Chronicles of Nana

How many times have you picked up that dusty old journal grandpa wrote during his mission? Most of us have a desire to know more about our ancestors…it is only natural to be curious about the times in which they lived and how they viewed the world about them. These old journals become family treasures handed down from generation to generation.

EXPRESS YOURSELF…

A journal can be whatever you choose it to be…a running narrative, a eye witness to current events, a life’s story. Journals can express thoughts, observations, and the intermost feelings of the writer. There is no set formula or pattern. It is whatever you want it to be. Below are ten principles in keeping an on-going journal:

1. Allow yourself regular writing time.

2. Provide yourself a peaceful place to write.

3. Develop a centering ritual..create an atmosphere of self-nurturing.

4. Prompt yourself with a routine self-reflection question…I want; I need; What is…

5. Write because you want to write. Do not demand more of yourself than you can give.

6. Create a positive feedback loop. Discovering you own hidden depths stimulates you to continue.

7. Emphasize process rather than product. Keep the flow of words rather than worry about the end result.

8. Use well crafted computer software or write with your own hand- personalize when possible.

9. Learn from your own experiences. Use the objectivity of time to review your life.

10. Enjoy..have fun! Your journal will become another one of your good friends- one who is always available and has time to listen attentively!!

WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT…?

Follow the questions in “Genealogy..Interviewing Questions” seen among the previous posts in this computer journal. Also consider writing about birthdays, baby blessings, showers, engagements, weddings and anniversaries.

Try expressing your thoughts on temple sealings and priesthood ordinances. Write about the first day of school, baptisms, blessings, and graduations. What do you think about holiday celebrations, death, funerals and healing the sick? How can you express your thoughts concerning your love for family, your surroundings and performing daily tasks?

A content list can include the following;

Faith during trials.

Your testamony and understanding of the gospel.

Glimpses into the lives of others.

Missions

Spiritual promptings.

Write every official act of your life; make note of those you baptise, confirm, ordain, bless and administer to.

Include special church activites and leaders you have known, met or work with.

Write concerning significant emotional events and faith promoting experiences.

Discuss the teachings and examples of your parents and relatives.

Note sibling interaction- the good and the bad!

Include failures and successes that teach.

Write about vacations, travels and world events that have affected you.

Count your blessings.

Discuss what time has taught you and those you admire the most.

Relate your community and church service.

Write about your continuing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Witness and testify and seal your testamony onto your posterity.

Journaling can be very rewarding and can be an extension of your personal feelings and observations. You will reap benefits in doing so and your children and grandchildren will one day pause and reflect upon your thoughts and expressions. It is so much better than becoming “just a statistic” on a tombstone…!!

I must be getting old…I am having a difficult time stomaching how people talk nowadays. Not only is the language spiced with nasty offensive words and inuendos but what was yesterday does not mean the same today….what’s up with that..? Good is bad..bad is good? And what about today’s music?- let’s not even go there!

WHERE IS RESPECT?…

 Crap just seems to fall out of people’s face without any forethought to discretion and correctness. Did we not teach our children to speak and act with respect?…ah….RESPECT!

THE OLD DAYS…

I remember the days when the president of the United States( any and all) were addressed as Mr. President. That implied a measure of respect not only for the office but for the person holding that position… I miss those days.

I don’t much care for the salutation” Yo…Campbell.” Somehow respect is shown more when a “Mr., Miss, Ms, or Mrs” Campbell is said now and then. However..”Hey, Nana..” is cool!

Used to be that a car door or any door, for that matter, would be opened for a lady…usually by a gentleman- done so out of respect and good manners. Where did the gentlemen go…? What happened to manners…? And how about those ladies..?

VALUE PROGRAMMING…

I think civility has become old fashioned… Today, we see open disregard for the flag,  government, it’s policies, laws and for people of differing views. We see it in the news nearly everyday and sometimes in the streets of our own hometowns. It has become a world-wide epidemic of mob mentality and disobedience with little concern for tolerance and for public safety. Whatever happened to allegience and the standards for the common good? Where has mutual respect gone..?

