November 30, 2020

Baby Robert

November 30, 2020/ Lisa Carpenter

Welcome! I hope your Thanksgiving was memorable … and blessed.

As I mentioned last week, I had a new grandbaby on the way. Well, he …

September 16, 2019

Weekend accomplishment

September 16, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

Weekend accomplishment

Who here believes that a weekend without accomplishment is a wasted weekend?

I do, I do!

I’m unsure why I put such pressure on myself but if I don’t accomplish even the smallest of somethings from Saturday morning through Sunday evening, I feel I’ve squandered time, talents, and opportunities to git ‘er done. Whatever ‘er might be.

I’m not talking massive achievements like …

April 15, 2019

Doing it!

April 15, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

Doing it!

Jim and I are doing it. Finally. We have finally accepted the fact the home we love and have lived in for nearly 12 years is too big for us, has too many stairs, too large of a yard, too much space for two. Especially two with trouble walking about.

Which means we are doing it: We are moving to a smaller place… somewhere (TBD) in the same city. Yes, we are downsizing. Though I prefer to think of it as my most recent Silver Sneakers newsletter called it, rightsizing. Our current home is 3,600 square feet. The homes we’re considering…

March 04, 2019

How Benjamin rolls!

March 04, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

How Benjamin rolls!

Saturday was Jim’s birthday, and Brianna and Patrick arranged a family gathering at a new burger spot in town in recognition of burgers being Jim’s forever favorite food.

It was great to have all our local immediate family in attendance.

Kudos to Tyler for managing to get a shot that included everyone at the table!

While we were all gathered together to celebrate Jim, we soon were raucously regaling Benjamin for a milestone move made right before our eyes.

October 29, 2018

Big bro bonding

October 29, 2018/ Lisa Carpenter

Big bro bonding!

James has for 10 years lived in the “little brother” position, having two older half brothers who are eight and eleven years his senior. It’s taken him no time at all, though, to settle in as Benjamin’s big brother, tenderly balancing his adored baby bro on the Bobby like a pro.

October 15, 2018

Peak preggers pic

October 15, 2018/ Lisa Carpenter

Peak preggers pic!

James had his last regular season football game on Saturday and when Brianna came over before we all headed to the game—one determining whether James and his teammates make the league playoffs—I asked Brianna to pose for a final pre-baby pic.

With induction scheduled for Thursday, this is surely the peak of pregnancy for my girl, the final photo before baby arrives.

September 24, 2018

Getting real

September 24, 2018/ Lisa Carpenter

Getting real

My mom is struggling to survive stage 3 lung cancer. My firstborn will soon deliver her firstborn any day now. Somewhere in between my utter despair regarding the one end of life’s spectrum and my sheer delight related to the other is the space where I, a writer and blogger, should be writing and blogging.

But I don’t feel like…

September 17, 2018

Baby shower, with Pinterest upgrades! Plus, GRAND Social No. 320 link party for grandparents

September 17, 2018/ Lisa Carpenter

Baby shower… with Pinterest upgrades!

In the preamble to last week’s GRAND Social link party, I noted that I’d had a busy day the day before. The reason for the busy-ness was Brianna’s baby shower! It turned out to be a lovely baby shower—thanks in large part to all the pinning Brianna (and I, admittedly) had done pre-party planning.

I hosted Megan’s baby shower more than 10 years ago—long before Pinterest appeared and upped the ante on entertaining. Megan’s shower was nice. But, gee whiz, thanks to Pinterest, the bar has been raised since those long-gone days of simply serving up punch, cake, shower decor, and a few silly shower games.

Here are a few of the Pinterest-inspired creations I (with help from Andrea and Megan, who flew in for the weekend) managed to pull off for Brianna’s fall-themed affair…

July 23, 2018

National #GorgeousGrandma Day! Plus, GRAND Social No. 312 link party

July 23, 2018/ Lisa Carpenter

National #GorgeousGrandma Day!

Of all the offbeat holidays, celebrations, and recognitions out there, today’s is THE perfect one for Grandma's Briefs readers: National #GorgeousGrandma Day, celebrated every July 23.

I'm unable to find details on its beginnings, but there seems to be plenty of information on suggestions for celebrating this special day, including some especially grand ones listed on the National Today website.

Considering National Today's graphic…

February 12, 2018

Snow at last

February 12, 2018/ Lisa Carpenter

Snow at last

Though much of the country has had far more snow this winter than want and know what to do with, the Pikes Peak Region — the place I call home — has had nothing measurable nor magical.

Saturday we got measurable, we got magical, we got happy thanks to moisture-filled snow that fell most of the day.

Of course, as is typical for Colorado, snowy skies Saturday transformed into sunny skies Sunday. Temps rose little, though, so the blanket of white stuck around and created an enchanting winter wonderland Jim and I — and Mickey Dog, too — enjoyed viewing from indoors.