Friday, August 27, 2010

My Granddaughters Dance


As you know by now, Boston and Maddie are dancers. Both take classes and I have been to two of their dance recitals. Loved every minute of them.

Last year Boston was on the competition dance team for her age group. I was lucky enough to be able to watch her dance at one of these competitions. She danced so very well.

Boston and Maddie's Dad tells me that a couple of days ago, the girls received letters in the mail. They had been waiting to find out if they made the competition dance teams this year.

Boston opened her letter first.



WOO HOO! She was on the team, "Showbiz Kids."

Then it was Maddie's turn to open her letter.



WOO HOO! Maddie made the team as well. Her team is "Broadway Babies."

Congratulations, girls. Grandma is so very proud of you both, and I am really looking forward to seeing you dance again.

Love,
Grandma

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Jacob's Noggin


I am really, really glad that David called me last evening BEFORE I checked my email, for when I did, this is what I saw.


Along with the text that read, "Here's a pic. We are heading to urgent care."

The email was sent to Staci, who was at work but already knew what had happened, and he added a copy to me because he knows I always want pictures. However, if I had seen this email before hearing about what happened, I may have been a bit concerned. After all, it isn't every day that one receives an email with a picture of one's grandson's bloody noggin.

It seems that a falling object (I think it was a candle holder) had landed with a thud on top of Jacob's head, resulting in those holes in his scalp. When I asked if Jacob had needed stitches, David told me that they don't use stitches for something like this any more. I guess that it has been so many years since I needed anything stitched up that I didn't know this. It seems that a dab of surgical glue took care of it. And from what I understand, a stop at Dairy Queen on the way back home is the best healing medicine of all.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Maddie and the Tooth Fairy


Maddie has lost her first tooth. It seems that she had a little bit of help with this. While her sister was doing some gymnastic moves, she accidentally kicked Maddie in the mouth. She didn't mean to. These things happen. Maddie's distress over being kicked quickly gave way to the realization that she now had a loose tooth. It didn't take long for her tooth to fall out.



I got a phone call from Maddie the evening after she lost her tooth. She had all sorts of things to tell me about the visit from the Tooth Fairy. Not only did she leave the usual money for Maddie's tooth, but there was a treat of a package of gum as well. But the really neat thing was the letter she left just for Maddie. As I listened to her read that letter to me, I couldn't help but think it was a pretty special Tooth Fairy who would make the loss of a first tooth such a memorable occasion for an equally special girl.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Guilty Little Secret


It is hot outside. Hot and humid. Sticky. Icky. I don't like hot and humid. My body rebels. I get cranky. So it is better for everyone concerned if I just stay inside as much as possible and enjoy my air conditioning.

That is OK with me. I have lots to keep me busy. Chores that I have been putting off while the weather was pleasant and I was enjoying being outdoors. Things like cleaning out the refrigerator. I put that one off a little too long. It looked like someone's science experiment gone horribly wrong in there. But it is done. One of the closets has been cleaned out, as well as some dresser drawers that have been waiting for my attention. Several other small projects are done as well.

Now don't get the idea that I have suddenly turned into Susie Homemaker. Not so. These chores have been done when I needed a break from this.

These are hexagons. Lots of them. Each is hand basted over a paper hexagon to hold it's shape.



Then each one is hand sewn to another to make these little flowers.


All of them will be hand sewn to background hexagons to eventually make a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt. I have always wanted to make one of these quilts. Never before had the time. But what with the heat and humidity outside and knowing that I wouldn't be venturing out much until it cools down some, this seemed to be a good time to start one. Don't look for it to be finished any time soon, as once the top is finished and the batting and backing are in place, it will be hand quilted. I suppose I could machine quilt it, but I want it to look old fashioned and machine quilting just doesn't accomplish that.

Now, the most comfortable place in my apartment for me to sit and work on these quilt pieces seems to be at my computer desk. The chair is comfy and the light is good. Gives me a nice work surface. Because I watch very little television, I searched around and found a website for online radio. One of my choices was a category entitled "Old Time Radio." Which led to my guilty little secret.

I am hooked on old time radio detective and mystery stories. Those from the 1940's and 1950's. They come from a time when families gathered around the radio in the evenings to listen to their favorite serials. I remember as a little girl, listening to many of these stories. My family didn't own a television until the early 1960's. So radio was a big part of our lives. Oh, I listened to lots of early rock and roll, much to the chagrin of my parents, but it was the stories I loved. Stories like "The Green Hornet," "Dragnet," "Phillip Marlow, Private Detective," "Mysterious Traveler." They are obviously dated and sometimes hokey, but they are fun to listen to. Now and then I will find comedies like "George Burns and Gracie Allen" or "Jack Benny" or "Fibber McGee and Molly." They are still funny, even after all these years. The other evening I even listened to Orson Wells' "War of the Worlds."

So there it is. My guilty little secret. I guess I could eliminate the guilty part, as I don't really feel too guilty about enjoying these stories that remind me so much of a time when life was so much more simple than it is now. I sort of like that part.