Updates on Meredith

[JemimaPuddle-Duck]

She definitely stands out as being extremely meek, but I don't think most people would have any idea quite how different she is since she is so quiet. My friend was shocked to learn that she had ever had a blog, because she comes across so shy and almost devoid of personality and opinions.

I mentioned it upthread, but I never really read Meredith before all of this - so maybe this isn't unusual, but she certainly doesn't dress as conservatively as I would have expected, considering. She often wears dresses, but they're kind of short and she often wears boots and leggings with them, etc. I wouldn't say she's particularly stylish, but she's definitely not a frumper-lover. She does wear pants sometimes, too, but mostly dresses.

Okay, I guess I got confused about where your friend met Meredith; I thought it was at Bible study. So you heard her talk about her blog at Bible study, and your friend who knows so much about her is from a different group so didn't know she had a blog? I don't mean to sound suspicious, I hate when people do that, I'm just confused about which info you're getting from a friend and which is firsthand.

[Morton Fan]

Okay, I guess I got confused about where your friend met Meredith; I thought it was at Bible study. So you heard her talk about her blog at Bible study, and your friend who knows so much about her is from a different group so didn't know she had a blog? I don't mean to sound suspicious, I hate when people do that, I'm just confused about which info you're getting from a friend and which is firsthand.

I don't mind the suspicion - I'm a skeptic myself, so I get it. :) My friend knows Meredith in an organic way, but I was introduced to Meredith very intentionally by that friend, due to my interest in FJ. So, the info I'm sharing is a combination of my impressions, my friend's impressions, and some social media. I don't want to get kicked off of the social media, which is why I'm being a little vague.

Curious, are you there? Could I message you to prove that I'm legit? :)

[sea_gale]

I really hope they don't plan on moving to Scotland ever if they're going to continue calling the kid "Jobby".

[Hane]

Yup, Burpies, he was raised Unitarian-Universalist, which is as far away from patriarchy as a religion can get.

[GenerationCedarchip]

Thanks for posting this! I am another who didn't read Meredith's blog in its heyday, though I've discovered since that I have some acquaintances in common with her parents. One of my childhood friends (still fundie) was a big fan of Meredith's blog and very sad when she shut it down. I guess she didn't know her well enough to get an invite to the private blog. Even though I'm not sure what to make of their relationship, Meredith and Steven do seem happy and I always rather liked what I saw of her online. Glad to have the little window into how she's doing.

[Hisey]

It always interested me that Meredith and her family were so anti-college (she even wrote a post about how her brother would never "waste time" in college) and then they are so blown away and impressed by Stephen's stellar academic record.

I wonder what Meredith will think of Cambridge. It is such a liberal city,which might make her feel isolated. Yet it is such a fun place, which is good. Onthe other hand, it's full of students and very intellectual (tons of bookstores), which has got to make her feel undereducated.

I'm sure she loves her kids, but it is a shame she couldn't experience Cambridge as a young wife with no kids. She could take a few classes--there are tons of schools there--and expand her horizons a bit. As it is, she will be the undereducated wife of a man with the highest education credentials, in a city which really values those credentials.

I always felt that Meredith should've married a local guy and stayed near her family, whom she obviously loved. She said she wasn't that into farming, but maybe someone in the trades. . . I just don't see how all this adoring can be good for her personal growth.

[hoipolloi]

Someone who knew Stephen BC (before conversion) showed up on FJ a while ago to express amazement at what he's become: http://www.freejinger.org/forums/viewto ... 5&start=20

I won't divulge too much information because I'm sure he's actually a nice guy now and I'm scared the fires of hell will open up and swallow me whole just for finding this forum and laughing over the fascination Steve has inspired in others, but... Steve and I went to school together for many, many years. I actually knew him well. He's definitely brilliant - no doubt about that. But he was also a sarcastic, quick-witted smart a$$. He was never particularly inclined to debauchery, but he was by no means an angel. All in all, he was a pretty normal guy. If he deemed you intelligent to converse with, you probably might have even liked him. I guess he had some major religious conversion while at Princeton of which I don't know all (or any, really) of the details. Suffice it to say that we (his former classmates) were all shocked to hear of this whole story. I mean, his own mom went to a prestigious university and has a career! I do hope he's happy though. If this is what he wants, well, I might not agree with it, but I also probably shouldn't be one to judge. Meh.

