Work at Home Grandmothers

We haven’t had a “featured grandmother” in quite a while, so it was wonderful to hear from Debbie Johnson today and have a chance to share her story with you.  I hope you enjoy reading it…oh, and if you would like to be featured, please write to me at claudiascorner[at]gmail.com.

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After receiving a legal secretarial degree from Bryant and Stratton and working at GE for engineers for six years, I quit to raise our two boys, born exactly one year and three weeks apart. (My husband said, “We’re not going to have your mom watch TWO, are we? Mind you, I was sobbing at the time as he went out the door with our oldest.)

Seven years later a third son arrived on the scene and I worked at a quaint little local restaurant an evening or two a week to bring in a little extra cash. (And, admittedly, to remind myself that I still could “process thoughts” – Oh, the stories I can tell!!)

I’m thankful to have been able to work around our family, but where does a closing-in-on-40 year old woman go to find a job? For me it was an Oral Surgery satellite office 20 minutes away which I managed for two doctors. They kindly allowed me the opportunity to work while updating my computer/office skills. Six years later, with one son in college, another a senior in high school and the third closing in on high school, I needed a full-time job to help with college expenses and high school extra-curricular activity bills. And that is how I ended up at a local business as a sales coordinator for nine years.vI know – trained for lawyers and worked for engineers, doctors and salesmen – nothing “relates”, does it?  Plus, nobody needs “secretaries” anymore – everyone does their own thing on computers! And, NOW I’m closing in on SIXTY!!

After we were blessed with 6 (yes, six!) grandchildren, with two more on the way, I left that job two years ago. In hindsight I am even more thankful because my father went to be with the Lord (and mom) this past Dec. 26.  These past two years were filled with many medical appointments for him that I am SO thankful I could do.  (I was thankful at the time, but even more so now!) I LOVE being with my grandchildren, but I’d also like to help my husband financially. Plus, they say our brains “go to mush” if we don’t use them.

Ameriplan®, USA, offers the chance for me to do it all. Yes, it’s network marketing and I’m learning, learning, learning – which is FUN! It’s VERY affordable to begin your own business. Plus, this company provides things I NEED in addition to a paycheck – discounts for dental, vision, prescription and chiropractic needs, as well as help with child ID, legal fees, medical expenses, identity theft (the fastest growing crime in America) and much more.

If you’d like to check out what this company has to offer, please visit one of my websites at:

www.freedomathometeam.com/DJohnson70 or

www.IBOPlus.com/DJohnson70 or

www.mybenefitsplus.com/DJohnson70 .

Or I’d love to hear from you via e-mail at DJohnson70@ameriplan.net or by phone at 716-355-4223.

We women need to STICK TOGETHER!! And we aren’t getting older, we’re GETTING BETTER!!

God Bless you all!

Debbie Johnson

Is it just me or are there other mothers and grandmothers out here who have a problem with the way some businesses are run?

I’d like to know why I can’t just buy ONE SHOE in a shoe store. Yes, I know they come in pairs but if one shoe is lost, why is it necessary to purchase a new pair of the SAME shoes at the same price?

In the past 72 hours, my grandson has lost two shoes—not two pairs of shoes—but two individual shoes. For the life of me, I can’t figure out what might have happened to those shoes. We’ve searched frantically in the house and in the car and even outside the house–in the yard—hoping those missing shoes would turn up. No such luck.

But get this—in a conversation with a store clerk at a Sporting Goods Store, I learned their lost and found box is filled with kids’ shoes! Obviously, my grandson isn’t the only toddler running around with just one shoe.

It might not be a bad idea to check some of those lost and found boxes at the various stores to see if I find a match.

By Beverly Mahone

I’m so happy to introduce you to another Grandmother many times over who’s creative gift has become a source of income for her, and at the same time brings joy and comfort to her customers. I’ll let Jackie tell you all about it in her own words, enjoy!

“My name is Jackie Thompson and I live in Killeen, Texas. I am the proud mom of 2 boys and 1 step daughter. My husband and I have 9 grandchildren and 1 more on the way. They call me nana, grandma, mawmaw and each time I hear those words it is the sweetest sound to me.

“I started out making cloth dolls and have done well with that but I wanted more. I decided to make a purse for a friend of mine whose husband recently joined the Army. I wanted to make something for her that made her proud and represented her husband, so my purses were born.

“The day she received her purse she had people coming up to her wanting to know where she got her purse and how they could order one. Needless to say I have been blessed with orders since I began my new venture. The best thing about my business is getting emails and phone calls from my customers telling me how proud they are of their purse/bag. These bags/purses are not just regular purses, they are keepsakes, reminders of your loved one who is serving or has served in the military. What better way to keep your soldier close to you while they are away than to carry one of these purses with you. It’s like having a part of your soldier with you every time you walk out the door.”

Stop by and visit http://crafters.zawire.com/profile/jpattyjack49 to see the many beautiful purses Jackie has made.

Today in church, my Pastor asked a question: “Do you want to survive or thrive?” It got me to thinking.