FREE AGENCY ABOUNDS…

It is true that everyone has their free agency…there is no doubt. Everyone should be deemed a certain amount of respect just by the nature that they live! But, when a segment of society takes their free agency out at the expense of others then, I have a beef with that! I have my free agency .. so I do not choose to see certain movies, I do not listen to certain music and I do not watch certain well-known personalities pontificate and bombast their bloated views in public. It all becomes just really LOUD noise. I just choose not to go there. I am dismayed that all this stuff get such wide public view…Frankly, I am tired of this same-ole, same-ole. I think I can use a change…

BEING POSITIVE….

I want to hear more positive things from and about people… negativity or any type of grand standing is a real bummer!!- be it with issues, personalities,politics and protests.Through my humble job experiences I have learned there are quiet, wonderful, everyday people out there who really deserve more and better than they are getting and seeing around them. They silently go about their lives struggling with similar problems and conditions. Bucking up to what life gives them with stoic tolerance and continued hard, hard work…occasionally they rise up and speak their minds through their votes..and then go about their business…. may Heavenly Father continue to bless them all!

Yes… I must have totally leaped over that hill…I agree with my mother who often repeated an old saying..” If you can’t say something nice then keep your big mouth shut!.”

 Seems to apply more today than in years gone by..don’t you think?

After nearly fifty years…boy, do we have stuff!! Stuff to put the stuff in; stuff for camping; stuff from the old job; stuff from a major residence move…stuff; stuff, STUFF!! We have really old stuff and new stuff packed and long forgotten.

NO FISHING TODAY….

This year’s Memorial Day was truly memorable…we did not brave the crowded freeways to find a pleasing lake to fish..no; we did not go to the city to a great movie and shopping..NO!! We opened our garage and gazed at all the stuff we have accumulated and then ordered a very large dumpster. Where did all this junk come from??. Well…there is the stuff we moved with us when we relocated because we did not have time for a garage sale; THAT WAS TEN YEARS AGO.!! There is the stuff that the kids did not take with them when they moved out. Then, there is the momento stuff we have collected through out the years.. I mean, just how long do you hang onto it all!

TOSS IT ALL…

We have the snow discs…the craft projects that never got finished..the old lawn mower that does not work…the bikes with the flat tires…and the old stuff animals and toys from the kids we just never passed on. We have the cabinets that never were hung. We have the broken this and that, that just did not fit into the garbage cans.

We have sooo much that just one garage sale will not do! Perhaps we should just disguise it as a neighborhood yard sale…

So, our Memorial Day was Memorable…we reminised over every item tossed into the big dumpster…the stories we told while tossing the crap into the deep…it was an emotional day…. As the weekend wore on we did remember those who have passed beyond and as our weary bones hit the bed we somehow appreciated the idea of resting and not getting up ever again !!

We now have organized chaos in the garage. Carefully stacked cartons and equipment neatly stowed away. Our next job will be to go through all the sealed boxes from yore…ought to be a daunting task hopefully planned for later.

We will make piles of our junk here and there so that we can have that garage sale. Oh, hum..After all, our crap today can be someone else’s treasures tomorrow…

