Grandpa Tom.

He isn’t a character. He is a stand-up kind of guy. You know; for those of you who are not from America, that means that he is reliable, takes initiative when he needs to, doesn’t speak out of turn, but will tell you what he thinks if he thinks it will help.

He was a teacher for most of his life. In work and out. And he makes me laugh. He is also a bit of a trickster, or at least has a fast tongue. He is shuffling about upstairs now. And getting in to bed, slowly, with patience like only a wise man can.

Last night he sat and just talked about some of his memories to us. Therapeutic like.

For us more than for him I think, though I am sure he enjoyed it. There is a lot of wisdom there, but some tom-foolery too. (His name is Tom, so I guess its fitting). Anyway, he was telling us about how he was selected to become an officer for the Navy during the second world war. He had just proposed to my grandmother (she said at the time she was not ready… and quite right too. Tom was 18 and she a bit younger!) and so Grandpa, who was studying to be a teacher at some university between Cornwall (grandpa is Cornish!) and England , signed up for training.

He said last night that it was not because of my grandmothers pause for thought that he joined up, but because he would have done it anyway… I trust he would have. He said to us that he was teething to go to war, though at other times he has talked about the meaninglessness of it all. He is still sore about the Japanese. Most of his squadron (he trained to be a pilot in the Navy) died over on the other side of the world. But he tells anecdotes about officers from Germany and the UK meeting after the war, remembering, shaking hands, having a drink and perhaps forgiving each other.

So he was in front of this panel. There where Officers from the Navy interviewing new recruits from the college where he was being trained to become a teacher. I imagine some stark, not so well lit room with some wooden paneling on the wall. A long “high table”, behind it some men in uniform, and in front an 18 year old; my grandfather… an 18 year old Grandfather with all the confidence an 18 year can have (an I am sure he had less than my grandfather has now) and the 18 year old, who is not yet married, much less a father or grandfather sitting there answering what my grandpa last night called: “silly questions”.

My granny and grandpa had met some time before on a bit of a blind date. She was a cousin of Tom’s friend, who wanted to take another girl out but needed Tom to take care of his cousin for the evening. Grandpa called it a blind date, but I am sure he didn’t have a bag over his head. Well, Grandpa knew a chap who had a rowing boat and so he took Margaret out on a boat ride to the edge of a farm that  was on the river. The farm had an apple orchard. So being the adventuring types Tom and Margaret (Granny) went and picked some apples. They where chased away from the field by the farmer. They have still not been caught.

I am sure they chuckled at the excitement and laughed there way home and enjoyed the taken apples.

Well when Grandpa was sitting before the panel they asked him some questions to see what he was about. Grandpa later found out that one of his tutors talked to the officers interviewing him about deferral, as the tutor wanted Tom to finish his teacher training course. Well this 18 year old Grandpa, who sat before the panel, wanted to go and he went, but before he could  he was asked a silly question: “What would you do if you where in a playground and you saw a U-boat?”

Last night Grandpa told us that sometimes lucky lines come to his head and that he is happy when they do. Well the 18 year old Navel-officer-to-be answered like a bullet out of a gun mussel: ” I would torpedo it sir!”

To which the Navel Officer retorted: “But where would you get the Torpedo?”

“Well”, Grandpa said, “the same place you got the U-boat!”

Grandpa was accepted for navel training and marched some of his best mates out of barracks without a leave card to spend time off in the local village. He only did that once. though he did get away with it.

Last year I remember writing a review about the year and all too soon here am I sitting behind my laptop writing another one. When you start the year it feels like the end of the year will never come. It feels like you have a lot of time to realize all your dreams and targets but before you know you are in last quarter of the year and nothing is done. Oh it happens to almost everyone if not everyone but next time try harder.

