There are NO MISTAKES in art. At least that's what we tell ourselves. Every year I prepare a three-ring binder full of activities for our eldest granddaughters to enjoy while they're with us during the summer. I peruse the Internet, parenting websites and, of course, that sneaky ol' time-stealer, Pinterest!
Last year, I came across melted crayon art on Pinterest that looked interesting, so naturally I thought this activity should be added to the binder. I researched how-to pages and videos, stocked up on crayons and spent hours peeling the paper wrapping from each and every one of them so it wouldn't get in the way during the melting process. Then I printed out selected melted crayon creations so we might attempt similar ones. Tucked away in my binder, I didn't give this project another thought until the girls arrived.
Early one morning and excited about this art form, we set up in the kitchen -- hair dryer plugged in and ready to go. We taped a selection of crayons to cardboard, slipped a canvas board beneath them to catch the melting wax, turned on the hair dryer, and ... disaster and disappointment. EPIC FAIL! The crayons weren't melting the way they should or didn't melt at all. I was pissed! And much to my discredit, I voiced my rage and anger. All that effort of shopping and planning for naught. Jain and Sofia, though, did not seem to mind at all. In fact, Jain just took her canvas and drew a picture on it that looked similar to what we were trying to create with melted crayon. She did exactly what the book Beautiful Oops! teaches, that there are no mistakes. Anything created can turn into something else just as beautiful. Hoo, boy! Lesson learned the hard way, Dandy. Children are pliable and forgiving and I should be, too. They are so willing to learn new things and find the journey as much fun as the result. On to something else. Another craft, another artistic endeavor. The failed crayon event was over in their minds way before it was in mine.
So, what did I learn from this? Do NOT take for granted that even though you're an artsy-craftsy person you're going to be able to do everything that comes down the pike -- or Pinterest. What they don't tell you on these websites is that they might have been doing these crafts for a long time before they post them. They might have months or years of experience. They might be art teachers. They might have EXPERIMENTED WITH THE ART FORM BEFORE THEY SHARED IT WITH OTHERS! There! That last one is the most valuable lesson I learned. That and don't get so upset if something doesn't work. Your grandchildren just want to be with you, working on projects together, sharing in the joy of creativity. They don't give a hoot if something doesn't work. So, LET. IT. GO. And don't be so hard on yourself. No one is perfect. Forgive yourself if you get upset and then pledge to try not to let it happen again.
Artful Parent is one of my very favorite websites and Facebook pages for finding art projects to do with children. Earlier this year I discovered "DIY Marbled Paper the Easy Way," complete with video as well as written instructions. So pretty! And so easy, the title says. "Oh no you don't," I warned myself. Let's see just exactly how easy this is. I set up my work space and experimented to be sure it was indeed a project we could all do together. Eureka! It is just as simple as they say, albeit messy. So now I know it definitely is a craft we can accomplish with stunning results. And we'll need paper towels. Lots and lots of paper towels. I even made some improvements in the process with tools other than what the website recommends.
I have a few other crafts to test before Jain and Sofia arrive, and even one I won't because I want that project to be a surprisingly fun artistic experiment from beginning to end. I promise not to get upset if it doesn't come to fruition. Because nothing is worse than not trying at all. "Mistakes" are just an opportunity to learn and do better.
Old books. Really old books. I love the feel of them, the musty, dusty smell of them. My great-grandmother had books like this and I journeyed inside their pages every time I visited her, lost in magical places for hours.
This love of old books is something I share with my daughter and granddaughters. We relish roaming around used bookstores and delight in finding rare or hard-to-find editions of best-loved titles.
While visiting my daughter and granddaughters recently, I was looking in one granddaughter's room for a couple of old favorites I would like to share with my son's little ones. Lo and behold, as I was searching I found one of my old childhood books I must have loaned to my daughter to read to her girls when they were young. Memories came flooding back as I leafed through the dilapidated pages of My Picture Story Book: a Collection of Objects, Mother Goose Rhymes, Animal Stories (edited by Watty Piper, illustrated by Eulalie, Becker and Scott, and published by The Platt & Munk Co., with copyright dates of 1937 & 1941). This old treasure was quite obviously a childhood favorite of mine and my siblings. Its pages are worn, torn and taped together, soiled, marked and drawn on, bound and rebound and falling apart at the seams. My, how the three of us must have adored this book!
I can distinctly remember sitting on my mother's lap as she read this book to me over and over. The book is laid out in three sections: familiar objects for a young one to learn by pictures and matching words; nursery rhymes for early readers; and animal stories for older children. I don't recall the first section nearly as much as I do the other two. But by the markings in the book, it is clear that by underlining words we were learning them. Also, we associated words with their corresponding illustrations by drawing lines from one to the other. My siblings and I might have even pretended at playing teacher and student, too, grading one another with the words OK and DON'T KNOW scrawled on a few of the pages.
As I got older, I found solace in reading alone. And although I'm sure my parents read nursery rhymes to me, as soon as I could read on my own I memorized nearly every one of these rhymes and can recite most of them today.
The last third of the book must have been my favorite once I learned to read well, for herein are the animal stories. Apparently, I was quite territorial with this section because I printed my name in my young hand at the beginning of the chapter for each and every animal. I found KIM scribbled 19 times! My siblings must not have cared as much to "own" these pages, for I found their names printed only twice.
The animal story in this section of the book that made me go "Awwwwww!" as I reminisced is about the wire-haired fox terrier. Perusing those pages makes me wonder if reading this story to us is where my dad's love for that breed began, for the very first pups we had as children were, indeed, fox terriers.
I do not condone writing in books, but in this case I am more forgiving. Looking at our scribbles and scrawls, we must have thought this was also a coloring book. If my parents tried to stop us from writing in it, I'm glad their attempts failed. All these childish markings make the book that much sweeter. And the fact my parents cared enough to tape it and re-bind it tells me how much they appreciated that the whole family loved this book. We were obviously allowed to read it and use it as we saw fit. Perhaps every child should have a book like that: One they can color in, play school with, recite poetry from, and read together or alone.
We can't keep every book we ever owned or we book lovers would be overrun and out of room in our homes very soon. Believe me, I know. I do beg of you, gentle readers, to consider always keeping special books, those that are 1) inscribed - these are gifts from someone who cared enough to give it to you or your children; 2) absolute favorites - children's and adults: 3) classics - both children's and adults; 4) out of print - you'll be glad you don't have to pay the out-of-print or rare book price.
Hanging in my oldest granddaughter's room is a poster with the following quote from Julia Donaldson that she has memorized because it speaks to who we are as a family of readers and lovers of books:
“I opened a book and in I strode.
Now nobody can find me.
I've left my chair, my house, my road,
My town and my world behind me.
I'm wearing the cloak, I've slipped on the ring,
I've swallowed the magic potion.
I've fought with a dragon, dined with a king
And dived in a bottomless ocean.
I opened a book and made some friends.
I shared their tears and laughter
And followed their road with its bumps and bends
To the happily ever after.
I finished my book and out I came.
The cloak can no longer hide me.
My chair and my house are just the same,
But I have a book inside me.”
Who wouldn't want to delve into the pages of a book after reading that last line? Here's wishing all of you many wondrous adventures as you find the books inside you! And remember, as Grampy always says,
HAVE FUN!
P.S.: By the way, this edition of the book is now available online from rare and out-of-print websites anywhere from $28 to $75!!! This is why I say hold on to those childhood favorites! It is also available from Amazon for a whole lot less, just to let you know. But as soon as they're gone, that's it.
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Recently I was asked by a family history nut how we can pass our genealogy passion along to the next generation. After all, we won't be here forever, and someone needs to take custody of what we've learned or, better yet, continue the quest.
Here's a list of activities Kim suggested to get the ball rolling:
The bottom line, as Kim says, is that we can appreciate what we have and know today only if we understand our past.
So now what? How does a child or grandchild who has caught the genealogy bug proceed? There's a book for that (probably an app, too, but that's for another time).
While a genealogy “how to” last updated in 2002 certainly has its limitations, Climbing Your Family Tree: Online and Off-Line Genealogy for Kids remains a great guide for young people — and the young at heart — embarking on family discovery.
The book was written by Ira Wolfman and published by Workman Press in New York City with the stamp of approval of the Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation Inc. It’s available in paperback and turtleback (prebound hardcover) editions from many sources, including some that will ship it to you for one cent plus shipping and handling. I was able to borrow it from the library.
The online realm is where Climbing Your Family Tree shows its age. So many more resources are accessible now through the Internet than 15 years ago. Too, the publisher’s Web page of resources to which the book refers no longer exists.
But Wolfman does a marvelous job — through personal recollections and stories shared by young and old — of making family research fun and rewarding. And the large majority of his tips for evaluating, understanding and appreciating what you uncover are just as relevant now as when the book went to press.
They include:
Whew! That’s a lot, and there’s more. Check it out.
]]>It's winter. Time for reflection on warmth and comfort, two things grandparents most definitely provide freely and lovingly to their grandchildren. As I sit here wrapped in a blanket, sipping hot coffee, and pondering what to write about for this blog post, my thoughts wander to childhood days snuggled on the couch lost in a literary journey. BOOKS! So many wonderful books!
We are, if nothing else, a family of avid readers. Books and music fill our days and expand our horizons. Having already written of our musical adventures, I thought, "Why not write some reviews of favorite children's books from time to time?" So, here we go! It wouldn't be winter without snuggling under a quilt with a good book, and this first review just happens to be about quilting.
The Quiltmaker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau, illus. by Gail de Marcken
Recommended age: 4 and up
I cannot possibly say enough great things about this book! Many grandparents are also quilters. And if you are, I highly recommend you have this book in your library to read to your grandchildren when they visit. The joy of giving is told through this delightful story of a woman who makes the most beautiful quilts in the kingdom, but does not sell them. Instead, she gives them to the poor or homeless. Once the village king hears of her talent, he demands that she give him one. The king owns many precious things, yet always wants more, more, more in his relentless and hopeless quest to be happy. Alas, her quilts are only for the poor, no one can buy them, and she tells him so. But he must have one of her famous quilts! What will he have to do to own one? Eventually he realizes that only generosity and selflessness can make him truly happy.
Savor each page as you read this tale together, for the illustrations are remarkable and plentiful. I read the text, then went back and read it again to soak in the artwork. Make the pages interactive and have your children search and discover all the wonderful items throughout the book! (Spoiler Alert! Of course the king gets his quilt at the end of the story. Look closely and you will notice the quilt maker incorporated objects the king once owned into her design of the quilt she made just for him. So, in a way, he doesn't lose his riches after all.)
Every quilt pattern tells a story. If you quilt, you can bring this art form to life for your little ones by explaining what the patterns represent, or why you chose to make a certain quilt. We own a wedding ring quilt that my grandmother made for my parents and it was handed down to me. Well worn, it is one of my most prized and loved possessions.
I love it when a book can be more than just a story. Quilters and non-quilters alike will enjoy the activities and games, stories from around the world, contests and prizes and conversations with the author to be found at www.quiltmakersgift.com. Best of all, true to their desire to spread the spirit of generosity, the author and illustrator, along with Scholastic Inc., send proceeds from sales of the book to organizations that support that same spirit: ABC Quilts, SOS Children's Villages-USA, The Heifer Project, Doctors Without Borders, and New York Cares.
Keep warm, happy reading and stay tuned for the next grandparent/grandchild book review! And as Grampy always says,
Have Fun!
]]>History. We cannot understand present day unless and until we understand our history. How did we get to this place? What events brought us to this current time and way of life?
Well, the only way we’re truly going to know is to experience our past, whether that be through books, documentaries, museums or stories handed down from family members. At their worst, history lessons are taught as no more than a series of dates and events to be memorized. Is it any wonder students lose interest and find the subject completely boring? But a good history teacher brings the subject alive! I distinctly remember a scene in the movie “Teachers” in which an escaped mental patient played by Richard Mulligan walks into a high school history class by mistake. Everyone assumes he was the teacher and he shocks his students when he tells them to throw their history books out the window! Much to their surprise and delight, he brings history alive by dressing as historical figures and reenacting their stories. Turns out to be the best teacher in the school!
It’s really a shame history cannot always be taught that way. Via drama, reenactment, music (hmmm ... the uber popular Broadway play, Hamilton. comes to mind right about now), whatever it would take to enlighten and excite children to learn more! Sigh ... in a perfect world with a perfect educational system, I guess.
The next best thing is to personally do what our school system simply cannot. Make history come alive with your children and grandchildren by visiting historical places as much as you can. Or take them antique shopping, visit older family members, play games of yore, look through family photo albums, pass down heirlooms. There is any number of ways to get them interested in their own personal histories.
This summer I took our granddaughters Jain and Sofia to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. They had seen a video of the mansion and were so excited to tour it. I made sure we arrived right when the gates opened. Indeed, we were the first car in the line to enter that day! We drove along the long, winding road through the estate’s vast forest. Sofia was in the middle of reading Serafina and the Black Cloak, a children's novel that takes place at Biltmore, so I wanted to give her the opportunity to view the grounds on which the children in the story roam.
We parked, boarded the shuttle bus and continued to the front of the estate grounds. Jain and Sofia's eyes were round as saucers when the mansion loomed before them. Hopping off the shuttle, our cell phones came out immediately to take pictures of the two giant lions guarding the front entrance, the many and varied gargoyles along the roof line, a large outdoor clock, and the huge arched doorways leading to the former stable area (now gift shops and eateries). The mansion wasn't ready to enter yet so we roamed around the outside of the still-closed gift shops. Peering in at the old-fashioned items in the toy store, I snapped a shot of the girls looking longingly at frilly, lace-adorned porcelain dolls. With a promise to come back to the gift shops we made our way to the front door of the mansion, me eagerly anticipating their first reaction at its magnificent interior.
They did not disappoint. Old souls, both of them, they oohed and aahed at nearly everything they saw. (These are two girls who love "Murdock Mysteries" and other turn-of-the-century -- 1880s, ‘90s and early 1900s — TV shows and movies.) The first part of the mansion's interior anyone sees on a tour is a round sunken area with myriad plants. It's a conservatory of sorts, for both plants and music, since musicians often perform there during tours. During the winter holidays it is festooned with Christmas trees and greenery. There were plants, but no choir, no musicians during the summer. Still, Jain remarked, "Can you imagine me playing my viola in there?" The dreamy look on her face made me wish like anything I could make her wish come true.
From there, we entered the large dining hall, replete with tapestries, an immense pipe organ and long dining table. Jain let out an audible sigh and said, "I want to live here!" To which I tenderly patted her on the shoulder and remarked, "You and a lot of other people, honey."
I have visited Biltmore three times now, but this time I saw the estate through children’s eyes and what a discovery it was! Sofia knew there were hidden doors leading to secret passageways in the Serafina book, so three sets of eyes set about scouring every room we were in to find at least one. Channeling my inner Nancy Drew, I spied one partially obscured by brocaded velvet drapery, and Sofia immediately asked if we could check it out. Alas, these rooms are roped off to preserve all the antique furniture and objects. Disappointed but not deterred, she eagerly ventured through the remaining rooms of the house, looking for a stuffed owl on a mantel that was also mentioned in the book. We discovered it in one of the rooms at the end of the tour, but I'm not divulging that location in case any of you decide to visit this palatial house. Far be it from us to spoil the surprise!
Every item, every piece of furniture, every tapestry and set of drapes, every photograph and painting was gazed at, admired, and touched when possible. Objects I would have normally passed right by were pointed out by one or both of the girls. How did I ever miss that old ornate elevator? Jain and Sofia hopped right in and much picture taking ensued! Old pianos and an oversized wooden music stand were also some of Jain's favorite items. Even the mansion's spiral staircase sparked the girls' imagination as they fancied themselves ladies of the manor descending the stairs to attend a ball or their own wedding (we videotaped their descent for posterity!).