Did Stephen get a full-ride to Harvard Law? Interesting that he's doing a minimum tour with the Army although it's not surprising that Meredith is eager for him to get out. I'd hate it too, having my spouse gone & in danger while being left behind with small children.

ETA: It was so clear from her blog & that Shining Stars article that Meredith and her family figured they'd hit the fundie jackpot when Mr. Stephen came a'courting.

[JemimaPuddle-Duck]

I don't mind the suspicion - I'm a skeptic myself, so I get it. :) My friend knows Meredith in an organic way, but I was introduced to Meredith very intentionally by that friend, due to my interest in FJ. So, the info I'm sharing is a combination of my impressions, my friend's impressions, and some social media. I don't want to get kicked off of the social media, which is why I'm being a little vague.

Curious, are you there? Could I message you to prove that I'm legit? :)

Thanks :-)

I really did mean it MORE curious than suspicious. I'm sure if I started talking about my well-known fundie friends, people would be suspicious of me too.

I never followed Meredith, and only read a little about her on here, so this is interesting. It's hard on here, because I'm as curious as the next person and I love some good insider info, but then I always feel a little guilty when I get. A bit voyeuristic, if you will. Ya know? Danged inquiring minds. (My poor husband thinks it is gross how nosy we all are;-)

[Morton Fan]

Did Stephen get a full-ride to Harvard Law? Interesting that he's doing a minimum tour with the Army although it's not surprising that Meredith is eager for him to get out. I'd hate it too, having my spouse gone & in danger while being left behind with small children.

She said that he had always planned to pursue law school after the four years in the Army. His deployment ends in September, but he won't complete his Army service for good until the Summer of 2015. So, maybe the military is paying for his schooling somehow? I am not sure how all of that works.

[Curious]

Hi Meredith Fans :)

Like water in a drought, I see our own Morton Fan has been sharing tidbits about she who is probably our most beloved ex-blogger evah!

I don't want to go into detail and jeopardize our water source, but I can vouch for Morton Fan's veracity on this topic.

Code Speaking Fluffy Bunny out! :animals-bunny:

[hoipolloi]

She said that he had always planned to pursue law school after the four years in the Army. His deployment ends in September, but he won't complete his Army service for good until the Summer of 2015. So, maybe the military is paying for his schooling somehow? I am not sure how all of that works.

Then won't he owe them more time?

Not sure how all that works nowadays - maybe he can do more service time as a reservist, which would certainly allow for buying the ginormous TX ranch at a short sale & running it with Meredith while doing his one weekend a month + 2 weeks a year reserve duty.

[Creampuff]

Thank you Morton Fan!!!!! Meredith was my gateway fundie and I will always be grateful for the pile of crazy she introduced me to. I too would DIE to be able to read her secret blog.

[thekate]

Then won't he owe them more time?

Not sure how all that works nowadays - maybe he can do more service time as a reservist, which would certainly allow for buying the ginormous TX ranch at a short sale & running it with Meredith while doing his one weekend a month + 2 weeks a year reserve duty.

You're thinking of the National Guard. Reservists have no obligations unless/until they get called up to active duty. That usually only happens in times of war.

[nokidsmom]

I didn't know of Meredith until coming here. Found the whole story of how she and her husband met and married rather creepy but hey, if they are happy, well who am I to argue. I can see her husband's deployment to Afghanistan being very stressful to her; my niece's fiance just returned from there and she was pretty stressed out over his deployment and so very, very relieved when he came back safe. So get that Meredith will be happy when hubby's out of the Army.