Every year starts will beautiful dreams, ambitions and resolution about self and other people but how many people achieve what they set out to do. Many of us start being lazy or complacent by the end of the first quarter. We think we have so much time. Chances are if you start right, it ends right. Start with whatever you have from day one. I’m not innocent of the things I say in here. We all postpone activities here and there. Let’s make our first resolution: If you can do something now, do it, why wait? Never postpone something you can do now for later. You don’t have more time. No day is more than the other. We all have 24 hours in a day whether you are in Montenegro, Cuba, Barbados, Sudan, Chad, Australia or Iceland. It is the same 24 hours. Why shift something to another day- another 24 hours? You just keep the tasks piled up and done when you finally do, it may not be done well. My sweet cousin Phyllis once told me in a letter, ‘…when you miss that particularly minute it is gone forever.’

This year has been so great so, I’m going to run you through my hurray and yucky moments during this year. Forgive me if it is not in order.

My Hurray Moments

• Every single month that Nana Ama and I celebrated marking months in our relationship which got crowned with a whole year anniversary in December.
• When God kept blessing me every single day of the year. There isn’t a single day that I lacked any good thing. Can’t you believe that I paid tithe every week? Which means that almost every week God gave me money.
• When Ellen came to Ghana. It was amazing having someone you talk to over the net coming to stay with you. She’s a friend from Sweden.
• Almost every time my dad gave me money when I was in school. I know sometimes it is hard for my parents but somehow they always have when the time comes for asking. I guess God is always on time, never late!
• When I bought my first table refrigerator at the beginning of the semester. I used up ¾ of the pocket money my dad gave me to buy it. I really under-estimated the price. Because of that, I had to continue asking my dad for money at various times during the semester.
• Every time Nana Ama and I prayed. We prayed most nights on campus and at home on the phone during dawn. It has been a year and I can tell you that Nana is growing stronger in the prayer department.
• Every program Nana & I attended when we were on campus. Even for those that weren’t so nice, being with her was more than enough
• Every time I had to visit Edwina in Aburi. We talked and talked for long about everything and we usually don’t at home. It is nice knowing that you have a little sister though she doesn’t like to admit it, looks up to you. Oh and I got to buy tons of fruits from the Aburi market. It is relatively cheaper.
• When I bought my first bible. I still haven’t finished paying for it though. I got it few days ago. I always wanted my own Bible. Every Bible I had formerly was bought for me by my parents. I wanted to buy MY OWN. It is very nice.
• When Nana & I studied at GIMPA during the exams in my car. It was quite something. Every time we studied together was well spent. I don’t know why people don’t think couples can’t study together because they will get distracted. That’s nonsense! It is up to you.
• Every single time Nana & I cooked together. During the whole semester, we went to the market together and cooked together. Although you may not like to think about walking in the sun, going to the market with your loved can only be fun. I believe there’s no such thing as a boy’s or girl’s job. My mother taught me well.  Oh yes, I cook!
• The day I made banku on a coal pot when I went to Nana’s house. That day she was stressed up, I had to help and it was my first time doing it on a coal pot. At home I only do it on a stove.
• When I was able to get a new student’s id done with help from Ken Afenu and my driving license when my wallet in which they and many other things got lost in a ‘trotro’ or bus.
• When my parents finally released the car for me to use on campus during exams time. It really helped me.
• Making plans with Nana Ama about the future. The plans are breath-taking. I’ll give you just one. We had this idea about setting aside money every month in an investment fund.
• When I had to take care of Grandma Bonney when she was very sick. It was something new but quite an experience.
• When the whole family had gifts under the Christmas tree for the other. I had the most wonderful gifts ever. The running around searching for gifts was fun. My mum had always wanted to have something like that done. She tried so many times every year and wasn’t successful at it because everyone either didn’t have money or did not want to join it but this time it worked. Everyone took a part in it.
• When I started making my journal entries for each day. Some people called them diaries but mine is a journal. It is a lot of things in it. Don’t even think of it?…
• I started attending a new church, Watered Garden right in my vicinity. The experience there has been so wonderful.

