What I learned this week: Quote me

Of all the things I learned this week, the how is nowhere near as important as the what.

So rather than explain the genesis of each lesson I recently learned, I'll simply share with you the bottom-line lessons themselves — via the words of folks who became wise in these areas long before I.

(One exception: the last lesson, which is in my words and my words alone.)

family quote

 

attitude quote

 

baseball quote

 

sister quote

And my messiest lesson of all:

spaetzle quote

Seriously!

All of the above, my friends, is what I learned this week.

Enjoy the long holiday weekend. Best wishes for a safe and memorable farewell to summer!

Today's question:

What did you learn this week?

Get your answers here: Letters to grandchildren, extra servings of Lisa

I like to help folks out. Because of that, I'm always pleased to see that some of what I offer up here on Grandma's Briefs meets the wants and needs of those seeking answers online. I'm talking about the search queries that lead folks here and the answers I (sometimes unintentionally) provide.

For quite some time, one of the top search queries that lands seekers on my site is related to writing to grandchildren. For example, in the past week — just the past seven days — these are a sampling of the searches in that vein that show up in my blog stats:

  • handwritten letterletter from grandmother to grandson
  • letters to a grandchild going away to college
  • grandmother letter to granddaughter
  • i love you message + to grandchild
  • letter from grandma to grandson
  • letter to grandson from grandmother
  • letter to my grandson
  • letter from grandmother to granddaughter
  • little letter to my grandson
  • letter to my newborn grandson
  • what a great grandmother writes to her first great grandchild
  • how to write a letter to my new grandson
  • letter to granddaughter on her wedding day
  • letter to your newborn granddaughter
  • unborn baby letter from grandparents
  • 1st birthday letter for grandson
  • love letter to unborn grandchild
  • message to unborn granddaughter
  • ideas for letter for grandchild starting kindergarten

I noticed the trend a while back, wrote about it a while back, and now offer the answer to that particular search, regardless of how it's worded, right here in How to write a keepsake letter to a grandchild.

No-Crust CheesecakeI also get a lot of search queries related to food. I like food. I like to share food answers, otherwise known as recipes. In the past week, I received several queries for no-crust cheesecake, breakfast pizza, and blackberry cobbler — though it's a blueberry cobbler recipe they find here, with info on using any fruit, so I guess it serves up their answer just the same. I'm happy to help out any time anyone wants a recipe, if it's one I have in my Recipe Box.

I'm also happy to help out any time anyone wants information on Zori Sandals. What? Well, I reviewed Zori Sandals a while back, and it has been at the top of my search query list for quite some time. In fact, in the past seven days, six people have landed here in their search for such, despite my review — the one right here — being more than a year old.

There also are other miscellaneous searches for grandma things that I've provided answers for in the past week, things such as (in the exact search terms) a list of things grandmas need at their house, modern day names for grandmothers, gardening with grandchildren, and countless other "grandma" sorts of stuff.

Queries such as those are easy to answer, easy to see how folks ended up here. What's not so easy? Well, try these recent queries on for size — all searches that resulted in web users landing in my little corner of the online world:

  • it seems that grandmas always need a little one to hold (meh... kind of reasonable, I suppose)
  • mothers of daughters like me
  • "spanking spoon" diapers mom
  • And the real kicker and ultimate head scratcher: but i wont do that underwear (Surprisingly, there were two searches for that!)

Ultimately, though, my favorite recent search query had to be when someone simply requested "extra servings of lisa, please."

I hope that seeker found all she'd hoped for and then some — especially because she said "please"!

Today's question:

As I mentioned, I enjoy helping folks out. So what would you like to see more of here on Grandma's Briefs? More grandma stuff? More recipes? More giveaways? More essay-type posts? More this and that related to... well... you tell me. What kinds of "extra servings of lisa" would fill you up when visiting Grandma's Briefs?

Missing the magical ordinary days

Today marks six weeks since I've seen my grandsons. It seems so very much longer than that, as I'm so very much missing the magic of their ordinary days.

Days that looked like this last time I was with them:

It will likely be a while before I get to hug my grandsons — or their parents — again. Thank heavens for the hundreds of photos and videos I take when I'm with them. They keep me smiling from one hug to the next.

Today's question:

What is keeping you smiling today?

Exhaustion, perspective, and GRAND Social No. 67

Our kids regularly put things in perspective for us. That doesn't change once the nest empties out, I was reminded once again yesterday.

I spent nearly all day Saturday in my yard pulling weeds. We have a large back yard and the recent downpours rains left us with an equally large number of weeds. So I tugged and pulled alongside Jim, ridding our yard of the unwelcome weeds. It wore me out. It wore us both out. Saturday evening, Jim and I moaned and groaned about our sore bodies and sheer exhaustion following our marathon weed pulling session.

Then, Sunday morning, our youngest daughter put our marathon complaints in perspective — by running a marathon herself. A real marathon. Well, a half-marathon, to be precise, but that's 13.1 miles of running. Non-stop. Finishing in just a bit over two hours.

Heart and Sole 

Now that would be exhausting. And that would leave one's body sore. And that is something you'd never, ever catch me even attempting. Which makes me doubly proud of my Andie — and grateful her boyfriend, Matt, shared photos of her accomplishment.

Yes, there are far more exhausting things than pulling weeds. (Though I'm still quite proud of what Jim and I accomplished... despite it taking us far longer than two hours to accomplish it.)