Questions for Family History Interviews
What to Ask the Relatives

1. What is your full name? Why did your parents select this name for you? Did you have a nickname?
2. When and where were you born?
3. How did your family come to live there?
4. Were there other family members in the area? Who?
5. What was the house (apartment, farm etc.) like? How many rooms, bathrooms? Did it have electricity, indoor plumbing or telephones?
6. Where there any special items in the house that you remember?
7. What is your earliest childhood memory?
8. Describe the personalities of your family members.
9. What kind of games did you play growing up?
10. What was your favorite toy and why?
11. What was your favorite thing to do (movies, beach etc.)?
12. Did you have family chores? What were they? Which was your lest favorite?
13. Did you receive an allowance? How much? Did you save your money or spend it?
14. Who was your oldest relative you knew when growing up?
15. What was school like for you as a child? What were your best and worst subjects? Where did you attend grade school? High School? College?
16. What school activities and sports did you participate in ?
17. Do you remember any fads from your youth? Popular hairstyles? Clothes?
18. What was your first car and how much did you pay for it?
19. Who were your childhood heroes?
20. What were your favorite songs and music?
21. Did you have any pets? If so, what kind and what were their names?
22. Do you have some memorable church experiences?
23. Were you ever mentioned in the newspaper?
24. Who were your friends when you were growing up?
25. What world events had the most impact on you while you were growing up? Did any of them personally affect your family?
26. Describe a typical family dinner- did you eat together? Who did the cooking? What were your favorite foods?
27. How were holidays( birthdays, Christmas etc.) celebrated in your family? Did your family have special traditions?
28. How is the world different from what it was like when you were a child?
29. What was your first paying job? How much were you paid?
30. What stories have come down to you about your parents? Grandparents? More distant relatives?
31. Are there any stories about famous or infamous relatives in your family?
32. Have any recipes been passed down to you from family members?
33. What is the full name of your spouse? Siblings? Parents?
34. When and how did you meet your spouse? What did you do on dates?
35. When and where did you get married?
36. What memory stands out the most from your wedding day?
37. How would you describe your spouse and what do you most admire about him/her?
38. What do you consider to be the key to a successful marriage?
39. How did you find out you were going to be a parent for the first time?
40. What has been your proudest moment as a parent?
41. What did your family enjoy doing together?
42. What is the best advise you can give about parenthood?
43. What was your profession and how did you choose it?
44. If you could have any other profession what would it have been? Why wasn’t it your first choice?
45. Of all the things you have learned from your parents, which do you feel was the most valuable?
46. What accomplishments were you most proud of?
47. What is the one thing you most want people to remember about you?
48. If you could give one piece of advise concerning life, what would it be?
49. What do you wish for your grandchildren?
50. If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
51. Do you have any regrets? What are they?
52. What experience would you like to live over?
53. Who would you have liked to meet in your lifetime? Why?
54. If you were to invent something, what would it be?
55. If you could change something, what would it be?
56. In one word, what best describes you?
57. What is the most special memory you have?
58. What is your current dream?
59. What advise would you give to the youth today?
60. Sum up your life in a couple sentences.

Tips:
Schedule interview time in advance.
Let your relative know what kinds of questions that will be asked.
Bring supplies- pens- paper, recorder, video with extra tapes and batteries.
Make note in writing- date/time, place and interviewee’s name.
Ask questions that encourage more than yes/no answers
Be a good listener- do not interrupt needlessly.
Consider the length of the interview- 1-2 hours max.

Does 78, 33 and one third and 45 mean anything to anyone..? Just numbers…? In my day those numbers were similar to  today’s musical CDs. Records were played on phonographs. When I was a teeny bopper I had a little phongraph that played the new 45’s. The smaller version of the larger vinyl records…45’s introduced me to rock n roll and Elvis. Rock and roll was just starting to roll and to rock!

ROCK N ROLL….

Bill Haley and the Comets started it off….But Elvis was the new teen thrill out of Memphis. His music was a cross between  rhythm and blues and black soul. Add in his gyrations and hip thrushs and you have rock n roll! I had a great Elvis 45 collection..man, I should have saved those records….What can you say about Elvis..he became the King!

COOL AND STYLIN’….

I was catch up in the teen scene. What did we wear..? I was into Pendleton skirts and saddle shoes. Do you know what white bucks were?…no they were not white deer. ! They were  saddle shoes that had a fuzzy leather texture that you had to brush to get the dirt off, white of course…cool! My hair was always in a pony tall that trailed down my back in a long curl. Sweater guards were jewelry that clipped to your sweater front to hold the top together when you did not want to button up. We also wore fake collars under our sweaters to give the effect that there was a blouse underneath. We wore bobby soxs that were rolled down to the edge of the shoes. Crinolon slips that poofed way out were worn under our poodle skirts…poodle skirts were full circle skirts usually made of felt that had poodle dog appliques on them. At home I usually wore one of my Dad’s old white dress shirts- belted and peddle pushers.

Guys usually dressed in peggars and shirt-tail plaid shirts and leather jackets.. They wore their hair in ducktail style which they combed alot…or they had flat-tops.. You had to be there!

WHEELS….

My first car was a black relic.. a old ‘46 Ford coup…cost me fifty dollars. When I was a junior I bought  my first “real” car. It was a two toned white and teal ‘58 Chevy biscayne. I put dice to dangle from the mirror and I was stylin’… Cars were bigger in those days. Grandad had an old grey plymouth that could run on a bobby-pin…! Ask him about it someday.  I got a five dollar a week allowance and that was enough to fill my car up with gas and buy my school lunches for a week…those were the days! For twenty five cents you could go to the snack shack at school and purchase a sack lunch with a hamburger, chips, milk and cookie. We always had a brunch time where we purchased a large fresh maple bar and milk for  fifteen cents.