My Yucky Moments

• When grand-pa died this January. The thought of him leaving was not good but I believe it was time because he was tired. His death however brought the whole family together. I saw my Uncle- my mum’s eldest brother for the first time. It was great meeting him.
• When my cousin Glen died. It was horrific. Circumstances surrounding his passing are mysterious. He was only 20. He died some few days after his 20^th birthday. I talked to grand-ma. She thinks there was something supernatural behind it.
• When my wallet which contained my student’s ID and driver’s license and all of mine and Nana’s money. I still don’t know where it is. Of course if I know I wouldn’t be lost. Wallets, I’ve resolved not to use them again. You keep everything of ours in it and when it gets missing, everything is gone. That night, Nana and I chased the ‘trotro’ it fell into but to no avail. It was so frustrating. I even took dropping to Madina for the first time and I didn’t have money but Nana was with me all the way. She was so encouraging. I couldn’t have gone through without her. I felt so careless and irresponsible that day. The wallet was bought for me on my birthday by the very same person this same year.
• Every time I had to take out money from my EPACK account because I didn’t want to trouble my dad too much. Over the semester I took out a lot but I’m going to get it back.
• When I heard very disturbing news about my friends being involved in an accident on Christmas Day. I still do not know the details yet but at least I know they are all fine.
• When I was looking for an internship during the recent long vacation in the summer and wasn’t successful at it. it was so frustrating. I made a mistake in sending my application after the exams which was so wrong. You have to send it way earlier.
• When Nana nearly veered the car into a pole when I was teaching her how to drive. Her steering is not so good but God she likes to speed. Funny thing she had been called boys who over speed, lunatics!
• When my tire cover went off into the wind on the Tema Motorway and I had to stop and run way back for it. It was a weird experience but the run was fun. If you know how a motorway is structured, you can’t turn the car back and cars are speeding at 100kmph!

2009 is almost over. There have been good and bad times for everyone at a point in time during this year but it is not the end of the world. Someone told me that ‘if you are alive then it means then there’s still a lot for you to do here.” If you are reading this then you are alive, so don’t stop dreaming and don’t get comfortable with where you are. There’s a world out there to conquer. I wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR! All the best in the coming year.

My grandpa Swartz was one of the greatest guys I ever knew.  He was blessed with a mechanical mind, and he could repair and restore anything he wanted to fix.  Because of this, his house was furnished with castaway antiques that he’d carefully and accurately brought back to life.  His living room walls were decorated with old clocks that he had restored, and you should have heard the racket they stirred every hour.  Grandma literally had to turn up the TV to hear the news break! 

And forget about having a good night’s sleep if you were a grandson spending the night on their couch.  But it didn’t bother me that much, especially in the winter.  It was always nice and cozy by the fireplace.  It was a tradeoff, because if I didn’t sleep well, at least I got to lay there on the couch and enjoy that wood-fire warmth! 

From Left: Grandma, Great-Grandma, Grandpa, my cousin, my aunt, and my mother.

When I would arrive at Grandmas on foot (they were our neighbors), he was usually in his basement restoring another piece of ancient art.  For a while, I’d talk to Grandma over my compulsory cookies and candy, and then I’d make my way down the steps to Grandpa’s cave, with some plan in mind.  Every time I opened the shop door, I was greeted by the smells of Minwax® and hardwood sawdust.  Now, my plans weren’t usually too elaborate; I just wanted Grandpa to make me anything out of wood.  It was his attention that I really wanted, and since he usually didn’t have much to say while he was working, this was a perfect solution.  He could keep working, and I could get some time with him.  And, of course, I could walk away with a cool new toy!  The usual creation was a gun or a knife.  He’d walk over to his pile of scrap wood and carefully choose the perfect piece.  The great thing is that he’d let me do some of the work on it myself.  I learned how to use a draw knife, a drill press, a wood lathe, and more common tools like the table saw and band saw.  In those days, I got quite an education in woodworking and I didn’t even know it.  I mean, who uses a draw knife these days?

But the thing that I remember most fondly about Grandpa was his sense of humor.  He was the type of person who would say something with a chuckle, and you might not get the joke until later.  Well, at least when I was a kid it was that way.  

Any time Grandpa saw me or my brothers drawing a picture, he’d say, “That looks good!”  Then after a dramatic pause, “Can you draw flies?”  I never could understand why he laughed at our artistic confidence.