You know, it’s never too late to set goals. So what if you didn’t achieve your original goals when you were in your tween years. If you’re reading this, it means you’re not dead yet. It means you still have a purpose and a mission to be accomplished. Just because you’ve reached the “grandma age” doesn’t mean you have to cancel out those things you didn’t get around to doing. You just didn’t get around to doing them YET. As long as you’re still breathing, you still have time. As baby boomers and beyond, we’ve been given more opportunties to accomplish the goals and dreams we have for ourselves.

Here are some of my tips for setting goals at midlife:

1) Make each goal something you really want, not something that just sounds good: The truth of the matter is, you’re not getting any younger so you want to make what you do, from here on, mean something. But don’t do it just because. Some people like to play “follow the leader.” Because Mary wrote a book and it was a best seller, you think you can too but maybe that’s not really your calling and maybe your book won’t sell as well. Concentrate on doing something you are passionate about. Trust me, you’ll do a much better job at reaching your goal!

2) Don’t let your goal conflict with other goals: Your goal may be to purchase a million dollar home but if your salary is only $50,000 what sense does that really make? You should first focus on how you can increase your income or come up with creative ways to do some million dollar improvements on your current home.

3) Develop goals for both personal and business: If you have big dreams for your business, why not have equally important goals for your personal life. All work and no play can create something called S-T-R-E-S-S and stress kills. Develop a plan to ensure that you will spend quality “me” time to give yourself an opportunity to be renewed in mind, body and spirit. That way you’ll have more energy to continue pursuing your business goals.

4) Set high goals: The higher the goal means you’ll work HARDER but the REWARD will be that much sweeter!

5) Create a Vision Board: How do you know where you’re going if you can’t SEE where you’re going? Habakkuk 2:2 in the Bible says: “And the Lord answered me and said, “Write the vision and make it plain upon tablets…” My vision board hangs in my bedroom. It is one of the first things I see every morning. It reminds me of the goals I’ve set and what I must do in order to achieve those goals. A vision board keeps you focused.

Even as a baby boomer, who’s also a wife and grandmother, I still believe in dreams and I’m a witness that dreams still can come true!

by Beverly Mahone

Counting Blessings, my greatest blessings are my children.

My oldest, Jessica, several of you know her, had her gallbladder removed yesterday. She is doing well. Throughout it all her biggest concern was her 4 month old baby whom she nurses. Little Leslie had a sad day as she hates bottles, I got a frantic call from my son-in-law, how do I get a baby to drink from a bottle who only wants her mom? Hard to show over the phone, and they live other side of the country. Finally he called his mom and she saved the day. Today Jessica was able to nurse again, that special mommy love. She quit her job when her little one was born and choose to work from home.

My son Tim is also the best Dad in the world, you should see the joy in his face as he and little Jack play at the park. Amazing how he works full-time and supports his family very well while attending school full-time.

Greg and his wife are visiting Virgina Tech this weekend. (I have mixed feelings about that). Their graduate school flew him out there, recruiting very heavily. Meanwhile he is finishing hp his senior engineering project sponsored by NASA, and has and 2nd internship with NASA this summer if he so desires.

My other college son, the single one is back home (sort of) visiting his girlfriend. My 16 year-old whose swim team just placed 4th in the state, relieved that swim season is over as he is still doing his studies as a NASA scholar, is out camping with boy scouts. His 14 and 11 year old sisters, one on another computer and the other cooking lemon squares.

We had parent teacher conferences last week. My last year to have a grade schooler. She has one of the best teachers in the world, teaching the kids to enjoy learning, to work in groups, be creative.

This teacher (has taught several of my children) asked if I remembered her asking once how my kids were so creative. I said how they find things to do and work together. My home is not spotless, but ongoing projects here and there. A k’nex or constucts creations in the living room, glitter on the kitchen floor, someone cooking, clubhouse built in backyard (relieved to see it down now), cardboard and origami creations, tie-died t-shirts, song being created on a small electronic keyboard. She told me thanks, she once had a immaculate classroom but was inspired by the vision she had of my home.

Her classroom does reflect this as her students perform plays, build and create various projects, put together power point presentations on their own. If they have their assignments caught up they are free to create with others in the classroom. Amazing to watch. I had no idea I had a part in her classroom. It does work, and her class is an excited, happy to be there and learn class.

The other thing she noticed was that I communicated with my kids. held conversations instead of talking at them.

Is my home perfect? No! I am perfect? No! Do my kids ever fight with each other? Yep! Do they always do as I wish? No1 and I’m very absent minded and known to make mistakes. Yet through all this, home and places we go is a workshop, creating some wonderful people.

I want to remember these things, and when grandkids visit, my home still be a creative learning lab.

She told me to write a book. Not right now, other projects that inspire me. But posting my thought here so they don’t get lost and maybe inspire some other grandparents/parents to allow their kids to explore their talents.

Go ahead and share, brag on your kids/grandkids. What worked for you.

Heidi Caswell

Today I’d like to introduce you to a long-time internet friend, Paula Jackson. Paula is a Mom and Grandmother from Norman, Oklahoma. I first met Paula through a Work at Home Grandmoms discussion network on Ryze that I started quite a long time ago. Over a year ago she graciously agreed to take over the role as Moderator of the network.

Paula’s “formal” description of her work at home business is as follows:

“FourPointMoms are independent home business owners who have partnered together in mutual respect for the purpose of mentoring others and developing home business leaders. We have teamed up with a reputable partner company with a solid track record of success.

Core Values:
We are proud to represent a company that believes the truth is always good enough.

• We endorse…Safety, quality, and integrity.

We enjoy…Meaningful, flexible work.

• We promote…Environmental awareness and home safety.
• We offer…A risk-free 120-day trial run of the business.

If you would like to know more about having a business to call your own visit Paula’s website http://destiny.fourpointmoms.com, or send Paula an email.

It is with great relief and pride that I can announce that the completed first draft of “Questing Home: A Safe Place for My Holy Grail” is now done. It now goes to the first readers who will give me feedback for flow, continuity, and to my children to see if they want themselves portrayed as I have written them. This has meant pouring over journals, letters, photographs, court documents about my divorce and interviews with people who were in my life from 1989 to 1996.

Writing this third book has been hard work and often emotionally difficult. Breaking the old rules of my childhood upbringing about keeping family secrets and turning the other cheek has challenged me. I have removed myself from a lot of life to be able to get this to this stage. Fortunately I work at home. I feel as if I am now free in a way I haven’t been free in many years yet I know there is a lot of hard work ahead.

For those who have read Questing Marilyn 2003 (took me 17 years to get done) and Questing France 2005 you know I love to travel and I have travel adventures in this book too so I am keeping with the theme Personal Growth Through Travel.

It is my hope that this book will be recognized as a significant contribution on issues of adult bullying, the inequity of the divorce process most often but not always for women and how people in powerful positions can abuse their power with impunity. It is filled with personal growth and stress management methods and experiences.

The next steps include making the edits my first readers suggest if I agree with them, then having it copy edited professionally (even then some typos have slipped through as Questing France was edited by paid editors twice.) and making the corrections found, having it designed including a cover design and pictures inserted then printed. Whew! A long process. I hope to have it ready for sale in May.

I hope this book will become one that women’s centers and advocates for a more just process of marital dissolution will use. I know my first two books have helped both men and women find their voice and stand up for themselves in abusive and disrespectful situations. I’ve had wonderful feedback.

Best wishes to you and as this is a dream coming to fruition for me. I hope your dreams are coming true too!

http://www.questpublishing.ca

I just thought this needed to be looked at and thought about today. Abraham Lincoln warned the South in his Inaugural Address: “In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The government will not assail you…. You have no oath registered in Heaven to destroy the government, while I shall have the most solemn one to preserve, protect and defend it.”

Lincoln thought secession illegal, and was willing to use force to defend Federal law and the Union. When Confederate batteries fired on Fort Sumter and forced its surrender, he called on the states for 75,000 volunteers. Four more slave states joined the Confederacy but four remained within the Union. The Civil War had begun.

The son of a Kentucky frontiersman, Lincoln had to struggle for a living and for learning. Five months before receiving his party’s nomination for President, he sketched his life:
“I was born Feb. 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky. My parents were both born in Virginia, of undistinguished families–second families, perhaps I should say. My mother, who died in my tenth year, was of a family of the name of Hanks…. My father … removed from Kentucky to … Indiana, in my eighth year…. It was a wild region, with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods. There I grew up…. Of course when I came of age I did not know much. Still somehow, I could read, write, and cipher … but that was all.”

Lincoln made extraordinary efforts to attain knowledge while working on a farm, splitting rails for fences, and keeping store at New Salem, Illinois. He was a captain in the Black Hawk War, spent eight years in the Illinois legislature, and rode the circuit of courts for many years. His law partner said of him, “His ambition was a little engine that knew no rest.”

He married Mary Todd, and they had four boys, only one of whom lived to maturity. In 1858 Lincoln ran against Stephen A. Douglas for Senator. He lost the election, but in debating with Douglas he gained a national reputation that won him the Republican nomination for President in 1860.

As President, he built the Republican Party into a strong national organization. Further, he rallied most of the northern Democrats to the Union cause. On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation that declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy.

Lincoln never let the world forget that the Civil War involved an even larger issue. This he stated most movingly in dedicating the military cemetery at Gettysburg: “that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain–that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom–and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Lincoln won re-election in 1864, as Union military triumphs heralded an end to the war. In his planning for peace, the President was flexible and generous, encouraging Southerners to lay down their arms and join speedily in reunion.

The spirit that guided him was clearly that of his Second Inaugural Address, now inscribed on one wall of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C.: “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds…. ”

On Good Friday, April 14, 1865, Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre in Washington by John Wilkes Booth, an actor, who somehow thought he was helping the South. The opposite was the result, for with Lincoln’s death, the possibility of peace with magnanimity died.

Sixteenth President 1861-1865
Born: February 12, 1809, in Hodgenville, Hardin County, Kentucky
Died: April 15, 1865. Lincoln died the morning after being shot at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. by John Wilkes Booth, an actor.

Are we there yet? What do you think?

Do share.

Bea Kunz

http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

Taken in part from the whitehouse.gov history site