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Normal is Just a Setting on Your Dryer
With wit and wisdom, the best-selling author and humorist Patsy Clairmont declares normality abnormal, setting readers free from their pursuit of the unattainable.
160 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1993
4 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
Patsy Clairmont
115 books137 followersPatsy is a bookish woman who loves words and has a penchant for dark chocolate sorbet. Since spelling bees in grade school, childhood Scrabble games, right up to her current addiction with Words with Friends she has been known to spell it out, to say it like it is.
Much to her surprise Patsy has written a stack of books that continues to light her passion for the printed page. And nothing pleases her more than to share her faith through laughter and tears and to encourage others to flourish.
A former agoraphobic Patsy never imagined the expansive plans God had in mind for her. She just wanted to make it to her neighborhood grocery store and safely home again. Instead, for the past 35 years she has been traipsing throughout the U.S. and Canada, interspersed with trips to Israel and Africa and she has even spoken at the Pentagon for the Flag Officers Bible Study. Patsy has spoken to millions of women (and men) offering spiritual and emotional hope.
Patsy has written books in several genres including devotional, fiction, children’s, and gift offerings. She is one of the founding speakers at Women of Faith and trains people for the platform.
Patsy is the author of over 35 books best-selling books and currently lives in Franklin TN.
Much to her surprise Patsy has written a stack of books that continues to light her passion for the printed page. And nothing pleases her more than to share her faith through laughter and tears and to encourage others to flourish.
A former agoraphobic Patsy never imagined the expansive plans God had in mind for her. She just wanted to make it to her neighborhood grocery store and safely home again. Instead, for the past 35 years she has been traipsing throughout the U.S. and Canada, interspersed with trips to Israel and Africa and she has even spoken at the Pentagon for the Flag Officers Bible Study. Patsy has spoken to millions of women (and men) offering spiritual and emotional hope.
Patsy has written books in several genres including devotional, fiction, children’s, and gift offerings. She is one of the founding speakers at Women of Faith and trains people for the platform.
Patsy is the author of over 35 books best-selling books and currently lives in Franklin TN.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 13, 2019
Another collection of clean, wholesome funny stories that lead an evangelical Christian comedian into "spiritual" reflections...Clairmont later looked back on the books that made her famous as "clowning," so I'd like to say here that I found this one spiritually helpful.
I was born and raised an introvert, in a family of nice, quiet, sensitive, thoughtful introverts (who had our own ways of achieving chaos) who mostly "kept the Sabbath staying at home," like Emily Dickinson. I learned the hard way that there were good reasons why my parents did this. When I joined a church, I received many toxic messages along the lines of "Look at (people like) Patsy Clairmont--she was even more NEUROTIC than you are, and by the grace of God (and psychiatry) SHE became a REAL PEOPLE-PERSON."
Clairmont actually toured with writers like Beverly LaHaye and Florence Littauer, who encouraged church people to respect the fact that some of us are not meant to be "people-people." Given a lot more respect than I encountered in most churches, we can, perhaps, overcome our natural feeling of distaste and contempt for "people-people" and be charitable about the fact that they seem to act that way because they have less completely developed brains. As things are we seem to end up not attending church and saying apologetically to new acquaintances "I'm a Christian but I'm certainly not one of those obnoxious evangelical types of Christian...I'm 'spiritual' not 'religious'," etc. etc. Because too many church people wanted to ignore the message of respect for different personalities.
So I didn't buy Clairmont's books for a long time after they were published, but when I finally read them, they were enlightening. Better than any other writer I'd read, Clairmont showed me how extroverts react to the most annoying things extroverts typically do. In "Normal Is Just a Setting on Your Dryer" she shows how, among themselves, they actually *like* behavior I'd call abusive. In one story Clairmont's husband isn't able to find his way across his own yard while blindfolded, and his friend thinks it's funny to lead him in circles and warn him of steps when he's not approaching the steps, and he thinks that's funny too. Amazing.
If these stories would never have happened to you or your family, that's an indication that your most satisfactory relationships will be with people to whom they wouldn't have happened either. However, by laughing at these stories you'll be able to understand how it's possible for entire families, even churches, to feel that the family life these stories describe might be considered normal--for anybody.