The girls remarked how tiny the beds were, swooned over some of the ladies' bedrooms and sitting areas, and just about D-i-e-d with a capital D when they walked into the estate's immense library. All those books and not allowed to touch or read a single one. So totally unfair. I knew that would be their favorite room in the whole house and could not wait to see their reaction! Oh, if only they had been able to climb its spiral staircase, curl up on the couch by the fireplace and get lost in a book or take in a game of chess with its beautiful antique pieces. Total bliss!
Jain and Sofia did NOT want to leave that library, but on we went. I pointed out an old wooden wardrobe during our tour and asked them whether they thought it might take us through to Narnia! It was then I revealed to them their great-great-great grandma had a portable wardrobe in one of her bedrooms. It was just a closet to me as a kid, since I knew nothing of Narnia until I read C.S. Lewis's books in my 20s. I certainly loved spending magical times with my grandmothers and feel their love and influence around me as we provide our granddaughters with our own fun adventures!
Although there is no outdoor pool on the grounds, there is an indoor one in the mansion's basement, and Jain and Sofia both wished they could swim in it. The Vanderbilt children must have had a blast roaming the estate and its grounds. There are gigantic trees close to the house we all wished we could climb, and the estate is surrounded by a vast forest — purchased not only as grounds for the mansion but to preserve all the land around it. Some of the people and details in Serafina and the Black Cloak are real, among them Frederick Olmsted, who aided Mr. Vanderbilt in landscaping and designing the grounds. Thanks to Mr. Olmsted, this vast acreage will be preserved and protected forever as one of our national outdoor treasures. Go for a visit if you can with the children in your family. And be sure to see it through their eyes! History will be exciting as long as we make it so! Whatever adventures you have with your family, remember, as Grampy always says,
HAVE FUN!
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So, what zips us back in time? The Beatles come immediately to mind. "She Loves You" and "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" were my earliest dance tunes as a 7- or 8-year-old. The songs from the summer of 1966 when we moved into our new house and swam in the pool next door are happily stored in the folds of my brain ("Red Rubber Ball," "Summer in the City," "Wild Thing," and "Hanky Panky" were my absolute favorites). Fast forward to my teenage years. Every time I hear anything by Bread, I immediately think of summers during high school and college as a lifeguard. Their songs played on the local radio stations all the time. Why I remember that band more than others is beyond me. Something in their music just struck a chord with me, I guess. I rarely hear their songs on the radio these days, but when I do I'm right back out in the summer sun of my youth. Good times!
Memories of our daughter's childhood are pierced with songs from the '80s and '90s. She considers herself "a rarity on this earth" since she still listens to mixtapes (yes, CASSETTE tapes that still work!) and claims "there is nothing quite like the time machine that is a mixtape" when it transports her directly to high school and adolescence. Inside jokes with her friends are sparked by certain songs, and during her high school years Katie developed what she calls her "life's theme music" listening to Elliott Smith. His music helped her through a very intense period of time, but she had to be careful what mood she was in as it could "enhance a happy mood or magnify a bad one." As far as her earlier childhood is concerned, the folk music of Pete Seeger & Arlo Guthrie or Old & In the Way, the rock & roll of Sha Na Na, or the eclectic sounds of Buster Poindexter all plop her into the family car as a very young self for a road trip and always make her feel happy.
Katie says music changes her life constantly, especially regarding this "phenomenon of a song you’ve heard a million times suddenly taking on a whole new meaning and sound when it suddenly applies to you in a new way, as if you are hearing it for the first time. There is nothing like hearing a song that sounds like it was written just for you." So whether a song causes us to reminisce or see our lives in a whole different light, it has an undeniably powerful effect on us.
Our oldest granddaughter, Jain, is 14 now, but says techno takes her back in time to her childhood. She has no particular song in mind; it just reminds her of when her mom would listen to it all the time, and she would hear it around the house and in the car. Her strongest memory of it is when her sister and she went to a street fair with friends and danced on stage to the techno music.
While contemplating writing this final blog on our family's shared musical experiences, it occurred to me how strongly I feel that the music of my generation was far better than what we hear today. I know, I know, that makes me sound like every older person who has ever bemoaned the music of today's youth. But hear me out. We have musical preferences in this family unlike most others. Our daughter, granddaughters and the two of us have been exposed to a wide variety of musical genres and developed a pretty advanced appreciation of several styles. Jain entered high school this year, and in advance of the girls' visit this summer it occurred to me to do a bit of research. Just for fun, I wondered whether she would know any or most of the songs that made the Billboard Top 100 Songs of 1967 and 1969, the years Tom and I entered high school. I also wondered how many of the songs from her mama's freshman year in 1997 she would know. Then I made a bet with myself that she would know more from our era than she would of her mother's or even her own AND that she would like those songs better. Curious, I looked up the Top 100 songs thus far in 2016. Boy, that's when I realized how out of the loop I am! At first glance, I recognized Adele's song, "Hello," and hardly any others. Here are the lists from 1967, 1969 and 1997. (Since 2016 isn't over yet, there is no complete list for it, but we looked up the songs online that have been in the top so far.)
GRAMPY'S FRESHMAN YEAR
Jain, Sofia and Katie know nearly EVERY SINGLE SONG on the '67 & '69 lists, as I indeed expected they would. Katie knows several on the list from her freshman year, but not all of them. From her list, I know maybe 20 by title alone. Certainly, the vast majority don't pop out at me where I can say, "Oh, yeah, I remember that song!" Not at all.
Poor Jain groaned with disgust as she looked over the 2016 list (go to http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2016-01-02). There is a lot of Justin Bieber and One Direction, neither of whose music she can stand. We were all happy to see Meghan Trainor and Andy Grammer in the top 100, but there aren't nearly enough of their songs on this list. Dismayed with the list in general, though, she instantly declared she liked the music of our era best. YES! I felt instant validation in my beliefs!
As far as what gives us hope for the future, I have too many to list and will give Jain and her mama the honor of sharing their thoughts. Jain prefers classical music, loves the fact that history can be portrayed and preserved with the Broadway wonder that is "Hamilton," and cherishes the lyrics to "The Word" by the Beatles. Katie believes in the power of several genres and sums it all up best by saying, "Classical music gives me a sense of time like almost no other music. The fact that it was composed so long ago and still has such an amazingly strong effect is a testament to the human race and the fact that we, as a species, have always and will always REQUIRE music in our lives. I feel like a good number of us will always be able to appreciate the beauty of classical music, no matter what noise qualifies as 'popular' at any given time. A lot of the blues and jazz from the '30s and '40s, rock and roll from the '60s, and the folk music which spans history share a similar message that just never seems to stop being applicable to the current generation. It can be disheartening, because we’d like to think the human race would learn from those messages after a while, but it also gives me hope that no one has decided we’ll never learn and thus gave up on spreading the message at all. When a message is still applicable, it at least means it’s not something viewed as a lost cause."
So, gentle readers, our questions to you after this lengthy post are: how has music changed your life, and how does it give you hope for the future? We'd love to have you share your stories with us, so please comment, and as Grampy always says,
HAVE FUN!
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Whoa! I've been away from my blog for wayyyyy too long. Time goes by too quickly and life interrupts our best intentions. Sorry for the delay, gentle readers.
My most recent posts have been about music. And although I've already written about tunes that make you dance, I want to add to that thread. When I wrote the post back in January I had intended to include a playlist of my favorite dance songs, but I misplaced the list. Preparing for our eldest granddaughters' annual summer visit, I finally found it. Eureka! Always thought dancing around the house would be the best way to exercise, so now maybe I'll get around to creating the actual playlist.
On to What Makes You Dance, Part 2!
I created a list of all the songs I've heard over the years on the radio that make me want to get up and boogie. I just cannot sit still when I hear them, and "I Like to Move It, Move It!" Yes, that's one of them, a song from "Madagascar" I first heard when watching that movie with Jain and Sofia. And when Julianne Hough and Apolo Ohno danced to it on Dancing with the Stars, I wanted to join them!
My playlist is 30-plus songs and growing longer all the time. At the very top of my list is "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles. It's my favorite Beatles song of all time. I love everything about it, and was overjoyed when it was featured in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Made me want to dance on that parade float right alongside Matthew Broderick!
In high school, I learned my very first line dance to "Dizzy" by Tommy Roe, so that song has a special place in my heart. And yes, I still remember the steps to the line dance.
Before music videos were popular, we bought and listened to 45s as teenagers. The positive messages promoted by Sly and the Family Stone went straight to my heart and soul, and "Dance to the Music" probably made me love music more than practicing my piano ever did. "Celebration" by Kool & the Gang, "Stepping Stone" and "I'm a Believer" by the Monkees, "Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance) by The Contours, are but a smattering of the great dance tunes that shaped my teenage years. And please tell me I can't be the only one who wanted to hula to "Wipeout" by The Surfaris, or the theme from Hawaii 5-0!
Movies and early MTV made a huge impact when it came to dance numbers. I still find myself under the spell of "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins, "Mony Mony" by either Billy Idol or Tommy James (for some reason, this song makes me want to be a 60s GoGo dancer!), "Walkin' on Sunshine by Katrina & the Waves, "Macarena" by Los del Rio (Come on! You know you loved it — and knew all the moves!), "YMCA" (ditto), "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, "You're the One That I Want" from Grease, and last, but certainly not least, "Thriller" by one of the greatest dancers of my generation, the one and only MJ.
Reminiscing over these songs, I can hardly sit still for wanting to get up and dance. Lest I do so, let me finish with more current songs that make me want to trip the light fantastic. Nina Simone — ah, Nina! Who could resist "Feeling Good" with her sweet, soulful sound? This is my favorite song of hers. She was singing long before I discovered her, so for me she is rather current. I so wish she were still around to bless us as only she could. Likewise, Billy Stewart was better known in the ‘60s, but I hadn't heard of him until I turned on the radio in my car about 10 years ago and heard "Summertime." Oh, if you aren't familiar with his version, please do not hesitate to pull it up on YouTube. Guaranteed you'll be astounded! It baffles me how the folks perched on those bales of hay could just sit there. I would have bounced up and danced to this rendition. It. Is. Awesome!
OK, now to get a bit more current. There isn't a whole lot on the radio these days to make me want to dance, but I do have a few. "Gangnam Style" by Psy and "Uptown Funk" by Bruno Mars come immediately to mind. Come on, you know you want to get up and dance right now just thinking about those two songs!
Passing on a love of the arts to your grandchildren is essential to their development as well-rounded individuals, and dancing is truly a key element to this growth. Movement engages both the body and the brain, helping us gain in strength and stamina as well as improving memory by learning dance steps and choreography. Neither Grampy nor I is a seasoned dancer (well, we're seasoned all right, just not as dancers), but dancing with our granddaughters is something we've done since we waltzed them around the living room as babies. We even authored a picture book with them titled Dancing with the Grans. When Jain was little, I remember her bouncing in her car seat to "Hooked on a Feeling (the Ooga Chaka version) by Blue Swede. Today she enjoys moving to "Dance Like Yo Daddy" by Meghan Trainor and "Honey, I'm Good" by Andy Grammer. She and Sofia enjoy their traditional summertime Bon Jovi song "We Got It Goin' On" riding in the car with their auntie each year. It just wouldn't be summer without it as they cruise down the road, windows open, the three of them singing at the top of their lungs.
Both girls enjoy dancing so much, they've choreographed and performed dances to Dexy's Midnight Runners’ "Come On, Eileen" and "Obladi, Oblada" by The Beatles. They rock out to "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz and absolutely love to boogie down to "Alexander Hamilton" from the Broadway play, Hamilton. (Well, Jain's middle name is Hamilton, so what else would we expect?) Are these girls being raised right, or what? I can hardly wait to see what makes them dance next!
In the meantime, dance on, my friends; and as Grampy always says,
HAVE FUN!
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FIRST PUBLISHED MARCH 29, 2016
How does music save your soul? As promised, this week's blog post looks at music that inspires us and how it does that. These are the questions I posed to my granddaughters:
1) WHO INSPIRED YOU AND WHY? Was it the lyrics? The sound of the singer's or band's voice or instruments? The interpretation of the music? Name some musicians, their songs you like most and exactly what it is you like about their music.
2) WHAT SONGS HAVE TOUCHED YOUR SOUL? MADE YOU CRY? GIVEN YOU CHILLS? CHANGED YOUR LIFE?
There are songs that cross the boundaries of time and place, those that seem to touch everyone's soul no matter our age differences or where we were born or raised. Recently, during devotions in our home, I played a video of the well-known song "Morning Has Broken," as sung by Cat Stevens. A very audible, contented sigh went up as soon as the song began. This beloved hymn, written in 1931 to the tune of the Scottish Gaelic song "Bunessan," and revised and covered by many artists, touches a collective cord. How and why does a song do that, I wondered? According to Rick Wakeman, who wrote the familiar piano arrangement on the Stevens recording, he feels Cat's version "was a very beautiful piece of music that had brought people closer to religious truth."
I believe a lot of songs do that very thing. They speak to our spiritual nature. Our granddaughter, Sofia, while listening to "Scarborough Fair," declared it was "God's music." Something about that song spoke to her young soul. Think about the few internationally recognized songs listed here and the way they make you feel more connected to the Holy and you'll know what I mean:
"Imagine" (John Lennon)
"Amazing Grace" (your artist of choice)
"Hallelujah" (Leonard Cohen)
"What a Wonderful World" (Louis Armstrong)
"The Impossible Dream" (from Man of La Mancha)
We desire to give our grandchildren as much spiritual music as we can. And by that we in no way mean solely "religious" songs. We are talking about the kind of music that inspires you to be a better person, to lead a good and fulfilling life. Whether that's a song by Simon and Garfunkel, an Italian aria, a soulful Nina Simone tune, the Beatles or the Beach Boys, it's all good. If there are many paths to God, there are certainly MILLIONS of musical paths. How great is that when we can all unite over music!
Bet you all know the effect of these two songs! No matter where you are in the U.S., there's a good chance everyone chants in unison to "Sweet Caroline": "So good! So good! So good!" And worldwide, people can be heard singing along to "New York, New York"! Not exactly spiritual songs, but they are both certainly spiritually uplifting. Anything that unites us is an excellent thing!
When I asked my granddaughters to answer the questions about who inspires them and what music touches their souls, they were a just a wee bit overwhelmed. So much from which to choose, Dandy! How can we give you just one answer? Here's their short list:
Jain says, "Many classical artists inspired me to become a violist, and it's mainly Tchaikovsky who still inspires me. The Beatles, in particular, touch my soul with their lyrics and rhythms, although there is no specific song because there are too many to choose from. I love Billy Joel's 'Piano Man.' A music video that makes me come close to crying is 'Say Something' by Christina Aguilera, and a song that gives me chills every time I listen to it is 'The Call' by Regina Spektor."
In addition to "Scarborough Fair," Sofia, too, loves the Beatles, especially "Hey, Jude," and Led Zeppelin inspires her because they "sound cool!" The time-honored classic "You Are My Sunshine" makes her cry because someone in the song is taken away, but Sofia likes it because her mama sang it to her when she was little.
Our daughter, Katie, with much enthusiasm and detail, has chimed in on these questions, too! "The Grateful Dead has been a huge inspiration of making art. There are certain songs that I had heard before, but when heard at a specific place and time had a completely new and significant meaning to me. Usually when this happens, I am suddenly compelled to make artwork that is unusually good for my level of artistic talent (in my opinion). Some examples of songs that have inspired my art are 'The Music Never Stopped,' 'Terrapin Station' and 'Big River.' Music has inspired me to dance before, but my lack of dancing skills always halts those dreams pretty quickly. The only music that has ever inspired me so much, artistically, is the Dead. Other than that... Torch music from the '30s and '40s inspires me to sing, but I never do anything with that inspiration, so the Dead is one of the only inspirations I’ve ever acted on and has led to the actual production of results. Bob Dylan often seems like he is speaking to me, and I tend to have a fondness for voices that are unique in a completely normal way, like Bob’s and Petty’s and Neil Young’s. Mainly it’s the words from these artists that inspire me. My journals are filled with pieces of lyrics here and there that echoed in my head when I first heard them and begged to be documented in relation to whatever my current situation was when they first filled the spaces in my soul."
