February 27, 2019

Stag party at Grandma's

February 27, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

Most evenings, just before dusk, our deer neighbors make a pre-dinner visit just across the street from our house. Deer as in doe a deer, female deer, that nibble and nosh on the grainy goodies our human next-door neighbor—right or wrong—puts out for the local wild ones.

Sometimes it’s two or three does, sometimes more, sometimes their little ones, too. Occasionally a buck butts his way into the fray, but it’s typically all gals as the guys seem to favor a supper spot farther up the street.

One snowy afternoon last week, though, it was the big boys who stopped by.

February 25, 2019

'I'm your caption, I'm your caption!' Plus, GRAND Social No. 341 link party for grandparents

February 25, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

‘I’m your caption, I’m your caption!’

In last week’s GRAND Social, I asked for caption suggestions for a funny photo of my sweet Benjamin. I also posted the pic to social media and asked for captions from folks there.

I gotta tell ya, I sure got some smile-worthy suggestions! Some silly, and some sweet.

Here—as I promised last week and with apologies to Grand Funk Railroad for the blog headline above (yeah, yeah, yeah)—are two of my favorite captions. One appeals to the Denver Broncos fan in me, the other the wishful-thinking grandma in me.

February 14, 2019

Throwback Thursday: Watching the clock

February 14, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

Dear readers: This #TBT feature originally appeared on Grandma's Briefs February 4, 2014,—back when Brayden was known here as Bubby, Camden was called Mac, and Declan was not yet born (nor was Benjamin). Thank you for reading my rerun.

I admit it: I'm a compulsive clock-watcher.

As a freelance writer working from home, I don't watch the clock in the sense that I eye the hour hand as it makes its egregiously slow move from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. so I can exit my cubicle and enter my real world. No, though I've served my time in such positions, my current compulsive clock watching is of a less regular — albeit still compulsive — sort.

February 11, 2019

Love and lore

February 11, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

Love and lore

It’s impossible to escape the fact—touted by retailers since before Christmas decor was fully clearanced off their shelves—that this Thursday is Valentine’s Day.

But… do you know the facts about that day o’ love most folks have strong love-it-or-hate-it feelings about?

I have a feeling maybe not. I certainly didn’t (til searching for something to start of this week’s link party).

So in the interest general edification…

February 07, 2019

Throwback Thursday: 5 things I'll never write about

February 07, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

Dear readers: This #TBT feature originally appeared on Grandma's Briefs February 9, 2010. I’m proud to say that nine years later, I’ve still never written about—at least not at length—the things I swore I never would. Thank you for reading my rerun.

I read a lot of blogs. I didn't used to, but since becoming a blogger, I'm interested in what other folks are blogging about, where they get their ideas, how they express the little—and big—things in life in a way that intrigues readers day after day. My RSS reader feeds me a steady diet of food for thought.

Lately, some of that food has been pretty foreign to me. Not foreign in the sense that I'm reading posts in Chinese…

January 31, 2019

Throwback Thursday: Age of reason(ing)

January 31, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

I've always found it kind of odd when older women say they're one age, then it's found out they're actually older. I've read of this happening with celebrities and non-celebrities, where they've insisted for years that they're this old, then the truth came out upon the woman's death that they're that old, shocking adoring fans or family.

January 28, 2019

Battling the bug

January 28, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

Battling the bug!

My three grandsons from the desert (and their parents) spent the long MLK weekend at our house, to celebrate Benjamin’s baptism. It was a fast but fabulous family time and I have much to share of our couple of days together. But I haven’t yet… because I’ve been battling a persistent bug of a stuffy, snotty sort ever since the boys headed home. I’ve had neither the energy nor inclination to post the pics nor share the story, but hope to—nay, plan to!—soon.

Not only has my battle with the bug kept me from regaling you all with shots and such from my…

January 25, 2019

Friday Flashback: 30 grandchild firsts only grandparents celebrate

January 25, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

Dear readers: This flashback feature originally appeared on Grandma's Briefs April 8, 2014. Thank you for reading my rerun.

There are numerous firsts in a child's life worth celebrating. The milestones Mom and Dad celebrate, though, may be a wee bit different than those Grandma and Grandpa celebrate.

Here are 30 firsts in the life of a grandchild that warm a grandparent's heart and warrant a happy dance:

January 14, 2019

Creativity Month 2019

January 14, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

Did you know January is officially Creativity Month? Indeed, it is!

If you need inspiration and ideas for creative things to do with grandkids before the month is through, let me point you to the most creative spot I know for simple—and different, educational, and fun—activities. Krokotak, a Bulgarian site, has endless ideas for every season… and many for no specific reason other than finding joy in being creative.

January 09, 2019

So much to say

January 09, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

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…