However, have wondered how she was doing being away from her family, living at the base, interacting with other military wives. Seems she yearns to go back to living like her family, hence the desire to buy the TX ranch, albeit on a short sale.

However, given her husband's political ambitions, wonder if that really will come to pass. She seems like she is a bit out of her comfort zone and wonder how that's going to pan out if he seriously enters politics and she will have to be out there making public appearances, campaigning, etc.

[hoipolloi]

You're thinking of the National Guard. Reservists have no obligations unless/until they get called up to active duty. That usually only happens in times of war.

Thanks for the correction!

Still wonder though who's paying for Harvard Law - it ain't cheap (http://www.law.harvard.edu/prospective/ ... ml#tuition):

2013-2014 Expenses:

Tuition: $52,350

And neither is living in the Boston area.

[erunerune]

I didn't know of Meredith until coming here. Found the whole story of how she and her husband met and married rather creepy but hey, if they are happy, well who am I to argue. I can see her husband's deployment to Afghanistan being very stressful to her; my niece's fiance just returned from there and she was pretty stressed out over his deployment and so very, very relieved when he came back safe. So get that Meredith will be happy when hubby's out of the Army.

However, have wondered how she was doing being away from her family, living at the base, interacting with other military wives. Seems she yearns to go back to living like her family, hence the desire to buy the TX ranch, albeit on a short sale.

However, given her husband's political ambitions, wonder if that really will come to pass. She seems like she is a bit out of her comfort zone and wonder how that's going to pan out if he seriously enters politics and she will have to be out there making public appearances, campaigning, etc.

I think the idea is that they will buy the ranch and then mainly use it to take pictures of Stephen cutting brush there when he is catching downtime from his Ruler of the Free World prep. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Palimpsest]

Stephen has always given me the creeps, but he is certainly highly intelligent. I think he has friends in high places and is being groomed for a political career. His army service is just part of that. He always wanted to be a lawyer, and I'm sure his path to Harvard Law is being smoothed with some fantastic recommendations.

FWIW, Stephen is a Princeton graduate (Classics) and a Rhodes Scholar (MA in Theology). He was converted from UU at Princeton and joined the ROTC. He was baptized as a Presbyterian while still at Princeton. He has ties to the Trinity Forum.

I always thought his marriage to Meredith, the sweet young SAHD, was a bit strange for someone of Stephen's stated ambitions and undeniable intelligence. I'm sorry to hear that she is so quiet and subdued these days. She used to have a fair amount of gumption.

Meredith survived Oxford, although she didn't see much of it because her first pregnancy sounded quite difficult. I do wonder how she'll manage in Cambridge. My guess is that, unless they can get housing through the Law School, they won't actually live in Cambridge but in the suburbs and Stephen will commute in. As far as having a social life centered around Harvard and especially the law school -- it can be brutal to break into especially as a spouse. Mr P had a post doc fellowship at Harvard (ages ago) and I've never been so intimidated in my life! I wish Meredith luck in that environment.

[Morton Fan]

I always thought his marriage to Meredith, the sweet young SAHD, was a bit strange for someone of Stephen's stated ambitions and undeniable intelligence. I'm sorry to hear that she is so quiet and subdued these days. She used to have a fair amount of gumption.

I should clarify that she is so quiet and subdued in person. Online, she still has lots to say.

[MissBitters]

Morton Fan, has she mentioned anything about Doug Phillips scandal online? Her & the rest of her family were big Vision Forum followers back in the day so I am curious what she would say.

[DGayle]

Ewwww. That reminds me of the women on some adoption boards who pray they'll get the call that their child has a biological sibling on the way and they can adopt again. Capitalizing on someone else's heartbreak. Just lovely.

I confess I've occasionally daydreamed that my dream home will end up in foreclosure and my family would win the auction with whatever money we had at the time. I spent a couple hours today doing that. It's the only way we'll ever be able to buy, and it's a dog-eats-dog world sometimes.