As for me, "Today" by John Denver will always hold a special place in my heart. First heard at Girl Scout camp, I learned to harmonize while singing along with others. I'm not really sure why I like this song so much, other than it is sweet, flows well and the lyrics speak to me to never forget "all the joy that is mine today." Interestingly enough, one of the lyrics is "I'll be a dandy and I'll be a rover, you'll know who I am by the song that I sing," and my grandma name turned out to be Dandy when my first grandchild was born. And, yes, I'm a singing Dandy! How prophetic was that! Even though it was one of Tom's "enhanced lyrics" (as my husband refers to his changing the words to songs) to a different song that gave me the name Dandy, I love that it's in this song, too. And there's even a Herman's Hermits song by that very title!
I heard once that everyone's body operates in a certain musical key. Well, if that's true, mine must be in whatever key "Dream a Little Dream of Me" is in. I am forever humming, whistling or singing this song. To prove this to my granddaughters once when they were visiting, we called their mama and asked, "What song is Dandy always singing?" She immediately said, "Dream a Little Dream of Me," to which I replied, "You see, your mom knows me very well, doesn't she?"
Inspiration strikes sometimes at quite inopportune times. Remember the tears running down Cher's face in the movie Moonstruck when she went to her first opera? Well, friends, take my advice. Listen to opera very carefully. I popped an opera CD into my car's player one day and discovered the astonishing beauty of "Nessun Dorma" from the opera Turandot. This is a quite well-known aria, but somehow during my years as a music major I'd never heard it. (Neither had I heard Pachelbel's "Canon in D" until years later and I have no idea how I missed that one in college!). Well, let me tell you, it touched the depths of my soul and I cried like a baby. While driving. On a extremely busy, fast-moving Atlanta highway. You try driving defensively while wiping away tears. Fortunately, no drivers — or cars — were harmed during the weeping of this woman.
Any music that gives me chills, makes me say WOW! or WHOA!, or has tears clouding my vision, well, that's the music that inspires me. Young artists who have amazing talent inspire me (Charlotte Church, Jackie Evancho, just to name two). Listening to the music in nature humbles me. Whatever makes me feel good about humanity and the world is indeed, my inspiration. As for how music has changed our lives, that's a subject for another post, so stay tuned!
Tom recalls as a child being stirred by the hope and idealism expressed in such songs as "The Impossible Dream," "Climb Every Mountain" and "You'll Never Walk Alone." Other songs that stop him dead in his tracks when they come on the radio include "The Long and Winding Road" by the Beatles, "In My Room" by the Beach Boys, "Behind Blue Eyes" by The Who and "Reason to Believe" by Kelly Willis, as well as the different song with the same title "Reason to Believe" by Rod Stewart. Why? He can't say why, for sure. He just knows they touch something in him.
What music inspires you and yours? We'd love to hear from you! While you listen to and share music with your children and grandchildren, remember, as Grampy always says,
HAVE FUN!
]]>FIRST PUBLISHED MARCH 13, 2016
Imagine, if you will, trying to live without something you absolutely love. I truly believe for me and mine it would be music. I grew up l-o-v-i-n-g music! I just never knew how difficult it was going to be to write about it. Music is such a personal taste and it's extremely hard to put into words how it affects us, individually or collectively. After writing my last blog on the topic "What Makes You Dance?" I knew I wanted to write about how music makes us feel and I found myself soul-searching a bit deeper. I came up with several more questions to pose to my granddaughters, thinking it would be interesting to see our similarities and differences in music:
WHO INSPIRED YOU AND WHY? Was it the lyrics? The sound of the singer's or band's voice or instruments? The interpretation of the music? Name some musicians, their songs you like most and exactly what it is you like about their music.
WHAT SONGS HAVE TOUCHED YOUR SOUL? Did they make you cry, give your chills, change your life in some way?
WHAT SONGS ZIP YOU BACK IN TIME? Describe that time and place in your life. How old were you? Why do these particular songs have such a deep meaning for you?
WHAT MAKES YOU DANCE? Do you have a dance song list? Have you put them on your play list? Do you dance around the room to these songs? What are they? Do you choreograph dances in your head to any songs?
WHAT SONGS GIVE YOU HOPE FOR THE FUTURE? Are any of them about virtues, living by the Golden Rule, doing the right thing?
HAVE YOU DEVELOPED AN APPRECIATION FOR ANY GENRE OF MUSIC YOU THOUGHT YOU'D NEVER LIKE? What genres are they? Name some artists and songs you like from these genres.
Well, wow, how on earth did I think I was going to answer all of these questions with my granddaughters in just one blog post? What was I thinking? Never fear, gentle readers, we will get around to answering every one of these, so I humbly ask for your patience from week to week while I reveal the answers gradually.
First, I have to share with you our oldest granddaughter Jain's recent eighth-grade science fair project. Unbeknownst to me, as I had all these questions swirling around in my head, she came up with the topic "How Do Teens React to Different Genres of Music?" Her hypothesis was that classic rock would make the majority of people feel good. Thirteen school-appropriate genres were researched: rock, classic rock, indie rock, folk rock, upbeat classical, downbeat classical, pop, R&B, reggae, hip hop, country, jazz and blues. Songs and artists were identified for each genre, and her teacher made an excerpt 20 seconds long for each song. Classmates took a survey that asked, "Does this music make you feel positive or negative?" All answers were anonymous. After tallying the answers, a pie graph and bar graph were created for each genre. The results indicated that among her peers, reggae and R&B made them feel happiest. The biggest surprise? Folk rock got absolutely no votes. She sought answers for 1) how music changed people's lives and 2) how different music genres affected people's moods. She discovered music gives off different sound waves and affects different parts of the body, thus creating the emotion depending on what mood you are in already. For instance, people going through a breakup like music that reflects their sad mood.
Jain's project was a huge success. Not only did her middle-school peers come up to her with questions and comments, but several interested adults engaged her in musical conversations, too! This topic is so vitally important to her, and she was beyond thrilled that her project hit a collective nerve among the science fair participants and their families. Music is most definitely something she cannot live without. She even hopes to use music therapy as part of her future career.
So, gentle readers, in my next few blog posts I will address all those other questions as answered by my granddaughters, my daughter and myself. We are so blessed to be a musical family and hope you find the same enjoyment with your grands, too! Please share your stories with us. We'd love to hear from you!
And remember, as Grampy always says,
HAVE FUN!
]]>Last week's blog was about things that make you smile. So, gentle readers, this week it's "What Makes You Dance?" Literally, figuratively . . . what kind of music not only makes you smile, but makes you want to move? Or makes your spirit soar? Or inspires you in any number of ways?
I want to take a moment here, right now, to thank my parents for my excellent musical upbringing. Had I not been given the opportunity to learn as much as I did about the arts, and had they not been totally accepting of the choices I made, I would not be writing this post right now. They were totally hip and cool. Even if they didn't like my kind of music, never once discouraged me from listening to it or learning more about it. If they didn't like a particular kind of music, they explained why but didn't prohibit me from enjoying it. Dear parents and grandparents, I encourage you to do the same as you and your children listen to music. We provided our children with as many opportunities and choices as possible. My daughter and her two girls, especially, have quite the eclectic appreciation of music. Granddaughter Jain says she can't imagine a world or a life without it. More on their story next week!
When I was a young girl, my parents exposed me and my siblings to a wide variety of musical and theatrical events. Beyond just going to the movies — although I must say "Mary Poppins" probably began my love of music — they made sure we had as good a cultural upbringing as they could give us.
My first musical learning was from songs of my parents' choice, as I assume it is in most families. Mom and Dad listened to and sang along with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Robert Goulet, Perry Como, et al, and I love their music still today. In fact, when my parents moved from Ohio to North Carolina, they were going to put the entire collection of their old 33 LPs in an estate auction. NO WAY! I rescued all of them, including all of our old Christmas albums.
My love of music from the '40s and '50s is still alive and kicking. Recently, I fell in love with Rosemary Clooney's interpretation of the song "Sway" and can actually see myself dancing the Rumba to it. In my mind only, mind you. Although, you never know. Maybe I can get hubby to a dance class one day. How hard is it to learn the Rumba, I wonder?
Anyway, I digress. Aside from my dad crooning "You Are My Sunshine" or "Me and My Teddy Bear, I was also introduced to my grandma's generation of songs. She would often sing her favorite "old timey" gospel songs and taught me all the words to "Playmate" and "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree."
My earliest recollection of rock and roll was when I was about 8 years old and we were on a picnic. Mom and Dad brought along a radio and I hopped around the picnic grounds to "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves Me" by the Beatles. I had no earthly clue who the Fab Four were and I doubt my folks did, either. But they didn't change the station, they didn't discourage me from singing and dancing, and my appreciation of all genres of music was nurtured. Mom, in fact, became a huge fan of Rod Stewart later in life and his songs were the only ones her pet cockatiel, Rosie, would sing along to. Mom and Rosie were just that cool!
My parents were the best! They wanted to be sure we had a cultural upbringing and appreciation of all the arts. We saw every movie musical that aired on the big screen: "Oklahoma," "West Side Story," "Paint Your Wagon," "The Music Man," "Hello, Dolly," "Brigadoon" (the TV version of this musical with Robert Goulet is still my favorite and I wish it would get released on DVD), "Fiddler on the Roof," "Grease," "My Fair Lady," "Wizard of Oz" and, by far my mom's favorite, "The Sound of Music."
Not only these, but stage productions as well. We were introduced to acting, performing and music from around the world. I had the bounty of seeing "Cabaret" and hearing a symphony orchestra (more on that orchestra later) onstage in my high school auditorium. I nearly fell off my chair laughing at the antics of Victor Borge — I still pinch myself today that I actually got to see him in person! — as he performed on a movie theater's stage. For something totally outside our frame of reference growing up in southeast Ohio, my parents took us to hear the happy island percussion renderings of the Trinidad Tripoli Steel Band. And to bring it all back home, I saw my seventh-grade English teacher perform in a local theatre production and learned to appreciate this artistic, multi-talented side of him. The very fact that he was not only a teacher proved to me that a person could do many things. Is it any wonder I developed a love of all kinds of music and art?
Getting back to the symphony orchestra that performed at my high school ... growing up listening to my parents' LPs, I developed my first taste for classical music. Although I loved it as I heard it, and learned to play a lot of it taking piano lessons, I mistakenly thought of it as easy listening. You know, the kind of music you would have a string quartet playing in the background at a dinner party. My parents were certainly not putting Wagner on their turntable. When a symphony orchestra came to town, my folks took me along. Yep, I thought, easy listening. These guys were lulling me to sleep and I started to nod off. Until a loud drum and cymbal crash and rapid-fire rhythms jolted me awake! Whoa! What is this? Piqued my curiosity and gave me a whole new appreciation of classical music! It inspired me to the point that I wondered while watching an intense action scene in a movie one day if my love of music and movies could take me into a career composing, or even recording, music for movies. I never did pursue it, but it certainly sparked my imagination.
And THAT is what music should do. No matter the genre you like, whether it be classical, rock & roll, hip hop, rhythm & blues, folk, country, rockabilly, Tex-Mex, bebop, swing, Big Band, opera or gospel. Does it move you? Does it make you want to dance? Does it stir your creative juices? Does it save your soul? Because it should. Whose music has saved your soul? That will be the topic of next week's blog, so stay tuned. And remember, while you're listening to your favorite tunes or dancing to them, as Grampy says,
HAVE FUN!
]]>FIRST PUBLISHED JAN. 17, 2016
Hello, gentle readers. I'm back! After a busy 2015 holiday season and surgery at the beginning of this year, I'm sharing our grandparenting adventures with you once again.
It's January and I've begun planning activities for our granddaughters' annual and much anticipated month-long summer visit. High on the agenda are games, games and more games. Boy, do they love games! Among their favorites are Mancala, Headbands, Taboo, Uno, MadLibs and any number of captivating ones on their electronic devices. But by far, when we are all together, Jain and Sofia relish playing the games we've made up. Thus, this blog is about the cooperative games we've invented. I stress cooperative because I do not like competitive games among siblings, and especially not during a car trip. There is more than enough opportunity in their lives for competition. Vacation spent with their grandparents is NOT that time. I might have already addressed some of these games in past blog posts, so please forgive me if I am repeating myself.
APARTMENT BASEBALL
Long ago, when our own kids were still at home, we invented a game called Apartment Baseball. The batter sits in the recliner and prepares for the pitch with an invisible bat (in other words, we use with our arms and/or hands as the bat). The pitcher winds up with a crumbled up piece of tinfoil (or damp paper towel, or wadded up waxed paper) fashioned into a round shape, and throws to the batter. The batter swings, either hitting a ball that is so lightweight it couldn't possibly hurt anything it hits, or misses entirely. Nobody runs base; batters stay in the chair and try to hit as many balls as possible. That's it. Of course, the pitcher tries to throw in such a way that the batter in the chair cannot possibly make contact with the ball. And that becomes fun, and funny. Unless, of course, the batter is very young and then the pitcher shows mercy and pitches right to the batter. Young children delight in making contact with the ball and we often hear, "More, more" or "Again!" Great game to play during inclement weather.
NAME GAME
One Jain and Sofia were old enough to understood how to play the usual matching games, the ones where all cards are face down and get turned over one at a time to find matching pairs, I made cards for each girl with photos of famous women with their first names. Famous Janes or Jaynes and famous Sofias or Sophias! Of course, they were far too young to even know who those women were or are, but as they played we told them a bit about each person. So it became an educational game at the same time. Bonus! Soon Olivia will be old enough to understand matching games and I will make a set of famous Olivia cards for her. Ditto for her little brother, Lucas.
PWETTY PWINCESS
A photo in a book of a kitten standing on its hind legs as though it were going to either fight or dance got the attention of our oldest granddaughter one summer and inspired her to imitate that stance. She modified it by holding her nightgown out, in curtsy stance, and chanting, "I'm a pwetty pwincess. I'm a pwetty pwincess." I'm just glad I wasn't drinking or eating at the time or I'd have lost it all. She looked and sounded hilarious! In that bit of theatre, hunched over and affecting an accent, she was anything but a pretty princess. We collapsed laughing! A couple of summers ago, the rest of the family joined in. Grampy became the Kooky King, Sofia the Cwazy Queeen and I the Daffy Duchess. So, it's more of a theatrical endeavor than a game, but we have fun marching around the house acting out our own unique royal performance. So silly!
TELEPHONE
OK, we didn't make this game up. It's been around for years. But our grands put the silly spin on if as only they can. By far, the most ridiculous final version of an original statement evolved from the sentence, "The poor giraffe has laryngitis." I will not share what that final statement was. Suffice it to say, it had the girls rolling with laughter. That in turn made us laugh more, so much so that we were all holding our sides and jaws in agony. Now, of course, the telephone game is an absolute must every summer.
WHAT MAKES YOU SMILE? (more commonly referred to as WMYS?)
