Chronicles of Nana

There are times I feel like I have lived a lifetime already…I really don’t dwell upon the past and the future is truly filled with the unknown. I have been frustrated concerning my physical limitations and frustrated more by how slow it has become to bounce back…

PATIENCE NEEDED…

I know my family, at times, share that frustration which makes them uneasy with the prospects of me not regaining the strength that I once had. It is a worry for them and I do not know how to ease their concerns.  Frankly, I wonder if I ever will.

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS..?

Never being so “needy” before I can’t see the future as clearly as I once did. I can deal with the truth, however bad it might be but truths are not always readily seen. My age alone means I will never know the ease of strength I once possessed. There is a difference between pain and soreness. The deep embedded pain I felt for so long is gone…

But my strength is sapped and I contend with total body soreness that has become a real challenge. I suspect being a diabetic has alot to do with this…but after a while it becomes very old and a great bother. When did it become such a big deal to get myself to the car and go to the movies..what’s up with that!

IT CATCHES UP WITH YOU…

So, I am posting a warning here and now. Live it up and push the envelop to it’s very edge because one day that old lazyboy in the corner is going to be your best friend.!! Every injury and bump you once had will raise up in your older years and bite you in the butt ..hard!!

I live to watch nowadays…grandchildren and great children. I study them closely and envy their mobility and freedom to be spontanious. They can run all day and not have to catch a breathe.

CHANGING TIMES..SAME OLD TROUBLES…

I listen to my grown children as they speak of problems and troubles concerning their friends. Some of these friends they have know all their lives. I watched them all grow up  together…

Grandad and I went through several hard times but to hear the heartaches of those facing the world as it is today makes me want to hand out the hugs big time. I empathized completely and I wish I had the wisdom to make things better. My heart becomes heavy…

Perhaps that is why I am feeling all the soreness now. My heart is heavy and weighting me down because I am at an enpass to do anything for those in need at this time. All I can say is “been there, done that” and this too will soon pass.

We learn most from our adversities and I guess that is why I am still around…

Still have many lessons to learn…..dang!

Grandad is attending his siblings family reunion in July. We had hoped most of the western states families could attend but the lose of jobs, health and money have played the predominate role in the decisions to send a few family representatives instead this year…

FAMILY REUNIONS…

These types of gatherings tend to be the typical reunions where the extended families gather for good food, remembering Mom and Dad and commenting on how much the kids have grown and how bald, fat and aged everyone appears. These gatherings usually last 3-5 days which is just enough time to talk out the past and renew committments of the future.

The old dudes find some shade somewhere or take over the TV to watch the latest sports game. Women in the kitchen or camper putting together a feast that would rival the best picnic anywhere. Children, anxious to outdo their cousins, run freely to win the games being played and new babies oblivious to their surroundings sleep peacefully among the noise…

HOT, SIZZLING SUMMER…

Regardless where a reunion is held it is hot!! And the bugs, mosquitoes and fireflies always come out at night to test the patiences of everyone, except the kids who are still running about in circles. Evenings also bring out the fireside family stories, mulling over genealogies and photographs.

CURRENT PROJECT…

One of the requests this year has been that each family prepare a visual update of sorts of the own family. This project was just up our youngest daughter’s alley. She has produced many…Today she previewed her DVD with me…

Now…I know it has been nearly 50 years since Grandad and I started this gang. But, conprehending the magnitude and size of a growing family is sometimes not realized until one sees it before their own eyes. This was a production that just depicted the current status in pictures of our immediate family. I was blown away….and I cried…

THE GANG…

Where has the time gone…all the mountains we have had to climb, all the heartaches that we still are carrying with us on a daily basis, and all those birthdays and Christmas presents we have had to purchase!

I remember so clearly when Grandad and I first married saying “Geez, the year 2000..so far away; we will be old then.” In reality the year 2000 was just around the corner and now that we are at 2009…”He’s looking like an old goat and I a fluffy cute Nana.” 