We hung out at the local malt shoppe, at the Rexall drug store or the record store…malls were still a dream…

A TOWN TRADITION…

Our small town had a traditional celebration. It was politically incorrect by it’s name…the Redmen PowWow. The affair included a street dance on Friday night and a colorful parade the next day. My Dad would usually drive one of the new cars from a local dealership in the parade. After the parade the town square would open up to booths filled with games and tons of food. In the square was a Carnegy Library that was surrounded with a stage where all sorts of entertainment was presented.

Across the square was the Enean movie theater where as kids we would go see episodes of Flash Gordon and the Saturday feature matinee.

HIGH SCHOOL…..

Further north was the old high school. It was cool…had an auditorium right out of Mr. Holland’s Opus! That was where I usually went to see Grandad perform in a musical play or choral program. Grandad worked the phones at the Oakland Tribune Newspaper office.  I used to run down to Dairy Bell and pick him up a couple of burgers and fruit pie for his late afternoon snack.  Grandad and I met in our senior year and through our asociation with the school newspaper and yearbook classes. We had an old world newspaper lady for a teacher who was great!. Whenever Grandad was a page editor he would give assignments. I usually waited to the very last minute of the deadline to give him my story just to bug him. It worked every time! He had a regular column called Kyle’s Leftovers  and I had one called Cat’s Chatter. He thought I was a ditz and I thought he was an uptight nerd!

So…nearly fifty years later we are still quite a pair…the ditz and the nerd..together forever!!

Before everyone calls the Nana police or 911, let me explain that in dealing with punishments for children in my day -it did allow to give a whack on the butt now and then. Also realize that my children came to live with us nearly every two years except two…the one in the middle who is one year and three days younger than his sister and our caboose child. Inmates raised together can be a commanding and a demanding bunch!

NO EXCUSES…

This is by no means an excuse for using hands-on punishment, but it may explain how a only child (MOM) can go on overload and smack a few kids  now and then. I don’t want to sound chauvinistic but boy and girl children are different! They grow up that way too…Normally I could reason with my daughters but with my sons that venus/mars thing kicked in prematurely.

I learned early on that the “Wait until your father gets home” does not work. Why dump it all on Dad when normally crap happens when the Mom is the only one around? I mean like if you do not nip it in the bud at the time of the offense…the affect is just not the same…right?  So..I was the one who usually dished out the bad news. Oh… I used the no dessert tonight bit, the bedtime right after dinner thing, and the your grounded for life punishment. Dad came up with the most effective disciplinary measure…bend over and grab your ankles….WHACK! That one usually struck the fear of pending doom on all of them and got their attention really fast!

I remember very well when corporal punishment no longer became an effective means to their ends…Whatever efforts I made -they all actually stood up and laughed at me!! It was then I realized it was them or me! I could see my credibility walking out the door, down the street and over a very steep cliff!. I had to think of something new that would get their attention….and it had to be unexpected.

CRITICAL  MASS….

As a Mom raising five children it became necessary for some organization. This required our children to see that their dirty clothes made it to the laundry area. I had one particular son, who repeatedly let his clothes remain where he took them off. I found this annoying and decided to pick each batch up and place them in a hidden area. Eventually He ran out of clothes and he confronted me with the question,” Mom where did my clothes go?” I replied, “Why I don’t know, where did you last leave them?” He blurted,” But I don’t have anymore clothes to wear and I have plans for this weekend..” I retorted..”Well, I guess you will have to wear a bath towel for the weekend and hope no one takes notice!”  This son belligerately threw on a towel and stomped off to his bedroom….His little sister saw to it that all her friends came over that weekend!!

HOG TIED….

My two middle sons are as different as night and day. Of course, at that time I did not notice that difference. All I knew was that they shared a bedroom and neither one could get a handle on keeping it clean. I even divided the room in half- one half for each- that did not work either. These two boys would forever bicker..bicker..bicker. Finally I blew my cool and just tied them together for a few days so they would be forced to correctly communicate with each other. That meant that they had to visit the necessary together, eat together, and heaven forbid…sleep together. You know, on this punishment I can’t honestly say it worked. They had the experience..but in hind sight I think these two just never felt the need to need each other in any way! Win a few- loss many …

THERE AIN’T NO BOOK….