This is my serendipity activity. Serendipity is discovering unexpected joy. Serendipity is my absolute favorite word and I love that definition. Think of all the little things you encounter every day that make you smile, that make you just so glad to be alive. A baby's laughter, puppies and kittens, a beautiful sunset. Throughout the day, take notice of the things you see or that happen to you or someone else that make you smile. Go home, put up a piece of posterboard on a wall in a common area of your home, and write those things on the board. Or draw on it, paste a photo or illustration from a magazine -- any way you want to remember what made you smile. Invite all family members to contribute to it. A lot. We have our poster(s) hanging in a hallway leading to the guest bathroom where anyone who visits can also see and add to it. And we fully intend to keep adding more posters, filling and sharing them with everyone. This is not so much a game as it is a very unifying activity. Everyone loves reading the posters and adding to them. Some of the additions can be a conversation starter, too. Why does hearing J. Geils "Centerfold" make me smile? Because when our son, Seth, was about 3 years old he kept asking me to sing the "NaNaNa" song. I didn't understand what he meant until finallly it hit me! That part of the song that goes "NaNaNaNaNaNa, my angel is a centerfold." Thank God he didn't know what the song meant! But whenever it comes on the radio, it makes me smile! Hey, nobody ever said it should only be rainbows and unicorns that make us smile. Happiness and joy come in all forms, even in the most unexpected moments. When Seth got married, I suggested putting that song on their dance list for the reception. That made me smile. Seth vetoed the idea. It still made me smile.
AT SOME POINT IN YOUR LIFE
This is a game I thought up just recently. I was contemplating common occurrences among the general population. There is more that unites us that separates us, even when it comes to what happens to us. I began to ponder the thought that at some point in your life such and such will probably happen to each of us. My mind took off at that point and I started to list some of those very probable things:
At some point in your life you will probably...
...burn your tongue drinking something too hot
...kiss someone romantically
...change a baby's diaper
...have a driver pull out in front of you
...encounter a rude driver
...have several bad hair days
...experience brain freeze
Silly Grampy can never take much seriously, and added his own spin to the game by saying "At some point in your life you will have a philosophical discussion with a squirrel." Alrighty, then. Why not put the silly spin on the game, too? Let your crazy out and come up with some improbable situations:
At some point in your life you will...
...walk through town with your underwear on your head
...sit in a rocking chair on top of an ocean wave
...play tetherball with a hedgehog
Get the idea? Oh, I can hear the laughter now!
TRAVEL GAMES
WHEN I GROW UP, I'M GOING TO HAVE X CHILDREN AND THEIR NAMES WILL BE (more commonly referred to as TWP RD)
Ok, whew! Long title, eh? This was a game I came up with a couple of summers ago during a very long car trip. First player says, "When I grow up, I'm going to have three (or whatever number they choose) children, and their names will be X, X and X." At this point, the player searches for words on signs or buildings outside the car and names her children. When it was my turn, one of my children's names became Twp Rd (abbreviation of Township Road), which I pronounced Twip Rud. Jain and Sofia lost it. And I laughed so hard I could hardly see to drive! After that, they became determined to find names just as ridiculous and silly as that one. We do suggest that you limit the number of children a player is allowed to have or this game will never end. Warning: Hilarity and laughter are major side effects of this game!
RESTAURANT QUARTER GAME
Sometimes restaurant service is so slow it seems your meal will NEVER come. Solution? The Restaurant Quarter Game! Sitting across from one another, slide a quarter back and forth. If there is a line in the table's surface immediately before the edge, you gain one point if the quarter goes over that line. If you can manage to slide your quarter so it goes over the edge of the table without falling off, you get two points. Whoever has the most points by the time the food arrives wins. This is the ONLY instance we hope the cooks take their time in the kitchen! Certainly, the game keeps kids entertained while you're waiting. Just be sure to be considerate of other diners. If the quarter makes too much noise sliding across the table, please don't irritate your fellow patrons. For that reason, this game is best played in a noisy environment.
NEW GAMES FOR SUMMER 2016
DAWSON'S FORK CREEK
Ever wonder how a place or business got its name? Grampy became the creator of this game when he saw a sign for this creek during one of our recent car trips. Now we are eager to engage Jain and Sofia in making up stories about the origin of place names. How did Dawson's Fork Creek get that name? Was a fork involved? Did people come from miles around to admire it? And just who the heck was Dawson anyway? The girls love this kind of stuff, and I'm sure we will be highly entertained with their answers. They might even turn it into a Round Robin-type game where everyone in turn adds to the story. I can see that happening.
FRONT AND BACK OF THE SHIRT
Here's a game we want to start this summer with the girls. Ever watch a show where one of the characters, in response to someone else's inane or ridiculous comment, says, "You should put that on a shirt?" One of our favorite British shows is "Sherlock." At one point in an episode, Watson said, "I don't understand," to which a frustrated Sherlock replied, "You should put that on a shirt." A bit later in their conversation, Watson said, "I still don't understand." And Sherlock testily quipped, "Aaaand there's the back of the shirt." Now Grampy and I can't help but listen to television show dialogue intently for comments that would qualify for the front and back of the shirt! His latest favorite quote for a shirt comes from the most recent Star Wars movie, "Escape now, hug later!" We can hardly wait to find out what Jain and Sofia's choices will be.
It's good to be back, dear readers. We will be sure in a future post to let you know how our game playing days evolve. In the meantime, if you have stories and adventures to share, please do. We look forward to knowing how you have fun and games with your children and grands!
Whatever games you play, remember, as Grampy always says,
HAVE FUN!
]]>This month marks my dad's — our granddaughters' great-grandfather — 87th birthday. When he turned 80, I made a huge greeting card for him that featured several famous people also born in 1928. Among those folks was Fred Rogers, a Presbyterian minister turned children's television programming advocate. He began his educational preschool TV series, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, in 1968, but my childhood was spent with Captain Kangaroo and Romper Room. I'd never heard of Mr. Rogers until a neighbor in Vermont, where we lived from 1979 to 1981, urged me to watch it with our toddler son. He was barely one year old at the time, so I don't know how much he absorbed. But the show became a favorite with him and later on, his little sister.
Fred Rogers has been on my mind these past several days, perhaps because he and my dad share the same birth year as well as the same ethics and values. I was eternally grateful that Mr. Rogers brought morals, values and character education to the forefront of television entertainment. Along with Sesame Street, our children — now 36 and 32 — had the bounty of growing up learning the virtues of friendship, kindness, compassion, neighborliness, helpfulness, courage and caring — to name but a few — these shows offered. Today, amidst the flurry of fast-paced cartoons, I find myself longing for the slower-paced, relaxed and thoughtful children's TV programs again. They afforded children and parents quality time as well to address issues that affect families. Television was not used as a babysitter but as a way to connect with one another, both by viewing those programs together and talking about what was watched afterward. Unless I am wrong, can we really say that about today's children's television shows?
I no longer watch children's television, but I am aware of some wonderful children's musicians who have introduced families to good music with excellent messages. Our children adored the Canadian musician Raffi. Who doesn't love the song "Baby Beluga?" It has transcended the decades from being one of our daughter's favorite songs to now being a cherished song of our son's little girl. In fact, when I asked her earlier this year what her favorite animal is, I fully expected her to give me the typical answer of most two-year-olds: puppy, kitty, pony. Nope, beluga. Beluga?!! Yep, beluga! So Raffi's influence lives on! YAY!
Raffi has gone beyond being only a children's musician. I am delighted to share with you his vision for creating a humane and sustainable world that addresses the universal needs of children. He calls this program "Child Honouring." What a lovely, thoughtful title! What a marvelous, thoughtful human being! More can be discovered about this endeavor in an anthology he co-edited titled "Child Honouring: How to Turn This World Around," offering thoughts on restoring communities and ecosystems. Raffi's efforts have been recognized in Canada as a "vast change in the human paradigm." Wow!
Raffi also refuses to advertise or exploit his talents via endorsement offers. He wishes for a child's right to live free of commercialism, has never directly advertised or marketed to children, and flatly refused a film proposal for "Baby Beluga," fearing the mass marketing campaign targeted at children that would surround any such movie. Lo and behold, I even discovered a connection to Fred Rogers in Raffi's life that honored him for his dedication to keeping his music free of commercialism. In 2006, he won the Fred Rogers Integrity Award for consistently refusing to wed his music to endorsements that market products directly to children. Deservedly so, Raffi has been hailed as "Canada's all time children's champion."
Another amazing children's musician we happily discovered is Red Grammer, who is best known for his music that teaches human virtues. Grammer came on the children's music scene in 1983, the year our daughter was born, although we did not discover his music until we bought the CD "Teaching Peace" in 1990. It was hailed as "one of the top five children's recordings of all time." This album and two others have received either the Parents' Choice Classic Award or The Parents' Choice Gold Award, and the delightful "Be Bop Your Best" was nominated for a Grammy.
Our son and daughter's absolute most favorite Red Grammer song from "Teaching Peace" is "Barnyard Boogie," about a rooster who loves to sound the alarm every morning but in a rather unusual voice. Seth and Katie loved to perform in their grandparents' basement, and this song was the one to which they loved to boogie and pantomime the lyrics. Such a fun little ditty that brought all of us great joy!
That same album was shared with our granddaughters Jain and Olivia, but they had different favorites. Performing for us and their great-grandparents, they sang along to "I Think You're Wonderful" and "Listen." Their sweet little voices brought tears to my mama's eyes. Red's songs have a way of touching his listeners deep in their souls. He sings about food in a way that makes you want to try different dishes from around the world. He speaks of both well-known and exotic places around the world, teaches various ways to say 'hello," and encourages us to listen for the heartbeat of the family of man. All this and more on just one exceptional album.
One of my favorite Red Grammer songs is "The ABCs of You." Found on the "Down the Do-Re-Mi" album, he acknowledges wonderful virtues from A to Z in each of us. Several children have performed this song with him after having memorized this very long and complex list of virtues in alphabetical order! That's the best thing about performers like Red and Raffi. They don't speak down to children, and their songs aren't the kind that adults can't stand to listen to. Watch any of their concerts or go to any of their performances and you'll see parents and children all getting into the groove, dancing and singing right along. That's what makes for powerful musicians and performers: the connection between them and the audience, and a message with which everyone can agree.
Recently, Red has collaborated with Carol McCloud, author of the best-selling "Bucket Filler" books. Excited and encouraged by her message of spreading kindness, appreciation and love — "filling buckets" — he released a CD titled "Circle of Life: Songs for Bucket Fillers." If you are not familiar with this series of books, I encourage you, dear readers, to go to www.bucketfillers101.com to discover these little gems! My granddaughters and I created a family project with little slips of paper that each have a virtue written on them. When we notice someone doing something wonderful we choose the virtue we are seeing in that person and add that slip of paper to their bucket. Bucket filling becomes in every sense of the word a friendly competition, in both filling someone else's bucket and getting your own filled!
Red began his interest in children's music by writing and singing his songs to his sons when they were young. His youngest son, Andy, has obviously been influenced by his father's messages of practicing virtues, as is evidenced by the song "Honey, I'm Good." Andy Grammer's hit about marital fidelity has topped the charts at #9, a clear indication that people are yearning for songs with positive messages. Thanks also to his mom's influence, he was taught to treat women with respect as evidenced by the lyrics to his song "Ladies." And his first big hit, "Hold Your Head Up," encourages perseverance in difficult and trying times.
Keep up the good work, all you positive and wonderful artists! The world needs you! Children, grandchildren and parents everywhere adore you! This tiny marble we are all floating on is a better place because you're in it, and it is, indeed, "a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor." I'm certainly glad you're mine!
Red and Raffi, this 60-year-old grandma still listens to your music! And Andy, you are one of my favorite current musicians! Parents and grandparents, keep playing this kind of music for your children and grandchildren. Share your stories with us of your favorite artists, and remember, as Grampy says,
HAVE FUN!
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FIRST PUBLISHED NOV. 1, 2015
I am wrapping up our granddaughter's summer visit with stories of artistic family traditions. Jain and Sofia insist on going to MegArt, a local paint-your-own-ceramics store, every year. They love to browse all the unfinished ceramics to decide what they want to paint. This year Jain discovered crystal paints that create a multi-colored look and used those to paint a mug. Sofia decided on a cupcake — influenced by Grampy, who made up lyrics to the Herman's Hermits song, Dandy, wherein I, Dandy, "eat all the cupcakes!" I always paint with them, so I made a cupcake, too. Mine turned out to be a red velvet concoction; Sofia's cupcake was much more colorful.
Last summer we began a family tradition with our peace pole creation. This summer our joint project with Grandpa Guy (my dad) was done on a gorgeous piece of barn wood found at an antique store. According to the owner, the piece was originally part of a horse stall and featured a groove in the top where the horse rubbed its neck back and forth to relieve an itch. I knew then that horses would somehow have to be incorporated into this mixed media piece.
Grandpa Guy stained the wood and the two of us, looking at its shape and the direction of the grain, envisioned mountains on top and a stream. I kept seeing horses in my mind's eye galloping upstream. The groove in the piece became part of the mountains, and just below the mountains is where the river runs. Three unpainted wooden horses were transformed into carousel horses (Sofia's horse is blue, Jain's is purple, mine brown and pink). I painted the mountains and river on the barn wood, and Jain and Sofia added flowers and grass to the meadow. Our horses were added last as we thought up a name for this fabulous piece of artwork. A story formed that these were three carousel horses that broke loose from the circus and ran away, so we titled it "Three Run Free!" This joint effort masterpiece hangs proudly in our living room where I can see it every day and remember all the fun we had creating it!
Jain and Sofia had the bounty this summer of going boating on the lake again. Their cousin, Erica, came down from Ohio to visit and took them out on Lake Norman for a day. Jain saw a grouping of trees that impressed her when they were docked and later painted them from memory on canvas. She presented it to me as a gift for my 60th birthday and I will cherish it always.
My kitchen table has served as our craft area for many summers now. Every year the girls want to know what crafts we'll be doing. In addition to making the marker-dyed t-shirts (see previous story), we wrapped up our time together making veggie print art. Did you know a rose can be made from a cut celery stalk? Leaves from a single piece of celery? Flowers from peppers and okra? Simply dab on some acrylic paint and press onto your material of choice (we used canvas bags) and, voila!, you have instant gifts to take home to Mama! What a wonderful artistic end to their visit!
I'm already thinking of ideas for next summer. Please, dear readers, if you have suggestions, stories or ideas, I'm eager to hear from you! Until then, as Grampy says,
HAVE FUN!
]]>FIRST PUBLISHED OCT. 11, 2015
Well, the Fourth of July was certainly interesting. We left Massachusetts early that morning to head back to North Carolina, knowing it was going to be a looooong day of driving. Our daughter, Katie, was still with us on this leg of Jain and Sofia's vacation, so we took advantage of having a third driver and made the trip back home all in one day.
As we were nearing home, it got dark enough for communities to start their holiday festivities. And, as I'd hoped, we began to see fireworks going off all around us. The girls were delighted as we drove by and saw not one or two displays, but several explosions in many different directions lighting up the sky!
The fireworks inspired us the next day to create our tie-dyed explosion t-shirts. Decorating t-shirts has been a tradition for several summers now, and this year proved to be one of the most fun times ever! If you haven't tried this craft yet, I highly recommend it. Here's what you need and the how-to, including a YouTube video I liked best. Please watch the video if my directions don't make sense. It explains everything except preserving the color with vinegar. Go to http://youtu.be/JTeN-fJTzQ4
Items: 100% cotton t-shirts (preferably white), t-shirt cardboard, 94% rubbing alcohol, eye droppers, regular —not fine-tipped — Sharpies (as many colors as you desire except black), one fine-tipped black Sharpie for outlining designs (if desired)
How-to: Insert cardboard inside t-shirt so marker ink won't bleed through to the back side of the shirt. Make small designs (asterisks and 5- or 6-dot "flowers" worked best for us) on the front of the shirt with two or three different colors of marker. Drop rubbing alcohol from an eye dropper in the center of your design — the shirt will absorb the liquid and allow the design to spread out. Be careful, though. If you want your design to stay small, don't drop too much rubbing alcohol on it. The more you add, the larger the design will be. After you've completed your shirt, spray it with white vinegar to set the colors. Then wash in cold water; otherwise, the colors will fade when the shirts are laundered. We didn't know this until after we'd washed them once, and now they are quite faded. Live and learn.