And if my brothers and I weren’t getting along, he’d threaten us by saying, “I’m gonna give you a lickin’.”  I only had to have one lickin’ in my life.  For the longest time I avoided this unknown punishment.  But one time, I found out the hard way that this is a punishment far, far worse than a spanking.  Grandpa got a hold of me and dragged me into the bathroom as I laughed and cried.  There, he promptly pulled up my sleeve and licked my arm from wrist to elbow!  I don’t think I’ll ever forget that nasty feeling of my hair sticking to my arm, or the smell of Grandpa’s breath that emanated pipe smoke and Levi Garrett. 

We always loved to hear about Grandma and Grandpa’s wedding.  In those days, they didn’t have that much money, and a lot of couples ran off to get married.  Grandpa took Grandma and a witness couple to West Virginia so they could get married.  As they talked to the Justice of the Peace, their ages came up in the interview.  “19 and 20 years old?  You’re too young.  West Virginia state law says that you must both be 21 years old to be married.” Well, as Grandpa recalled the story, they stumbled back out to their car and discussed what they should do.  No one warned them that they had to be 21 years old.  They finally decided to go to the next town and try again.  Miraculously, they had both aged to twenty-one by the time they met with the Justice of the Peace!

Grandpa always finished his story with a wistful voice, “Yep, and I never understood what true happiness was until I got married….  But by then, it was too late!”  We’d all laugh, much to Grandma’s dismay.  But in time, Grandma grew to tolerate this tired old joke and even began beating Grandpa to the punch line.  Incidentally,neither Grandma nor Grandpa thought it was too funny when we questioned the validity of their matrimony, due to the age discrepancy.  

Grandma and Grandpa at our wedding, 1991. "Seen one, you've seen 'em all!" Grandpa said of weddings. But notice who had the camcorder!

After Grandma was finally wise to his joke, Grandpa now had to elaborate on it, so somewhere along the way he began to add what happened after the wedding:  When they got back home, he said to his bride, “Now see here!  This is the way it’s going to be.  I’m the man of the house, and what I say, GOES!”   He didn’t see her for three days after that.  But then, on the fourth day, the swelling went down in his right eye and he was finally able to see her again!  We knew better, but still enjoyed his ornery laughs as he “recalled” the story.  I never remember either of them hurting any of God’s creatures, much less laying a hand on each other!

Life is full of moments, and it seemed Grandpa had a lot of humor to add to each one.  He’s been gone for more than a decade now, but hardly a week goes by that I don’t find myself in a moment that reminds me of him.  Most of the time, I still find myself chuckling to myself.  Even about the lickin’.  What a gift he gave me in those moments!

Hey everyone! I wanted to write a quick post to tell you all that I will be out in the woods for the next few days (until Sunday) without internet access. I don’t even think I will get cell phone reception out there. I am actually a little excited to be getting away and just being with Will and his family. I love them so much. They are very, very special to me and I adore every chance I get to spend time with them. Before I go, I wanted to share a few photos I took the other night playing around with manual focus for the first time at my Dad’s.

That was a beautiful time, as well. I will miss my family so much this weekend. Christmas is always a bittersweet time for my family. Sure, it gets easier every year… but still… That is for another post. Maybe next Tuesday? We will see.

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend, whether you celebrate Christmas or not. Enjoy the snow if you get it and dream of it if you don’t. I truly love you all and hope to unwrap lots of comments when I return. You all brighten my days over and over and I thank you for that.

love, scout

P.S. I did get only a handful of cards out so far. BUT here are some of the photos I have taken with the instax so far. Yep, we love it.

I was sitting with my family the other day, watching Wheel of Fortune and thought…where are all the old folks.  I wanted to ask Pat Sajak and Vanna White how many people in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s have been contestants on their show.

Wheel of Fortune started in 1981 and has been a hit to viewers all over the world.  Sony Pictures produces the show under the direction of Executive Producer Harry Friedman and is distributed by CBS Studios.  Both Sony and CBS offer a flavor of television shows and movies with actors in their teens to middle age to seniors.   However, our Wheel of Fortune – the show that gave away over $10 million in prize money last year, offers us up college aged kids and contestants in their 20’s-40’s.  Maybe a 50 year old once in a while.

