School papers and similarly sentimental stuff

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School papers and similarly sentimental stuff

During my daughters’ school years, I kept all the papers and projects they brought home from school. Everything. Spelling tests, stories, handwriting practice (they did that back then), certificates earned for field day and perfect attendance, report cards for each quarter of each year.

I kept it all. Times three. All in cardboard boxes in a storage space beneath the house we lived in for the duration of the girls’ school years. Lots of …

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So much to say

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So much to say

When I was growing up, my mom and I didn’t talk much. At least not about big things, important matters mothers and daughters should discuss. No talks about girl things, God things, goals, dreams, birds, bees, boys.

The reason our communication focused only on surface stuff is debatable. My introversion? Mom’s aversion to uncomfortable truths? Her (justified) preoccupation with raising seven kids mostly on her own?

Whatever the reason, I promised myself…

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Risque rehab

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Risque rehab

On Monday I visited my mom in the rehabilitation facility where she’s been staying since an especially difficult setback in her lung cancer journey a few weeks ago.

As I sat on the edge of the bed next to her, we perused the papers left by a CNA which listed various activities meant to get the patients up and about and socializing. I read the options for group entertainment to her.

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Grandbaby ETA draws near

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Grandbaby ETA draws near

Brianna is officially at 37 weeks and two days today. Yesterday I had the privilege of attending one of her final ultrasound appointments—an exciting opportunity for me, considering my first three grandbabies were born 815 miles away, making this my first such experience.

I got to watch Brianna undergo a neonatal…

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I say that shutting up is hard to do

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Dear Mr. Sedaka,

You were so right. I know that it's true. Breaking up is hard to do. Especially for teens, when true love seems a fickle, heartbreaking foe.

I do know how difficult breaking up can be. I've been there, done that. Long, long ago, admittedly one of the billions of boomers who once sang away heartbreak blues crooning along to your catchy, comforting tune.

I'm decades removed from being a youngster longing for love. And in the years since breakups with beaus broke my heart, I've found something more difficult to do than breaking up, Mr. Sedaka. And that's shutting up.

Trust me: It's waaaay harder to do than breaking up.

I'm not talking about shutting up regarding social or personal injustice. No one should ...

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Sole model, plus GRAND Social No. 170 link party for grandparents

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Sole model

My daughter Megan has a great resource for buying and selling used goods. It's a Facebook community group called Swip Swap, and all those buying and selling are located in her community. You post something for sale or something that you want, and in no time there's a swap going on between folks mere minutes apart.

Megan has bought and sold quite a bit through Swip Swap. Saturday evening she texted me a photo of some great running shoes she wondered if I'd want that were just $10. I said, "Sure!" She said, "Sold!"

Soon after, she had the goods in hand and sent me this photo of Jak modeling Gramma's new K-Swiss size 7.5 running shoes:

toddler in running shoes 

I'm not sure which is better: having a daughter who...

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Birthday gals, plus GRAND Social No. 169 link party for grandparents

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Birthday gals

Welcome back! I hope your weekend was great!

My weekend was spent celebrating birthdays. Saturday's birthday gal was my oldest daughter, Brianna, who turned 33 last Tuesday:

mother and daughter 

Sunday's celebration was for my mom, who turns...

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More on moms, plus GRAND Social No. 155 link party for grandparents

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More on moms

Mother's Day has come and gone but there's no end to the love between mothers and daughters (and sons too, of course, but that's not what this is all about). Here's a lovely mother/daughter video grandmothers and soon-to-be grandmas will especially appreciate.

 

Sweet, right?

GRAND Social No. 155 link party for grandparents

Wipe away your tears and get...

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