THERE IS BEAUTY ALL AROUND…

My point is…I have a beautiful family. All very good people who have had hard times, made mistakes and are still finding those bumps in the road. As I watch their smiling faces, especially those of my grandchildren and great grandkids I must admit their parents nurtured the lovely spirits that live within. They are doing a noteworthy job and I am pleased with their work and sacrifices…

Laughter is the hallmark of so many fine qualities…in darker times we tend to lose our smile and laugh. Being able to laugh even at the most inopportune, maybe inappropriate times, can become the window to a bedrock character that can withstand most anything…

I am a lucky Nana….

It is a beautiful spring day filled with fresh air and fragrant flowers. We carefully arranged our floral bouquet and piled into the van. As we approached the cemetary my heart lifted with my eyes to see a sea of families placing the flowers upon their departed loved one’s grave…

REMEMBERING….

People of all ages, sizes and mixes bound together in remembrance and reverence. Tears rolled down my cheeks to see so many being where they wanted to be this special day…Memorial Day…

I live in an area whose people cling to their religion and faith. Paying tribute to the dead, especially the military, is a sign of unforgotten honor and respect. As we entered the cemetary the lawn was covered with plentiful, beautiful flowers…just a sea ablaze with colors and flags.

BITTERSWEET MOMENTS….

We lost Mike a year and a half ago…with his passing we purchased new grave plots surrounding him to one day be laid to rest beside him. Today, his six year old daughter brought a hugh bouquet, a heart balloon, an American flag and 8 pinwheels. Next to him is a tall pine tree that overlooks the massive mountains to the east. We had a parade around that tree today…

His gravesite is now the place we go to remember all our past oned ones. Nana rests in California; Grandpa is in a military cemetary in France, and Bumpaw has his spot in Louisiana. I know my husband’s family will see to Nana, the military will take care of Grandpa and Mary will dress the headstone of bumpaw. Out thoughts of them all swirl around our heads and hearts today.

I am glad the tradition of remembrance is still with us. Many of the graves we saw today were tended by whole families gathered about a single purpose to honor the lives of their dead. As someone who works in genealogy I am always taken by the loving tributes offered by the young as well as the old.

It is a tradition that I hope will live forever…

This year has marked the third year in which I have had to get some sort of medical procedure done….and I am getting mighty tired of it!! This year was made tolerable by several get aways that has taken my mind off the whole aging thing….

100 YEARS….

First of all, there is nothing better than going to someone’s 100th birthday party. I mean if there was ever a need for renewal it is this golden accomplishment. It was easy to celebrate with the guest of honor. She is still mobile, witty and doesn’t look a year past 75! She gave me great hope to hang in there and what became astounding was how many “OLD” friends still were hanging in there too. There must have been 200 senior citizens there to wish her well.

CRUISING THE SEA…

After two years of planning we finally took the cruise to Alaska. Grandad and I have been there before but that was a long time ago. It was fun to be with the family this time. There should be a requirement that all cruise’s come with a seven year old. Seeing new things through the eyes of a child is remarkable. So is being somewhere no one else has been somehow makes the familiar seem new again. хабаровские шлюхи

I have not recuperated fully from the medical problems so I wasn’t up to speed in strength and mobility. We took my scooter with us so I was able to see and do most things. However, my stomach had a hard time with all the rich foods and spices…multiple ulcers is not condusive to gourmet meals I guess. I was always cold when the other were always hot…

Cruise lines have really made an effort to become family friendly. The children’s program aboard ship was fabulous. Our grand daughter had her time scheduled out and she especially enjoyed being a pirate and having a scavenger hunt. At times the kids activities were planned so that they were visible playing among the adult crowd who enjoyed the interplay very much. The ships crew made a point to make the little ones feel very special…

NORTH TO ALASKA….

Alaska has always been one of my favorite places…I enjoyed all the sea ports but especially liked Ketchikan. The ship docks right at front street edge where there are snack food shacks and store lined streets close by. Two, three story buildings stacked close together all painted differently to give a quaint atmosphere.

