Edgy Mama: memorable moms of 2011

It’s time again to look back on some of the memorable moms of the past year.

These women aren’t necessarily listed here because I agree with who they are or what they stand for, but they’re moms who struck me as memorable in some way this year. As always, this column is my opinion.

In no particular order:
Local political mom No. 1: Mayor Terry Bellamy. She’s combined mayoral duties with parenting two children for six years (and worked a “real” job at the same time). Now she’s running for U.S. Congress in the 10th District. How will a young, Democratic but fairly conservative African-American woman who is relatively unknown outside of Asheville do in a newly redrawn district against Republican incumbent Patrick McHenry? I don’t know, but it should be fun to watch. Bellamy first made it on this list in 2009.

Local political mom No. 2: City Council member Esther Manheimer. Manheimer works full time as an attorney, parents three boys and is the newly appointed vice mayor. Given that Bellamy going to be busy running for Congress, Manheimer will likely have lots of extra duties as she steps in for the mayor while she campaigns. Here’s hoping those mayoral shoes aren’t stilettos.

Local mom who we all want to be our mom: Jodi Rhoden. The owner of Short Street Cakes not only makes mouth-watering cakes and cupcakes, but she’s written a book about other cake ladies too. Cake Ladies: A Southern Tradition was published this fall by Asheville-based publisher Lark Books, and includes recipes and interviews with Southern women who, well, bake cakes. Rhoden juggles the being mom, baker, writer, entrepreneur and community activist — all while coated in sugar.

Celebrity mom: Victoria Beckham. Posh Spice gave birth to her first daughter this year. Her three older children with hot hubby David Beckham are boys aged 6 to 12. That’s a houseful of kids for the Beckhams. Luckily, they probably can afford nannies.

Writer mom: Anne McCaffrey. The world famous science fiction author died this year at the age of 85. She was mom to three and wrote the best-selling Dragonriders of Pern series. She was the first woman to win both the Hugo and Nebula Awards. As a long-time sci-fi geek, I was saddened to learn of McCaffrey’s passing but thankful for her vision and influence.

Worst mom: Casey Anthony. Enough said.

Mommy Blogger: Rebecca Wolff. Wolff pens the blog http://www.Girlsgonechild.net. She was chosen the most influential mommy blogger of 2011 by http://www.Babble.com. I don’t really read mommy blogs anymore, but I do follow Wolff on Twitter and, along with her other 14,000 followers, I have watched her tweets about the joys and difficulties of adding twins to her family this year.

This is nowhere near a complete list. Who are your memorable moms? Tell me in the comments section at mountainx.com.

 

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.