School Daze

When the trio came over this afternoon, the girls were so excited to let me know they had been shopping for school supplies and first day of school outfits. They described, in detail, their new lunch boxes and backpacks. Jack, on the other hand, looked exactly like he does in this photo. "Please, can we not talk about school already??" he cried!!! I burst out laughing! He is all boy and school is not his favorite. He'd rather be hitting a ball, skating down the ice or playing a video game than school. He would like to avoid the subject as long as possible and enjoy his summer. It is going by fast enough according to him. Why rush it even more with all this "school talk"!!??
Oh, Jack E. Boy, you make me laugh every day and for that, I thank you!!

Pay Attention

If you ever want monosyllable answers, ask a child what they learned in school that day! My kids often said, "Nothing!" A lifelong lover of learning, it was frustrating for me to hear them say nothing. Sure, some days at school are less interesting and exciting than others, but there should be something you take away from it.
In the "school of life", in which we are all students, I hope that we can still learn something each day. I find people all around us offer lessons, if, as the sign says, we only pay attention.
Today, I asked the sales clerk how her day was going and she seemed surprised that I cared enough to ask. I learned that little things like that still matter.
Today, I learned that smiling at another human causes them to smile back at you...mostly. It is a cost free pick me up.
Today, I continued my lesson to listen more and talk less. Yes, this is a tough one for me.
How about you? Learn anything today? Were you paying attention?
Good thing we get another chance tomorrow!

Lessons in Imperfection

 So, I found this cake mix (on sale!) that promised a tie-dye cake. It sounded like it was just the thing to do with the girls on a summer afternoon. It proved to be a bit challenging in that you had to create each color through a process of adding a certain number of drops of this color or that color to create the six colors of the rainbow. These colors were unlike any I had ever worked with before, each with beautiful, dark, distinct hues. So far, so good.

 We decided to make it in a bundt pan so as we cut each slice, a beautiful rainbow would appear!  Popping it in the oven, we had high hopes for a masterpiece.

It was not to be! The instructions said to cool in the pan for 25 minutes. I had never cooled a bundt cake for that long, so at 20 minutes, I made the "head chef" decision to pop it out. BIG mistake!!! Only half the cake came out while the other stubbornly clung to the inside of the cake pan! It was, clearly, too soon to be removed and I had ruined all our efforts to make this special cake. I was so disappointed. The girls heard my cries of despair (and perhaps a few "bad" words) and came running to the kitchen. They too were horrified by what they found. Then Maddy said, "Let's taste it." and so we did. We each marveled at how yummy it was, crumbs, mess and all.
Comments included:
Maddy: "Oh, Grammie, just don't look at it while you eat it. It is delicious!"
Abbey: I feel like I have a rainbow in my belly!"
Maddy: "We can still enjoy it with ice cream tonight!"
Abbey: "It is still beautiful, just not what we thought it was going to look like."
Pa: "Where's my piece?!"

The lesson, for me, was, that although far from perfect or what I thought it was going to look like or be, it was still wonderful and a treat.
Just like life!!

Invisible Me

At what age does a woman feel invisible when she walks into a room?........50!!! It was the number one answer in a study done on the subject.
I watch this phenomenon all the time. Men, at most any age, want younger, supple, dare I say "moist" girls. As we age, the field grows narrower and narrower. We are overlooked, not noticed. Men, at any age, smile and try their best to get the attention of the pretty, young girl. Year ago, in my prime I might say, I recall walking down the mall with my much younger sister and watching all the young (and old) men try and catch her attention. I was invisible next to her. Then, time went by and I was walking down the same mall aisle next to my beautiful, blond daughter, and guess what? Once again, I was invisible next to her!
Today, I am about to witness this phenomenon with my two beautiful granddaughters, the next generation to get the attention for their beauty and youthfulness.
As my looks fade and age truly sets in, I have replaced my supple self with a witty and joke cracking self. I am still smart and quick witted. I may not be able to match bodies, but I can sure match brains.
Take that, you younger girls!!!
 

Retirement

Here's a real conversation we had while driving in the car yesterday:
Jack: You know, Grammie, I have $132 saved.
Me: You are quite the saver, Jack. Your sisters spend, but you save. Good for you.
Jack: Well, when I am a NHL player, I am going to have a lot of money and I am going to take care of you. You will just send all your bills to me, and I will pay them. Every month!

Retirement problem SOLVED!!!
Don't be jealous!
 

Reverse Drunk

The simplicity and truth in this sign really spoke to me! They say the hardest step for a runner is the first one that gets you out the door. I find my first mile is a "test that all the parts are still working" kind of pace and then, long about mile four, I get in my "yes, I can do this" pace.
Every time I run, I thank God that I get to run, injury free and healthy. It is a blessing not to be taken lightly. Just ask someone who is sick!

Variety

Many people crave sameness. They are happy to work at the same job, day after day, week after week and year after year. Not me! I love the variety that comes with being an event planner. My office right now is housing items for THREE events at once! To many, this is crazy and much too scattered to be work, let alone any fun. Even I admit that having three parties really close together can be a challenge. My lists have lists! And yet, I seem to pull it all together and create some happy and memorable times for people. I am always flattered when someone hires me. It shows they have confidence in my organizational skills as well as my creativity.
I am a small business. America was built on small business. I try, whenever possible, to work with other small businesses in the area. I believe that when people do a good job for you, you refer them to others. When you have limited funds for advertising, referrals are the backbone of your small business. I appreciate every single person who passes my name along to someone else. In an era when people are quick to criticize and slow to complement, it makes the referral even sweeter. It means you left them happy ~ a job well done. What could be better?
 Biggsuzi

Photo Bombs

 pho·to·bomb

ˈfōtōˌbäm/

informal

verb

verb: photo-bomb

1.

spoil a photograph of (a person or thing) by unexpectedly appearing in the camera's field of view as the picture is taken, typically as a prank or practical joke.

My darling husband spent much of 4th of July photo bombing pictures. After looking up the definition of this word, I am not so sure it applies. I don't think he spoiled the photographs, but may have made them even better and more memorable. He is a simple man who finds fun in the smallest of places. He tries to see the bright side of things when no one else can. He wants to stay a kid at heart forever.

Jack just looked at these two photos and said, "He may be the Photo Bomb Master!"

Oh, boy!!

Dear Younger Me

Funny, but this just might be true!
"The years teach much which the days never knew." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
I was a genius in my twenties, incredibly smart in my thirties. My forties gave way to a small opening of doubt and I swiftly became stupid (I had teenagers!). My fifties brought a new round of imperial wisdom as I brought so much knowledge and experience to this parenting thing, the second time around, through grandchildren. Having just embarked upon my sixties, I have decided to be a little smart and a little stupid. I will be brilliant when necessary and claim old age forgetfulness when it is useful to me.
Crazy like a fox...not a gray fox, a red headed fox!!