HO-HO-HO…

 Along front street is a Christmas Shop and of course, there was a real live Santa. He was marvelous..everything authenic and natural. Real white hair and breard and a mustache that curled up into a circle. He wore the standard Santa hat but then his costume became more functional….red plaid shirt, suspenders and leather knickers.

When I first took sight of him I said to myself..”Oh, he’s the best one so far.” If ever there was the real deal he was it!! And, of course, I had my picture taken with him…finding him was like discovering a treasure!

FISHING ANYONE?….

Our fishing person daughter was bedazzled by the fluttering waters under the bridge. When she saw the myriad of fish fins she realized she was seeing head to head salmon where she could bend down and actually touch them. I think I actually saw her jaw drop when she exclaimed..”those are all fish fins floating on top of the water.” I don’t think she believed me all these years when I said fishing in  Alaska is like no other place in the world. The fish actually jump up to nab the hook before it hits the water!!

VICTORIA…

Victoria, British Columbia is like no other place as well. It is easy to see that it has become more popular for tourists than it once was. It is the closest to being a metropolitan mini European city on the west coast. Green and lush with flowers and quaint sea port cottages mixed with British parliament and museums. Downtown is centered about the old harbor and the Empress Hotel. Walking the streets one will find coffee and sandwich shops about every corner. It’s a good place to people watch or find the trendy apparel one usually can’t find except in Europe.

So, as most people are preparing themselves for school we have yet a few more adventures this year. Our Grand daughter will be celebrating her 7th birthday at Disneyland. Her mother is a Disney girl also. I believe there will be a couple more trips to the Magic Kingdom before the year’s end.

Procedures come and go and so do memories….but I much prefer making the memories!

WELCOME ADAM…

While we were gone we had a new great grandson arrive…early!! Welcome to the world dear Adam. You are now making memories of your own….

маленькие письки

I don’t know about the American Idol thing…I have said all along that the voting system is flawed. This season (more than others) it appears that publicity is more abundant. It makes one wonder who really controls the outcome…

NOT JUST A TALENT SHOW…

Although voting is done by the general public the results are not necessarily votes for the most talented. After weeks of performances it is apparent each contestant gathers a following. Nothing has been more obvious than this season’s top three. Danny Gokey (elimated last week) is the American sweet guy who lost his wife recently; Chris Allen, is the cute country kid and recent newlywed and Adam Lambert, rumored as gay, who rides the sexy edge of roll n’ roll…

Regardless of the outcome these three guys will have a fat bank balance once their lights start to fade. It has been interesting watching AI and the show’s changes this year. It would appear producers have all contracts in order and a pretty tight hold on publicity. However, this season there has been more pre-publicity and star exposure for the public to soak up. Where is that coming from..?

RATINGS RULE…

I get it… the more publicity the more likely the ratings explode. Watching O’Reilly (yeah, can you imagine) brought up the Christian segment of America and its involvement with the voting outcome of this season’s programs. Showing Lambert’s possible gay side with published photos, it would appear the outcome to be more than raw talent, but a battle between Christians and gays.So, where is that coming from..?

CHRISTIAN VS GAYS…

Perhaps it is going a bit too far in pitting the Christian right against gay rights… I mean this is just a talent show for Pete’s sake. However, one does give thought to the favoritism of the judges and producers who have a heck of alot to lose in ratings and sponsorships. Like government, being a fly on the wall during back room strategy sessions with the hidden movers and shakers would prove to be most interesting. After the defeat of the Gay Rights Marriage Initative in California…one does have a reason to pause…

Deception has raised its ugly head in more areas of life than I care to recognize…just look at our current government…

Transparency my big toe!!!

As I contemplate going for an annual checkup to be told what’s not working anymore…I am watching the families I care the most about go through what I have dubbed life’s passages. These passages come and go through our journeys here on earth and with them come amazing learning experiences…

100 YEARS… A Cinderella Story dvd

In a few weeks we will be traveling to a special birthday party. Grandad’s aunt will be turning 100 years old. She is a fabulous lady who has seen the world change and she, herself, has gone through many passages. She was born in 1909 to Russian parents who immigrated to America. Eventually many in her family made their way to the United States, many settled in Washington state. It was there where she met and married Grandad’s uncle.