I ask you – When is the last time you watched Grandma or Grandpa spin the wheel?  Wouldn’t it be a nice Christmas present to us all if we saw more senior citizens on America’s favorite game show?

Vanna has worn over 5,100 dresses over the years and believe it or not claps about 720 times a show.  (all these stats are direct from the Wheel of Fortune website)  Pat hosts the show and Vanna lights up the puzzle board.  The three players on the daily show are picked from among 10,000 people who try out every year.  Only 600 are selected to be contestants on the show.  Of those 600 people, a mix of men and women – how many are old people?  How many are our parents?  How many are in their 70’s? 80’s? or even 90’s?

Sony’s application asks for your birthdate.  Might they be looking at the age of the applicant and….just maybe discriminating against Grandma and Grandpa?  Who is the audience?   Of the 90 million viewers worldwide, maybe a majority of those are members of AARP.  Really, most of the show’s viewers are in the later years of life.  And they still have many a year to go!  So why would Sony/CBS and Wheel of Fortune NOT please their demographics and show MORE older Americans on the show?

Sections 2 and 3 of the Q&A Contestant (FAQS) on Wheel of Fortune website describes a formula for meeting the shows criteria to be a selected contestant.  A positive attitude is number one and most of the older men and women have that!  Otherwise, they wouldn’t be around any longer! 

Again, Pat and Vanna please start auditioning MORE older aged Americans.  They watch the show, they buy your advertiser’s products and THEY are loyal.  They give up 22 minutes of most nights to turn on the TV and turn off their lives to watch who will solve the puzzle board and win.   They endure 8 minutes or more of commercials and smile with Vanna as she turns the letters. 

Please give Grandma and Grandpa a Christmas present…more action in 2010!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

From the WomensConference.org is The Extraordinary Gifts Of Christmas – Life Balance by Rev. Shannon A. White. Stop what you are doing and listen to the quiet voice within you. It’s an excellent read.

From the WomensConference.org website at the end of the article: “Rev. Shannon A. White balances her professional life between being a Presbyterian minister, award-winning television news reporter, popular speaker and author. She has spent 13 years in churches in Connecticut and New York and is currently Associate Minister at Round Hill Community Church in Greenwich, Connecticut. Her most important role in life, however, is as mother to her 10-year-old daughter, Peyton. Together, they wrote How Was School Today? Fine…, due out in February 2010. They hope their book will help deepen communication between parents and their school-aged children.” Visit www.shannonawhite.com for more information.

Happy Holidays, Gang!

For your Yule Tide enjoyment we are taking a look at one of the most controversial and universally reviled films in all slasherdome. That’s right, we’re talking about the 1984 axe wielding killer in a Santa suit flick, Silent Night, Deadly Night.

So bundle up and prepare yourself for crazy grandpas, adorable little kids, early childhood trauma, nun S&M, bad Santas, the birds and the bees, snowman murder, slay rides, Jabba the Hutt playsets, Linnea Quigley’s tits (again), billiard banging, crotch gazing and so much other naughtiness!

This is one Rotten Review you’ll want to view with a warm mug of cocoa, someone to be naughty with and your therapist on speed dial!

Have a Happy Holiday and a Trashy New Year!

your pal,

-The Primal Root

Just click on the poster below to watch the latest Rotten Review!

Check out more photos of the items by clicking on the pictures

and see more amazing vintage items that are for sale

HERE

PS Crazy day thrifting… first I wasn’t even supposed to be but couldn’t help stop off at a less frequented thrift store. Less frequented because whenever I go I have an encounter with either a bum tapping my window and terrifying me in my car after I park or people aggressively trying to get me to sign a legalize pot paper thing. Heck NO! I don’t want to and I sure wouldn’t put my name on a list to promote it when that list may get into the wrong hands! So, not so shocked when I smelt the ever skunky smell of pot drifting in the front door of the thrift store. Hmm. Well, I did get some great 1970s dresses I hope to post soon along with the 1960s dresses I picked up last week. All in due time! I am now off to bed after an exhaustive day of rearranging the house, reading, writing, mailing Christmas and Etsy packages and shopping. Night!

