August 20, 2015

Here and now: August 20, 2015

August 20, 2015/ Lisa Carpenter

In my world...

clock and book

On my mind...

On NBC News Tuesday night, there was a report of an unscrupulous doctor who had been egregiously knowingly misdiagnosing patients with MS. Such a horrible thing to do. I have MS. BUT, though his actions are unconscionable, that's not what most stuck with me after viewing the report. What did stick with me was a comment from one of the women incorrectly diagnosed. She stated that...

June 09, 2015

On swings, rainbows, and indigo endings

June 09, 2015/ Lisa Carpenter

On the upper level of my home, we have a three-season porch. It's fashioned after the porches popular in Colorado Springs in the late 1800s, peaceful spots where tuberculosis patients rested on beds while soaking up the fresh, restorative mountain air.

Ours is a three-season porch, with no insulation protecting the space from cold. Meaning, we don't access the room in the winter. Come spring, though, the porch door is opened—and our indoor swing firmly attached in the doorway.

indoor swing on three-season porch

My grandsons and other young-at-heart visitors...

May 13, 2015

Toddler games: Keep-Away with my insurance company

May 13, 2015/ Lisa Carpenter

I like playing games with toddlers as much as the next grandma. Not so much, though, when it's my insurance company playing the part of opponent.

toddler Rx ball

To wit: I recently visited my doctor to figure out what to do about my...

March 31, 2015

Mac's mission accomplished

March 31, 2015/ Lisa Carpenter

My middle grandson, Mac (who will be four in June), is one determined little squirt.

strider balance bike

A recent goal of his has been to master riding a real bike, so he's been...

March 21, 2015

Saturday movie review: Cake

March 21, 2015/ Lisa Carpenter

Five minutes into CAKE, I asked my husband, who was watching along with me, if watching it was going to give him nightmares. Jim chuckled and said, "I was wondering the same thing."

We had the exchange not because CAKE is a scary movie and my husband is a chicken, but because CAKE is about chronic pain and my husband has suffered from such for more than a decade. He managed to watch it all the way through, though, with nary a nightmare that night.

Cake movie

CAKE, starring Jennifer Aniston in a dark, powerful role, is about...

March 11, 2015

Last resort for a long-distance grandma

March 11, 2015/ Lisa Carpenter

grandsons

I can usually go about two months without seeing my grandsons before the loneliness takes hold.

I didn't make it two months this time.

I last saw my grandsons...

February 24, 2015

When grandchildren move away: 10 things to send with them

February 24, 2015/ Lisa Carpenter

Sometimes, regardless of how much we wish things could be different, grandchildren and their parents move away from Grandma and Grandpa. Perhaps there's a better financial situation for Mom or Dad farther away, or maybe it's a marital split that results in beloved grandbabies being relocated farther from grandparents than ever before.

I have always been a long-distance grandma—my grandsons have never lived near me. So I can only imagine how heartbreaking it must be to learn grandchildren who lived nearby will soon live miles and miles away. Such a transition is surely hurtful not only for the grandparents, but for the grandchildren, too.

when grandchildren move away