Ode to my eldest daughter

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Ode to my eldest daughter

Fridays are typically when I pontificate here on what I learned during the week. What I learned this week is this: My eldest daughter is one of the most kind-hearted, deserving and — most importantly today — resilient women I know.

eldest daughterWhen Brianna was a teen, Jim and I often marvelled at the manner in which she could come under the wrath of her parents — for, like all teens, Brianna certainly did some wrath-invoking acts of idiocy...

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Saturday movie review: 'Nebraska'

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Charming NEBRASKA sneaks up on you then firmly lodges itself in your heart. Not Nebraska the state, but NEBRASKA the low-key, low-color — no color, in fact — film currently garnering kudos from critics across the country.

I had the opportunity to screen NEBRASKA at the Life@50+ Conference in October as part of the Movies For Grownups film series from AARP. I wasn't quite sure...

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Holiday highlights... in passages and pics

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It was quite indescribable. It was like what happens when you shake a kaleidoscope. The parts of it are the same parts, but they are arranged differently; they are arranged in a new pattern...
~Agatha Christie "The Water Bus"

family at Christmas 

They err who thinks Santa Claus comes down through the chimney; he really enters...

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The Christmas Eve eve GRAND Social link party for grandparents

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I find it hard to believe that tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Even harder to believe is that I think I'm ready for The Big Day except for a bit of this and that, meaning stocking stuffers and such.

Prepared for Christmas

The final prep was the focus of my weekend. I did the last of my gift and grocery shopping on Friday. Jim, Brianna and I enjoyed a holiday visit with...

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The more things change: 10 ways my Christmas has long remained the same

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Now that the nest has emptied, home, family, Christmas and more are far different than they were in the past. The more things change, the more it matters that some things remain the same, things such as the following.

10 ways my Christmas has long remained the same

Christmas treeThe Christmas tree — Regardless of all the ornaments my daughters accumulated through the years then took with them when they moved into their own places, our tree always — somehow — continues to look the same every single year. (And our cats...

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Grandma's secret revealed

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I told you not long ago about a group I belong to, a group that has a secret. Today I'll come clean, for I've finally been given permission to do so.

boy telling secret

That group I belong to — that one in which all members agreed we'd keep the secret a secret but I'm the only one who didn't tell a single soul — is my immediate family. We were all sworn to secrecy...

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Grandmas don't get breaks on speeding tickets, plus other lessons learned

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Four things I learned this week

gavelGrandmas don't get breaks on speeding tickets: A few weeks ago, as I raced out of town on my way to Denver for a film festival screening, I was pulled over by a motorcycle cop and given a ticket. I admit I was speeding, so I didn't cry in hopes of getting out of the ticket (as I probably should have, considering I've had a clean driving record since 1993). My ticket was $90 and a $15 filing fee; my court date was scheduled for this past week or I could pay the ticket by mail.

"Don't pay it by mail!" is the adamant advice from those who've been there, done that. "You gotta go to court. It'll reduce the charge!" So I went to court Wednesday. My ticket wasn't reduced. In fact, $25 more was added to the fees to cover court costs. I was not happy. I did cry this time... in the car... after paying the freakin' fee.

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