Realize there is no manual for raising kids, and definitely no magic formula to do so. . You work with what you have to survive..right?  On one occasion I was in total survival mode. We were all about the dinner table and one son started to mouth off and stunned I found myself dumping a chicken pot pie right over his head! I have been known to throw a glass of water to the face upon occasion but this one even surprised me!

Why is it the eldest child, usually a son, gets the dirty deed done to him the most? Perhaps, it is that the eldest child should know better…maybe you have to go for the eldest to create an example to the others or could be the eldest is testing you beyond your own endurance and he knows it! You know, honestly I do not know what the infraction was- maybe he repeatedly did not make his bed… but I got exasperated and short sheeted his bed and placed corn flakes between his botton sheet and the mattress….crunch..crunch! He was not a happy camper. That was a good one..but very messy!

TAKE PITY ON MOM…

I know that my children probably can cite scripture and verse concerning my off the wall disciplinary adventures. But they survived… I admit I have trashed a bedroom now and then and I am not pleased with my actions…but it felt sooo good at the time! My children are brilliant and extraordinary…they would never have accepted the “time-out chair” or the child- parent negotiation styles of today. They, however, have the last laugh on me…they have helped make me what I have become… Would I have done things differently- you bet!                             

Naw…..probably not!

There are some mysteries in life that we will just never find the answers to; like where is the rainbow’s end, how long is forever and who put the empty milk bottle back in the refrigerator? I have been dealing with the milk bottle thing ever since I started having children. Hundreds of times I have gathered my kids around me and asked…”Who ate the last cookie, who put the baby’s bottle in the washing machine and who put the empty milk carton back in the refrigerator..? The answer always came, “I didn’t do it..it was nobody!”

WHO..?

This nobody guy has been lurking about my life for many years now. Who put the brussel sprouts in the flower arrangement on the dining room table? Who left the damp towel on the soaking wet floor? Who tracked in the mud from the garden? Who placed the petrified McDonald’s hamburger under the sleeping bag? This list has taken years to get sooo long!

As my children matured I thought I would soon be rid of nobody…however, no such luck! The question of nobody’s where abouts just got more difficult. Who borrow the car keys and did not return them? Who came in last and did not lock the front door? Who gave you that hickey on your neck? As the Mom.. why am I even asking these stupid questions? Well… kids can make you stupid, that’s why when you get older you get brain fade quite often. There is sometime about motherhood that makes the most logical, perceptive and intelligent Mom bug out in times of stress and confusion usually brought on by her children.

ALIVE AND WELL…

Nobody is alive and well today. I don’t know about your house but as my children have grown and moved on, I still see evidences of “him” hanging around to unsettle my already jangled nerves. I always assumed that once the kids left that nobody would go with them. However, I find myself looking about corners and behind curtains. There are times I think I see nobody and then he is gone. Occasionally, when my children come to visit I find myself opening up the refrigerator door just to take a peek.

How do I know that nobody is a male nobody..? Because a female nobody would never dare do this to a Mom!! And I am convinced the conspiracy lives on.

My grandchildren visited last night…I made the mistake of asking who left the crushed ice on the floor that came out of the refrigerator door? There, surrounding me were my beauitful grandchildren all with blank stares looking up at me and I exclaimed “Yeegads, nobody is living with them now!!”

So…life goes on and nobody cares…

I have been fortunate in my lifetime as far as fathers are concerned. I have had three fabulous men who have influenced me as a person and have inspired me to be a better woman. First, let me say that to understand the differences between men and women is like trying to comprehend the universe and far beyond! There are times I think there is nothing that we have in common. So, as I have grown older it has been best for me to just acknowledge that I will honor and respect those differences, and sort of agree to disagree upon occasion!!

MY INFLUENTIAL MEN….

My number one influential man is my father who died shortly after my second birthday. I was born on his birthday during WWII and he was soon shipped oversea to participate in the European Theater of the war. He survived the battles until 1945 when he died and was buried in a military cemetery in France. Now…you may be asking -as a toddler,” How could she have possibly felt the tender and silent influences of a dead man?” … My Mother was wise to save every letter they wrote each other during this wartime period. I have them still…and I have not read them all .. It is difficult. However, in his wisdom, my father sent several v-mail to me and he talked to me as his baby daughter. In these letters he had written his hopes and dreams for me. I have carried his thoughts and dreams for me throughout all my life. His tremendous influence has been with me, although muted and silent. I have felt him to be my guardian angel and I find solace and peace knowing his love- though distant. I am proud to call him “My Father.”