She was a woman before her own time, independent and civically minded. She rose to prominance in her community and actively involved with city leadership.  Her success was directly due to her ability to accept everyone as a personal friend. When she entered a room everything began to work better…. she has had 100 years of passages and I wish she would write a book!

JUST BEGINNING…

The younger families in my life are just beginning to know life’s passages. I have two granddaughters who will be new Mommies in September for the second time. Both have daughters…this time there will be sons for both of them. Their parents are delighted although overwhelmed because as empty nesters they will be getting a new puppy just before the pending births. Their third daughter is newly married and setting up her first home. Her husband is quite the handyman so she will always have a “Honey do” list. Although life is sweet for them their passages in life are just starting…

We have a young granddaughter who left last month on a Church mission to Florida. Change for her has become a daily experience. She leaves at home 6 siblings who will miss her terribly. And parents who will silently be concerned and who will faithfully write her with encouragement.

A SIGN OF THE TIMES…

In my family circle there have been four jobs lost this year….statistically we are carrying a heavy load….but we know we carry this burden with so many others who are out of work as well.

PICTURE THIS…

Grandad just returned from a sibling reunion. They sent 3 days sorting, organizing and identifying photographs left by his parents.  Many hours were spent in scanning them. We have entered the scanned pictures into our computer. I have already filled 4 scrapbooks with these old time photos. I have many more to go…

I took the scanned pictures and emailed the images to a local drug store who made 4×6 prints. I was surprised how well they turned out, most with better images than the old original.

As I have scrapped and studied these photos I was taken by how the world has changed but somethings stay the same…especially families and traditions. Families can and are defined differently now a days but there is something solid and permanent with traditions and culture. I take solace in that…it breaks my heart that families are so scattered…. And no one sits down to dinner anymore!

So from an elder citizen who was born before the car and Tv to a wiseguy grandson who just turned 15 and received his first cell phone…just passages that still leave a lasting impression on me.

Waltzing through time with memories in a scrapbook is a good thing..

Since it is Mothers Day I felt my last post was too negative to stay on screen so I thought I would speak of the Moms who so graciously allowed me to be part of their lives…

LIFE IS SHORT…

Had I known that my Mom would only be with me for 23 years I would have done alot of things differently. Being an only child her lose was devastating. At her passing, even though married and with children I really did not know whether I wanted to die or live. That notion passed quickly because I literally was given the choice to do one or the other…I guess you can tell which was my choice!

JUST THE SOUND OF HER VOICE…

My Mom was my best friend. She stood 4′10″ tall and was barely 100 pounds most of her life. She lost her Mom to the 1918 influenza epidemic after the birth of her brother. Nearly ten years later she and her brother were orphaned when their Dad died of a heart ailment. At that point they were separated and sent to a maiden aunt and to a uncle.  In her teen years Mom worked as a domestic to a wealthy family. Later she would meet and marry my father. I have been without her for 42 years yet I feel her walk with me on a daily basis. She is greatly missed…

AN IMPORTANT ROLE…

I never knew any of my grandparents but there was an old couple down the street to whom I became very close. At my low points I would run down to their pig farm and follow Walter around in his duties with the pigs or sit and talk to Pauline as she baked the most incredible things. To my knowledge they had no children so I just seemed to fit in with them as a sarogate. Pauline seemed old but I think she was more European than old. She wore her gray hair tight in a bun..she was wrinkled but had the most amazing clear blue eyes that smiled when she spoke. She spoke with a heavy accent..she had escaped from the tormoil in the Chech Republic. I don’t believe this sweet couple ever realized what a part of my life they had become…

