Grown-ups got to all the fun stuff; drive, go to bed when they wanted to, wear makeup, talk on the phone all night, eat cookies before dinner, date who they wanted, watch rated R movies, and they only talked to their parents when they wanted to. Adults could also curse anytime they wanted to.

The most insulting part was grownups, like my parents, didn’t even appreciate the fact that they had these freedoms. Instead they would show off their power and spout off things like,

“Go to bed!”

“You are too young to wear makeup”

“Sex kills! Seriously, it does! Ask your father!” My dad agreed, but he wouldn’t even say the word. It wasn’t until later that I realized being one of six children my parents obviously had nine lives.

“You want to go to the movies with a boy? Sure, but first let me inject myself with the plague.”  

“When you have a car of your own, you can pick the music.”

“Stop putting makeup on your little brother.” That’s the price he paid for my parents not having cable.

“You do get paid to work in the family business. You get a roof over your head, food, and we paid for your braces. If anything, you should be paying us.”

 “We are having a family night tonight. That means only those with your last name can stop by, sleep over, or eat at this house.” Family night meant we watched Gunsmoke reruns and had to go to bed by 8pm. My parents loved family night!

And my personal favorite,

“This hurts us worse than it hurts you.” A few years after my first child was born my mom fessed up. “It didn’t really hurt us at all. In fact, sometimes it felt wonderful to teach you little twits a lesson.”

At the time, it seemed so unfair to have to wait 18 years to be considered a grown up. More than two decades after becoming an adult I can proudly say, being a grownup isn’t exactly what I thought it would be. There are even days when it sucks!

Sure I go to bed when I want. I can stay up ALL.NIGHT.LONG. Although it’s usually because of a fussy baby, pending deadline or marathon house cleaning before out of town relatives arrive the next day.

Thank God I can wear as much makeup as I want to now. I use it to cover the dark circles, freckles (i.e. age spots) and sun damage.

I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want…until my fat pants get snug.

As an adult, I also get to pay a mortgage, taxes, and pay for braces, insurance, and batting/guitar/drum/shooting lessons for our children.

So whenever I hear my kids complain about how rough they have it, I just remind them that it won’t be too many years before they will have their own car, mortgage and fat pants. For now, they are stuck with me and their dad for family night. Mom was right, this feels awesome!

 

Comments? You can email Becky at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

 

Control-ALT-Delete…

By BECKY ANDREWS

Wilson Living Magazine

There were seven beeps then nothing. When I tried rebooting, the same seven beeps and blank screen. That’s how a device that weighs less than a newborn, has no conscience or sense of urgency turned my life completely upside down for SEVEN FULL DAYS!

When I took my tech baby to the doctor, I got the standard battery of questions. If there’s anything that will make you feel more inept as a human being it’s being questioned by an IT Specialist, Programmer, System Administrator or any other computer person title you can think of that means, “You are a complete moron and a disgrace to Silicon Valley.”

By the grace of Steve Jobs I found a guy that is cool with me not worshipping at the altar of Apple to fix my super inefficient Windows-operating laptop without using inside words like “PITA” to describe me. (LOOK IT UP)

Here’s how the conversation went:

“Did you notice your processor overheating?”

“What’s a processor?”

“It’s the brain of your computer; the memory, everything. When it overheats for an extended amount of time, it will completely shut down and take everything with it.”

He acted like it was no big deal, so I really didn’t think there was a reason to worry. I felt super smart. We were getting each other. For a moment, I felt technically superior, even thinking that I may adopt all hoodie/flip flop wardrobe and listening to continuous loop of dub step. But then, he continued.

“Since everybody backs up these days, it’s not that big of a deal to lose your information.”

“Right. Wait, what? What do you mean? I’ve lost everything on my computer?”

“Probably, but as long as you saved it on your external hard drive, don’t worry about it.”

“My what? Is that another name for a thumb drive?”

He looked over the top of his reading glasses as if he was trying to decide if I was joking or a complete moron. That’s when he realized that, yes, I am a complete moron and not really that funny. In fact, it was just a few months ago I learned that Google is considered a verb.

This is probably where his story and my story will differ.

He might say I got emotional and tried talking him out of giving up so easy. He might even say that I blamed this whole fiasco on my children, my husband, the Harlem Shake or the fact that I was a Jehovah’s Witness as a child.

I would like to say this is NOT how it happened. But, because this person recovered all of that very valuable information, I’m not going to call him a liar. I’m not even going to blame it on PMS. I will just say this: I may be an idiot. I may not know the difference between MB and RAM. I may have outdated software, still use Internet Explorer, and prefer Facebook to Twitter. HOWEVER, I do know the computer I just ordered is already obsolete, techie people are 21^st century mechanics spouting off a dialect mere mortals can’t understand, and the next time someone asks about backing up, I’ll know they are not talking about a person’s driving abilities. 