A NOBLE CHARACTER….

My number two influential man in my life has been my stepdad. I was three when he joined my Mom and me. He was a southern plowboy who went to sea with the navy during WWII. I did not know he was not my natural dad until I was in the second grade when my teacher decided to argue with me concerning my last name. There was quite a mess that ensured over that fateful experience…but from then on I had a much keener appreciation for him. I am enamored with men who take on the responsibility of father to other men’s children. I believe it to be of a noble character that most men possess. In every aspect of my life- this man was a consumate Dad in dealing with the good and bad, ups and downs, tears and teenagerhood. I am proud to call him “My Dad”.

VENUS AND MARS….

My number three influential man is my main squeeze- my husband. We were very young when we found each other. Most of our married life required that we grow up very fast. He was such an innocent, skinny, pimple faced teenager. In looking back 47 years I find it hard to believe that we grew up together and survived. As the years and children have passed and moved on, here we are still entwined in mind and spirit. I marvel at his steadfastness, honesty and rigid tenacity. He is strong, precise and holds himself to a high standard. As an example of this, he has had the ability to gather people in the workplace and empower them to better themselves far more than they themselves could ever imagine. I have seen him inspire his team to push for excellence. He would never ask them to do what he, himself, would not do. He stills hears from some of these people regularly. For me, he has been my rock- my anchor. Emotional and free thinking as I can be, he has become my tether to reality. I have lived with him long enough to know what he will say, what his expectations are and what his answers will be to most of my questions. There have been times that we do not even have to talk..we just think it! Just a look can say a thousand words,  just a touch can make the hurt diminish….I am proud to call him “My Soulmate.”

FATHER’S ARE PEOPLE TOO…

Being a husband and a father is not easy… We speak so often of Mother.. we revere her divine role and never ending nurturing responsibilities in life. Husband and Father have become the stoic figure of provider, protector and all around fix-it guy. Dad is there with the allowance, hammer, car and someone to run to when the storm gets scary. We oft times forget that he worries, sweats, balances work and home, and plans for our futures. Fathers can become too focus, too demanding and at times totally misunderstood. They know how to say no…They see the forest beyond the trees… It’s the Venus and Mars thing!!!

All I know is that I would not be here without one, I would not have been provided for and protected without another and I would not have known love, children and a eternal partner without mine!!

We all have known great men..I just so happen to live with one…

One thing that has never changed is the “hurry up and Wait” episodes in life. As a matter a fact, I believe this worldly disease has become epidemic. I mean, we live in a time when creativity and innovations are at their zenith…who ever thought that we would retrieve information in the matter of  seconds when it once took days and weeks spent at a library? Modern day inventions and technologies now speak to instantly gratify the “me” generation- Instant beverages and foods, instant communications by various means  and instant credit and loans. Careful on that last one…. it’s just shake and stir!

WHAT’S THE HURRY..?

What’s the hurry and what’s with “hurry up and wait?.” A whole new generation has been spawned to the beat of fast food, fast gas( not necessarily in that order) fast this and fast that. We now contend with speed dating, breaking news, emergency closures, speeding tickets in the fast lane and pre-purchased tickets to the movies. We barrel down the freeway speeding to what? And  we talk on the cell phone usually at the same time- how did we live with out them.?

Well..we did live without them all! We actually sat down to a family meal prepared by Mom. We had one telephone in the house and had to share it! We had one family car and worked it around everyone’s schedules. We went on dates on Saturday nights and read the newspaper in the morning or evening. We occasionally took in a movie and put a record on the stereo in order to relax. We actually visited with people and enjoyed the experience.

TIME MANAGEMENT ANYONE…?

Seems like we just have not got a handle on our  time….we have more appliances, electronics and  multiple sources of technologies to speed us through the day. We have become experts at multi-tasking. However, we have not solved the management of  time and still  do not plan how to use it. Our forefathers had the farm…cows needed milking, the ground needed plowing, the beans needed planting and the corn needed cultivating. How did they do it? Where has the time gone today? Last time I looked we still have the same 24 hours !

With all the conveniences, gadgets and electronic toys available we still do not have enough time!