A MENTOR…

Early on in my marriage I was teamed with a fabulous lady in Church. It was our duty to visit another lady in the Church on a monthly basis. I was still considered a teenager and she was pushing 70. Tall and thin, she had been widowed for several years. I would go to her house to pick her up and each time I would enter her home she would be cooking and baking something wonderful. She would sit me down at her kitchen table and promptly tell me stories of her life and her conversion. She would complete her tasks taking the dish she had prepared for the lady we were to visit. Upon our return she would send home with me an identical dish to feed my husband. She fed my soul as well as my stomach!…

A RELATIVE…

I knew one aunt…my deceased grandmother’s sister. Aunt Luella and Uncle Lawrence moved to the west coast when I was a young girl. For about 10 years I had the pleasure of getting to know them. They were gentle people…sweet in disposition and spirit. At first they settled in the guest house of a weathy doctor and became caretakers of his estate. I remember spending weekends with them in their little cabin down a steep hill. It seemed like a forrest to me. It was here where I found awareness of nature. There were tall fragrant trees and lots of crunchy leaves to walk upon. There was no television so we had to amuse ourselves in other ways. This aunt was also a great cook and was forever wearing an apron. When I had my first child it was Uncle Lawrence who built a rocking horse for our son. Like several people these gentle folks moved too quickly out of my life. But their influence is with me still….

Once you become a Mom there is never a day off…but we can escape now and then. These ladies were more than Moms to me. I felt with them a sisterhood…a gentleness and unconditional acceptance.

I honor their memory…Happy Mother’s Day!!

I have an innocent website at www.katskraft.com. It was designed for me to communicate to my grandchildren and beyond…journals are an important aspect of our lives. In them we write about our personal thoughts usually to personal family and friends.

A PUBLIC FORUM…

I realize that whatever gets published on the internet is totally public. I try not to be too graphic and specific in nature in order to protect those I care about. I went “public” a few years ago in hopes of catching the eye of a few family members who have not been within the family circle…

I figured that those who knew of my web page would stop by occasionally out of curiosity or the need to see where Nana is coming from….they pretty much know that now for sure! What I write does not really make the wireless networks burn, my immediate family hardly takes a peek.

REACHING OUT TO CONNECT…

There has been one major reason that this site is out there and that is I am trying to reach out to some specific and special people. I would give anything to be able to have a two way conversation with them. But, it appears that is not to be…so I hold onto hope and a prayer.

INTRUDERS…

Lately, however, in previewing my stats page I have noticed some intruders who have used my contact Nana button to post non-discript messages in my email. KNOCK IT OFF!! These are messages I suspect deal with something I am NOT interested in. They are a jumble foreign worded mish mash of jibberish with a few words in english… whatever they are…they are up to no good!

POWERFUL TOOL…

I know the internet is a powerful tools to advertise and distort. I know it caters to people who live in the shadows and lurk about to infest the goodness within some people. I like the internet to push forward my genealogical work. I have found much success with it. Computers can be an instrument for good…but as with all good things there are always those who choose to corrupt.

MY CHOICE…

I choose not to go that route…I enjoy working with dead people who don’t have an axe to grind or obcene products or services to sell. Digging up my past ancestors gives me a connection that these kinds of people will never know. I am gathering my family…not pushing them away!!

Therefore, stay out of my contact Nana unless you have something good and constructive to say in english…underwise I will just click you away into oblivion where you belong…

Zap..you’re gone…

Well..the trees are getting their leaves, the magpies have already feathered their nests and make lousy neighbors and the sun is finally putting green back into the grass. Soon the sounds of lawnmowers will filled the neighborhood and the sprinklers will bring forth moisture and wet…

STORING YESTERDAY…

Winter has finally been stored away in the garage. Put away are the sidewalk salts, snow shovels and snow blowers. All that needs to be done is to pick up the junk blown down from the mountains and the twigs and leftover dead leaves left from the passing of autumn.

RENEWING NATURE…

The need for bright vivid colors are needed in the flower pots and the spring bulbs will soon wither to make way for other signs of a long hot summer. Smoke of barbeques are filling the air as well as the aroma of all sorts of things good to eat.