Email any comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it because luckily she knows how to check email.

 

By PATRICK HALL
Special to The  Wilson Post 

Let me preface by saying I consider The Great Gatsby to be one of the greatest American novels ever written, and I never expected Baz Luhrmann’s film to live up to that standard.

With that being said, Luhrmann definitely “gets it,” and his film is a decent adaptation, depicting Gatsby’s world vividly, but tries too hard to include modernity within a facade of green screens and vibrant colors.

In case you aren’t aware, “The Great Gatsby” is the story of elusive Long Island millionaire Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his neighbor, bond salesman Nick Carraway (Tobey MaGuire).

The two meet up at one of Gatsby’s illustrious parties and Gatsby persuades Carraway to set up a meet with Carraway’s cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan), whom was in love with Gatsby just five years prior.

The story is all opulence, parties and the attempts of one man to regain a love he once had, through the material world. Lurhmann’s vision is bright and the film runs with a breakneck pace that is exhausting for the first hour.

Lurhmann seems to pound the “roaring” part of the “Roaring 20s” into the audience, with sensory overload. That overload is also a message about the decade’s overflowing wealth, alcohol and possessions.

By PATRICK HALL
Special to The Wilson Post

The 85th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, and while I spent quite some time mulling over the most deserving films, I am settling on the fact that “Lincoln” will be the winner in the big categories, despite the fact that I don’t see it as the best of the nominees.

Directed by Steven Spielberg, and based on a book by Doris Kearns Goodwin, “Lincoln” received rave reviews, most notably for the otherworldly performance by Daniel Day-Lewis as President Abraham Lincoln.

The film was truly outstanding and a wonderful look into one of our greatest Presidents, as well as the political fight over the death of slavery. It is nominated for a whopping 12 awards: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Costume Design, Best Directing, Film Editing, Original Score, Production Design, Sound Mixing and Best Adapted Screenplay.

All things considered, I’m guessing “Lincoln” wins four awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Day-Lewis and Best Director for Spielberg and Best Supporting Actress for Sally Field, as Mary Todd Lincoln.

To me, “Lincoln” was mind-blowingly good upon first seeing it. Day-Lewis’s performance as the embattled and depressed, but resolute President was transcendent. With subtly of movements and facial expressions alongside moments of power and charisma, in "Lincoln", Day-Lewis continued to make his case as one of the best actors to ever step in front of a camera.

By PATRICK HALL
Special to The Wilson Post 

Best Picture nominee “Silver Linings Playbook” is a genuine and emotional look into the lives of two individuals, mostly described as “crazy,” but the truth is, the film succeeds in pulling back the curtain on all our lives and the truth that we all have flaws and depend on those around us to love, forgive and accept our particular brand of “crazy.”

Pat (Bradley Cooper) is bipolar, and in a psychiatric hospital thanks to him nearly beating a man to death when he found his wife having an affair. But really, what’s the big deal? After all, his father, Pat, Sr. (Robert De Niro) is banned from Philadelphia Eagles football games for fighting too many people in the stands.

But at home, Pat struggles to accept his condition and overcome it, with the help of his family and an unlikely companion, Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence). She’s not without her own emotional baggage. Tiffany’s husband, a police officer, was killed, and she was fired from her job for sleeping with “everyone in the office.”

Pat has no filter when speaking. Tiffany is angry, lonely and struggling to cope with her life. Together, Cooper and Lawrence are fascinating and mix together in a beautiful play of emotional tension, hilarious outbursts and heartbreaking struggles.

By PATRICK HALL
Special to The Wilson Post 

Captivating and beautiful, while also at times, littered with grit and destruction, “Beasts of the Southern Wild” is a fantastic film tribute to those who chose to stay the course and not leave their homes during Hurricane Katrina, and the performance by its lead actress is downright amazing.

“Beasts” is a film not many around here had the chance to see, and thankfully, it is available to rent now, but it is one of nine films up for Best Picture at the 85th Academy Awards on Feb. 24. Directed by Ben Zeitlin, the film follows little bayou resident “Hushpuppy,” played brilliantly, and captivatingly by Quvenzhané Wallis, as she struggles with her father’s declining health and the apparent destruction of the physical world around her.

The first thing that will jump out at you is the setting. Taking place in a tiny bayou community, “the Bathtub”, at the very southernmost edge of Louisiana’s coastline, the community is simple and its residents are content with their lives and find joy in life.