You can see in the photos how our designs turned out. The girls really got into this project and made one for their mama, too. We plan to make these shirts again next summer. So knowing they'll want to make more than one or two shirts each, I am gonna have to stock up! Jain made a really cool design on a light-color shirt that looks like a floral necklace going around the collar. If you don't want to wear a white t-shirt, color ones will work. Just be sure they are light colors so the ink from the Sharpies shows up well. All t-shirts, no matter what color, should be 100% cotton, since they accept the ink and rubbing alcohol best. Cotton blends just don't work as well.
I followed the video's suggestion on one of my shirts and outlined the designs with a fine-tipped black Sharpie. And, WOW, that really made the design pop!
Our new method of tie-dying came in handy a few days later. Our girls have quite an eclectic taste in music, the 1960s being among their very favorite. Often we will have a combined birthday party for Jain and Sofia while they're here, and I thought it would be a blast to have a '60s-themed event this year. Peace signs, smiley faces and groovy signs decorated the party room and we all wore our new far out t-shirts! Jain, Sofia, family and friends enjoyed trying out some 1960s dance moves, playing Twister, hula hooping, making peace sign necklaces and testing their historical knowledge of the era against the adults with a trivia quiz I dubbed "Are You Smarter Than a Hippie?" The girls (ages 9-13) guessed a lot and knew more than I thought they would, but the adults won.
I think the most fun we all had was with my long-haired Halloween wig. To the dulcet tones of "Hair" and "Aquarius," each of the girls (and Grampy, to the girls' delight!) took a turn wearing the wig and having everyone else create a hippy look with the items provided: scarf, beads, ribbons, daisies and other flowers, feathers, and even a bird's nest. Why not, eh? As the song says, his hair was "a home for the birds and the buzzing bees!" Needless to say, their coiffures were more of a hilarious hot mess than a true hippy look. Ummm, on second thought, maybe not. Hippies weren't exactly neat and tidy most of the time.
Great fun and memory-filled times with family and friends! And we can't wait to see how we celebrate their birthdays next summer!
]]>FIRST PUBLISHED OCT. 4, 2015
We have a grandson! No longer would we have to wonder whether this Mennillo line will end with our son. After three granddaughters arrived on the scene, we had begun to think it might never happen. But in early June of this year, my son called me with the happy news, "Say hello to your new grandson!" I was at work and, fortunately, was in the break room when I screamed, "Yay, I knew it! I knew you'd have a boy!" So, just as we did when we met big sister Olivia at the age of three weeks, we traveled to Massachusetts when little Lucas Emerson Mennillo was the same age.
This time our daughter and two granddaughters, Jain and Sofia, made the trip with us. It was so, so wonderful to see the joy spread across their faces as Katie held her nephew and the girls their cousin. Not to mention our own happiness! I marveled at how sweet our son is with his own little boy. I swear to you, when he held him Lucas smiled! He has such an endearingly gentle way with babies. No wonder they smile! Happiness all around!
I worried a bit how the age difference between granddaughters would affect their interaction, but I had no reason for any such concern. Sofia, nearly 9, and Olivia, 2 and a half, became shadows of one another. Where Sofia went, Olivia followed. They played together very well, Olivia delighting in a never-ending game of hide-and-seek. Several times over the few days we were there, we could hear Olivia pipe up in her toddler voice, "So-FEE-uh! Where ARE you?" and then run off to find her, squealing in delight when Sofia popped out at her. And when they weren't actively playing, we would find Olivia curled up next to Sofia listening as her cousin read to her. And not just listening, but asking questions about what was happening in the story. I have never seen a young child take reading to the next level like Sofia did! It was heartwarming to watch the two of them. They truly had a connection!
I found out prior to our visit that Olivia's favorite animal is the beluga whale, so I ordered some plastic whale beads for easy stringing on an elastic necklace. Those belugas were a hit, and the girls sat and strung beads for hours on end. Olivia was very proud of her creation.
If they weren't stringing beads, all three girls were in the backyard playing in the sandbox or going down the slide. I brought along some plastic frogs to hide in the grass, then asked Olivia to find them and put them in a pail. But she took much more delight in dumping the bucketful of frogs over her head and giggling when they landed on her. Which made us laugh. Which made her do it over and over and over. Too cute!
Craft time was also a concern for me. With a new baby in the house, I wanted to be sure I had enough activities to keep Olivia busy. Some worked, some didn't. The "mess-terpiece" we did with Jain and Sofia several years ago was not ideal for a 2-year-old. This art activity involves dipping squish balls of varying textures in tempera paints and rolling them across a long piece of paper taped to the ground to create a mess-terpiece. Great fun for older kids, way too messy for a toddler. Lesson learned.
We found success, though, with marble painting and glitter glue. Oh, my, did she love her glitter glue creations! She didn't want to leave the table to do anything else! This was a great art project for all of us. No matter the age difference, everyone is curious to see what their glitter glue designs would look like.
Auntie Lynn and Poppa Ben drove up for a visit, bearing gifts for Olivia and Lucas. Olivia's favorite gift from Lynn was a doll that could be bottle fed and then emitted a loud burp. Hilarious to Olivia. She cracked up every time! It was another joyous moment to see more smiling faces as the two of them met Lucas for the first time. Poppa is 92 years old, so these opportunities to get four generations together are precious to us.
The hottest day there were spent playing with bubbles or in her kiddie pool tossing squish balls to each other. Jain loved the hammock, and Olivia would climb up to lie down and swing back and forth with her. But only for a little bit. Otherwise, she was up and running, every fiber of her being involved in play and exploration of her world. And what mimics 2-year-olds are! I was watching from an upstairs window as the girls played in the pool. Seth tossed a ball to them and no one caught it. I yelled out teasingly, "C'mon, Pops!" indicating he should have better aim so the girls could actually catch the ball. Olivia immediately echoed, "C'mon, Pops!" Naturally, that generated laughter from the rest of us, which further prompted her to keep saying it — much to the chagrin of my son who prefers to be called "Daddy."
We wrapped up our vacation with a puppet show Jain and Sofia had co-written. We ducked down behind one section of their sofa and used plush toy sea animals and one hedgehog to act out the story. Olivia loved it, especially at the end when someone decided to start a play-fight with all the animals. Over the back of the couch they went, Olivia and Seth catching them and throwing them back. Much screeching and giggling! I guess an interactive puppet show is better than one where the audience just sits back and watches!
Sadly, our time with our New England families was over much too soon. We left on the Fourth of July to head back to North Carolina and the remainder of our summer together. More next week, dear readers, on our summer fun in the South. Until then, as Grampy says ...
HAVE FUN!
]]>FIRST PUBLISHED SEPT. 27, 2015
Granddaughters' first trip into the Big Apple . . . check!
Family connection to NYC, the Statue of Liberty and Emma Lazarus . . . check!
Now on to learning a bit more — actually, a LOT more — about their Connecticut family and ties to Hartford and other cities. A couple of years ago, we ventured to southern Connecticut and visited Mystic (yes, Mystic Pizza is quite good) and Stonington, where Grampy wanted to show all of us the Stanton homestead. Thomas Stanton was an ancestor of Grampy, Katie, Jain and Sofia on Grampy's mother's side. Jain and Sofia learned that Stanton was quite an important figure in his time. He managed to keep two Indian tribes at peace with each other and the English settlers in the earliest days of Connecticut's history (1600s), in great part because he was fluent in the language of the Pequots and Mohegans. In addition to being a founder of Hartford, he was a founder of Stonington, where he befriended the Mohegan chief, Uncas, and assisted him in writing his will. We never did find the Stanton homestead, but the girls learned a lot about their genealogy.
This summer we continued the history lesson with a visit to two cemeteries. Before the girls arrived, we went to Mount St. Benedict, in Bloomfield, Connecticut, with Auntie Lynn and finally located Tom's great-grandmother Emilie Stoddart's marker. Emilie's story is fascinating as well. Her line of Stanton forebears moved from Connecticut to Nova Scotia in the 1750s to farm land abandoned by the Acadian French (we know them today as the Cajuns of Louisiana, where they ended up) after their defeat by the British. After her husband, Allan James Levy, was killed in battle in World War I, she was forced to place her children in a Catholic orphanage while she trained to become a nurse so she could support them. Later, she remarried and emigrated with her new husband and her children to Hartford — the very city that, probably unbeknownst to Emilie, her ancestors had founded three centuries earlier. It's through Levy that Grampy, Katie and the girls are related to Emma Lazarus, who wrote the sonnet immortalized on the Statue of Liberty.
Our hotel in East Hartford overlooked the Connecticut River and the pedestrian Founders Bridge. We crossed the river into downtown Hartford one morning to visit a graveyard where family members who founded the city in 1636 are buried. Along the way, the girls noticed symbols in the cast iron railing on the bridge and were curious about their significance. The tree is the Charter Oak, where the royal document guaranteeing limited self-government to Connecticut was hidden so it couldn't be confiscated by agents of the next king; the church is Center Church, the oldest church in Hartford; the building is the Old State House, the state's first capitol; and the airplane symbolizes Connecticut's place in aviation (most passenger and military planes are kept aloft by Pratt & Whitney engines). What looked like a dog's paw print was stamped on concrete section of the bridge, and for a minute we couldn't figure that one out. Finally it occurred to one of us it's the UConn Husky, mascot of the flagship state university! Who knew walking across a bridge would offer such a fun way to teach a bit of state history?
Our destination was the very same Center Church and its historic cemetery. There we embarked on a graveyard scavenger hunt for headstones with the name Lord, and successfully found those of the parents and other family members of Anna Lord, Thomas Stanton's wife. Thomas Lord, Anna's father, was the first physician in Connecticut. We could only take photos since grave rubbings are not allowed, the markers being too old and fragile from the passage of time and inclement weather. As a result, some markers were quite difficult to read, but that just made the hunt more challenging!
There are no Stantons buried in the Center Church cemetery (Thomas and Anna were buried in Stonington), but an obelisk was placed by descendants of Hartford's founders that names all of them, including Thomas Stanton. So, photos taken, genealogy learned ... check!
We proceeded to walk back toward the East Hartford side of the river, but decided to take a respite from the heat in the Old State House. Inside was a history museum where we could learn even more about Connecticut! Jain and Sofia relished dressing up in colonial fashions and UConn women's basketball uniforms (UConn has won 10 national titles in women's basketball and four in men's basketball and the teams are revered statewide), pretending to be a television newscaster, looking at all the antiques on display and learning about some of Connecticut's famous sons and daughters such as Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe. They greatly admired the LEGO Mark Twain house at Bradley airport, so a visit to the real house is planned for their next visit!
Our walk into Hartford was fun and informative. Not only did the girls learn about their Connecticut roots, they also learned the most important thing about history. What happened in the past affects how we live today. Who knows whether Thomas Stanton's quest for peace with the Indians carried through to present day and gave them an awareness of other cultures and a desire to live in unity with others? So much has been revealed to us in this past year about our genealogy, it gives us pause to reflect and wonder, "Oh, maybe that's why I like ..." or "I also wanted to go to Nova Scotia. Now I know why!"
Interestingly, growing up, Grampy never realized his family's connection to this history. He went swimming at Lord Pool in East Hartford, where he grew up. Was it named after the Lord family? Probably. Until a year or so ago, he never even knew he was related to the Lords. Friends of ours in Georgia are Lords and, as revealed in genealogical research, BOTH husband and wife are related to Grampy! The mother of Grampy's college roommate was the pastor at Center Church and Grampy worked one summer at the Center Church's camp, again never realizing the family's connection to the church until much later in life.
History is important. It links us to people and family we never knew but might very well have affected us in many ways. History give us connections to parts of the country where other family members lived, and it certainly broadens our view of the world. Visiting cemeteries, museums, historical towns and homesteads and listening to the stories of older family members makes all that history come alive and become more real to us. I urge you, gentle readers, to take every opportunity to explore your own genealogy with your children and grandchildren. Document it with photos, especially, so that the history lessons become a valued part of their lives. And, above all, while doing so remember, as Grampy says, to ...
HAVE FUN!
]]>FIRST PUBLISHED SEPT. 14, 2015
Our Big Apple history and genealogy lessons in the Battery ended and it was time to move on and see some more of this huge metropolis. We rode the subway to Canal Street Station, walked east through Chinatown and on to Little Italy for lunch. Auntie Lynn lived in New York City for a while and wanted us to experience Little Italy. The neighborhood has changed dramatically over time and is no longer the enclave of Italian immigrants it once was. Chinatown is encroaching on the area more and more, but there are still vestiges of Italian life here and there. Lynn took us to a fabulous Italian restaurant to get our first taste of New York pizza (we still like Connecticut pizza better — sorry New York!), and got a great window seat where we could watch the world go by. Upon leaving the pizza place, Sofia spotted a restaurant next door called Sofia's. Camera time! I snapped a couple photos of her pointing to the restaurant's sign. Decked out in her Statue of Liberty sunglasses, her stance made her look just like Lady Liberty.
Back on the Canal Street subway we went and rode to Central Park West. This was a highly anticipated part of the day, since we are all Beatles fans! Jain and Sofia were eager to go to Strawberry Fields and John Lennon's memorial. They flashed peace signs at the entrance and while kneeling at the Imagine plaque on the grounds. Sofia ran free through the park and did cartwheels while Jain purchased a small calligraphic print of the word "IMAGINE" with a rose.
We could not have asked for better weather for this venture into New York City! North Carolina had been so hot and we were begging for a reprieve from the heat and relentless sunshine. The day we had planned to come into the city had been rainy and cold, so we waited until the next day. It was perfect. Temps no higher than the low 80s, a cool breeze blowing — strolling through Central Park was just glorious. Sofia spotted its immense boulders and dashed off to climb all over them. She was in her little athletic glory!
Finally, it was time to end our day, but not before window shopping along Fifth Avenue. I felt bad for Jain that we didn't get to go in any of the stores so she could drool over the fashions, but we had accomplished all we could in one day and everyone was pooped.
The girls really wanted to visit a museum, and I would have loved to take them to the Central Park Zoo. But we know now the next time we go into the Big Apple we'll have those things to see and do! Maybe even a Broadway play!!!
]]>FIRST PUBLISHED SEPT. 7, 2015
NEW YORK CITY! YESSSSSSS! This trip much anticipated since last summer, our granddaughters, Jain and Sofia, could hardly wait to fly east for their very first visit to the Big Apple. But before that trip would come to fruition, their first days of vacation were spent relaxing after a long red-eye flight from California to Connecticut. After the delightful, unexpected attention their 92-year-old great-grandfather received from a group of middle-aged women (see last week's post) and the good-natured ribbing he took from all of us, things settled down and we spent quieter moments with him and their auntie Lynn.
The first thing our daughter was curious about were the newly redecorated rooms of my husband's childhood home: carpeting gone and wood floors resurfaced, fresh paint upstairs and down, new furniture in the living room. Poppa and my sister-in-law Lynn did a great job, although I think my daughter would have preferred that everything remain the way she remembered it from her childhood! Quality time was spent looking through old family photos, driving around the countryside of the southern and eastern parts of the state, listening to Jain play her viola and enjoying our traditional game of UNO as we rested and saved our energy for our upcoming trip to NYC.
NYC! Jain and Sofia were beyond excited! Jain even had a special outfit to wear. And a hat. The little fashionista! Very early on a Monday morning we drove to New Haven and took the train into that huge, sprawling metropolis. Coming up from the tracks into Grand Central Station is still a riveting experience for me. I especially love the ceiling there. It is just spectacular! I regret now that I didn't register the girls' reaction.
First up was a jaunt to Rockefeller Center and Bryant Park. Our daughter, Katie, pointed out NBC Studios, where one of her all-time favorite shows, "Saturday Night Live," is taped. We passed by Radio City Music Hall and the New York public library, and Jain, our young fashion designer, recognized the green in Bryant Park on which Fashion Week activities were once held. Naturally, she had to pose and model, imagining her own designs being featured there some day.
In Times Square, we pointed out the spot where the ball drops on New Year's Eve. The girls were fascinated by all the flashy advertising, the lights, the sights, the neon Broadway signs — everything that is typical New York City!
