by Delia Parr
“And when did you tell her?” Barbara added, still skeptical.
Judy laughed. “I told her yesterday. Right after I promised to convince both of you we would help the PTA Executive Board organize some events to raise money to expand the after-school programs in each of the elementary schools.”
Barbara gasped. “You didn’t! All of the schools?”
Ginger groaned. “What kind of events?”
“As a matter of fact, I did. Yes, all of the schools. As for the events…” Judy waved her hand in the air and jingled the keys to Pretty Ladies. “As the proud, heavily-in-debt, new owner of my very own salon, I thought we could start with a special event where the salon would donate all the proceeds on a given event day to the after-school programs. That’s just one event I have in mind, though. I’m sure the two of you will be able to come up with others. It’ll be a snap.”
Ginger’s eyes widened. “A snap?”
“A snap? For whom?” Barbara huffed.
“For three grandmothers who can outwork, outthink, and outplan all of the men and most of the women in this room. We’re all grand mothers, too. Doesn’t that say it all?” Judy teased.
Absolutely.
Afterword
According to the U.S. Census 2000, grandparents who are raising grandchildren under the age of eighteen are a growing phenomenon that is reality for more than two and a quarter million grandparents in the United States. Help for those grandparents is available online at a number of sites. I highly recommend the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) Webplace, Grandparents Information, which is especially helpful, offering advice on different challenges and links to related Web sites. If you or someone you know is raising his or her grandchild, please visit www.aarp.org for further information.
The Shawl Ministry is not fictional. To learn more information about this loving ministry, please visit the official Web site at www.shawlministry.com.
For those interested in recipes, below is the recipe for the Cinnamon Bubble Wreath. Recipes for other goodies are posted on my Web page, www.deliaparr.com. Enjoy!
Cinnamon Bubble Wreath
Preheat oven: 350°
Ingredients:
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 can (11 ounces) refrigerated French bread dough
1½ tbs. melted margarine or butter
Grease 9-inch tube pan. Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Cut dough into 16 slices and roll into balls. Roll balls in sugar-cinnamon mixture and fill tube pan. Bake 20–25 minutes or until golden brown. Note: For an extra treat, top with vanilla ice cream and sprinkle with caramel and crushed pecans.
Acknowledgments
During the writing of Day by Day, I relied heavily on friends and family for inspiration and information. They deserve all the credit, but I’ll take responsibility for any mistakes I may have made sharing their wisdom within the pages of this book.
Laurie Cohen, who owns the delightful Sweet Tooth Candies store in Collingswood, N.J., graciously explained the candy business to me. Laurie is an amazing woman of faith who truly does see operating her store as a ministry. I thank her for spending the afternoon with me, for showing me around Sweet Tooth Candies and for the bag of chocolates I ate on the way home!
My coworker and friend Monica Segrest is my colleague as well as a hairstylist who has made a very real difference in the lives of her clients and her community. I am very grateful for the time she spent giving me information about hairdressing as a career and a ministry.
Arlene B. Rubin, Esquire, is an outstanding school administrator, colleague and friend who provided answers about the legal system that kept me writing on the beach and saved me countless hours in a law library. Marty Barrett, security coordinator for our local school district, helped me learn the process of enrolling a grandchild in school.
In addition to my incredibly dedicated agent, Linda Kruger, I have a very talented family, who helped me a great deal. My daughter-in-law, Ileana, is a gifted family counselor who shared her professional understanding of children and family dynamics during the writing of this book. My sister, Carol Beth, as always, was my first line editor and shared her summer home with me again so I could write at the beach, and my sister-friend, Jeanne, never let me doubt I would finish the book by deadline. Pat and Joanne are always there if I need a word of encouragement, too.
And finally, my children: Matt, Brett and Liz. You are the real sunshine in my life.
Thank you, all. You are all such wonderful blessings!
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
Friendship is a powerful theme in Day by Day. As a friend, how have you helped others deal with the difficulties in their lives? How have others helped you?
As a widow, Judy faces the challenge of raising her grandson alone. What other challenges do single women have as they grow older—challenges that married women might not face?
Both Ginger and her husband, Tyler, must adapt their lifestyle to meet the needs of their grandson. Have you ever changed your lifestyle for someone else? Why? Why not?
Barbara and her husband, John, react to the tragic loss of their son in different ways. In what way is grief personal? How can married couples share their different expressions of grief yet still remain strong as a couple?
Judy cautiously welcomes her daughter, Candy, back into her life, as well as Bran’s life. Is this consistent with the concept of forgiveness? Why or why not?
With so many grandparents raising school-age grandchildren today, how can schools help them? If there are no programs within your school district in place now, what can you do to help start one?
Judy, Barbara and Ginger organize a Mother’s Day celebration that includes all women who have nurtured a child. Is this the right way to celebrate Mother’s Day? If so, what kind of celebration would be appropriate within your community to make the holiday more inclusive?
As parents of grown children, Judy and Ginger must decide how much help is appropriate and how much help would be “enabling” their daughters. What similar struggles do you face with your own children?
After her son’s murder, Barbara relies on stereotypes when she tries to visualize the murderer. She later discovers that the two girls responsible for Steve’s death do not fit the stereotype. Have you ever been in a situation where you found yourself relying on stereotypes, only to find out you were wrong? What can you do to avoid using stereotypes?
Judy clearly sees her hairstyling work as a ministry through which she helps her clients feel better about themselves. What other occupations offer this same opportunity? Does yours?
ISBN: 978-1-4268-5339-5
DAY BY DAY
Copyright © 2007 by Mary Lechleidner
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Steeple Hill Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Steeple Hill Books.
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