Hushpuppy lives in a run-down mobile home on stilts, connected to her father’s home by a rope and bell, which he rings when he’s prepared supper. Her father, Wink (Dwight Henry) lives in a shack, almost like a tree house, and together they traverse the bayou in a boat that is an old truck bed on oil barrels with a motor attached.

By PATRICK HALL
Special to The Wilson Post

From voices crying out in terror on Sept. 11, 2001, to SEAL Team Six sifting through computer hard drives and a Central Intelligence Agency operative confirming his identity, “Zero Dark Thirty” is a tense, heart-pounding and thrilling look at the search for Osama bin Laden.

Director Kathryn Bigelow’s film opens with its disclaimer, “based on first-hand accounts,” and shifts to a haunting sequence of 911 calls from people inside the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. Anyone who experienced that day will immediately have the myriad of feelings they’ve had over the past 10 years resurface, which is exactly what makes “Zero Dark Thirty” so compelling.

Cut to CIA operatives Maya (Jessica Chastain) and Dan (Jason Clarke) as they interrogate a suspected Al Qaeda agent in Pakistan. It’s brutal, humiliating and in-your-face. Dan has done this all before. He wholly believes in his mission, to bring justice, his means are completely justified.

In the back of the room, Maya is tentative, it’s her first interrogation. She can barely watch; she struggles with Dan’s order to get a bucket of water for a round of water boarding.

Walking through Kroger today I noticed an Almay makeup display. The sign featured Hollywood’s beloved Mother/Daughter duo Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson, who is the company’s current spokesperson. The advertisement reminded ladies to remember their own moms this Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 12).

“All the best makeup secrets come from my mom,” Kate was quoted.

If my mom and I had a makeup campaign, my quote would be: “All the best advice comes from my mom.”

I do not know how she does it, but mom has the answers to just about everything. I could be at the point of hysteria and in about 30 seconds my mom can calm me down and make me see the light.

She says that this wisdom is partly due to the fact that she isn’t 24 anymore, like I am, and has gained experience “just by living.”

Once when I was in Kindergarten I swear my mom read my mind. It was one of those bad, stormy, tornado-warning days in Middle Tennessee and my class at Tulip Grove Elementary in Hermitage had been practicing our “tornado drill.”

For a little kid, the tornado drill is almost as scary as the real tornado. We didn’t know what was going on other than the fact that the lights were off, the thunder was roaring and we kept receiving these emergency instructions. I remember being at my desk and just wishing as hard as I could that my mother was there.

Lo and behold, not 20 minutes later there was a knock on our classroom door – and it was my sweet mama. This was quite a few years ago when school security was not as tight and parents could stop by for a visit in the middle of the day.

She didn’t stay long, just wanted to make sure that I was okay since she knew how scared I was of storms.

She has always been there for me – cheering me on in school plays, in the bleachers at every football and basketball game I cheered at in middle school and high school, teaching me how to accessorize and match my shoes with my purse, sacrificing things for herself so that I could have the perfect prom dress, homecoming dress, Abercrombie jeans, a limo ride on my seventh "princess themed" birthday or a brand new Mustang when I graduated from high school.

And yes, she also taught me about makeup. How to contour my cheeks, which eyeliner will last through a night of dancing, and the mantra that Miranda Lambert has now made famous: “Go and fix your makeup, girl. It’s just a breakup!”

“Because,” mom says, “When you look good you feel better. You never let them see you sweat.”

I hope that one day in the future I will get married to a wonderful man and have a baby girl of my own to share all these life lessons with. Of course at that point my mom will probably have to move in with us because I won’t have a clue what I am doing – and like I said, she has the answers. (Ha Ha)

This blog is dedicated to my mother, #1 fan, stylist, therapist and best friend, Pamela Garrett – and all the other incredible mothers out there who have gone above and beyond for their babies. Mothers are truly angels on earth!

 

If you are like me you have about five articles of clothing that you wear on a regular basis – and about 50 that don’t fit, are collecting dust or have their tags still on them.

I realized just how much stuff was piling up this week when I bought a black fringe bikini at Target. I came home and tried on my newest purchase. “I am so happy to have a new bikini for summer,” I thought…until I realized that I already had three black bikinis that were still wearable. Needless to say the fringe one went back to the store.

A lot of times we don’t organize our things the way we should because of time constraints and just the general stress of it all. Organizing your closet – unless you are a professional or just extremely detail oriented – is annoying.

I started working on my closet last night and after about three hours I believe it is about as clean as it is going to get. Here are some of the problems I ran into and how I approached them.

Hope it helps with your closet!