My Grandpa is in hospital.  He is ninety-one years old. Everyone is worried.  I am not, worried that is.  I have always for some reason or another have had a sixth sense about these things, this may sound airy-fairy, and frankly I could care less what some may think of me or my “feelings”. 

People tell me things about things and I ask myself, “What is going to happen with so and so?” or “What is going to happen with this or with that?”  I wait for an answer.  The answer comes as a feeling, it is not a straight answer, I have yet to receive an answer like, “So and So will become better and then fall gravely ill within 46 days.”  It is NEVER like that at all.  I ask my question and just wait for the feeling.  I do this with an open mind and calm my emotions.

You may be wondering where I am with my Grandpa.  I asked myself the question yesterday when I received word that he was in hospital after falling down again.

“What is going to happen to Grandpa?” 

Almost immediately the feeling was, it will be ok.  There will be some struggle but with help, Grandpa will be right as rain.  I felt none of what I felt when I asked the question about another great teacher who died recently.  When I asked the question, “What is going to happen to Bruce?”  The feeling was not ok.  I prepared myself to be supportive and waited for the inevitable.  I did not verbalize my feeling, I prayed for Bruce, his family and myself.

Eckhart Tolle, in the “Power of Now” or is it “A New Earth”, I can’t remember, say’s this about life and death; ‘All structures are unstable, it always amazes me when people come to me and say, so and so died, can you believe it? Well of course I can believe it, we are born, we live and then we die.  It is the fact of life.  If people were more open to these facts instead of just shutting them out life would be oh so much more enjoyable.’

I know I have spoke about structures before.  I am going to re-iterate it again.  All structures are unstable.

To get back to my Grandpa.  He is going to be ok.  With support and assistance he will be ok, which tells me he is going to need some serious assistance these next few weeks.  I will help him out to the best of my ability.

I guess that doesn’t sound so airy-fairy after all.  Well not to me anyway.

Peace to you all and have a Merry Christmas.

Still looking for the perfect gift for grandma or grandpa? Have a special senior in your life and want to remember them this holiday season? There is still time to buy gifts online and have them shipped for Christmas delivery!

When you buy senior gifts online today 12/21 and tomorrow 12/22 by 3pm EST and choose air shipping it means your special older loved one will get their gift in time for the holiday. Don’t delay!

Need some helping picking out a gift for grandma? What would grandpa like this year? Do you have a special great grandma in your life?

Last minute gifts that may be just right for your senior:

Lap Desk/Tray- This item is great for seniors who want to write, read or eat from the comfort of a chair or bed. Use anywhere, take anywhere! The bean bag bottom makes this item comfortable to use.

Big Screen Solitaire Game- Now with a big screen so everyone can see. Great to keep your older loved one active.

Big Button Phone and the New Cordless Version- These easy to use phones make life simpler. A great low vision product.

Reminiscing Game- Play with family and friends!  A great way to learn about family history and to share stories from the past. Helps keeps minds active.

Kitchen Helpers Gift Basket- Love grandma’s cooking? Keep her at ease in the kitchen with this wonderful gift basket.

Grandma Christmas Gift Basket- Everything Christmas and Grandma themed all in one.

Grandpa Christmas Gift Basket- Everything Christmas and Grandpa themed all in one.

I don’t know how to get past this feeling of breaking down. It’s the day of my grandma’s open heart surgery and I still can’t manage to breathe it all in. I’ve been spending time with my grandpa and can’t help but notice him walking face down anywhere we go.

In the midst of normal conversation she is brought up. Surgery concerns and anything regarding her condition or future outlook. I just look at his face and want more than ever to ease his worry wrinkles and tense mannerisms. He doesn’t want to lose her and I’m so afraid of how he’ll fair if she happens to take the road to heaven soon. He’s done a surprisingly good job doing most of the tasks grandma normally does: making food, washing dishes and clothes, refilling medication holders, etcetera. I’m proud of his strength and while I know of his vulnerability and how he isn’t afraid of showing it, he still is able to be the strong grandpa I know throught it all.

I don’t want to lose her. We keep bringing up how she died a few weeks ago (revealing she needed this surgery or was given about 12-18 months to live) so why would she have to go through all of these painful hospital visits and surgery if she would only die again? This is her second chance.

