Rosalyn Ebberly is not your typical e-mail loop moderator. She's a stay-at-home mom who dabbles in just about everything and makes Martha Stewart look like an amateur. Despite her knack for perfectionism in absolutely anything she strives to achieve, Rosalyn is missing the art of subtlety. Her carefully written e-mails that are meant to instruct, guide and encourage her Christian group of moms often get mistaken as self-righteous, bragging soliloquies. If only the women knew the real reason behind the bravado, they could understand Rosalyn's need to feel superior.
With any group, each participant brings her quirks and nuances to the mix. This dynamic set of women lacks no luster. It is hard not to become connected with Dulcie Huckleberry as her marriage takes some unexpected turns and she must decide in which direction she is headed. Phyllis Lorimer, the young pastor's wife, learns life's lessons the hard way and faces some not-so-pleasant consequences. Jocelyn Millard gets some unexpected news about her son that will change her life and marriage forever. Brenna Lindberg, the teenage mother, must quickly grow up and face the reality that life is just not fair. Finally, Zelia Muzuwa must learn that motherhood is not what you read in the books. It is a never ending learning process with God's children leading the way.
Rarely does a book encompass all of the elements that make the art of storytelling seem so simple. SAHM I AM is a laugh-out-loud book that has the right balance of drama, heartache and happiness to keep the reader yearning for more. Efken's writing style is breezy, yet descriptive, making the reader feel as if she, too, belongs to the group. Tears of joy and sympathy for each woman's struggle make this book a powerful read. As the book ends, Efken leaves the reader wanting more. These women become part of the reader's life. Truly, it's hard to say good-bye.
For the members of a stay-at-home-momsΓ―ΒΏΒ½ e-mail loop,
lunch with friends is a sandwich in front of the computer,
but where else can they discuss things like...
Success: Her workaholic husband is driving Dulcie
Huckleberry around the bend. ItΓ―ΒΏΒ½s hard to love someone in
sickness and in health when heΓ―ΒΏΒ½s never home!
Art: Let the children express themselves, opines
artistic Zelia Muzuwa, and then her sonΓ―ΒΏΒ½s head gets stuck
inside a kitty scratching postΓ―ΒΏΒ½.
Health: Surely aches and pains are normal in an
active little boy, yet those of soccer-mom Jocelyn
MillardΓ―ΒΏΒ½s
son donΓ―ΒΏΒ½t seem to be going away.
Motherhood: Teen-mom-turned-farmerΓ―ΒΏΒ½s-wife Brenna
Lindberg can deal with the mud and the chickens, but what
about her husbandΓ―ΒΏΒ½s desire for a child of his own?
Indiscretions: However youthful, they can come back
to haunt you, learns pastorΓ―ΒΏΒ½s wife Phyllis Lorimer.
AMends: These could stand to be made between
officious list moderator Rosalyn Ebberly and her pampered
sister Veronica. Perhaps the other SAHM I AMers can teach
these two something about sisterhood...
From: VIM
To: Rosalyn Ebberly Subject: Home
from Italy
Hey Honey Sis!
Just little ol' me, letting all y'all know we're home from
Italy. Great to be back on our native TEXAS soil.Frank and
I were so disappointed you couldn't make it to the
wedding,though we understand it was short notice, bless
your heart. Mama and Daddy said it was the most beautiful
wedding in the world. I thought that was a tad insensitive
considering your wedding was pretty, too, but I do believe
mine was the day of my dreams β designer gown, gorgeous
Italian husband, sunset on the beach, all my friends. And
dear Patricia gave me a promotion and a raise as a wedding
gift.You'd have had to scrape me off the floor I was so
surprised! I'll be headed back to work tomorrow with a
ring on my finger and the title of senior public relations
manager for the biggest marketing firm in Houston!
I wish you could see how great Ashley, Courtney and
Stanley took to their new Nana and Papa. Mama and Daddy
were fussing over them so much, you'd never know they
already have three grandchildren. How ARE y'all's sweet
little kiddos,anyway? I can't hardly wait for them to meet
my stepchildren. My darlings and me just love each other
to pieces already β the poor dears needed a mother. Frank
and them treat me like I'm some hero, bless their hearts.