On we went by subway to the Battery to gaze out at the Statue of Liberty. We would have taken the ferry to see Lady Liberty, but didn't want to spend the time getting over and back when we had so much else to explore. Tom and I did, however, want to make sure the girls understood the family's connection to the statue. A poetry contest held in 1883 for the statue's dedication was won by Emma Lazarus, the well-known poet and advocate for the rights of immigrant Russian Jews. Emma, as it turns out, is related to my husband, Tom, on his mother's side. The last lines of that sonnet are achingly relevant today, with all the news of so many refugees from other lands seeking safe harbor. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" Would that we take these best known lines of Emma's poem to heart and, like her, be advocates for immigrants everywhere; for people who just want to "breathe free" and live in peace.
Continuing along the New York waterfront, two more very important structures came to our attention. In the distance we could see the Freedom Tower, erected in memoriam of the fallen World Trade Center buildings. At first glance, my heart stopped for a split second, I drew in a sharp breath and offered up a prayer for the many souls lost and lives affected in that horrifying tragedy. Rising up much closer to where we were standing was the Korean war memorial, in itself a remarkable statement to freedom. Carved out of the center of a 15-foot-high piece of black granite is the image known as "the Universal Soldier." Standing on one side of this stele, viewers can look right through him and see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in the distance! The monument also serves as a functional sundial, indicating the exact moment of the Korean conflict ceasefire. Every July 27 at 10 a.m., the sun shines through the soldier's head, illuminating a commemorative plaque at the foot of the statue. We discovered this information long after they'd gone home when my father asked about the significance of the way the monument was carved. I wish now we had been able to point this out to the girls at the time. It would have made the monument so much more meaningful. The juxtaposition of these two edifices for me was like the phoenix of hope and peace rising from the ashes of death and destruction. And the Statue of Liberty was there in the distance standing strong, representing freedom for all. I didn't think about it when we were there, but it would have been a great teachable moment to ask the girls what these individual monuments — the Statue of Liberty, the Korean war monument and Freedom Tower — meant to them. Reading this post, I hope they and their mama will have the opportunity to do just that, for I believe it will impart a deeper appreciation of their ancestor, Emma Lazarus, and make her poem engraved on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty come alive for them.
Next week I will continue with the tales of our adventures in the Big Apple. Until then, gentle readers, please share what special moments you had with your grandchildren this summer. And remember what Grampy always says ...
HAVE FUN!
]]>FIRST PUBLISHED AUG. 30, 2015
I apologize for the long delay in posting anything to this blog. This summer was a tough one for me. I turned 60, and while I'm looking forward to this new decade, this age gives me pause and makes me realize how very little time I have left on this earth to enjoy my grandchildren. None of us knows how long we will live, so we need to make the most of each day. When you see your grandchildren only once or twice a year, making the most of your time with them can be exhausting. Fun, yes, but exhausting. I think I felt it this summer more than any other. Not so much physically, but emotionally once it's all over. And now I'm just coming out of that post-visit slump where I was stuck for weeks. I love having our oldest granddaughters with us for four or five weeks each summer, but every time they go home I get the blues. My goodness, time to shake it off!
One thing that always, always helps me is humor and laughter. Sofia reminded me of that in a way only her quick-witted, 9-year-old mind could. Let me first tell you that after we picked up our daughter and granddaughters at the airport in Connecticut, we met my husband's sister and dad for lunch. Driving up to the restaurant, we saw my father-in-law had been dropped off at the front door while his daughter was parking the car. He was surrounded by a group of middle-aged ladies who were happily laughing and chatting with him. We rolled down our windows to shout hello and these women began oohing and ahhing over our granddaughters, Jain and Sofia. "Oh, is this your daughter and great-granddaughters?" they squealed to him. What in the world is going on? Who are these women? Ben had apparently been telling them we were there for a visit and he was waiting for us to show up. Walking up to him after we parked our car, they surrounded us, remarking how lovable and sweet he was. A couple of them asked me, "How old is your father-in-law?" to which I replied, "92!" They were absolutely amazed at that and said they all hoped they would be doing so great at that age. I smiled and thought to myself, "Wow, Benny, you've still got it! Way to go!"
We good-naturedly ribbed Ben about being a chick magnet for a bit, but then never gave it a second thought. Or so I thought.
On to Massachusetts to see our son and his family. Newborn grandson, Lucas, was three weeks old at the time, and his sister, Olivia, two and a half years.
At the end of this year's visit, Sofia must have had the age differences between her and her teenage sister and her young toddler and infant cousins on her mind. With my birthday approaching, she asked me how old I would be when Lucas is 10. I replied I would be 70, and 80 when he's 20, and 90 when he's 30! Good Lord! At the 90/30 year difference, I moaned, "Oh, I don't know if I want to even live that long!" Sofia, without missing a beat, piped up, "But, why not, Dandy? You could be like Poppa and attract women!" All of us just lost it! How do you argue with that kind of logic? I know what she meant, though. So I guess if I'm attracting the opposite sex at 90, I'll be doing all right!
As I reflect on the summer past and all the fun we had, it makes me smile ear to ear when I remember the funny things my grandchildren say. And that is a surefire cure for the blues!
Much, much more to come! Stay tuned for everything we did during the rest of the summer! And remember, as Grampy always says,
HAVE FUN!
]]>"Here we go!" My dad always, always says this whether he's the one driving or in the passenger seat. Everyone is buckled in, and as we're backing out of the driveway we can count on him saying this. And now I find I say it, too, chuckling to myself if I'm alone in the car, but definitely saying it when I have passengers. Those three little words hold so much meaning when you think about it. "Here we go!" implies a journey, an adventure, excitement, not knowing what's in store for us, anticipation of what we might encounter, eagerness to be ready for anything. "HERE WE GO!"
Fantastic words to start a vacation! "HERE WE GO!" Grandchildren in the back seat with plenty of travel games, knowing we'll make some up as we do every year and having no idea how those will take shape! Venturing forth to uncharted territories, exploring city and countryside, wondering what lies just around the next bend, delighting in treasures discovered in a museum or on a hike, hearts racing in anticipation of nearing our destination, the hugs and smiles greeting us when we visit family members. "HERE WE GO!" So much is conveyed in these three words, knowing that together we will experience happiness, joy, laughter and love in everything we do.
Car travel with our granddaughters is never boring. They can hardly wait to be on the road! We have travel tunes on a CD, a small case filled to the brim with travel games and activities, and the two of us keeping them on their toes with thought-provoking questions. Yet somehow, in spite of all my planning and organizing, I think they'd be perfectly happy with one or two books of Mad Libs and all the nonsensical games we invent along the way. They key to fun travel with children is to keep them busy. It's better to have too many activities for them to do than not enough.
Vacations in our family are always well thought out with travel routes, itineraries, daily schedules and places to visit in hand. We follow our schedules, but always leave room for serendipitous moments to transpire! Will we feel like singing and dancing down the streets of New York City? Why not, if the urge strikes? Can we enjoy quiet time with older relatives and be patient? Absolutely, because we're learning our family's history! Is slowing down for a child's walk through the woods hampering us? Not at all, for they are enjoying the world around them, discovering its hidden secrets and loving how awesome mica found in a stream bed is! Can we manage age-appropriate activities for cousins who, among the three of them, are teenage, tween and toddler age? We have no idea, since we've never tried it before. But our older granddaughters love their little cousin and will certainly want to make playtime with her as fun as possible. Are we disappointed when an activity doesn't go as planned? Nope. Scratch that one off the list and move on to something our grandchildren enjoy more. (This is why I over-plan!) Time with our grandchildren is infrequent and precious, and we are extremely flexible with their likes and dislikes. We have little opportunity to get to know them better, since we are able to spend quality time together only one month during the summer.
So, dear readers and loving grandparents, we encourage you to plan well but remain flexible. Entertain the child within as you play with your own grandchildren. Be ready for anything and everything that happens during your time together. Embrace change as much as you embrace one another! Be excited, be eager, be happy to be together! Enjoy your summer, and enjoy the ride, because you know what my dad would say: "HERE WE GO!"
(This might be my last post for a while as we vacation with our families during the month of July. Stay tuned for all the grandparenting fun and adventures we are sure to have! We will be happy to share them with you in August.)
]]>FIRST PUBLISHED JUNE 15, 2015
Summer is a great time to take your grandchildren to a museum or two. School is out, but that's no reason not to keep learning. And what better way than an excursion to see dinosaurs and fossils, gaze at the solar system, or be captivated by art!
Museums are no longer just a brick-and-mortar edifices that house exhibits roped off merely to look at. They strive today to interact with visitors, engaging our thoughts and emotions in ways that link the past to the present and point us toward the future.
There are children's hands-on museums, science and technology museums, art museums, living history museums, etc., etc., etc. You name it, there's a museum somewhere for it. The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., is probably the most well-known and most visited of all museums in the country. We love it because there is so much choice, and we've been to the ones showcasing the American Indian, aerospace, natural history, and Asian art. Nearby, but not part of the Smithsonian, are two we have yet to explore that we really, really want to get to some day: the Newseum (all about the press) and the International Spy Museum (all about espionage).
My husband and I grew up visiting museums, often as part of school field trips. I can't remember my parents taking me to one, but we have surely introduced our granddaughters to them over the summers they've spent with us! At earlier ages, Jain and Sofia enjoyed the hands-on children's museums the most, where their visits were sensory-laden experiences. Children should be encouraged to see, touch, feel, and listen to everything in those environments. These are places where they are allowed to be noisy and excited. The best children's museums will have many, many stations for exploration and pretend play: be a cook, tell stories, race cars, play with bubbles, perform on stage, create art, splash in water, build with blocks, run a grocery store, serve food in a restaurant, look through a telescope, examine wee things under a microscope, and experience scientific phenomena first hand. These experiences broaden their horizons and might even give them an inkling of what they'd like to do for a career.
Once they are older and can appreciate fine art, take them to as many art museums as you can. Some art museums allow hands-on exploration. But for those exhibits that are hands-off, let your grandchildren know the reasons certain items cannot be touched. You might want to ask the museum staff which items, if any, are OK to handle. That way, permission is granted and no one gets in trouble.
Antique stores, as I mentioned in a previous post, are also museums. It is here that grandparents come in quite handy to explain what certain items are and how they were used. And just about everything in an antique store is hands-on! Hats can be modeled and clothing tried on. Jain and Sofia love to go "picking" with me and we've found some fantastic deals!
Recently, Tom and I came across an excellent website from Great Britain with a manifesto titled "Kids and Museums." Twenty bullet points highlight what a museum — and a museum visit — should be. Among these ideals are:
If you would like to read the manifesto in its entirety, it can be found at kidsinmuseums.org.uk. This organization works with museums to help them welcome and include families, teenagers and children. They encourage your input in making the museum experience a better one.
Now comes the question we want to ask everyone reading this post. What makes the museums you've visited so much fun, so wonderful that you want to return? Have you referred them to friends, family or co-workers? Said things like, "Oh, you MUST go to the XXXX Museum. It is fantastic! You and your kids/grandkids will just adore it. It is sooooo much fun! We just love that place!" We know you've been to some! What thoughts and emotions did these museums bring out in you? Let us know and I will share your suggestions in a future post!
As for us, we're off to New England this summer, with a day trip to the Big Apple, which is one gigantic, sprawling museum all on its own! Jain and Sofia want to see at least one museum there and we will most certainly be sharing their experiences with all of you, dear readers. We'd also like to take the girls to the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta before taking them to the airport for their flight home.
And, remember, as Grampy says,
HAVE FUN!
]]>FIRST PUBLISHED JUNE 9, 2015
When I was a child in the 1950s and '60s, life was much simpler than it is — or seems to be — today. Perhaps that's because those of us who are now grandparents reflect on those days from a child's point of view. Because that's what we were then. Our parents and other adults probably didn't think it was so easy, or simple. Maybe they did. I don't know.
But I do know that our generation, the baby boomers, experienced things no other generation will ever have the privilege of doing unless we share our stories and encourage our grandchildren to go back to those activities and discover for themselves how much fun we had!
When was the last time your grandchildren went outside to play? Do they regularly ride a bicycle or scooter? Have they strapped on a pair of four-wheeled roller skates or gone to a skating rink? Climbed a tree and let the breeze sway them back and forth on the farthest limb? Rolled down a hill, giggling all the way? Built a tent from twigs and bark? Made forts from blankets and chairs? Skipped rope? Played jacks? Whacked a tether ball around its pole? Swung as high as they possible could 'til it felt like they might touch the clouds? Waded in a stream or tried to catch minnows? Collected rocks or fossils? Invited friends for a sleepover? Had a rousing pillow fight?
On a hot summer day, have they floated on their backs in a pool and tried cloud spotting (looking for shapes in the clouds)? Run and splashed through a sprinkler? Captured grasshoppers with their bare hands just to see if they would spit "tobacco juice"? Slurped water from the garden hose when they got thirsty? Split a double Popsicle with a sibling or friend? Caught fireflies and made a lantern? Relaxed by a campfire at night roasting marshmallows or making s'mores? Listened to the crickets chirping as they drifted off to sleep? Been awakened to help look for nightcrawlers by flashlight to use for the next day's fishing trip?
Do your grandchildren know how to play the games we enjoyed? Dodgeball, kickball, tag, hopscotch, London Bridge, Ring Around the Rosie, Kick the Can, Hot Potato, Mother May I?, Simon Says? I certainly hope so, but one never knows these days when children seem to stay indoors so much. Have they ever in their life spun a hula hoop around their waist? Or played Twister? How many even know what Red Rover, Red Rover is anymore?
(Incidentally, I introduced my two oldest to Red Rover, Red Rover on their school playground until a supervisor informed us the game is forbidden because smaller kids, or their parents, complained they were getting hurt when they tried to break the line. That is just sad. We played this game ALL THE TIME and it would have been an embarrassment to cry or complain. What is happening? When did we become so overprotective that our children can't even have a decent game of Red Rover? It would have been better, in my opinion, just to remove the smaller children from the game and have them play something more age-appropriate. But then I'm a child of the '50s and '60s when a few minor scrapes and bruises were OK and, as many adults claimed, "built character." How many times did we hear those words?)
When was the last time you bought Cracker Jack for your grandchildren just to watch their faces when they found the prize inside? Some cereals used to have prizes. I wonder if there are any that still do?
In my day, decisions were made by chanting "eeny meeny miney mo" or by playing rock paper scissors. Mistakes were handled with "do overs" and if anyone "threatened" us with a challenge it was simply a dare, double dog dare or triple dog dare. Nothing was ever taken that seriously. Cooties were the worst disease you could possibly get from the opposite gender, water balloons were the ultimate weapon, and we played outside until the street lights came on.
Our house seemed to have a revolving door for all the kids in the neighborhood, and Mom welcomed everyone cheerfully. Mom was always the prettiest girl and Dad the handsomest man. Boo-boos were instantly and magically made better when Mom or Grandma kissed them. Someone somewhere always had a plate of freshly baked cookies. Any adult in the neighborhood could parent your children and, if necessary, reprimand them without fear of a lawsuit! Village parenting was actually welcomed and no one thought a thing of it. Our neighborhoods, by and large, were safe havens, and the only reason we were in fear for our lives was because we didn't want our parents to be mad at us.
Oh, how I wish we could go back to those days. Before technology sapped our children's motivation. I experienced every single one of these things mentioned above and our two children had a glorious childhood doing a lot of them, too. Our daughter won't allow technology to rule her daughters' lives. They each have a Kindle and access to the Internet, but they both have enjoyed the vast majority of the things mentioned above. In fact, they would both rather be outside playing with friends than inside watching TV. And they are the richer for it. During one particular slumber party, Jain, Sofia and a friend made a teepee using natural materials they found on the ground behind the house. When our daughter posted the photos on Facebook, she added this caption: "My girls had a friend over for a sleepover last night, and they spent the evening and part of this morning making this amazing teepee. Doesn't it make you feel better about the world knowing that kids still do stuff like this during slumber parties?" Yes! Indeed it makes me so happy and gives me hope for the future!