But I know she’s been hurting for so long that she might be ready to give up. Not necessarily give up but let go and move on to the beautiful place upstairs with Deven. I could almost see it in her eyes, so I asked her. She said no but whatever happens happens. I hate this wait.

Dear Jean Guitar Clothing is available in our online shop. Whenever an order is placed, we do not only handle and ship it instantly, we always try to add something extra to it. An extra treat so that you can feel that you are someone extra to us. Because that is what you are.

For those of you who wish to examine the quality, color and size of the gig bag in real life, Dear Jean is right now in contact with a few global selling agents. Hopefully you’ll soon have a retailer close to you. Today, the Dear Jean Guitar Clothing Collection is available at fashion and lifestyle boutique Grandpa in Södermalm and Kungsholmen in Stockholm.

Our gig bags are however not the only reason for visiting the Grandpa boutiques, when being some of the most interesting lifestyle spots in Sweden. Every item in the Grandpa supply is carefully selected and always presented with a personal and loving touch.

Dear Jean ♥ Grandpa.

Here is a map to check out the holiday lights in the Long Beach area courtesy of the Long Beach Press-Telegram. I still remember getting in the car with Grandpa and Grandma to drive around and see all the houses that were so prettily decorated for the holiday season in the Chicago area. I say ’still’ because now I can do it with my own grandchildren!

Every time we turn the corner in the car…

“Errrrtt.” (like a screeching tire sound)

“Grandpa taught me that. Errrrtt. Ha ha ha ha. Errrrtt”

BF injured himself.  I won’t say doing what.  But he’s at home.  Which is just as well as there’s nothing I could do for him and I haven’t got the energy to listen to him whine about it or baby him.  Also, I really think he should have gone to Urgent Care yesterday and he insists on waiting for Monday.

So the kids and I are on our own.  PB’s sick.  Really sick.  He was exceptionally mellow and easy going.  Then he said he was cold so I took his temperature, gave him some Tylenol and told him to rest for a few minutes.  He insisted he would be all better in time to go to Grandpa’s for Winter Solstice this afternoon.  Then (having wet his own bed last night) he put himself to sleep in his sister’s bed at 10am.  He woke up at 11:30 seeming much better and again insisted we still needed to go to Grandpa’s.

We got to Grandpa’s and he didn’t want to get off the couch, not for anything.  He felt hot to the touch so I ran out for a bottle of Ibuprofen.  Half an hour later he was back to his cheerful self.  We made it home (with on emergency potty stop, and he did manage to hold it long enough) and he wouldn’t walk in from the car.  So I got J and part of our stuff in and came back to carry him.  I put him on the floor and went to make up his bed and get the PJ’s out.  Five minutes later he was still curled up in his coat.  I pulled the coat off and burned myself on his hot little neck.  So after another temperature taking I gave him more Tylenol and some water.  He’d just swallowed when he said he was going to throw up.  Much as I tried to fly, we didn’t make it in time.  He lost it all over himself, me, the floor, everywhere.  Poor J wanted to know what was going on and got yelled at to stay away.

And I really needed an extra pair of hands.  But I managed.  J’s tucked in bed, sleeping.  PB’s sleeping in the living room, I wanted him close and Not on the top bunk.  My mom bailed me out be running over a little bit of laundry soap so the worst of the mess’s on spin cycle right now.  I’m waiting for the hot water to catch back up so I can have a shower and get it out of my hair.  Yes, it really went every where.  Good thing I have short hair now.  It’s all neatly tucked in a bandana.  And I’m wearing clothes that were in need of a washing when I took then off this morning.  Soon, I will be all clean.  I’ve taken care of everyone else, now I get to take care of myself.

Maybe it ’s better that no one has to see me like this…. But damn would it have ever been nice to have head someone to hand me the paper towels so I wouldn’t have had no choice but to track it all the way across the kitchen.  I almost asked J to bring me her blanket, as it was the only thing she could have reached that might have helped.

