Unlike some of my readers and friends, I haven’t been able to stomach the new 90210. But I have caught most the episodes of Privileged and for the most part, like it. I watched at first because it stars the girl from Reba, a show I loved. And okay, because it was compared to my beloved Gilmore Girls. (You can watch it tonight at 8pm CST on the CW. If you like that sort of thing.)

Book Review: Lynne Spears’ Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World

How many times have I thought when seeing the latest report of a Britney Spears disaster, “Where is that girl’s mother?” Or even, “How does someone so talented get so crazy?” Reading this book answered the first question thoroughly and the second question briefly.

If you’re looking for a tell-all about Britney the pop princess, look elsewhere. If you’re expecting advice from a mother of three, buy another book. But if you’re intrigued by a family whose lives have been drastically changed, repeatedly, by circumstances and by choices, this might be the book for you. And if you’d like to know what place God and faith have in the Spears family, this book is for you.

I really think Lynne Spears wrote this book to get her side of the Spears Family Story into the mainstream press. After watching her daughters, her husband and herself be torn to pieces in ink, Lynne has spoken up about who the Spears family truly is – where they came from, what they’ve dealt with, and in many ways, how they came to the point we see today in the tabloids.

I thought this book was interesting, showing how a child from a small town could rise to stardom, despite her parents’ humble beginnings and very human frailties. And showing how, incredible as it is, a person could completely shut out her own parents, despite needing them more than ever.

Even though Lynne tells the story of Britney’s rise and decline, as well as Jamie Lynn’s teen pregnancy, she’s telling it from her perspective. So if gritty details are what you’re after, you’ll be disappointed. (To be honest, I was as curious as the next person who watches The Soup but refuses to buy People magazine unless I’m taking a flight somewhere – yes, those are my anti-celebrity gossip standards.) This book is more about Lynne and who she is – not a bad mom, not a “stage mom,” not a neglectful parent. But a naïve, nurturing Christian mother and teacher who loves her kids no matter what’s going on in their lives.

Is Lynne Spears a little defensive in this book? Sure, but I can’t blame her if she goes a little overboard describing both the great parts of her life and the hard parts. Was Lynne Spears naive? Absolutely, but she’s the first to admit it. Does this book humanize each member of the Spears family? Yes, it does that, too. And maybe THAT is what Lynne was after all along.

A few things that I found most intriguing/interesting/striking/thought-provoking in this book:

• Lynne’s insistence that Britney pushed herself to succeed, despite her parents’ concerns she needed to just relax. I might have dismissed this claim as after-the-fact denial of leading her daughter into what has caused as much trouble and heartache as reward and excitement…if I hadn’t heard my mom say the same thing about me. (Not that I’m pop star material, just driven as a child and teenager.)
• Lynne’s comments that Kevin Federline is a good man. She writes (p. 126), “I’ve often thought that if the Lord got hold of Kevin, he could do great things with him.” Interesting…and probably true. I think the Lord can do big things with any number of celebrities. It’s just a matter of getting hold of them, I suppose. Why do you think God doesn’t resort to more extreme measures to get hold of those people with the influence? Or is it just that those in His grip aren’t attracted to that kind of career?
• Lynne’s description (p. 155) of the “angels” in Britney’s life: her bodyguard, Lonnie, and her maid, Lourdes, two Christians watching out for her daughter. It’s cool to see how God’s working in the life of someone so famous and so troubled.
• Lynne’s regret that she quit her teaching job in 2000 to tour with Britney. Interesting that this woman who regrets the turns her daughters’ lives have taken so deeply wishes she could have stayed home to teach. I don’t question her devotion to her kids, and I don’t mean that it’s interesting in that I judge her decision or her feelings. I just find it interesting that none of us women are immune to wanting to be in two (or more) places at once, wanting to do two (or more) things at once.

What about you? Read any good books lately? Got any insights on life of the rich, famous and tragic?

Every time it happens, I wonder, “Does anyone really care?” I’m talking about the return of the McRib. The commercials – and some of my Google finds – make it look like hundreds of people live for the day the McRib is brought of the McDonald’s vault.

I’ve never had a McRib. I’m more of a Quarter Pounder girl myself. Or lately, a Grilled Chicken sandwich girl. Have you all eaten the McRib? Do you love it? Do you stand in line the minute you hear it’s back? Am I alone in thinking this is all a little crazy?

I used to think raccoons were cute. They were the funniest part of Great Outdoors, and their little black and white faces are just adorable. Sure, sure, I’d heard that they’re mean animals, dirty and sneaky. But I didn’t believe it.

And then, just like this guy with the squirrels, I changed my mind.

Sixteen days after she was born, we brought Annalyn home from the hospital. I was so scared – what did I know about taking care of a baby? Especially one so small and fragile? Were they certain she didn’t need the monitors and 24-hour nurses anymore?

Little did I know that would not be the scariest thing I faced that day.

After Mark went to work that night and Annalyn was safe and sound in her crib, I went to bed. And woke up to a horrible, terrifying sound – something was climbing through the walls of our house!

Well, not quite. It turns out that on the same day Annalyn came to live at our house, so did a raccoon. As my baby lay in her crib, all bundled up and supposedly safe, a sneaky and possibly vicious raccoon climbed into our attic through a hole in our siding.

The resulting drama was at times amusing and at times frustrating. And it lasted much too long for anyone’s taste. It drove me to call a company called Critter Killer or something like that, and it motivated Mark to finish repairing the siding on our porch. It also explained the hole in the bag of cat food I’d had in the garage, and then prompted me to carry a baseball bat each time I ventured into the garage for the next several nights.

I never saw the raccoon, though I heard her, off and on, for several nights. And we didn’t use any company with the words, “critter” or “killer,” in its name. We didn’t even trap her in the cage we borrowed from my father-in-law. Somehow, though, our furry upstairs neighbor realized she was not welcome and left our attic and our lives for good.

Your turn: What’s the scariest – or funniest – encounter you’ve had with wildlife, or as my brother calls them, woodland creatures?