We need to slow down our time in order to catch up…  The faster we go the farther behind we get..

I guess only time will tell!!!

There is nothing in the world like being a 60 + Nana playing with a 4 year old granddaughter! I have been Nana-Mom ever since this little girl was born. She was desperately wanted by her parents… her birth was joyous!. After her Mom’s C section, there laid a perfect, the most beautiful, pink baby! As her Daddy took her into the room for her first bath, I thought there could never be a more perfect, beautiful child.

A GIRLY GIRL….

Kayla has always been a joy. She and her Mom are oposites..and as a Nana it is fun to watch them relate to each other. Her Mom was all tomboy, partially because she was the caboose to 3 brothers and a big sister. Kayla’s preferences have been all girly-girl. Her Mom knows how to play football and gave all the boys a real run and throw for their money. She had dolls to play with but she preferred to dress our family cat in doll clothes and walk her about in a doll stroller. Kayla, however, has no use for boy stuff.

She is into princess everything! For years she has watched me apply makeup to this old face and as I did so, her eyes got big and she studied and soaked it all in. Today, at 4, her expectation is that she can get into Nan’s drawer and apply all the goodies to her skin. I have to tell her not to use this or that because it is for old skin and she does not need it- so far, that is working! I especially enjoy how she applies lipstick- all the way up to her eyelid!

PRECIOUS MOMENTS….

One of the most gratifying experience has been being able to teach Kayla to draw. I have to show her only once how to draw something and she gets it! I am continually amazed how quick a child’s mind becomes. I have also noticed how well eye-hand coordination develops when you just take the time to carefully illustrate. Her drawings are very detailed, far more advanced than those of her peers. It would completely surprise my children to know that I was the one to teach her how to sing!! This is their Mom who can not carry a tune and was always hushed when I sang at church! Well, I am sure I still cannot carry a tune, but somehow Kayla and the powers that be, have guided her to sing loud and clear and on key…!! Ta-da!! Take a bow Nana!!

PLAYTIME….

Kayla has a cardboard lemonade stand that sits firmly in the middle of the bedroom. At first, she was content to use pretend accessories. However, her play now includes real water that turns into lemonade and real money that comes from Nana’s real wallet. Lemonade has gone up in price since I was a child.! It has been fun to watch her think.. conceptual and math facts are still a mystery to her. Let see, there is a nickel but there is 5 pennies in a nickel and it takes 5 nickels to make one quarter..and what’s a dime..? I surely hope she has not inherited my mathmatical skills…Right now I am tying 2 metal spoons and a fork together so she can hang them to a tree to scare the birds….

Today, we played dentist. I leaned back in my computer chair and she went at my teeth. I had a cavity filled, teeth cleaning and also I needed a procedure to repair the skin under my tongue. Can you tell that she had this done to her tongue too.? It is amazing how quickly they get into the “monkey see- monkey do” stages.

Kayla has always liked to shop- she likes jewelry and clothes I think sometime over toys- go figure! She just had her first experience in going in to try on clothes in a changing room. She stood there in front of the mirror primping from head to toe; looking here and there with great admiration. She then blurted out..: “Do you think the people next door know I am standing here naked!?” Her Mom replied…”They do now!”

MISSED LUXURIES…

When I was much younger and the Mom of five active and energetic children I found myself always going hither and yond. Scrambling to care for one, then the others. Chasing one boo-boo after another. I can’t begin to tell you the hours I have spent in emergency rooms getting xrays! I did not have the luxury of being able to study the playtime of my kids and enjoy their creativity and imaginations. However, I will share one activity that I will remember always. My kids loved to make forts. At first they would be very simple- a blanket over a chair. Then, fort building entered the intermediate stage… 3 blankets hiked half way up the walls in a room. However, one day Grandad and I arrived home… and from the front door through the living areas out to the garage was the biggest fort we ever saw. It was the masterpiece of all forts!!

Are you supposing that I am now going to tell you to stop and smell the roses..? Yeap!! Where are the memories if you do not make them?

They say the value programming of a child occurs in the first 7 years of a child’s life. A sobering thought there. My advice is to be obvious and deliberate in your activities with your children. Get down and dirty and play. Yeap..” life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death..” one small moment does last a lifetime in memory.
Families Are Forever..SO …BE THERE!!!