Saturday:) A Special Birthday and Sittin‘ in the Sun

“Children are the rainbow of life. Grandchildren are the pot of gold.” ― Irish Blessing

Happy Birthday to my beautiful princess Belle. December 5th is one of my three miracle days. A sad memory from 50 years ago became a joyous day when this little angel came into the world. The trilogy of miracles complete.

Princess Belle

I don’t get to hold you and smother you with kisses this year, but maybe next year. It was nice to FaceTime with you and sing “Las Mañanitas.”

The rest of my Saturday is a blur. I had a bad headache last night and most of today. I know the reason. I got a stupid flu shot yesterday. But, feeling much better now. I went out to get some fresh air and sunshine. That really helped. I walked over to the pond and sat on the bench with my face in the sun. Nice.

Fresh air, sunshine and a picturesque setting, you can’t beat that.

Now, for another episode of Elvis on the Shelvis.

Happy Saturday, my friends.

Sunday Sights, Sounds and a Sunset

“A person who can understand, appreciate, and sing along with a tree has a deeper perception on life.”

― Debasish Mridha

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No Sunday Sermon today. I went to Mass last night, and I’ll be honest, I plum forgot what the Gospel reading was. So this morning, I set my alarm for 8 am instead of 6:45. It was nice to not jump out of bed before the sun came up. I picked up Bella and we went for a long walk around the pond. My phone said we walked around a mile. Then seeing as I didn’t have to rush off anywhere…I went back to bed and slept another hour or two. Nice!

Here’s what Bella and I saw on our walk this morning…

I met Helene for lunch, and we went back to her place to make some chili for the country dance tomorrow. It’s our chili cook-off event at the senior center. She had the ground beef already done, and I brought the beans and tomatoes and salsa and chili powder to add. It made a big ol’ pot, and she was able to share some with a few neighbors. Of course, we had to visit with some of the other friends who stopped by.

I stopped at the store on my way home, actually two stores, but who’s counting? Eggs were on sale 29 cents a dozen, limit 2. Yep, had to get those. I was down to my last egg after my baking extravaganza last week. Shredded cheese 49 cents, got 2. Then Kroger had Red Barron frozen pizza for $2.99. I picked up 6 of those for Mr. Mike. Where can you get an entire pizza for $3? I can’t pass up those bargains.

I scurried home to walk Bella again. By now, the temperature was 72 degrees, so I changed out of my long sleeve sweater and put on a t-shirt and off we went. The sun was setting. Wow! Just gorgeous. I don’t know how God does it, but every sunset is a masterpiece.

Saving the best for last… FaceTime with my beautiful granddaughters. The highlight of my day. They are so precious.

Happy Sunday, my friends!

Saturday:) Sick Gamma and Some More Elvis on the Shelvis.

“If I had known how wonderful it would be to have grandchildren, I’d have had them first. ”

~Lois Wyse

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Well, I knew it was too good to last. After holding sick babies for a couple of weeks, Gamma is officially pretty darn sick. The good thing is, the girls are already sick, so I can’t give them anything they haven’t already shared with me.

Mommy took the baby back to the doctor this morning. Last week he couldn’t find anything warranting medication. Today, oh boy, double ear infection. No wonder she couldn’t sleep and screamed all night. Hopefully, she will perk up soon and not keep Mommy and Daddy up all night again. Not so sure about Gamma getting better soon, 🤦‍♀️

Doesn’t it seem that everyone gets sick during the holidays or on vacation?

But, even not feeling well, the grandchildren are such a blessing and always able to make me smile. Even the fierce pirate kind.

Day 12~ Elvis on the Shelvis. Serenading “Snoofy” Santa by the fireplace. (The 3 year old calls them Snoofy and Elvie.

Then today, I was delighted when my old friend from high school posted a picture of her own Elvis on the Shelvis. Thanks for sharing Jolene. Keep ’em coming.

Hope you had a great Saturday.

Friday:) Family Adventures and More…Yes…More Elvis on the Shelvis

“Love is staying up all night with a sick child- or a healthy adult.”

~David Frost

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The baby still had a temperature this morning, so Gamma stayed home with her today. I love Gamma duty. We spent a lot of quality bonding time. Shortly after Mommy and Daddy went off to work, I gave her some breakfast. She squealed a little, then barfed all over Gamma, all over the high chair, and herself. Poor baby, still with a constant raspy cough. I changed her and wiped her down from head to toe, and did the best I could with my clothing. It was almost time for a nap, so I rocked her and sang a few off tune songs until she drifted off. I was able to get into the shower when she went down, and wash a load of clothes.

She woke up in very good spirits, and we played and talked and sang. An afternoon nap allowed Gamma to finish some laundry, straighten up a little and make something to eat. (Leftover deep dish pizza. Yum!)

When I sat there in the quiet dark room, rocking my beautiful granddaughter, all I could think of was, “Hold her close and never let her go. I’ll blink and she’ll be all grown up.” Mom used to say that to me when my boys were babies, and I thought I’d never survive the trials of motherhood. She was right. Now, my babies are grown, and I’m a Gamma. It’s a wonderful occupation.

Hey, I should remember that. Sometimes people ask me, “So, what do you do?” I should say, “I’m a Gamma.”

Day 11~ Elvis on the Shelvis. “You Ain’t Nothin’ But a Hound Dog,”

And now, my friends, it’s Friday. Black Russian Friday. Well, not exactly. Gamma has been around the sick babies for over two weeks. Guess what! Gamma has a cold now. No cough yet, but a bad runny nose, watery eyes, and a sore throat. And you know what else? I wouldn’t change a thing. So, I’m doing the virgin version Black Russian. A little chocolate ice cream and chocolate milk always helps.

Cheers, my friends!

Saturday:) Some More Gamma Highlights With Her Girls

“Becoming a grandmother is wonderful. One moment you’re just a mother. The next you are all-wise and prehistoric.”

~ Pam Brown

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I love this quote. I’m feeling pretty prehistoric. The nice thing about being a grandma is I get to use the “I’M OLD” card. I just put Belle to bed. She just turned three a couple of days ago, and she can be pretty feisty, stubborn, manipulative, hysterical, and downright adorable all in the same breath. Her little sister just started crawling and sitting up, so she doesn’t have much to say, except cute gurgling noises and “da da da.”

Here are some highlights of our busy day…

We all went to Belle’s ballet class this morning.

Feeding the little one small pieces of bread after her dinner. “Line them up, Gamma, and be snappy about it.”

“Let’s read a book. Give me five.”

“I’m getting sleepy. Where’s that bottle you promised me? Stop with the selfies already, Gamma!”

Mommy and Daddy went to the Chris Issac concert tonight, so I was on Gamma duty. They very rarely get a chance to have a real live date night. They only called and texted me to check on things three or four times.

Belle moved the little mouse on her Advent calendar to Dec. 7, and opened up her book for today. I saw on Facebook the idea of a book for each day of Advent instead of chocolate or a little toy or coins. So, I sent wrapped books, coloring books, or little activity sets for each day. This Advent calendar was the one my boys had when they were little. It’s over thirty years old. I sent it to Joe for his children a couple of years ago. Nice tradition.

After the little one went to sleep, Belle and I read some books and had some serious conversations about life events, monsters, making brownies, and where the dirty clothes should go. She said we needed to be quiet because Uncle Matt was taking a nap and Elvis, the dog, was sleeping. This normally fussy bedtime little girl was a perfect angel. That’s where the “Gamma is old card” came into play.

I moaned when I bent down to put on her jammies. She said, “Are you ok?” I told her Gamma is old and stuff hurts. She asked me what hurts and I told her my knee and my back. She said, “Mommy’s not old.” I seriously think the three year old felt sorry for me, so she didn’t fuss or complain, as is her normal routine with Mommy and Daddy.

We read another book, put polka dot Teddy under the covers with her, and I sat in the chair for a little while until she fell asleep in her big girl bed. Oh, I forgot to mention, she just started sleeping in her big girl bed , and it’s a little scary for her after the security of the crib. She had a big smile for Gamma.

“Good night, Gamma.”

Happy Saturday, my friends. Happy Gamma here.

Sunday Sermon and Very Special Grand-babies

“She loved them so much that she felt a kind of hollowness on the inner surface of her arms whenever she looked at them- an ache of longing to pull them close and hold them tight against her.”

― Anne Tyler

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Wow! Anne Tyler got that quote right.

Another Sunday, another overcast and dreary day. But, as always, a good day greeting before Mass, hugs and handshakes, and dispensing little toys to a few little friends at the door.

The Gospel today was the story of Jesus bringing Lazarus back to life after being dead for four days. The sisters, Mary and Martha, had faith in Jesus even though their brother was dead.

40 Jesus replied, ‘Have I not told you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?’

My take on it… the early followers of Jesus came to believe His divine powers and infinite love by His many miracles and teachings. Sometimes it’s difficult to believe in something we can’t see, but if you have faith and trust, then you will see clearly. If you think about it, when we are little babies, we have to trust that we will be loved and nourished and taken care of. When a loving mother holds her newborn baby in her arms, she would sacrifice anything for that child. That’s how God must feel when He looks at His children.

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After Mass, I stopped at McDonald’s all by myself. I didn’t have a friend to stop and have coffee with, so I decided that I kinda like my own company, so I treated myself to a large iced tea. I sat and read my bulletin and just people watched a while.

I stopped at Tom Thumb to pick up a few things. Oh no, another sale. I bought more cake and brownie mixes and canned pie filling. Miss Suzy, the checkout lady, asked if I planned on doing a lot of baking. I told her that I do bake a lot, but I always double my recipes so I can take some to my friends at the fire station. I had to laugh when she told me, “There’s this sweet lady that comes in here all the time and buys a lot of baking supplies too. I call her the cookie lady because sometimes she brings me cookies.” Ha! I said, “That’s my friend, Miss Pat. Everyone calls her the cookie lady. She bakes cookies for everyone.” Small world.

When I got home, Helene texted asking if I had plans for the afternoon. We met for a long lunch at Panera. When I got home, Joe texted to see if I wanted to FaceTime with my grand-daughters. Yay! I wasn’t expecting another call because we did FaceTime yesterday when Uncle Matt was visiting. My little girls are getting so big. Thank goodness for technology.

I FaceTime and talk on my iPad and take pictures and videos of what’s on the iPad with my iPhone. Pretty good for an old grandma. I love my little girls.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CPL81vBv1E

She loves her singing penguin and plays it all the time. Some crazy old grandma got that for her at Christmas. Drives Mom and Dad crazy. (That’s what grandmas are for, right?)

She was putting on her pretend eye makeup and said, “Now Gamma?” So I put my face up close to the camera and she put pretend eye makeup on my image on the phone. Such a beautiful imagination.

Sundays are so special. I hope yours was great too. Happy Sunday, my friends.

Friday:) Final Friday and Days With Friends and Family

“You don’t want to get too wrapped up in that final destination. You want to enjoy the journey, enjoy the process, and just take it one step at a time.”

~Carli Lloyd

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The time here with family and friends has zip-lined past me in a haze. This time next week I’ll be sitting at home, looking at pictures, sipping my Friday night Black Russian, and missing the sweet warmth of a new born baby lying on my chest, and a curly haired toddler saying, “Gamma come!”

I’ve posted a zillion pictures of grandchildren these past few weeks, so these will be the final installment.

It was a great Friday. My dear friend Debbie came over for a visit. We went to Northbrook Mall and did some shopping and had lunch. We stopped at the grocery store so I could pick up some snacks for tomorrow’s big Cotton Bowl game. Notre Dame vs ? I don’t know who they’re playing. I’m rooting for Notre Dame. My son Joe is so excited, he said he may not be able to sleep tonight. ND Class of ’03.

I also needed to pick up some Kahlua and vodka and ice cream for Black Russian Friday. Would you believe they didn’t have those vital beverages for Gamma?

You know this will be hard to leave, but easy to remember.

Belle is such a good little mommy. She is changing her baby’s diaper. Sweetness personified.

Now, Gamma is done sipping her Black Russian and just about to hold a fussy baby. Loving every minute.

Theme Song Thursday:) Child of Mine

Child of my child, and heart of my heart

Whether together, or miles apart.

A grandmother’s love is what it implies

It’s grander each day, and just multiplies.

The warmth of her heart will never grow old

The gleam of her eye, more precious than gold.

Stars up in heaven could never outshine

This child of my child, now child of mine.

~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis

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I find that a poem can often express ten thousand words in just a few lines. As I sat for hours holding my second grandchild in my arms, it made me realize that the more children and grandchildren you have doesn’t divide your love, but rather multiplies your ability to love. There’s something very special about holding the child of your child. And, I look forward to living long enough to hold their children in my arms. Blessings are only multiplied as the years go by. My wandering thoughts inspired a poem to express how it feels to be a grandmother.

This has been a wonderful Christmas and holiday season. When I try to count my blessings, I realize that I can’t count that high.

Carole King’s song “Child of Mine” is the song that I chose for the mother/son dance at my son’s wedding. I softly sang it in his ear as we danced. And now, I softly sing it to my grandchildren when I cradle them in my arms.

Friday:) Firsts, Seconds, and Those Traditions

“Firsts are best because they are beginnings.”

― Jenny Han

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I’m not a first-time Grandma, this is my second time around. I’ll be honest with you, it’s just as exciting, rewarding,scary, and fantastic as r first time. You other grandmas out there know what I’m talking about. When you hold your child’s child, it’s like magic multiplied in your arms.

Today was Sophie’s first bath. Crying and red faced screaming was expected, but she did a great job, and not that much crying. She’s such a good baby. She’s one week old already. I’ll blink and I’ll be dancing at her wedding. (My mom always used to say things like that.)

Firsts….

Seconds… treasuring every second.

Besides being blessed, being able to hold Baby Sophie an hour here or there, I also get a chance to play with Belle. I just melt when she cups her little hand towards herself in a wave and says, “Gamma come?” She’s such a cutie. I always reply, “Gamma’s coming.”

Maybe she will teach Gamma how to play the piano in a few years.

All is quiet here. The children all nestled and snug in their beds…. and it’s Friday. Now, for my traditional Black Russian Friday. All is well with the world.

Single Word Sunday:) GAMMA

“Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”

~Buddha

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Just one word to describe this beautiful Sunday…GAMMA.

Gamma got to hold Baby Sophie today for the first time. If you think the second time around is not as special, we’ll, you’d be wrong. Love has no limits, but rather grows exponentially.

“Love is lovelier the second time around.” (A show tune, for those up for the challenge.”

Here’s a challenge for you. Can you describe your day with just one word?