For various reasons I've decided to start a blog. I've been blogging a bit on my myspace page, albeit sporadically, and have received great feedback from my friends and acquaintances...many of which have encouraged me to start an ACTUAL blog on an ACTUAL blogging site.
So, here I am! Why blogspot? We have my dear cousin, Ashlie (see photo on right), to thank for my
choice. There's been many a day that I've needed a boost in spirit- a little "teehee" to keep me going...and I've always found exactly what I needed in her postings. Ashlie has a way of transforming ordinary, every day occurrences into thoroughly entertaining and always sidesplitting tales which are, by all accounts, chronicling her life. Therefore, since Ashlie blogs here, the logical place to start my OWN is here, too! So, let the blogging begin!
For those readers who may not know me, I live in Carthage, Missouri, which is my hometown. After living in other parts of the country for several years, I was lucky enough to move back home with my husband last year. Now, my husband was raised in Detroit, so this "small town livin'" is something he's had to adjust to! After realizing that our town rolls up the sidewalks at 9 o'clock at night, neighbors really do care about how you're doing, and how you can find out everything you need to know about local goings-on by breakfasting at Hardee's every morning- he (my husband, BJ) has come to call Carthage "home" too.Throughout my life, I was told by my elders that I was born in the wrong decade, and that I have an old soul. I remember spending countless hours with my Grandparents, Martin & Pauline, just absorbing every little fact and detail concerning their lives before I knew them. They were married in 1946, and started their family in 1948...therefore, they were adults and living in the prime of their lives in the 1950's. I'm convinced that my love for the 50's era is a direct result of my Grandparent's influences.
Although I was born in 1971, and my childhood memories are from the 70's and 80's, I don't think my Grandparents ever really "moved with the times". Their lifestyle and viewpoints remained similar to those common during the Mid-Century. I remember watching my Grandma lovingly bake cinnamon rolls in the kitchen while Grandpa picked tomatoes from his garden...seeing Grandpa work hard each and every day of his life to provide well for his family while Grandma ran the household with efficient grace...both of them always striving to live decent, honorable lives while being upstanding members of their church and community- these recollections hardly scratch the surface of what I hold in my memory bank. Feelings of nostalgia were ever-present when we'd look through old photographs of ancestors I'd never known, when Grandma would let me try on and sometimes wear pieces of her costume jewelry found in the box on her dresser, when we'd bake goodies to take to a neighbor whose health was failing, when I'd sneak into an upstairs bedroom of my Grandparent's home and look at the saved treasures from days gone by that were tucked in nooks and crannies, as nothing (even if it was old and out-of-style) was ever thrown out, but saved for a rainy day. 
Grandma and Grandpa
vacuuming, I would. If I could own a kitchen full of vintage appliances and sparkling retro linoleum while my pot roast was baking in the oven, I would. I am an eclectic (and somewhat sassy) mix of yesterday's lady mixed with a healthy dose of today's woman! I love many of the ideas of being a 50's housewife, but to be truthful, I also know that I have a voice! If my husband expects me to greet him at the door after his long day at work with a martini in one hand and the newspaper in the other everyday, he's insane! Not that I'd mind, but who has the time!? As much as I may have the desire to be the next June Clever or Pauline Selvey, the cold hard truth reveals harsh realities, making it virtually impossible to live the life of a Mid-Century housewife in today's world! 
I have a job. Granted, it's not the kind where I must leave the house everyday...and honestly, my income is substantially less than that of my husband's. But I believe any woman who reads this knows that whether we have a full-time career, a part-time job, or if we're a full-time homemaker- we're often far busier than our spouses! Does everyone agree? I work, I cook, I clean, run errands, pay bills, balance the check book, make important phone calls, check on the kids, do laundry, schedule appointments, go to the post office, take care of the garden, shop for groceries, clothing and other necessities...the list goes on and on! I try my best to accomplish everything on my daily "to do" list- and have supper fixed before my husband comes home so we both can relax and enjoy our evening together before starting all over the next day! Does this mean I'm taken advantage of? That my husband walks all over me? Does this mean that I have to have supper ready at 6:00? Heck, no! All it means is that I'm doing what I love to do...and taking care of those I care for in the process! If this means I'm living the life of a 50's housewife.... I love it! There you have it- I've attempted to tell you a little bit about me....Jodie. I'm a loving wife and mother, a "bakeress" of tasty homemade morsels, and a fiercely protective and loyal friend to many. I'm sentimental-as-heck about my family photographs, a word enthusiast, compulsively obsessive about my costume jewelry collection, a lover of the outdoors, deeply nostalgic, somewhat mouthy, yet ordinary 37-year-old small town girl.
Clearly, after this intensive reading, you can now see why my blogspot name is what it is! Although I was only able to see her in re-runs on Nick at Nite, June Cleaver was the best! Hopefully it will make it simple for you to remember how to access my blog in the future...simply type in your address bar:justcallmejune.blogspot.com
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