FAMILY AND MEMORIAL DAY 2011

My thanks to all the men and women throughout this country's history who have given their lives for their country and my freedom.  I realize that the sacrifice they have given has been so very painful for their loved ones.  My words of thankfulness, appreciation and gratitude are insufficient at best.  God bless you and the cost to your families.

Memorial Day through the years started primarily with the goal of honoring our service men and women.  At some point, Memorial Day became an opportunity to honor the loved ones we have personally lost whether or not related to the military.

Now Americans have extended this holiday to honor Memorial Day as a time to celebrate family.

Our family is no exception.  Today we celebrated with 3/4 of our kids here and 1/2 of our grandchildren!  (It  is really difficult to have everyone present at one time.)

Answered Prayer



We have had a difficult start to 2011.  But today we are grateful to God for bringing Carter through surgery and back to health!  He is our CARTER BOY who is sooooooooo special and a bright spot in all our hearts.  Welcome Back, Carter:)

And our Sarah girl.  She has had a rough two months, but in the last week has shown significant progress.  Today, I felt like we had our Sarah back.  Praise the Lord!!  Thank you Lord for healing!

CELEBRATION

Jeremy flew from Arizona to spend Memorial Day with us!  The last time he was here was 2008 when his grandpa died.  Soooo....we are celebrating having him here with us!  We love and miss him.  We thank God for this opportunity!

The rest of these pics are at the Pizza Ranch!  This is a cheap, kid-friendly restaurant where everyone can be obnoxious and have a good time (I'm not being literal here....your wild 'n crazy gramma would never want to be thought of as obnoxious!  Maybe a little on the edge and naughty, but never obnoxious!!:)

                                                

FAMILY FUN

The Family at what we do best!

Sweet Reese owns the two fingers  on top of Harper's head!!!

Bill, enjoying the fruits of his labor!!!

Harper enjoying ice cream.  Sister helping harper look mischievious!

Fin and Lauren playing horsie/back!

LAUREN

My only hope for a successor to the wild 'n crazy grandma!!!

Never fear, the craziness lives on and on.

Have a great holiday!!!

DON'T WORRY; THINK ORANGE RAINBOWS

Hey, there's been a lot of bad news lately.  This weather stuff is CRAZY!  All these destructive tornadoes wreaking devastation!  Then there are public figures' lives being split apart by infidelity and sexual addictions!  And what about the financial condition of our country?  What about so many Americans being out of work and out of money?????

The list goes on and on.  If we morbidly obsess about all these downers, we will get depressed which adversely affects ourselves and each other.  A couple years ago someone coined the phrase, "Don't worry; Be Happy!"

My four-year old granddaughter, Finley, inspired this post.  She LOVES rainbows and the color orange.  Whenever she is in the car with me, she is finding paintings in the sky.  She optimistically points out the beauty above and beyond in the blueness of the limitless sky.  Have you ever thought about WHERE the sky ENDS????

Her mommy asked her the other day, "Fin, what makes you happy?" 

Finley's answer:  "When I feel good and don't complicate things!" 

Now Grandmas everywhere, think about what this four-year old said.  At first, I just smiled and thought that what she said was cute.  But as I thought further, I had to admit that there was a lot of truth in her words.  A lot of my fretful thinking and angst results from my "complicating" things!  I guess she inspired me to think  SIMPLY "orange rainbows!"

1.  God has provided me with a home that I love.

2.  I have a wonderful husband and four fantastic children.

3.  I don't need "things."

4.  I can get by on less.

5.  Less money can produce creativity and interpersonal mutual dependency.

6.  Bad times give me opportunities to help others.

7.  The list goes on!..........

I think I'll sign off and clean my house.  It is a SIMPLE thing I need to do!

 

A WOMEN'S COFFEE, NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV, AND FALSE EYELASHES

HAVE YOU EVER PLAYED THIS GAME?  YOU ARE GIVEN THREE WORDS (OR GROUPS OF WORDS).  YOUR TASK:  FIND THE LINK OR COMMONALITY AMONG THE THREE WORD GROUPS. 

CHECK OUT THE TITLE OF THIS POST.  WHAT IS THE LINK AMONG THE THREE WORD GROUPS?  THINK YOU HAVE IT??  WANT MORE TIME??  OK, GIVE ME YOUR ANSWER!

WRONG.  TRY AGAIN!

