Denise from Grandma's House

Last week was a blast! And we're kicking it up a notch with this weekend's interviews: we have two interviews. Today, it's Denise from Grandma's House.

I'm ready ...


 

The panel is ready ...


 

And Denise is ready ...


 

Let's do this!

Do your Grandkids know about blogging?


Not yet. My oldest grandchild is only 9, so her computer experience is pretty much confined to school. Her mother refuses to sign up for the internet, mainly because she knows she'd spend all her time online, but I'm sure that will change as the kids get older.

 

 


Who influenced you to start a blog.


That would have to be Frank J. and Rob Smith. I discovered Frank while reading National Review's The Corner, and while checking some of the blogs on his blogroll eventually found Rob. I was amazed at how straightforward their blogs were, and the fact that you can say about anything you want. I was searching for an outlet at the time, because my husband is a post-grad student and we don't have a lot of time for conversation. So I started putting my thoughts online.

 

 


What's your favorite smell?


Ooh, there are several.  Fresh coffee, frying bacon, a freshly diapered baby, wood burning.  All high on my list.

 

 


Where do you want to live when you are 70?


Pretty much where I am right now. We live on a four acre farmette about one hour from Springfield, MO and about five minutes from a really great fishing lake. One thing I would change is I'd tear down the house we have now and move in a mobile home. Our farmhouse has two stories. We don't use the upstairs and the rooms are all small. A mobile home has a lot of great storage space and we'd have closets, something we don't have right now.

 

 


Is there a particular theme (Politic's, Humor, Cat Blogging) that you try to follow or do you have more of a come what may approach to blogging.


I try to find articles that are a little unusual, and that not everyone is posting. There are so many blogs writing about politics that they all wind up writing the same thing. I'm always on the lookout for strange and funny stories, but mostly I post the kind of stories I'd like to read on other blogs. I'm always open to suggestions, though.

 

 


What is your earliest memory?


Well, I vaguely remember a little brown dog we had when I was about four years old, and I remember my grandmother's funeral at six, mainly because I was goofing off and got a cut on my knee which left a scar. I also remember falling on our floor furnace as a child and that burned my leg pretty bad. Most of that is not so pleasant, but I do remember getting up early every morning and having "coffee" with my dad before he left for work, something my mother really didn't appreciate.

 

 


What was your worst day blogging?


I can't really say I've had a "worst day" yet. I've only been blogging for about a year and a half. I've had some days I haven't been able to find any good stuff to write about, and I've had days when I didn't feel well.

 

 


What was your best day blogging?


That would have to be the day I found out my son and his family were moving back home. That, or the day George was re-elected President. Since then, both have been disappointing. The kids are moving to Indiana, and George hasn't really accomplished the things he said he would. But initially those days were both good. I also had a good day the first time I had a troll visit my blog. At that point I felt I had arrived.

 

 


Is there ever a right answer when a woman asks "Does this dress make me look 'bigger' than I am?"?


I would never ask that question unless I wanted the truth. So I'd have to say tell the truth. If she doesn't like it, she shouldn't ask.

 

 


When did it really hit you that you were a "Grandma?"


Several times during that first pregnancy. I was my daughter's labor coach, so I went to the doctor's appointments, saw the ultrasound, heard the heartbeat, and was there for the birth. All of those times reinforced the idea of "grandma" in my heart. Now that I have ten grandchildren, I always feel like a grandma. A very young grandma.

 

 


What is your favorite cartoon and why?


I absolutely adore Road Runner cartoons, because Wile E. Coyote is so creative and never gives up, but my absolute favorite cartoon character is Daffy Duck. He's such a free spirit.

 

 


Does this dress make my ass look fat? 'cause the green really brings out the color in my eyes.


You need to decide if you want people to look at your behind, or your eyes. If you think it makes you look fat, find another dress with that color of green. Or do what I do, wear slacks.

 

 


What's the most fun job you ever had?


The most fun job was babysitting my grandbabies. The most fun paying job I ever had was working for Rival Manufacturing Co. I worked in the Advertising Department, and my job was answering customer letters, and typing the recipes the home economist came up with for the Crock-Pot. That was great, because we got to eat the stuff she came up with. Then, after the Crock-Pot Cookbook came out, I became the Mail Order Department. For about six months, if you ordered a cookbook or vinyl appliance cover, you got it from me. It was a great job with crappy pay, but I was still in high school, so my overhead was low.

 

 


What's your favorite time of the day?


This one is easy. I'm a night person; have been since I was a baby. I'd be thrilled if I could sleep all day and stay up all night.

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Thanks to Denise for participating! And thanks to all the questioners that participated.

Next weekend, we have phin of phin's blog and Heidi from Euphoric Reality. Don't forget to submit your questions for the upcoming interviews!