Once more through my mother-in-law's window

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"Think for a minute, darling: in fairy tales it's always the children who have the fine adventures. The mothers have to stay at home and wait for the children to fly in the window." 
― Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler's Wife

 

Jim and I, along with Brianna and Andrea, drove to South Dakota Sunday to attend...

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Wherein a Pinterest fail gets Grandma giggling

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I mentioned briefly yesterday that I often feel younger than I am. An incident one night last week confirmed I still have some maturing to do.

See, I searched Pinterest — the sure bet when it comes to brilliant ideas — for ways to create snacks from yogurt. I found a super simple one wherein you drop yogurt on wax paper, freeze it, and you have snacks similar to Dippin' Dots.

My first attempt — using a cookie press fitted with a disc I thought...

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Bagpipes for a brother-in-law

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Jim got the phone call yesterday morning that his brother-in-law had passed away in his sleep Monday night. Richard had battled health issues for a very long time, so the news wasn't surprising. It was, though, heartbreaking.

Jim and I last saw Richard and Sue, Jim's oldest sister, in November. We're deeply grateful for that...

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12 things grandmas can't do

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12 things grandmas can't do

Grandmas can do some pretty amazing things. That's not too surprising, though, considering that they're mothers super-sized into grandmothers. Their super powers are practically a given.

There are, though, a few things grandmas can't do. At least 12, in fact.

things grandmas cannot do

ONE
Grandmas cannot send letters, cards, and boxes through the mail...

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Mom's magazines

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Mom's magazines

Before I was a grandmother of three grandsons, before I was a mother to three daughters, I was a daughter of one single mother. My mom had custody of four or more of her seven kids — myself and my four sisters and two brothers — at various times, depending on who might be staying with Dad, from my twelfth year up until I left home at 17.

family circle magazineFrom Pinterest: http://bit.ly/11VZkAKWith so many kids to care for, the rare treats Mom allowed herself were the Family Circle and Woman's Day magazines she'd pick up when stretching thin as can be the dollars at the grocery store. Back then, the...

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10 non-monetary ways to give on #GivingTuesday

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The week ahead is pretty much lined up for us all. There's Thanksgiving on Thursday, then Black Friday followed by Cyber Monday. After that is Giving Tuesday. Other than Turkey Day, Giving Tuesday is the most important of the holiday week, in my mind. 

giving tuesday ideas

Giving Tuesday is... well... it's this...

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Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and 9 more goodies I could eat every single day

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Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and 9 more goodies I could eat every single day

I recently ate at least one Reese's Peanut Butter Cup every single day for eleven days straight. Most of those eleven days it was more than one.

I blame it on Halloween. And the lack of trick-or-treaters just as much as my lack of motivation to keep my grubby hands out the bag of leftover candy.

food obsessions

See, Jim bought the BIG bag of Halloween candy this year, and when...

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Timberrr! Grandma's tree comes tumbling down

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Jim and I — along with the many mourning doves that live in our yard — are mourning the loss of our Black Walnut tree. 

black walnut tree

Black Walnut trees supposedly don't grow well in Colorado. This one, though, lasted for more than 30 years. Or so says the neighbor upon which our beloved tree fell when...

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