Three Minutes of Local “Fame”
I was listening to a local radio show a few weeks ago and a couple of hosts from a local television show called Take Five and Company were on. They were promoting their program because it was changing from an afternoon show to a morning show. At the end of the segment, the hosts from Take Five said something to the effect of “We are always looking for great local stories! Let us know if you hear about one!” And the little voice in my head replied, “Hey! I am a great local story!” Before I could talk some sense into that little voice, I drove home and emailed Take Five and Company about my blog.
Sometimes you get what you ask for.
I was interviewed for Take Five and Company on Monday and it aired on Wednesday. I was a nervous wreck the night before the interview. The little voice inside my head seemed to have come to its senses as it shouted, “What in the world have you gotten yourself into?!” After I calmed myself down, I realized I was not crazy for doing a little shameless self-promotion.
Each and every Grandma Challenge is a new experience for me. If I choose to take my blog into a second year, it will not feel the same as my first year. I will never again experience the excitment of successfully canning my first batch of strawberry jam. I will never experience those triumphant feelings of cloth diapering my daughter for the first time. I will never experience the thrill of eating my first homegrown cucumber. I will never experience my feelings of frustration over learning to line dry my clothes for the first time (I hope).
I want to share my first year experiences and all of the ups, downs and in betweens of learning to live a more sustainable and simple life as honestly as possible. I hope my story will encourage you wherever you are in your own journey. So come along for the ride! The more the merrier! However, I must admit that living sustainably is not always easy. My story may convince you to run the other way!
Either way, here is your chance to see my “grandma hair” live.
By the way, I only have 40 or so tortilla chip bags saved. They will be the subject of a future Grandma Challenge, along with changing my water usage habits! Yikes! Oh, and the pages of writing you see in the video represent each Grandma Challenge I have done so far. I have them taped to my dining room wall so I can take notes on how each one impacts my day to day living.
Hi April! I just found your blog a couple days ago - Sammy pointed me in your direction and I’ve already devoured your archives.
I’m glad you’re getting this great exposure!
I actually logged on to your blog this morning so I could write down a few things to talk to my own grandma about. She’s in a nearby nursing home and I would like to go see her more but don’t know her well at all and so am always nervous about what we’ll find to talk about. I’m making a couple notes based on things I’ve seen on your blog, and we’re making our first attempt today!
By the way, I think your “grandma hair” looks great.
GREAT Job April.. I had missed it in the morning so was happy to see it in person. I love your Grandma hair!
April-
I wish my hair could look as good as your “Grandma hair” does!! Loved the interview–look at me, I know a celebrity:).
Love always-
Karen
April that was awesome girl. Good for you. What a moment. I bet you inpact so many others that you may never know about. Yay for April. We all need to get together again soon. We were doing such a good streak for a while. Talk to you soon.
Your “grandma hair” is super cute!!!
Thanks for all of the “grandma hair” comments! My sister gave me a haircut on Wednesday night. I am beginning to like my natural hair more and more. I have wanted to take the plunge and find a haircut that worked better for my natural texture for a long time but I was too chicken. This blog was a great excuse to give it a try!
Meika - I am so glad my blog has given you some ideas for how to get to know your Grandma! Although I think all of the changes I am making are very important, equally important are the “new” relationships I am building with my grandparents and other people of their generation. I will try to post the questions I have been using for my interviews asap!
Hey Karen! Downfall of being a “celebrity” (ha! ha!) - Someone recognized me at the grocery store and believe me - my grandma hair was not looking so good after walking the farmers market in the pouring rain! Oh well!
Loved the interview, April!! Next up, the Today Show. Seriously!
How cool to be on TV! I loved seeing all your notes on the wall and how organized your thoughts are over this! Since reading your blog I’m thinking soooo much about my grandma! Your grandma hair is dang cute BTW!
Hey, nice job! You are so brave! Your hair looks good.
Bread - try this book, I love it (no I didn’t write it!) = Artisan Bread in Less than 5 minutes a day. The title might be a eensy bit misleading - the initial recipe MIGHT take you 6 mins to put together, plus there is rise time and bake time. But good bread and not a lot of hands-on time or - my least fave part of breadmaking - KNEADING!
Great segment!
You are an inspiration and because you express yourself so personally and it is easy to relate.
It is a struggle, no matter how you look at it, to change a habit.
It is a struggle to be green…WE have to change.
But we owe it as good stewards of this earth to make these changes for the long term benefit of the next generations.
PS: I do know how to make bread!
Great segment April! I can’t wait to see how your bread making goes…its next on my list = ) I’m waiting until all the canning is done though.
I’m visiting my parents this week and my grandmother lives next door. I plan on getting some homemaking tips from her while I’m here = )
Thanks again for the inspiration!
This segment is what first introduced me to you! I am so glad. I have not used hair care products since my daughter was born. I am so afraid of her getting poisoned or something. So my hair is fairly natural. I use shampoo and conditoner but that’s all. I also have baked my own bread for nearly six months now. I have canned for three years since I first got married. Here’s a tip on canning. If you are making jam there is no need to give it a “hotwater bath” as long as your jar, lids and screws are in hot water and you put the jam in while it’s still hot. It will seal itself! You can thank my mother-in-law for that. It’s the same with tomatoes in spaghetti sauce as well!
Look at you! You’re such a cutie. I love that you are getting some press.