HITTING THE ROADS…

Weekend travelers will hit the roadways off to great adventures in Moab, St. George and the National Parks. RV’s, trailors, campers and water skiing stuff will follow the cars down the concrete freeway to the favorite spots to swim, fish and ATV.

Traffic will get heavy up our particular mountain as the soaring paragliders line up to catch the wind and fly over the expansive valley. The air will soon turn to a soft warm breeze and I will be seem scootin’ about planting plants and soaking in the sun… I am looking forward to it this year in a big way!

SEEKING SATISFACTION…

This last year has been one of long confinement and slow recuperation. I am left with a body that is not 100%. Nor will it ever be…I am in a state of having to put up with what is. Age has finally caught up with me. Maybe that is why I am looking so forward to the little things in life that can bring a subtle satisfaction.

Planting a colorful plant, feeling the sun carress the face, watching the grandkids play on the yard gym, smelling the barbeque or just people watching where ever we go. So many of us neglect to just smell the roses in life….sadly it usually takes something traumatic to bring us to use all our senses!

So, as most younger thrill seekers seek the ultimate high I will be watching the traffic go by, smelling the roses and watching the brilliant sunsets in the western sky…

So many of the good things are free and if we do not seize the moment…

these great moments will pass us by!

Nothing like being home alone…sick! I am hoping this is just a one day inconvenience since we have a heavy weekend planned for the fourth. The weather looks to be uncooperative as well so everyone could possibly be outside dressed in garbage bags…

WEATHER OR NOT..?

We have had a very wet June and apparently afternoon showers are being predicted for the holiday weekend. That really doesn’t bother me since I consider rain in the desert to be a blessing. However, Friday we will have a houseful of children, a bounce house to jumble the brains around, a snow cone machine to make all nice and sticky and a lawn double slip n’slide to careen down the hill…so who cares about a little rain..?

FAMILY REUNION…

Grandad and our son are off to Georgia to a family reunion…so the rest of us are entertaining each other at Nana’s house. It starts Friday with a movie and sleepover. Saturday is a barbeque and we will be bouncing and slipping all over the place while we devour snowcones and all the other good stuff that comes with a 4th of July celebration. The evening will be spent downtown on the grass watching firworks. Or if you are me, at home on our 3rd story balcony watching the fireworks all over the valley…

I have found watching the night time explosions more relaxing from the balcony at home. From the balcony perch I can see every little town’s public display. Kinda’ neat not having to find a parking space and a little piece of lawn to view just one show. Besides, once one has seen the fireworks at Disneyland…it’s just not the same or nearly as happy…

POSTLOGUE…

We have survived the celebration!!! Not without sore, aching bodies and a few boo-boos, it was a fun day. The bounce house ended up being a great success…and not just for the little kids. There was an inside slide so it attracted a few Moms as well. The kids showed their artistic talents by doing patriotic drawings on the cement. The bubbles were blowing in the air and the snowcones were expecially good. The slip and slide kept everyone wet and unsticky. And the silly string got into the hair big time…but no rain and not too hot!!!

It was a constant run from one activity to another. We ate on the lawn with hot dogs and hamburgers…what else!! The finale for the day was water ballon fights mixed with the silly string. About 6pm everyone dragged themselves home to clean up for fireworks. However, our munchkin took a small nap which she would not awaken. She got up enough to see some firework displays out in the valley before she callapsed into bed… Sudden Impact dvd

This morning she woke up as if it was just another day…sneaking into my bedroom (her play pen) to sort through her toys dishoveled from yesterday’s activities. How she can renew herself over night is a mystery to me? All I did was get myself outside to a chair and I am moaning and groaning today…

Grandad and our son are coming home this evening from Georgia. They were quite successful in going through and scanning hundreds of photographs left by his parents. They seemed to have a good visit with the siblings…

So we bring a close to Independence Day… however, the fireworks aren’t totally over yet. My traveling son promised to make his return home an explosive experience. Seems his neighborhood is going to see and hear more celebration and noise on Monday…

Legally we are still within the allotted time frame to shoot fireworks off…

Kaboom, bang and pop!!!