You Know You're Old When....

My husband will often tell me that "I wasn't raised to be cool." This remark is usually made after I've told him some story from my childhood. He cannot comprehend that some people were actually raised the way I was. Not that my childhood was bad or weird...it was just different from his.

Evidently, he didn't do summer stock theater with his grandmother. He can't sing every word to the songs from "Fiddler on the Roof", and he definitely didn't play "Little House on the Prairie" in the back pasture. And, let's face it: I'd think it was weird if he had.

However, as weird as my childhood may have been, at some point in life you grow up and say, to heck with it...it is what it is....I'm going to embrace it instead of hide it. So, let me tell you about what I like to call "The Music Trifecta" of my chidlhood:

1) Marie Osmond - I barely remember the Donnie and Marie variety show, but I'll never forget their record we had highlighting muscial numbers from that same variety show! I can sing you ALL the words to "I'm a Little Bit Country....I'm a Little Bit Rock and Roll." Karen and I played 'singers' a lot growing up, and this record was a favorite to sing to.

2) Barbara Mandrell - there was anticipation and excitement every weekend in our house when "The Mandrell Sisters Variety Show" was airing. I can remember rushing through our baths so that we were ready to sit in front of the T.V. For those of you who would like a little blast from the past, go to www.youtube.com and search for the Mandrell sisters. You can see snippets of the show. Poor Arlene Mandrell....she was so un-talented....she was always hidden behind her drum set instead of up front with her more-talented sisters.

3) Last in the trifecta was Amy Grant. Ohhhh....the Christian pop sensation! We were never into the "Baby, Baby" years...more the "El Shaddai" and "Thy Word" years. The older Rankin girls listened to a lot of Amy Grant music growing up...and of the three, she's probably the one that I listen to the most today. Her Christmas CD's are the BEST and she's released several CD's in the past ten years of old favorite hymns that I love to listen to. So, my sisters Kori, Kim, and I have become groupies of sorts. She's never in Kim's neck of the woods (northern Minnesota); but, when she's near Kori and I, we make it a point to go to her concerts! Last weekend, Amy (because we're on first name basis now) was in Effingham and it also happened to be Kori's birthday weekend! So, we had a fancy, dancy dinner (that ultimately upset both our stomachs!) and then spent a couple of hours with Amy while she sang some favorites from our childhood!

In the end, you know you're old when you admit and embrace your oddities.

"Hello, my name is Kelly McCormick, and I'm a die-hard Amy Grant fan."

I made friends with the venue photographer; so, he snapped our picture for us. We had excellent seats...second row...thanks to my mother-in-law!

I'm going to call this video, "The Indoctrination Begins".....enjoy!