Grandma salutes Shinedown

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shinedown in Colorado Springs

One of my earliest articles published — in a newspaper, not on a blog — was in the early '90s and was titled Mosh-pit Mom. My husband and I used to go to a lot of concerts back then, most of them the rockin' kind with moshpits on the floor, all of them during the years I was a mom with three fairly young daughters.

It's been a few decades since I've had to protect myself from flailing feet on a concert floor, quite a few years since I've marveled at the moxie of the moshers from afar. Due to lack of funds as well as lack of touring bands we were willing to shell out our pennies to see, my husband and I have...

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What's been missing! Plus, GRAND Social No. 197 link party for grandparents

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What's been missing!

Grandma's Briefs is all about the lifestyle of a grandma. Though I've recenty shared things part and parcel of this grandma's lifestyle, such as travel pieces and movie reviews, I've been remiss in sharing what makes this grandma, well, a grandma.

Meaning, my grandsons, who've been missing from Grandma's Briefs lately as other things have been all consuming.

So today I remedy that — right here, right now — with two videos of the munchkins.

First, the early morning greeting Bubby and Mac sent to Jim (aka PawDad) on his birthday last Wednesday:

Next, a video of Jak displaying his newfound skill of...

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Multigenerational travel: My 5 fantasy vacations at Walt Disney World resorts

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Grandparents treating grandchildren. Parents inviting their parents. Mother/daughter, father/son trips together as adults — no youngsters allowed.

Multigenerational travel is the way to go for baby boomers and beyond. In fact, about 36 percent of families are planning such a trip for and with their beloveds in the next 12 months.

I recently had my first taste of multigenerational travel when Disney invited me for a Disney Grand Adventure to Walt Disney World, and my daughter and two of her sons (my grandsons!) joined me for the fun. It was indeed fun. And fabulous. And memorable. And it led me to consider other multigenerational vacations I'd be delighted to pursue.

walt disney world resorts

I had the grand opportunity to tour several Walt Disney World resorts on my Disney Grand Adventure. So, naturally, when considering future trips with various generations of my family...

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Pie faced! Plus GRAND Social No 186 link party for grandparents

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Pie faced!

Happy Christmas week!

I gave my grandsons and their parents their Christmas gifts from PawDad and me when I visited them a couple weeks ago. One of the gifts I gave Bubby, Mac, and Jak was the game Pie Face. It was an instant hit with Mac, who exclaimed, "OH! I wanted this game for Christmas!" as he enthusiastically ripped off the wrapping paper.

pie face game 

Bubby — who doesn't like whipped cream, a main ingredient of Pie Face game play...

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Jak jumps in!

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toddler swimming

Megan and Preston bought a new home in July and immediately initiated the installation of a backyard pool, a requisite feature of desert homes.

The process took much longer than expected, and Bubby, Mac, and Jak grew quite tired of being banned from their backyard...

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The weekend I fell in love... with Michigan

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My home state of Colorado is where my heart is. Though I love to travel and see places big and small, metropolitan and rural, historic or brand-spanking new, I've never visited a place that felt like home to me, a spot that made me say to myself or others, "Hey, I could live here!"

Until I visited Michigan.

alpena and tawas michigan

Pure Michigan, the mitten state's travel-marketing division, invited me to...

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Lake Huron waves, plus GRAND Social No. 177 link party for grandparents

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Lake Huron waves

I'd like to kick off the new week with a wee bit of peace and tranquility.

Middle Island Lighthouse Michigan
View of Middle Island Lighthouse from the keeper's house

While I was in Michigan, I couldn't get enough of the peaceful sound of waves hitting the various shorelines I had the opportunity to explore. My dusk visit to Middle Island Lighthouse...

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