The children of the '50s, '60s and '70s are now grandparents and will one day no longer be around to share stories of their childhood. I beg of you, dear readers, to tell your grandchildren what your childhood was like, and keep that history alive today. Technology and the information age have transported us to a much different world, and it has many fantastic benefits. But we still need to remember what childhood was once like and encourage our children and grandchildren to play outside, climb trees, build forts, run through sprinklers, talk to and befriend their neighbors, develop a deep, abiding appreciation of nature, respect their elders and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that what came before is an excellent foundation on which to build their own path to adulthood. Now, let's go play! And remember, as Grampy says, HAVE FUN!
]]>Summer approaches! Get those cameras ready! Be sure your camera phones are always fully charged, and have the extra battery for your larger digital camera all set to use! The grandchildren will soon be visiting and you'll want to be sure to capture all those glorious summer memories.
Our family is just a wee little bit camera crazy. Grampy likes taking action shots and unposed pictures. My sister has her nieces "work it, work it" as they model their new clothes, and she does wonders with digital enhancement of her photos as well.
My advice? Create photo albums every year. And don't procrastinate. As soon as your grandchildren have returned home, get those photos onto the computer and create a digital photo album. We do this times for each "event" during our granddaughters' visit. Grampy uploads photos per trip or occasion (birthday photos go in one album, trip to the beach in another, and so on). If you want a physical photo album in your hands, print out your favorite photos from your time together and make a keepsake that way. The physical albums I create are primarily for us as the grandparents. We can look at them throughout the year and remember all the fun we had. Our granddaughters enjoy looking at them each summer, too. But everyone has access to the digital albums. Family and friends all over the globe can share in our fun. I call them my electronic brag books!
My first physical photo album was created after they were both old enough to visit, and I did it up big! It's all in scrapbook form, complete with decorative pages, stickers, photos and captions. Swimming and boating pictures on blue, water-themed pages; hiking trip pics on leafy, green sheets; stickers of bubbles and rubber ducks on bath time photos; glamor girl/girls rock/divas rule/absolutely fabulous and similar words scattered among the modeling photos. You get the idea. It takes a bit of time and work to create this kind of album, but they are truly keepsakes!
Of course, digital photo albums can be created this way, too. Choose your backgrounds, caption your photos, etc., etc., etc. You can even make a book if you wish, and let the computer do the work for you instead of creating a handmade scrapbook. No glue, no stickers, no fuss. You just have to know how to make a digital photo album. I am not tech savvy, thus I prefer to print out photos and put them in physical albums. Still old school, I guess.
A word about digital albums.You can upload photos of your choice to albums on a site such as Shutterfly, share those albums and order prints if you'd like. But you might not be able to download photos in full resolution from such a site. (If that's important to you, check out a site's rules before committing to it. We found out the hard way when Shutterfly, which does not allow full-resolution downloads, inherited our photos from the now-defunct Kodak Gallery, which did.) In any case, it's important to safely store ALL of your photos in the "cloud" using Dropbox or the like. And label those photo so they're easy to find.
Whoever the shutterbugs are in your family, just be sure they don't spend all their time behind the lens. Encourage them to interact with the children AND be included in some of the photos with them. Otherwise, the children might wonder what Uncle Charlie looked like if they never see any pictures of him!
Let the children take photos of you (and your pets, family members, rainbows, waterfalls, zoo animals, nature scenes), too! They already know how to use the ones on their phones. But put a real camera in their hands and teach them how to use that as well. Here's to yet another teachable moment, and you may very well have sparked an interest in someone becoming a professional photographer!
Above all, as Grampy says, "Have fun!"
and say "CHEEEEESE!"
]]>FIRST PUBLISHED MAY 24, 2015
Recently I realized all three of our granddaughters were born in months beginning with the letter J: Jain in June, Sofia in July, Olivia in January. And our soon-to-be-born grandson, lest he arrives ahead of schedule, will be born in June, too. The J months. These cousins ought to form a J babies club of some kind!
The beauty of Jain and Sofia having been born in June and July is that we can celebrate with a combined birthday party when they visit every summer. Some of those parties have been all-out, gloriously fun-themed ones with guests; others have been quieter, family-only affairs. Both kinds are eagerly anticipated and joyful, and it really doesn't matter to either Jain or Sofia so long as everyone has fun.
The first year the girls were both with us for the summer, Jain was 8 and Sofia 4. It was a delight and a blessing having both of them here and I wanted to make their birthday party one to remember. At the time, unicorns and fairies and all the magic they bestowed were a big topic of conversation. "The Last Unicorn" was one of their favorite movies (and if you've never seen it, you really must — it's a treasure!), and we often went unicorn hunting, searching diligently for the elusive creature on our hikes and walks. A unicorn theme was perfect for that summer's birthday party!
I ordered unicorn party supplies and decorations online, tailored games to be unicorn-based (Pin the Horn on the Unicorn was a hit and caused a lot of giggling when they saw where they'd all placed the horn!), and had a dear friend bake a beautiful rainbow cake for the girls. They and their party guests went on a scavenger hunt, made unicorn crafts, played unicorn Bingo with pink and purple M&Ms, and had a contest to see who could create the most beautiful unicorn with streamers and ribbons. They even bestowed magical unicorn powers on their great-grandma by decorating her hair with the curling ribbon from their presents. Mom was such a good sport and loved every minute of it!
Oh, but that rainbow confectionery masterpiece was "the icing on the cake" — pun intended! I found three unicorn figurines, two with fairy companions, to place on top of the cake. We kept it well hidden until it was time to sing "Happy Birthday." Once seen, their expressions were priceless. And when the cake was sliced, well, don't you know when unicorns sit on a cake they make a rainbow appear inside! WOW! AWESOME! Best. birthday. cake. ever!
Yes, that year the birthday party was definitely a hit. In other summers, the actual party has been downplayed because we've celebrated their visits with trips to New England, Washington, D.C., the Jersey shore and Columbus, Ohio. Two years ago, we combined their birthdays with the birth of our nation and made patriotic-themed desserts for the occasion. No matter how we have celebrated our grandchildrens' birthdays, it's all good. Most of all, they love spending time with family.
This year Sofia will be 9 and Jain 13. 13! A teenager! When did this happen?!!! And it's the last of the single digit years for Sofia! They're growing up so fast! Hardly babies anymore, but still looking forward to all the wonder and magic birthday celebrations offer. I knew I had to make this year's celebration a special one.
Knowing how much Jain and Sofia love music, and especially tunes from the 1960s, I decided to go with a '60s-themed party this year. I had wanted a blacklight party, but that proved to be too difficult where we're holding the party so we scrapped that idea. Instead, we will play the girls' favorite songs of that era, decorate with psychedelic posters and decor, and make s'mores (which they had last year for the very first time). I have some other things planned as well, but cannot divulge too much in case the girls read this post! Sorry, Jain and Sofia, but you'll just have to be surprised! Because Dandy and Grampy love surprising you, and making your birthdays so much fun! After all, we specialize in being fun grandparents!
]]>Happy Mother's Day a week late, gentle readers! I took the day off to celebrate, so please excuse my tardiness with this post. Let's just say we're extending the celebration a wee bit!
Mother's Day is a bittersweet day for me and probably the hardest day to celebrate for two reasons. Both of our children are many miles away, one on the West Coast, the other on the East. Too far away to be with them on a frequent basis, and we are hardly ever together for holidays. But at least we can communicate via Skype or Facetime. Thank goodness for those technological advancements, eh?
My own mother, God rest her sweet soul, has been permanently gone for three years now. Each holiday is difficult without her, but Mother's Day is saddest of all. Seeing Mother's Day greeting cards and advertisements for gifts hits hard, realizing I'll never again be able to send her a card or buy her a present. My mother-in-law has been gone even longer, yet I know my husband misses her terribly. Both of us would give anything to have them around, sharing in all the joys and happiness of parent- and grandparenthood.
This holiday is sweet, though, because our daughter arrived — as I psychically knew she would — on Mother's Day! I think I willed it to happen because my own grandma was born the same month and day and I really, really wanted my little girl to be born on that day, too.
As I reminisced about and sorely miss my children on this special day for mamas, I knew I wanted to make this week's post all about my mom and mother-in-law and the influence they both had on our children as grandmothers.
My mom was the kind of parent that all my friends, and all my sister's friends, would often remark they wished was their mom. I knew growing up I wanted to be just like her. Our house practically had a revolving door. When we had friends stay overnight, Mom often stayed up late with us talking about everything under the sun. She included everyone in family game night, invited them over for holidays and meals, treated our friends as if they were her own children and welcomed them into the family with open arms, a big smile, and always, always a hug. Mom joked and laughed with us, commiserated and cried with us, and genuinely cared about our welfare. That was my mom and I loved her for it. She was my role model, my mentor and my friend. Is there any wonder I aspired to be the same kind of mother?
Oh, but when the grandchildren came, she kicked it up a notch. Summers were often spent at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Outings were planned, trips were taken, worlds were explored with my parents at the helm. Mom was usually the sillier one and it was very easy to make her laugh — often to the point she would fall off her chair, much to my children's delight. They loved her easy sense of humor and her willingness to be a little wild and crazy at times.
Some of my children's best memories of their grandmothers involve comfort and sense of smell. One of my daughter's favorite places to be was on her grandma's lap. It was "plump and enjoyable and the most comforting place in the entire world."
Her grandma was also "the best cook ever, especially her meatloaf and the astonishing number of cookies she made at Christmastime." That holiday holds the strongest memories of smell, probably for all of us. The minute you opened the door, pine and bayberry, clove and tangerines, not to mention the smell of woodsmoke from the fireplace, practically begged you to hurry inside. In fact, aside from Christmas, my daughter says she can still call to memory the fragrance of each and every room of that house.
My dad was an electrician by trade and created a special room of our childhood home's basement where we could paint on the walls. He installed black lights, bought neon paints and let us go to town. Parties in that room were so much fun! Our kids thought their grandparents were the coolest parents ever and they enjoyed the blacklight room as much as we did. Grandpa created a stage from a huge wooden spool and our son, daughter and niece used it to put on plays and performances. Seth was always the director, Katie and cousin Erica the actors/singers/dancers. Many, many performances were given as a result and the Hammen Club (a combo of the children's last names) was born!
My folks were quite creative, a virtue I like to think I inherited from them. We all have a talent for picking up on clues, remembering them and turning those into gift-giving ideas. One of my daughter's favorite childhood books was "Katy No-Pockets" about a kangaroo born without a pouch. Grandma read that to her over and over and over, so much so that she got the idea to make our Katie an apron with multiple pockets. Katie loved the apron and has it still today, along with a lot of the clothes my mom, who was a fantastic seamstress, made for her. And our granddaughters, Jain and Sofia, are wearing them now. What a legacy!
Nana, my husband's mom, was more serious as a grandmother. She was tough and strong; stern, but very kind, never mean. Gen took care of her own mother, and our children would often accompany her on visits to Grammy's house. Never one to like her own picture taken, Nana took pictures of Seth and Katie on the arms of Grammy's chair with their great-grandmother. Those photos, and many more of other relatives, ended up on tables and bookshelves all over Gram's small apartment and gave her lots of joy. Every time we took photos at home, or the kids' school pictures arrived, we always sent some copies to Gram.
Nana and my father-in-law also volunteered for Meals on Wheels. Katie still remembers the smell of those hot, prepared meals as she rode along in the delivery van. Likewise, she associates the smell of Nana's cooking with time spent at her house, especially her delicious ravioli. And Nana was the only one who would fix round toast (no crust) for her, and Katie adored her for it.
My father-in-law is Catholic; Nana did not adhere to any particular religion. While Poppa went to Mass, Nana let our children stay home with her. Katie was amazed that two people with such varying beliefs could be happily married. Unity in diversity was evident very early in her life and it made a huge impression on her, for she previously thought a husband and wife had to share the same faith.
Nana and Poppa were gentle grandparents. We played games together as a family, most famously UNO and Boggle. Vacations were frequently spent in Wildwood, NJ, at the beach. Nana, with her hat and beach umbrella, would set up the blankets and chairs, bury her toes in the sand and enjoy the day reading. No one in my husband's family would venture very far into the surf, much to our children's dismay. Nana was the only one who would take them out past the breakers. Naturally, they loved her bravery and delighted being "way out there" with her.
No matter where they went, Nana had two things she would always say that have been implanted in my daughter's brain. Heading out the door, she'd admonish the kids, "Go tinkle before we leave the house," and even if you didn't have to you went anyway. The other, upon returning home from anywhere, was "Home again, home again, jiggity jog!" as the car pulled into the driveway. Every time. And now my daughter finds herself saying the same things repeatedly to her daughters. It's true what they say, "Children live what they learn" — not only from their parents, but grandparents, too.
Like every child, you truly appreciate your own parents once you become a parent yourself. It's pretty safe to say the same thing happens to us as adults when we see our parents as grandparents. And when our own children see us as grandparents, the appreciation deepens. To quote my daughter, "Even after you develop a new appreciation for your parents, something even more magical happens when you discover your parents as grandparents," and I think it truly does. You realize they want to give your children as much fun and magic and wonder and awe as they can absorb. Not that they didn't do that when you were growing up, but now as an adult you can more easily witness it happening. And you begin to think, "When I have grandchildren, I'm going to be exactly like my parents are with my kids!" It's transformative! Or to quote my daughter again, "It's like all the awesomeness of my childhood on steroids, and I love it so much!"
]]>FIRST PUBLISHED MAY 3, 2015
Last week I wrote about traveling with grandchildren and all the fun we have on long, long car trips. This summer we will be convening in New England to visit family — and our first grandson! — and take a day-long side trip into the Big Apple!
If you recall from last week's post, I mentioned a game called "And Then What?" where at day's end we will have Jain and Sofia think about what happened from the time they woke up that morning. Then we'll talk with them about the day's activities and ask questions. When did you get up? What did you wear? What did you eat for your meals? Who did you see? Where did you go? How did you get there? What was your favorite activity today? Their answers will be quite memorable, I'm sure, and we plan to log them in a journal of vacation memories they can treasure for years to come.
I have felt the need for a long time now to incorporate acts of kindness and service into our travels and reflect on those at the end of every day, too. Recently, I saw a blog by a woman named Ellen called Eyes on Heaven wherein she encourages asking our children three questions every night:
What is something that made you smile today?
What is something that made you cry today?
What is something that you learned today?
She poses these questions to her very young son at bedtime and, in addition to his responses warming her heart, she believes these conversations with him will pave the way for further mutual meaningful communication. She says his eyes light up at the first question, he gets a bit more serious at the second one and feels proud of himself when he's able to answer the last one. Their time together is such a precious and long-lasting gift.
She has so inspired me that we want to do the same with our granddaughters during their month-long visit every summer. What a marvelous way to capture each day's special and meaningful moments! We will add one other question, though, that we believe is of utmost importance:
How were you of service to someone today?
The response to that question alone, we believe, will instill in them the desire to think of others first — to not only know the Golden Rule, but to LIVE it. How will we encourage this on a daily basis during our time together? I'm so glad you asked!
Jain and Sofia have become quite aware of the importance of service as they get older and can grasp the idea a lot more concretely at their current ages. Earlier this year I sent them a list of service project ideas that are age-appropriate, and immediately they latched on to several of them. Among their favorites are walking the neighbor's dog, helping fellow students with homework, making pillowcases for hospitalized children, baking treats for firefighters, donating used books, DVDs and games to a children's hospital, and performing music for folks in a nursing home. We will continue to do service projects such as these while they're with us this summer, too.