[DGayle]

I didn't know of Meredith until coming here. Found the whole story of how she and her husband met and married rather creepy but hey, if they are happy, well who am I to argue. I can see her husband's deployment to Afghanistan being very stressful to her; my niece's fiance just returned from there and she was pretty stressed out over his deployment and so very, very relieved when he came back safe. So get that Meredith will be happy when hubby's out of the Army.

However, have wondered how she was doing being away from her family, living at the base, interacting with other military wives. Seems she yearns to go back to living like her family, hence the desire to buy the TX ranch, albeit on a short sale.

However, given her husband's political ambitions, wonder if that really will come to pass. She seems like she is a bit out of her comfort zone and wonder how that's going to pan out if he seriously enters politics and she will have to be out there making public appearances, campaigning, etc.

Does anyone else get the feeling Meredith married wrong? I think she thought she hit the jackpot with a nice fundy man likely to be rich quickly who could buy her a home in Texas, and instead she's being groomed to be a politician's wife, which she really isn't suited for, while Stephen wanted a conservative trophy wife who'd look godly and submissive on his arm at rallies. It won't matter if she's charismatic when their target crowd is probably going to be Tea Partiers.

[nokidsmom]

Does anyone else get the feeling Meredith married wrong? I think she thought she hit the jackpot with a nice fundy man likely to be rich quickly who could buy her a home in Texas, and instead she's being groomed to be a politician's wife, which she really isn't suited for, while Stephen wanted a conservative trophy wife who'd look godly and submissive on his arm at rallies. It won't matter if she's charismatic when their target crowd is probably going to be Tea Partiers.

Actually, I do get that feeling. And for the reasons you mentioned. It seemed that yes, she hit the jackpot with the highly educated (never mind that her own parents didn't believe in college) man with great prospects. But in hearing how she's getting on at the base, while she seems to do manage, if her husband really wants to make it big in politics, well, she honestly doesn't seem to have the personality or interest for it at all. I get the feeling that once he's out of the Army, she thinks they can go settle down on some farm somewhere and he's going to be home all the time but obviously if he's headed to Harvard with plans for a political career, it seems he's got different plans than that. It could be a rocky road for her down the line.

[MissBitters]

Actually, I do get that feeling. And for the reasons you mentioned. It seemed that yes, she hit the jackpot with the highly educated (never mind that her own parents didn't believe in college) man with great prospects. But in hearing how she's getting on at the base, while she seems to do manage, if her husband really wants to make it big in politics, well, she honestly doesn't seem to have the personality or interest for it at all. I get the feeling that once he's out of the Army, she thinks they can go settle down on some farm somewhere and he's going to be home all the time but obviously if he's headed to Harvard with plans for a political career, it seems he's got different plans than that. It could be a rocky road for her down the line.

The whole Stephen goes to Harvard law while Meredith keeps house, tends to a gaggle of kids, and maybe earns a little extra income on the side scenario reminds me a little of Betty & Dan Broderick.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Broderick

I don't believe Meredith & Stephen will end in such an explosive tragic way of course but I can see Meredith feeling more neglected as Betty did while he pursues law & politics full time. Stephen is as intelligent & driven as Dan was & it's possible he might get bored (or even frustrated) with Meredith's perfect Proverbs 31 woman act down the line. I truly hope this isn't the case, though.

[Morton Fan]

Morton Fan, has she mentioned anything about Doug Phillips scandal online? Her & the rest of her family were big Vision Forum followers back in the day so I am curious what she would say.

Not a word! Kind of surprising, although she keeps things very positive.

[hoipolloi]

Not a word! Kind of surprising, although she keeps things very positive.

Not that surprising when you consider that the MO in these circles is "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." In the case of Meredith's parents I'll bet they just want stay down really, really low. They aren't power brokers in the fundie circles they aspire(d) to and would not be able to handle things like a lawsuit for defamation or any other action that had financial consequences for them.