STILL HAVEN'T GOT IT?  OK, I'LL DIVULGE THE ANSWER ALL OF YOU HAVE BEEN DYING TO DISCOVER.  THE ANSWER IS ME ATTENDING A COFFEE FOR WOMEN A WEEK AGO WHERE A SPECIAL GUEST WAS ADDRESSING THE TOPIC OF NIKITA KHRUSCHCEV  AND HIS VISIT TO A MIDWESTERN FARM IN 1959.  AND FOR THE OCCASION I DECIDED TO GLUE ON FALSE EYELASHES WHICH I HAVEN'T TRIED SINCE HIGH SCHOOL.

YES, THE ABOVE RATIONALIZATION DOES MAKE SENSE.  THERE IS "PERFECTO" COMMONALITY.  ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN.....

I WANTED TO LOOK PRETTY.  AND THIS PARTICULAR MORNING, I WAS RUSHING TO GET READY FOR THE PARTY.  I LOCKED WELLINGTON OUT OF THE BATHROOM BUT KEPT WRIGLEY IN WITH ME SO I COULD CATCH HER IF SHE DECIDED TO DO "YOU KNOW WHAT."  I FIXED MY HAIR, PUT ON MY MAKE-UP, AND OPENED THE LINEN CLOSET.....VOILA!  THERE THEY WERE --  SITTING ON THE SHELF FOR 6 MONTHS WITHOUT EVER BEING OPENED.

YES, THEY WERE THE FAKE LASHES.  YOU SEE, IN THE LAST YEAR, MY EYES HAVE BEEN DOIN' SOME MAGIC ON ME, LIKE DISAPPEARING BEHIND MY CHEEK BONES AND SINKING IN THE SUNSET OF THE DARK CIRCLES UNDER MY EYES.  DOGGONE-IT!!  I FIGURED I HAD TO SAVE MY EYES FROM SHRIVELING UP FOREVER.  ONE WEAK MOMENT AT SALLY HANSON'S IN 2010 SEALED MY FATE FOR THIS ONE HISTORICALLY MOMENTOUS DAY.

THE INSTRUCTIONS INDICATED TO SQUEEZE A SLIVER OF GLUE ONTO THE BASE OF THE LASHES AND COUNT TO 30 AS YOU WIGGLED THEM INTO A HORSESHOE SHAPE AND BACK, HORSESHOE SHAPE AND BACK.  (BY THE WAY, THAT WAS CONSIDERED MY EXERCISE FOR THE DAY.....REMEMBER I'M DIETING???)  

MIND YOU, AS SOON AS THE 30 SECONDS WERE UP, I GINGERLY FLOATED THE FIRST LASH WITH GLUE UPON MY RIGHT POINTER FINGER AND WALKED CAREFULLY TO THE TOILET (LID BEING IN THE DOWN POSITION.  I SAT DOWN, BROUGHT THAT POINTER BABY UP TO MY FACE.....*(mailto:%5E&@#^&*)(*&^%$%$###@

The Eyelash was Missing!!!

THE LASH WAS GONE!  I FROZE IN MY TRACKS.  I TRIED TO COME TO AN INTELLECTUAL CONCLUSION AS TO THE PATH OF THE EYELASH CONSIDERING WIND VELOCITY AND DRAFTS.  I MOVED NOT.   SCANTILY CLOTHED, I VIEWED MY BARE SHOULDER AND RIGHT ARM.  NO SIGHT OF THE RIGHT EYE COVERING.  MY EYE FOLLOWED DOWN THE SIDE OF MY BODY, LEG, AND TO MY RIGHT FOOT.  AGAIN, NOT A SIGN.

WOULDN'T YOU KNOW, MY HUSBAND AND I HAD PURCHASED MAINLY BLACK TILE FOR OUR BATHROOM?  AT THAT MOMENT, I WAS HORRIBLY REGRETTING THAT DECISION AS I FRANTICALLY HUNTED THE HAIRY VARMINT DOWN.  PERHAPS IT IS STICKING TO THE SIDE OF MY HEAD, I THOUGHT. 

ALL OF A SUDDEN I PROJECTED MYSELF INTO THAT FATEFUL COFFEE TIME WITH PREMIER KHRUSHCHEV'S GHOST  TALKING ABOUT 1959. SITTING AT THE COFFEE TABLE, THE LADY ACROSS FROM ME SOFTLY BUT KINDLY BENDS TOWARDS ME AND WHISPERS, "BARB, YOU HAVE AN ODD HAIRY THING HANGING FROM YOUR NOSE.  I KNEW YOU WOULD WANT TO KNOW AND I WAS SURE YOU WOULD WANT ME TO TELL YOU...."

I QUICKLY CAME BACK TO THE PRESENT, STILL SITTING ON THE WC.  THE BLASTED EYELASH WAS NOT ON MY BODY.  PERHAPS IT WAS STUCK TO WRIGLEY'S FUR!?!?