While we're on vacation, we will encourage them to pay close attention to their surroundings. Who needs assistance? Who could use a bright and sunny smile, a word of thanks for a job well done, a hug of appreciation, some words of encouragement? We have no doubt the girls will probably seek out ways to help others in these ways and many more.
The highlight of our summer vacation will be welcoming our baby grandson into the family! Jain and Sofia are eager to meet their little boy cousin and will certainly, and most gladly, help keep his 2-year-old sister, Olivia, occupied while Mommy and Daddy take care of the baby. That will be a huge service to the family!
Living the Golden Rule and practicing the virtues will continue as it does every summer. We'll talk about the virtues, what they mean, and how to employ them in everyday life; play cooperative and virtue-themed games; measure their height on our Character Growth Chart at the beginning of their visit (whatever virtue is on the chart at the place marking their current height is the one they try to master during the summer) and again right before they go home. (Inevitably, they will have grown — I don't know what is in the food they eat here! — and acquired a new virtue to practice at home.)
Whether we are traveling or at home, we know we are doing our best to instill service to others in our grandchildren, and having fun in the process. Truly being of service to others is, after all, the best of all virtues, for it incorporates many others while it is being practiced: love, kindness, selflessness, courtesy, appreciation, caring, charity, cheerfulness, understanding, nobility, joyfulness, commitment, compassion, respect, purposefulness, responsibility, consideration, devotion, empathy, reliability, fairness, generosity, patience, gentleness, gratitude, mercy, helpfulness, honor, reverence, humility, sacrifice, self-discipline, thankfulness, sincerity, thoughtfulness, trustworthiness and unity. Imagine mastering all of these virtues in your lifetime!
Should you wish to play virtue-oriented games, I highly recommend the character-building card game What Do You Stand For? as well as Virtue Game. Virtues cards are a lovely way to teach the virtues with each card describing a virtue and suggested ways to practice it. There are many variations of these cards — Virtues Reflection Cards, Family Virtue Cards, and Classroom Virtue Cards — all lovingly illustrated and easy to use. The Family Virtues Guide is a wonderful book that highlights one virtue per week for an entire year. Most of these items, as well as virtues magnets, stickers, posters, buttons, and the growth chart mentioned above, are available from www.special-ideas.com, a wonderful company seeking to promote a better world through character building and education.
Here's wishing each of you a happy and healthy, service-oriented summer vacation! Please share with us ways you and your family are of service to others. We so look forward to hearing from each of you, dear readers and friends!
Remember, as Grampy always says,
HAVE FUN!
]]>It's that time of year once more. Planning for our granddaughters' summer visit is always fun for me, and this week I've been researching travel games. We make the long trek to New England or the beach from North Carolina just about every year, or we have other destinations from time to time that require several miles and hours in the car. Never fear, Dandy is here! And I make our travels fun, fun, fun!
On our first car trip from Charlotte, NC, to the beach in Wildwood, NJ, I tied a length of rope between the two front seat head rests and strung beads in a repeated pattern of three red beads and one gray. Calculating the miles from home to the beach, we determined it would be around 600 miles. That seemed like a very long trip to our granddaughters, but we made it a game by letting them know every time we'd gone 25 miles. At that point Jain and Sofia were instructed to slide a red bead from left to right for the first 75 miles of every 100 miles. The gray bead was moved after the three red beads, indicating we'd driven 100 miles. This was repeated every 25 miles for the rest of the trip and the time just flew by. They were so excited when they moved that last gray bead because then they knew we'd arrived at the beach! Oh, by the way, if we forgot to tell them we'd gone 25 miles, they got a special treat at our next stop. That happened more than once, so this game definitely keeps the adults on their toes. Watch that odometer!
Another cute game we intended to play, but kept forgetting about, is marking everyone's first initial with a piece of chalk around the outside of one of the car's front tires. When you stop during your travels, check to see whose initial is at the bottom of the tire (the part resting on the ground). That person gets a special treat! The only drawback to this game is that you have to hope it doesn't rain or the chalk marks will wash off.
Sometimes creativity and imagination are sparked and games are randomly and suddenly invented. When our two were young, we played a game called License Plate Roulette. Three columns describing vanity license plates included "It's A Winner!," "OK, but Why?" and "Bazooka Bait!" Once a player sees a vanity plate, its message gets written under one of the three columns. For example, KIDS RX (obviously a pediatrician) would get entered under "It's a Winner!" Others that are just a nickname or something along those lines would be written down in the "OK, but Why?" column. Vanity plates that just make absolutely no sense at all are entered under "Bazooka Bait." These drivers are considered so lame and unimaginative that we all then pretend to hold up a bazooka, lock and load and blast that car out of existence. Sitting in the car for hours on end can be very difficult for people of all ages. This was simply a passive-aggressive way the Mennillo clan let off a little steam! Please don't judge!
Last year I came up with a game I call "I'm Goin to Have (#) Children and Their Names Will Be (first road sign, billboard message, animal or thing you see when you look out the car window)." This game is hilarious, especially when your child's name will be TWP RD (Township Rd) and you pronounce it Twip Rud. Our granddaughters cracked up! Imagine naming your child that, or Motel 6 or McDonald's Golden Arches or Construction Next 10 Miles or Grazing Cow! Too funny!
If you've ever searched for travel games, whether it be actual games or books about games, you know there is a plethora of material out there from which to choose. The Internet abounds with websites full of ideas. Alas, not every website, book or kit is helpful or even entertaining. But don't give up. If you're a bargain hunter like I am, you will eventually find some serendipitous treasures! Just recently I found a spiral bound gem titled 365 Travel Games & Activities by Stan and Shea Zukowski at our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Its chapters include observation games, arts & crafts, imagination games, break time games, mazes & puzzles, word games & trivia, and odds & ends. Gleaning from it last night, I was delighted I'd spent a whole dollar (that's right, $1.00) to add it to my collection. I found 24 games I know the girls will love, but the book is too big to take on our trip along with all the other stuff we'll have in the car. I printed out the pages of those 24 activities I selected that can easily be stored in the car's seat pockets. Once we're home and making shorter day trips, we can keep the book in the car for quick and easy reference.
I think my favorite activity from this book will be one called "And Then What?" Each night before going to sleep, we will have Jain and Sofia think about what happened from the time they woke up that morning. Then we'll talk with them about the day's activities and ask questions. When did you get up? What did you wear? What did you eat for your meals? Who did you see? Where did you go? How did you get there? What was your favorite activity today? Each of us will try to remember as many details as we can. This is a great way to improve your memory, too! It will be interesting to see who remembers the most that happened on any given day. In addition, we will encourage the girls to keep a daily log or journal of their vacation experiences. Imagine how much fun it will be to look back on them in the future!
Now is the time to start gathering ideas for your summer car trips. I wish you happy hunting and gathering! Many of the books I have in my collection are no longer in print but can be found used on Amazon.com. Along with the one mentioned above, these include Kids Travel from Klutz Press and Travel Games: How to Play More Than 60 of the World's Greatest Travel Games for 2 or More Players by Joe Gannon. I got a real bargain at $4.99 on Keep Us Busy! Travel Activity Pack at Marshall's last summer, but this item is currently available in limited quantities on Amazon.com, too, for only a couple dollars more. And don't forget to stock up on a few Mad Libs. It's an oldie but a goodie and will keep everyone in stitches!
Please share your travel experiences with us. We'd love to hear how you keep your children and grandchildren entertained on long trips!
Happy Trails and Safe Travels, and as Grampy always says,
HAVE FUN!
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FIRST PUBLISHED APRIL 19, 2015
Oh, dear! I had no idea I had gathered this much information from all my research on summer activities for our granddaughters' visit. Usually I remove pages from the previous summer's binder to make room for the current year. The old 1-inch binder wouldn't even close! So I upgraded to a 1 1/2-inch binder and even it is already very close to being full. Seems I've collected a wee bit too much. Ah, well, as my dad says, "It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it."
One reason for the expanded file of fun is that our extended families will all be together in New England. Our son and his wife are expecting a baby boy in early June -- our first grandson! -- and our daughter and granddaughters are joining us to visit them and their 2-year-old daughter, Olivia. While Mommy and Daddy are busy with the baby, I want to be sure we are excellent caretakers for Olivia.
This presented a new challenge for me. Sisters Jain and Sofia are only four years apart and have always loved everything we do each summer. But this year I needed to find activities, arts & crafts, and games that are easy enough for a toddler and still fun enough for her cousins who will be 9 and 13 this year. I don't anticipate any problems with the age gap, though. When Jain and Sofia met their little cousin, Olivia was only 5 months old and they made her laugh uproariously. This will be their second visit with her, and I'll bet they get along famously!
Nevertheless, the old Girl Scout in me says to "Be Prepared," so after researching the Internet, checking books out of the library and thumbing through Family Fun magazines, I've come up with nearly 40 activities that are age-appropriate for Olivia. Jain and Sofia will join right in the fun, assisting her as need be. I've selected art projects that can be done both inside and outdoors, topping it off with one of our own inventions from a few years ago we fondly call "Mess-terpiece." A large piece of white butcher paper is taped to the driveway. Several bowls of tempera paints are set near it on the ground. Items (different size balls, squishy toys, etc.) are dipped into the paints and rolled across the paper. Or splatted onto the paper (they loved that part!). TIP: Be sure to put your kids in bathing suits so you can hose them off afterward. Eventually, they coat their hands and feet in the paint and add handprint and footprint decor to the artwork. This art project is a huge hit, as you can tell from the photos I've added.
I can't possibly explain all the activities in detail in this blog, but I will share with you at a later date those the girls enjoyed the most. Suffice it to say, I've followed my father's advice (see comment in first paragraph), and the Girl Scout motto, to a T. We certainly won't get all of them accomplished, either, but Jain, Sofia and I will consult on our favorites and try to do those with Olivia.
One project I've handed over to Jain and Sofia is putting on a puppet show for Olivia. I asked them if they'd be willing to write a script for a play and bring a couple of their favorite puppets to be the actors. They both eagerly agreed and knew immediately which puppets they would pack! We have a few days together prior to visiting our son, so during that time we will practice the puppet show.
All three girls love to read, so quiet time with Olivia will most certainly involve them reading to her and her "reading" to them. Great time for the parents, grandparents and auntie to take pictures and videos! And, boy, does Olivia love videos. Babies love to see pictures of themselves and people they know. I encourage you to share all photos and videos with your grandchildren, especially if distance separates you and visits are not as frequent as you would like.
Speaking of photos, since a lot of our extended family lives in New England, we are hoping to take some four-generation pictures, too. My father-in-law is 92 and we see him so infrequently that we want to be sure to get these pics of him, my husband, our son and his two children while we have the opportunity. Most certainly there will be a lot of photos taken during our vacation, but these are the ones that mean so much. When we return to NC we will be doing the same with my family before our daughter returns to California. And all of these vacation photos and memories will be added to scrapbooks I assemble every year for the girls to enjoy when they visit. It connects us over time and keeps family the most important thing of all. Have a great summer with your children and grands, and as Grampy says,
HAVE FUN!
]]>I fear, lest we take the issue of water conservation seriously, the title of this blog soon will come to pass. Personally, I don't want to leave it up to the next generation to save the planet. I would like to think all of us want to take responsibility to be good stewards of the earth. As grandparents, we have an obligation to our grandchildren to make this earth a healthy and vibrant home for them and their children and grandchildren. The planet is suffering in myriad ways, but the use and misuse of water lays heaviest on my heart. Perhaps it's because my oldest granddaughters live in California, a state that is in serious jeopardy of major, life-threatening drought.
We need to be very concerned about this precious natural resource. The Environmental Protection Agency states that "less than 1% of all the water on Earth can be used by people. The rest is salt water or is permanently frozen and we can't drink it, wash with it, or use it to water plants. As our population grows, more and more people are using up this limited resource. Therefore, it is important that we use our water wisely and not waste it."
I couldn't agree more. The fact that our own bodies are made up mostly of water should convince us we need to preserve our water sources. Humans will actually die first of dehydration before they could starve to death. We cannot go long without water to sustain us. That said, what are we doing to be proactive in conserving water? First of all, are we discussing critical environmental issues with our children? What are we doing as individuals, families, schools, faith communities and the wider communities in which we live when it comes to environmental concerns? How are we reducing our carbon footprint?
One thing I realized I was doing and wasn't even aware of it was letting the water run as I brushed my teeth. Turning off the faucet while you perform your toiletries can make a huge difference. I also no longer flush every time I use the toilet, but try instead to follow the old adage, "If it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down." This might sound disgusting to some, but two or three uses of the toilet before flushing is not going to stink up your house. (If you're concerned it might, lower the toilet seat lid and shut the bathroom door.) This one simple practice can save gallons and gallons of water!
There are many websites filled with water-saving tips and advice for adults, and I encourage you to read them and put them into practice. But the following are things to discuss with kids about how they can save water:
We need to remember in the midst of our water-saving endeavors to maintain our own hydration. When you consider that nearly all human illnesses are a result of dehydration, it's pretty apparent the majority of us simply do not drink enough water. In case you don't know, the general rule of thumb for adequate intake is to divide your weight in half and drink that number of ounces each day. So please drink plenty of water to stay as healthy as possible.
Even if you only do one thing to help save water, it will make a huge impact. Imagine if everyone around the globe did just one thing. So much more water would be available for generations to come! Now imagine if everyone did everything listed above. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Let's not allow the title of this blog to ever, ever happen!
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As you know from his November contribution to this blog, Tom has a passion for genealogy and dives headlong into research at Ancestry.com on both our families. Jain and Sofia are well aware of the heritage of both their mother and father, know all the countries where their ancestors lived, and brought that information to life by coloring in those countries on a blank world map last summer.
That activity led to lively discussion of where they would like to travel someday. Jain has a passion for Greece and "going to all the places where mythology happened." Sofia yearns to go to Paris and see the Eiffel Tower (she hopes to have her wedding ceremony beneath it!). We hope they get to fulfill their dreams one day, but this summer we're going to stick a little closer to home.
The surname Levy is found in Tom's mother's family. Her maiden name was Kelly, and that being a Celtic name Tom always figured Levy was perhaps shortened from the Irish McLevy or Scottish MacLevy. His cousin Susan, who also likes to see what bounty shakes from the family tree, discovered, instead, that the Levy family was Jewish. It was Levy and had always been Levy. And it was the maiden name of Tom's grandmother, whose father, Allen James Levy, a corporal in the Canadian Army, was killed in action in Belgium in World War I. Some time after his death, Tom's great-grandmother remarried and the family emigrated to Connecticut — coincidentally, perhaps, the very place ancestors of hers had left for Canada in the mid-1700s to farm land in Nova Scotia. Interesting that no one ever revealed any of this family history, if they even knew it.
Through the Levy family line, Susan also found they are related to the Lazarus family of New York City. Most famous among them was Emma Lazarus. Early in her life she was a writer and well-known poet. But once she became aware of the plight of destitute Russian Jewish immigrants coming into the city, she made it her mission to provide them with vocational training to become self-supporting.
Emma's literary skills attracted the attention of another well-known poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson. When the Statue of Liberty was erected, an auction to raise money for its pedestal was held. At Emerson's insistence, Emma submitted her sonnet, "The New Colossus." In choosing it as the winning poem, event organizers hoped it would "awaken to new enthusiasm" those who were working on the pedestal. Today, you can find the entire sonnet on the plaque, but most of us know well these lines that have lifted the hopes, dreams and spirits of so many U.S. immigrants:
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
We are acknowledging and celebrating our daughter's and granddaughter's Jewish lineage — indeed, all our forbears — this summer by taking a trip into New York City and going to the Statue of Liberty. Standing next to the poem on the great lady's pedestal, we will most certainly take lots of pictures. Gazing up at her crowned head, torch held high, we will thank that other great lady, Emma, for her service to the poor and her inspirational, poetic guidance to those who came and continue to come ashore to make America their new home. After all, had it not been for brave souls who left their homeland to make their way in this one, no one in either of our families would be here today.
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