1. Get rid of old clothes: Almost everyone has a dress or two that they do not wear anymore. Sure a few may be tattered or extremely out of style – but for the most part they are good clothes that do not fit or you simply do not wear anymore. I bagged up several and gave them to a friend’s church clothing drive to help those less fortunate, but there are other options to get rid of excessive amounts of clothing:

• Give them to a friend who it might fit. It may be an item that you have worn 200 times, but it will be new to them.
• Give it to Goodwill or a church, as I mentioned above. Goodwill in Lebanon has a drop container. Just make sure they are currently open and accepting items before you go.
• Have a yard sale or sell nicer items online.
• Figure out new uses for old clothing (ex: Could you use it in the future for a Halloween costume? Cut up old t-shirts for cleaning rags or cut off outdated denim pants into distressed spring shorts.)

2. Get plastic containers: Shoe boxes take up entirely too much space, in my opinion, so I invested in clear plastic containers that can easily slide under my bed or be stacked in the closet. Plus – if you are a shoe addict like me, you can get colored boxes for different shoe seasons to keep suede boots separate from espadrilles.

3. Develop a system: I moved all of my winter clothes to the back of my closet and all of the spring/summer ones to the front for this season. I also separated blouses and dresses – and hung all of my new items in the front. That way I will remember to wear them and they won’t get lost if my closet gets messy again!

Horse and hat enthusiasts, rejoice!

The Kentucky Derby kicks off this weekend – which means celebrities and other notables will be breaking out the mint juleps and heading to Churchill Downs in their most colorful spring attire.

For those of you who prefer to remain closer to home – the Iroquois Steeplechase will take place the following weekend, Saturday, May 11 at Percy Warner Park in Nashville. I have been searching all over local stores and the internet for outfit inspiration. Here are three of the best looks I have found!

Which ones do you like?

“Fat” is such an ugly word. I hate it.

Anytime I hear someone call another person “fat” – I cringe over how cruel it sounds.

Sure, some people are really thin. Some people are overweight. And some people are in between.

But you know what? It takes all shapes and sizes to keep this world moving – and shame on you for berating another person!

This topic has been on my mind ever since it was announced that reality star Kim Kardashian is pregnant. Every time I am in the grocery store, all the tabloids say – “Kim Kardashian gains 200 pounds!” – or something to that effect and I think it is beyond mean.

She is a shorter, curvier girl to begin with – of course she is going to gain some weight when she is pregnant! In one article I saw, they interviewed a doctor who said that pregnant women should only gain 25 to 35 pounds and that Kardashian appears to have gained much more.

She must be on the same diet that my mother was on. I was born weighing only 5 pounds and 11 ounces – but my mom will tell you that she gained about 60 pounds when she was pregnant with me and once got stuck in a sports car. But you know what? I came into this world happy and healthy and she managed to lose the weight in six months.

Pregnant women are experiencing a miracle and growing another person inside of them – and should never be called “fat.”

Instead of criticizing each other and putting unrealistic expectations on young women in real life and in Hollywood – let’s compliment one another! My challenge to blog readers is a piece of advice I learned from Mom. She said “not everyone can look like a model, but all people have something unique and beautiful about them. It may be inside or it may be on the outside – but when you see it, compliment them on it.”

What comes around goes around.

I was very honored today to be able to attend Wilson County Habitat for Humanity's Houses of Hope Luncheon as both a reporter for The Wilson Post and a guest of my friend Romel McMurry.

Romel was gracious enough to let me sit at his table with guest speaker, Voice of the Tennessee Titan Mike Keith. Mike is just a super nice guy! He told the audience all about his experiences volunteering on a Habitat Build in 1998 - and said he has continued to do what he can for the organization since - whether it be picking up a hammer or just lending his celebrity to the cause, as he did today.

I had met Mr. Keith about a year ago when the Titans Caravan visited Carroll Oakland School in Lebanon - so today I walked up to him and gave my typical "Hey, I interviewed you before" speech - and to my surprise he remembered me. He said yes, I met you last year during the Titans Caravan - which was cool and says a lot about his character.

Most people who are interviewed as much as Mr. Keith would not remember one single interview, but he did and I thought that was really nice. Every encounter I have had with a member of the Tennessee Titans organization has been great. It just goes to show that Tennessee really does have the BEST people. At least, that is my opinion :)

Congratulations to the award recipients today and thank you to Habitat for all they are doing to help dreams come true for folks here in Wilson County!

The full article and event photos will be in Friday's Wilson Post.

Also, be sure to check out photos in "Sabrina out on the Town" in the May/June issue of Wilson Living Magazine.