I RAN AND GRABBED THE MAGNIFYING GLASS AND COMBED THROUGH POOR WRIG'S FUR, AS IF HUNTING DOWN BED BUGS.  NOPE, SHE WAS AS CLEAN AS A WHISTLE.

BECAUSE THE HOUR WAS LATE, I HAD TO RELEASE THE EYELASH TO FATE AND FLY OFF TO THE KHRUSHCHEV COFFEE.  I PRAYED TO THE LORD THAT THE LASH WOULD NOT SHOW UP AT THE COFFEE IN SOME HORRENDOUSLY EMBARRASSING MANNER (LIKE FLOATING IN MY CUP OF COFFEE!).  SO FAR, A WEEK LATER, THE MYSTERY OF THE EPHEMERAL EYELASH STILL LIES IN THE GLOOMY SHADOWS OF THE PAST.

                                         
 

AN INTERROGATIVE TREATISE

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?  Do you prefer ice cream in a cup or cone?  Do you criticize people who love strawberry ice cream?  Would you rather live on the banks of the Brazilian Amazon or at the South Pole?  Is your preference sitting in front of a warm, cozy fireplace or ice skating on a frozen lake under billions of stars on a cold January night?

Where were you when your first grandchild was born?  Did you want to be a grandma, or did you make up another name like "nonie"?  What stage of grandparenting is your favorite?  Do you interact better with boys or girls?  Is aging an adventure into the "Golden Years" or is it a curse?  Do you really like yourself?  Would you invite yourself to go with you on a trip around the world?

Are you irritated with all these questions?  Is it because you really don't want to delve into yourself?  Do you want to go outside and jump rope?  Would you rather snuggle with a bichon puppy or run wild outside in pasture land where the wind blows free and hard against your body?  Is there an urge to close out this blog and suck on a piece of Dove chocolate while sipping hot Gevalia coffee?  Do you feel like pounding your chest because you feel like an empowered woman?  Are you happy, sad, or relieved that this interrogation is over, at least for now?

(If you liked this, try reading The Interrogative Mood by Padgett Powell)

YOU GOTTA BE A CURMUDGEON IF YOU DON'T SMILE AT THIS!!!

       ENJOY THE LITTLE PLEASURES OF LIFE!!!!

KEEPING PEACE AMONG FAMILY AND FRIENDS

A-hiking I will go, a-hiking I will go, hi-ho-the derry-o, a-hiking I will go  (and as my grandkids add) CHA-CHA-CHA!!!


Once again, I'm in the most beautiful desert in the universe - the Sonoran Desert.  Have I ever told you "I LOVE THE DESERT?????" 

This morning my husband and I were tackling the Overton Trail at Cave Creek.  This is one of our favorite trails and this warm morning we walked silently in formation as the rhythm of life enveloped us in its rapturous tune.  I love to listen when I'm hiking.  I am enchanted with the birds' songs, near and distant, the marching of our boots hitting the rocky terrain, and the rhythmic breathing patterns issuing from my mouth, and the buzzing, albeit irritating, frenzy of the gnats and bees around our heads.

The few words we did speak, however, were responding to the cacophony of conflicts among our own flesh and blood and outside-the-family friendships.  Below is the wild 'n crazy grandma's quickie version on the best way to handle relationship tensions within our families:

1.  When a child comes to either parent with a complaint of any kind about a brother or sister, refuse to listen.
2.  Tell that child to go directly to that sibling and confront the problem between the two of them.
3.  A husband or a wife need not burden their spouse with the details of the conflict.  This only upsets the whole family dynamic needlessly.
4.  If, after the two children attempt to tackle their differences and no resolution is reached, then AT THIS POINT bring in a third party such as a pastor or counselor.  This third person will hopefully be wise enough to know if and when the family should be brought into the situation.

Someone else first came up with the previous idea.  You can read about it in Matthew 18:15-17.

I'm just a little 'ole gramma, but I've been too invested in the quarreling and issues between my kids.  This affects my mood, my time with the grandchildren, and holding grudges against out-laws and in-laws, most of the time unfairly.

Just a thought.....

I'VE BEEN A GRAMMA SINCE 1994 WHEN I WAS 45!!!

I feel pink today; voila! -- the color of my font.  It is Sunday, home from church, sitting on the floor playing with Wrigley, and quite honestly feeling somewhat philosophical about my life as a grandmother.

Those stats in the post title hit me like a left punch to the gut.  1994 seems like a LONG time ago, and 45 feels freakishly young!!!! 

Time goes SO fast.  My oldest grandchild, Ashlan, turns 17 in about a week.  She is in a "serious" relationship.  I am in a "serious" funk right now with my life. 