California Christmas Boat Parades have been fun to watch since we have been in Southern California. They are all up and down the coast however. Last night we had dinner at the Crab Pot and watched the Naples Christmas Boat Parade. Naples is a neighborhood of Long Beach, CA. The Naples Boat Parade has been fun to watch for several years because it is right in our neighborhood. We have seen the Huntington Beach, Newport and Oxnard Boat Parades through the years as well. All sorts of little and large boats get all decked out with lights and other decorations and parade up and down the waterways. This link has a list of dates and locations of boat parades in California. The Long Beach Press-Telegram hard-copy said it had photos online, but I couldn’t find anything with yesterday or today’s date about the parade online. If I do later, I might link it here.

A park naturalist at the El Dorado Nature Center will be guiding a post-holiday trail walk on December 26 from 10 am until noon. The cost is $3/person and you must register in advance. Call 562-570-1745. Walk off some of those Christmas Dinner calories!

The El Dorado Nature Center is located at 7550 E. Spring St in Long Beach. Here are some Yelp reviews.

The Center is across the street from the El Dorado Regional Park, which has picnic areas, archery range, stocked lakes, pedal boats, physical fitness course, radio controlled model sailboat and model airplane areas, Caboose Corners train ride and other activities.

Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) holds free archery instruction with their equipment or your own. There is a one hour safety/orientation class held regularly. For more information, to confirm class schedule or to schedule groups, call Aletha Donathan, Head Archery Instructor at (562) 688-9666.

Really, Mom should write this post. Or maybe Grandpa, because Grandpa was the sous chef. I was acting food anthropologist.

So to make pea soup, Grandpa says you got boil the water with the peas, wait an hour and then boil it again and make your soup. Grandpa says Goya don’t know what he’s talking about. And Mom is a food rebel. She never used a measuring cup in her life and she has a crazy cabinet full of spices. It is literally an entire cabinet in our kitchen. I love the spice cabinet. If you want good tasting food, you basically have to have an obscene amount of spices. Then you can make your food taste like a party. But actually, you don’t need a spice cabinet for this recipe.

This is how you do it!

Ingredients:
1 & 3/4 bags split peas
Roughly a cup of lentils
Water, lots
4 Carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves, minced
1 packet chicken bouillon
Ham, lots aka 2 cups diced
1 ham bone

First, put peas and lentils in a great big pot. Add six cups water and bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes, turn off, let sit for about an hour. Drain water. Add all remaining ingredients to peas and lentils plus like ten cups of water. Now bring it to a boil and then cover and cook it at a simmer for a long, long time. Until it looks done. The peas will be tender and great!

Some of my favorite memories are making Christmas cookies with grandma over the years. The grandparents.com site has a great page for various recipes to try with children in the kitchen! Gluten-Free Recipes, Cookies, Oatmeal Cookies, Marshmallows, Snacks! Check it out here! Tips for who should do what are here. Have fun!

This week was hard… and this is the first time this week that I’m back to normal routine.

On Saturday, December 12th my fiance’s grandpa passed away. Richard was an extraordinary man who taught his family and friends great things like how to love like Jesus. This week we mourned and celebrated.

Over the course of his life, Richard and his wife Marilyn sponsored 30 children through Compassion. Marilyn requested that family and friends, in honor of Richard, make a donation to Compassion. And while Luke’s grandparents were generous with their finances they were also very generous with their time. Richard and Marilyn taught a “Sunday school” after hours at a public school every week where the lives of many children were touched.  

Richard’s love for children is an example of Jesus’ heart for kids. It’s a wonderful legacy that I so desperately want to carry on with Luke.

An exerpt from our website:

Children who will be the leaders of tomorrow need to be nurtured today

It is during childhood that the most significant life changes can be made and positive patterns developed. Therefore, it is crucial that children receive the necessary care, nurture and training while they are still young.

Children, like ‘wet cement’, can be shaped and moulded in these early years to serve Christ. As they grow, they ‘solidify’ to become all that God intended them to be.

Since 1952, the core of Compassion’s ministry has been to introduce children to Jesus Christ – to provide them with hope and a future. By introducing children to Jesus at an early age, these children serve a vital role in promoting change within their families and communities.

Build into kids this Christmas season!