And Mama said if there was a motheroftheyear award, I
deserved it, taking on a 9, 6, and 4yearold, and me only
30 years old! I said, "Well, Rosalyn just turned 32, and
she has 3 kids." Mama laughed and said,"True, but she
doesn't have any career or social life, so what else could
she do but have children?"
I'm attaching pictures of the wedding and our Italian
honeymoon. Frank took all the Italy pictures, and he's
already griping about the wedding photos. But he's such an
artist about his photography, I didn't expect nothing
else. So there ya go. Enjoy!
Ciao, Mrs.Veronica Marcello,WIFE of Francesco Marcello
(doesn't that sound beautiful?)
From: Rosalyn Ebberly
To: SAHM I Am Subject: [SAHM I Am]
TOTW August 2:
Positive Selfimage
Blessed Mothers,
I hope you are having a FABULOUS day at home with your
precious little ones.I know I am.It's a sunny,beautiful
morning here in Hibiscus,WA.Jefferson,my fiveyearold,just
gave me a bouquet of flowers he picked from our garden.He
gave me a kiss and said,"Daddy gives you flowers so I
wanted to, too." Isn't that just the sweetest thing?
Our Topic of the Week is all about how to have a healthy
selfimage without being selfcentered. Some ways I do that
are:
1) Make a list of all the nice things people say about me.
(This took a while since there were many things to write.)
2) Make a list of all the things I'm good at. 3) Make a
list of my best accomplishments. 4) Make a list of things
I need to improve. (Fortunately, this was relatively
short.) 5) Write out all the verses in the Bible that talk
about how much God loves me. (I whipped this one out
during my quiet time this morning.It only took two hours,
leaving me with enough time to go jogging before my
children woke up and DH had to leave for work.)
As you can see, I'm into lists.What about you ladies? What
can you do to promote a positive selfimage?
As always, humbled to be serving you as, Rosalyn Ebberly
SAHM I AM Loop Moderator
"She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not
eat the bread of idleness."
Proverbs 31:27 (NASB)
From: Zelia Muzuwa
To: SAHM I Am Subject: [SAHM I AM]
Are worms poisonous?
"cause Griffith just ate one.
Z
From: The Millards To: SAHM
I Am Subject: Re: [SAHM I AM] Are
worms poisonous?
Zelia,
No, he'll be fine.Tyler ate a lizard when he was 2, and
he's managed to survive to the ripe old age of 8. Don't
worry.
Speaking of Tyler, you all have to cheer for his soccer
team tomorrow night. Go PIKES!!!
Jocelyn
From: Zelia Muzuwa
To: SAHM I Am Subject: Re: [SAHM I
AM] Are worms poisonous?
That's a relief. Of course, I should be more worried about
whether or not Seamus will live to see his 7th
birthday.Turns out, he talked little brother into
swallowing the worm. Threatened to cut the head off
Griffith's Big Bird if he didn't chow down.When Tristan
got home, Seamus had to confess it all to daddy.
So Tristan puts on his James Earl Jones voice, all low and
rumbly with that Zimbabwean/English accent (oooh, gives me
tingles just thinking about it) and looks WAYYYY down at
Seamus, whose little brown body is now trembling in boxer
pj's."Seamus," he says,"did you force your brother to eat
a worm?"
Seamus has the nerve to squeak out that he did not FORCE
Griffith to eat the worm, he merely SUGGESTED that it
might be the only way to save Big Bird. So Tristan
says,"Son, you will go TO your room, and I will deeal with
you in a moment." I tell you, even I shivered at that. No
one is as good at sounding ominous and foreboding as my
husband!
Daddy's little girl, Cosette, knows no fear. She marches
over to him, looks up with those huge brown eyes and
says, "Daddy, be careful with Seamus. He's still in his
formative years."
Tristan remains granitefaced. He taps Cosette's nose and
says,"Yes, little one, and so he shall be formed, while
there's still time for it." I just LOVE how he talks!
The short of it is that Seamus will not be able to go with
us to the children's museum tomorrow,but instead has to
stay with Molly β a friend of mine who has a fiveyearold
girl, Allison, who loves to play "getting married" and
makes Seamus be the groom every time we visit.A worse
punishment couldn't be found!
So, to quote the Bard, "All's well that ends well"
and "Come, come, you froward and unable worms!"
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