Last night Grandpa and I went to Reese's 7th birthday party.  Two weeks ago Carter turned 7 as well.  And in July, Lauren turns 9!!!

Ok, so what's the "so what?" 

And here is where the font color turns "blue."  At age 45, I was PRE-menopausal, I was in my right mind, and I had just run a 10K race five years earlier (my one claim to fame!).  My skin was still up around my waist, my jaws did not sag, and I still had kids in high school. 

In 1994 Bill Clinton was president of the United States.....does that sound like a LONNNNNGGGGGGG time ago to you???  It does to me!

Time does not slow down.  Although my body does, time does march on.  In many ways, I feel sad that my grandkids are growing up so fast.  And I am disappointed that physically I am slowing down and feeling less energetic to keep up with small, medium, and large kids!!  I certainly hope I have made the most of the time that I have had with them.  I guess TIME will tell. 

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

LAUGHTER DOETH GOOD LIKE MEDICINE,

BUT A BROKEN SPIRIT DRIES THE BONES.

PROVERBS 17:22

SMILE, LAUGH AT YOURSELF, & ENJOY TODAY!!!

DUCHESS OF WRIGLEYSVILLE ARRESTED FOR DISORDERLY CONDUCT TODAY, MAY 3, 2011

(This event ACTUALLY occured in time and space.

The writer of this blog never needs to go to her own "dream spot."

Inspiration for posts just "happens" to this pathetic victim.)

"On Tuesday, May 3, 2011, the honorable Duchess of Wrigleysville was arrested for disorderly conduct on public property at the Marriott Conference Center in Racine, Wisconsin.  The Duchess has been incarcerated in the Racine City Jail's holding cell. "  Quote from the The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.



(County Mug Shots courtesy of the Racine Police Department)

Those words, my fellow graveling, gorging, global grammas, have been the nemesis of my soul for this whole week.

Do you have any interest in the account of what happened?  It doesn't matter, because you're getting the scoop whether you want or not.  

Picture the morning:  It is Tuesday and Wrigley and I have been "holed" up (my choice, btw) in the hotel room for three straight days while Mr. Bigshot is conducting meetings in a nearby town.  We are getting ready to check out, move dog food to the car, haul a crate to same vehicle, not to mention all my stuff.  I am dressed "to the nine's" for an important celebratory event at my beloved's institution.  So, of course, I'm late and the maid is becoming an annoyance.

For the third time, she bangs on my door letting me know check-out was 20 minutes earlier.  I walk to the door, still chained, and open a creak to whisper, "I'll be out in just a few!"  As soon as my words leave my mouth I spot movement in my periphery vision of a blenheim spot moving down the hall.  THE DUCHESS OF WRIGLESVILLE HAS ESCAPED!!                                                                                       

Do you realize how many hallways are in the Racine Conference Center????  It is a maze of hundreds of rooms and corresponding hallways.  And I swear the Duchess is not only "lightning" fast, but she has earned a PHD in geometry!!   Her determined defiance enabled her to split off at precise angles in which my 62-year old body was incapable of twisting.  I have provided a diagram of what this looked like for 20 MINUTES!  I am represented by the RED arrow, the Duchess by the BLUE:

I was chasing, and chasing, and chasing.  I became dizzy as I was running and turning corners.  Seriously, I had no idea where I was at certain points in this menagerie.  At one point, armpits "pitted out," I found myself in the hotel LOBBY, for goodness sake.  I was panting, "Please help me catch her!" to blurred humans I passed.  THEY DIDN'T EVEN ACT LIKE THEY CARED!!!  What is this world coming to?  (This dark question is still haunting me and feeding my depression!)

After passing the lobby, the dog (all endearments are temporarily inactive) bolted in a corridor.  My brilliant creativity kicked in.  SHUT HALLWAY DOOR and contain her.  A divine moment, a glimpse of a bygone dog training book showed up in my memory bank.  "When these situations occur, lie down and play dead!!"

I dropped to the ground, spread eagle as if my heart DID truly give out, squinting to see 50 feet ahead of me.  THE DOG took one look, turned 180 degrees and pranced down to check out another pathway.   I realized this was not working, and just as if my life were passing before me, I reached the path of acceptance: "I am gonna lose my canine love interest."

That's it, girls.  I finally lured her into the pop machine room with treats I frantically found in my room.  I grabbed her right there and haven't talked baby talk to her since.

I wish this was a made-up part of the story.  But I have ACTUALLY been in tears over this experience......FOR REAL!!!! 

My final psychiatric evaluation is this week.