I was born and raised an introvert, in a family of nice, quiet, sensitive, thoughtful introverts (who had our own ways of achieving chaos) who mostly "kept the Sabbath staying at home," like Emily Dickinson. I learned the hard way that there were good reasons why my parents did this. When I joined a church, I received many toxic messages along the lines of "Look at (people like) Patsy Clairmont--she was even more NEUROTIC than you are, and by the grace of God (and psychiatry) SHE became a REAL PEOPLE-PERSON."
Clairmont actually toured with writers like Beverly LaHaye and Florence Littauer, who encouraged church people to respect the fact that some of us are not meant to be "people-people." Given a lot more respect than I encountered in most churches, we can, perhaps, overcome our natural feeling of distaste and contempt for "people-people" and be charitable about the fact that they seem to act that way because they have less completely developed brains. As things are we seem to end up not attending church and saying apologetically to new acquaintances "I'm a Christian but I'm certainly not one of those obnoxious evangelical types of Christian...I'm 'spiritual' not 'religious'," etc. etc. Because too many church people wanted to ignore the message of respect for different personalities.
So I didn't buy Clairmont's books for a long time after they were published, but when I finally read them, they were enlightening. Better than any other writer I'd read, Clairmont showed me how extroverts react to the most annoying things extroverts typically do. In "Normal Is Just a Setting on Your Dryer" she shows how, among themselves, they actually *like* behavior I'd call abusive. In one story Clairmont's husband isn't able to find his way across his own yard while blindfolded, and his friend thinks it's funny to lead him in circles and warn him of steps when he's not approaching the steps, and he thinks that's funny too. Amazing.
If these stories would never have happened to you or your family, that's an indication that your most satisfactory relationships will be with people to whom they wouldn't have happened either. However, by laughing at these stories you'll be able to understand how it's possible for entire families, even churches, to feel that the family life these stories describe might be considered normal--for anybody.
February 22, 2020
I don't know why, but this book really did not resonate with me. This book is a series of short 3-5 page chapters that mix seriousness, humor, and religion to important life events and lessons. Despite the book not resonating with me, I would like to meet her because her husband was a scout camp ranger and they lived on a camp in Michigan for many years, something which I have a little of experience with.
January 2, 2023
This was quite a uplifting book it brought me joy and happiness and all from an author in the same state as me!!
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a easy read filled with laughter and emotional stability.
She is quite funny and very open to sharing her faults and strength. It does have religious undertones so if your not into that it could be not for you.
Funny delightful and inspiring. A+
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a easy read filled with laughter and emotional stability.
She is quite funny and very open to sharing her faults and strength. It does have religious undertones so if your not into that it could be not for you.
Funny delightful and inspiring. A+
December 31, 2018
Funny, encouraging, honest, highly recommend this book! Perfect to encourage yourself and/or a friend. I laughed, could easily relate, light parts and solid teaching. Love the sister story Amazing! Looking forward to reading more from this Author!
February 6, 2018
Short quips from Patsy keep you smiling and laughing, yet keeping your spiritual focus toward God.
March 11, 2020
A series of short stories. I saw Patsy Clairmont speak years ago and thought she was very funny. The chapter on crafts made me laugh so hard I cried. Too bad the whole book wasn't as funny.
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December 2, 2020
Short chapters; a quick read. Laugh Out Loud humor with solid truth mixed in.
June 20, 2022
A fun and interesting read!
October 27, 2024
Light reading and clean humor
July 5, 2007
45. "With wit and wisdom, the best-selling author and humorist Patsy Clairmont declares normality abnormal, setting readers free from their pursuit of the unattainable."
Cute stories, but they came off too practiced, too "done". Think 'Chicken Soup For the Soul'.
Cute stories, but they came off too practiced, too "done". Think 'Chicken Soup For the Soul'.
September 16, 2008
Patsy Clairmont is a petite Christian woman that speaks about her trials in life and remembering that God is helping her out, she just may not see it at first.
She shares short stories and it is a very quick read.
She shares short stories and it is a very quick read.
December 21, 2011
I heard Patsy speak at a Women of Faith conference in 2010 and thought she was hilarious. I enjoyed these quick 'snippets' of her wit and wisdom.
April 24, 2012
Very funny. Lots of stuff I felt like I could relate to.
Did not finish
September 21, 2012Not bad, but not what I expected. I was hoping for more of Patsy Clairmont's usual funny takes on life, but it was more of a life lessons book.
June 26, 2012
Love Patsy Clairmont's humor.
Read
September 13, 2012Read the 1993 version.
December 22, 2016
Fun and heartwarming full of faith
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews