HOliday HOmecoming HOopla

The holidays are fast approaching so now is a good time to explore some of the unique aspects of family gatherings for empty nesters. When we were a young family, the holidays posed a problem for us. Whose family we should visit?
CONTINUE READING >> 

The holidays are fast approaching so now is a good time to explore some of the unique aspects of family gatherings for empty nesters. When we were a young family, the holidays posed a problem for us. Whose family we should visit?
CONTINUE READING >> 

A Space for Grandkids by Grandkids & Grandparents

What if you had a spare bedroom or space in your house that you could reserve for your grandchildren? Wouldn’t it be fun to make it more kid-friendly? Not just the decorations, but coming up with an activity that all of you can do together to really enhance the experience… CONTINUE READING >> 

What if you had a spare bedroom or space in your house that you could reserve for your grandchildren? Wouldn’t it be fun to make it more kid-friendly? Not just the decorations, but coming up with an activity that all of you can do together to really enhance the experience… CONTINUE READING >> 

More Grandchildish Behavior

I am drool resistant, attract dirt, love to wallow, don’t mind eating things off of the ground and sometimes need changing.

I fit right in with kids.

So… I guess I want grandkids more than Veronica does… CONTINUE READING >>

I am drool resistant, attract dirt, love to wallow, don’t mind eating things off of the ground and sometimes need changing.

I fit right in with kids.

So… I guess I want grandkids more than Veronica does… CONTINUE READING >>

Grandchildish Behavior

I’ve had two unexpected conversations recently that have given me pause for reflection. The first was with my father-in-law while dining over Mexican food in Kansas. While catching him up with our kids’ lives, he asked me if they were dating anyone of note. I told him that at the moment there were no significant others. Then, the bolt out of the blue,”Oh, you must be sad that you won’t be having grandchildren anytime soon.”

The next exchange was with my daughters, The Piglet and Decibel.

“All of our friends’ mothers are on crazy grandma patrol. How come you aren’t nagging us about having babies?”

It started out as gentle teasing, but… CONTINUE READING  >>

I’ve had two unexpected conversations recently that have given me pause for reflection. The first was with my father-in-law while dining over Mexican food in Kansas. While catching him up with our kids’ lives, he asked me if they were dating anyone of note. I told him that at the moment there were no significant others. Then, the bolt out of the blue,”Oh, you must be sad that you won’t be having grandchildren anytime soon.”

The next exchange was with my daughters, The Piglet and Decibel.

“All of our friends’ mothers are on crazy grandma patrol. How come you aren’t nagging us about having babies?”

It started out as gentle teasing, but… CONTINUE READING  >>

The Best? (Worst?) Funniest. Family Portrait. Ever.

Every family has ’em.

Piles of throw-away snapshots that you can’t bear to throw away. Before digital cameras, our generation put every picture — no matter how bad — into a photo album. After all, they were precious – and we shelled out big bucks to have them developed.

Then there are the CLASSICS. The ones you should have thrown away, but instead you frame them. This one is ours.

Think about it, we thought we were sitting for a lovely family portrait. Clearly, all heck is breaking loose and none of us could… CONTINUE READING >>

Every family has ’em.

Piles of throw-away snapshots that you can’t bear to throw away. Before digital cameras, our generation put every picture — no matter how bad — into a photo album. After all, they were precious – and we shelled out big bucks to have them developed.

Then there are the CLASSICS. The ones you should have thrown away, but instead you frame them. This one is ours.

Think about it, we thought we were sitting for a lovely family portrait. Clearly, all heck is breaking loose and none of us could… CONTINUE READING >>

Seven Things I Vow to My First Son-in-law (and the One Thing I Ask of Him!)

Congrats to our wonderful daughter, The Piglet, and her fiancé – they’re engaged and David and I are thrilled! 

Of course – me being me – I’m also a bit freaked out about being the perfect mother-in-law to this wonderful man.

What? Me? A mother-in-law? That’s some heady, for-the-rest-of-my-life stuff!

I asked our wise GypsyNester community for advice and… CONTINUE READING >>

Congrats to our wonderful daughter, The Piglet, and her fiancé – they’re engaged and David and I are thrilled! 

Of course – me being me – I’m also a bit freaked out about being the perfect mother-in-law to this wonderful man.

What? Me? A mother-in-law? That’s some heady, for-the-rest-of-my-life stuff!

I asked our wise GypsyNester community for advice and… CONTINUE READING >>

60 Years of Marriage: A Gift My Parents Gave Me

This week our family is celebrating a remarkable event, my parent’s sixtieth wedding anniversary. Only an extraordinary mixture of love, trust, faith, hard work, and — yes — luck could have made this event possible.

I’m not going to attempt to analyze the inner workings of how a union can not only survive, but thrive over six decades, I am simply going to offer thanks.

More than gratitude for the care and security that I received, although that too often goes unspoken, I want to particularly express how grateful I am forCONTINUE READING >> 

This week our family is celebrating a remarkable event, my parent’s sixtieth wedding anniversary. Only an extraordinary mixture of love, trust, faith, hard work, and — yes — luck could have made this event possible.

I’m not going to attempt to analyze the inner workings of how a union can not only survive, but thrive over six decades, I am simply going to offer thanks.

More than gratitude for the care and security that I received, although that too often goes unspoken, I want to particularly express how grateful I am forCONTINUE READING >> 

Oh My Stars!

Looking up at the night sky at an out-in-the-boondocks National Park sent my thoughts wandering, as only the night sky can. Then came a shocking thought:How long until we can no longer see the stars?

Sitting up and scanning the land around me I saw the bright dots from tiny little towns – and, alas, the Park itself – enough light pollution to hinder me from observing what The Ancients or Magella… CONTINUE READING >>

Looking up at the night sky at an out-in-the-boondocks National Park sent my thoughts wandering, as only the night sky can. Then came a shocking thought:How long until we can no longer see the stars?

Sitting up and scanning the land around me I saw the bright dots from tiny little towns – and, alas, the Park itself – enough light pollution to hinder me from observing what The Ancients or Magella… CONTINUE READING >>