Nowhere near as exhausting as running or weeding is the GRAND Social! Thank you for joining me. Let's socialize!

link party

How it works:

  • All grandparent bloggers are invited to add a link. You don't have to blog specifically about grandparenting, just be a grandparent who blogs.
  • To link up a post, copy the direct URL to the specific post — new or old — that you want to share, not the link to your blog's home page. Then click the blue button marked with "Add your link" below and follow the directions.
  • You can add up to three posts, but no duplicates, contests, giveaways, or Etsy sites, please.
  • Adding a mention such as This post linked to the GRAND Social to your linked posts is appreciated. Or, you can post the GRAND Social button anywhere on your page using the following code:

Grandma’sBriefs.com

<a href="/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://grandmasbriefs.squarespace.com/storage/GRANDsocialbutton.jpg " alt="Grandma’sBriefs.com" width="125" height="125" /></a>

 

  • The GRAND Social linky is open for new posts through Wednesday evening, so please come back to see those added after your first visit.

  • If you're not a blogger, you have the pleasure of being a reader. Bloggers who link up would be honored to have one and all — other bloggers as well as readers — visit, read and, if so moved, comment, even if just a "Hey, stopping by from the GRAND Social."

What I learned this week: One way my eldest daughter is not like me

My eldest daughter, Brianna, is very much like me. She and I enjoy the same books, same movies, same music — for the most part (that silly girl adores country music far more than I ever will).

We like the same clothing style, love the same foods, and we have many of the same mannerisms. We even unintentionally say the very same things at the very same times often enough that Jim, upon hearing our comments in stereo — one side me, one side Brianna — regularly responds to us with, "Will you two stop doing that!?"

Brianna

Yes, Brianna is very much like me.

There is one way in which my daughter is so not like me, though. It's something we both learned this week. It's something that led me to thank God out loud upon hearing.

That something is this: Brianna does not have MS.

I'm talking about multiple sclerosis — a drag of a disease I've worried for decades one or more of my daughters would inherit from me... despite there being no proof MS is hereditary.

Hereditary or not, Brianna began expressing concerns about unusually numb feet and oddball sensations in her body about six months ago. Just a complaint here and there, sentiments she'd pass along knowing darn well it was scaring the hell out of me despite my calm and reassuring demeanor at the mentions.

"It's probably just related to your back," I'd say on the outside while fearing the worst on the inside.

See, Brianna was in a car accident a few years ago, rear-ended by a landscaping truck that never even hit the brakes as she was stopped at a red traffic light. It wasn't good, especially for her back. Brianna eventually, though not even 25 years of age at the time, had to undergo emergency back surgery months after the accident but related to the accident. She's had minor pain and numbness and pings and pinches in her feet and legs ever since.

But when those minor pings and pains recently changed to major and began sounding more and more like the pings and pains I experienced before being diagnosed with MS 21 years ago, neither of us could ignore the symptoms. Brianna needed to see a doctor who would confirm or rule out MS.

Brianna saw that doctor Wednesday.

The doctor ruled out MS Wednesday.

I learned Wednesday that my daughter who is very-so-very much like me is not like me in the one way I prayed she and her sisters would never, ever be.

Hallelujah!

Yes, there's nerve damage and neuropathy and issues my daughter — who just turned 31 on Sunday — will deal with the rest of her life, things that may worsen throughout her life.

We both agree that sucks.

Yet we also both agree on this: Thank God it's not MS.

In that way we are very much alike.

In that way we both say — in stereo — hallelujah!

And that is what I — and Brianna — learned this week.

I learned another thing this week (yesterday, in fact), this one far more sad: Our bloggy friend Joan, whom many of you know as Gramcracker and who blogs at Gramcracker Crumbs, lost her husband unexpectedly this week. Please keep Joan and her loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.

Have a safe, happy and memorable weekend. I look forward to connecting with you again on Monday.

Today's question:

What did you learn this week?

Back-to-school books for all ages, including grandmas

I've always resisted any hoopla about "summer reads" and such, as summer has always been the time I'm least likely to read. Unless I'm sitting in a car or plane while traveling, there's far too much to do and see and enjoy outdoors during the summer, so reading gets put on hold. As far as I recall, reading was similarly shelved, for the most part, by my daughters during the summers of their childhoods.

Whether you're a summer reader or not though, once the school bells ring, it's time to return to the books — for enjoyment as well as edification. Following are a few books I recently received free for review, with something sure to entertain and enlighten readers of all ages.

 

FOR AGES 2 to 5

Peppa Pig

Peppa Pig and the Busy Day at School by Candlewick Press, illustrated by Ladybird ($12.99 hardcover) Many a youngster — and parent — knows and loves Peppa Pig, the Nick Jr. star. In this new adventure, Peppa hems and haws about which special talent of hers she should share during Special Talent Day at school. She and her classmates first have lessons in counting, the alphabet, painting, playing store and more, followed by Special Talent time. Lo and behold, other classmates show off the very same talents Peppa had hoped to share. What is she to do? Madame Gazelle offers guidance to the perky little pig — and readers, too.

 

FOR AGES 4 to 7

Blue is Happy

My Blue Is Happy by Jessica Young, illustrated by Catia Chien ($15.99 hardcover) Ever since I had a boss who painted his entire office blood red, I've been intrigued by how colors have different meanings (and feelings) for each individual. This book made my heart sing as I read about a little girl's journey of discovering what others think of some of her favorite and least favorite colors. I was especially pleased the little girl saw pink a little different than most girls, stating that to her, "pink is annoying, like an itchy bug bite." An unexpectedly delightful read with adorable illustrations.

 

FOR AGES 5 to 8

lunchbox

How Did That Get In My Lunchbox? The Story of Food by Chris Butterworth, illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti ($7.99 paperback) Sometimes the best part of the school day is lunch time. But where does all that food in one's lunchbox come from? No, not the grocery store. This book — named Book of the Year by the American Farm Bureau — educates hungry kiddos on where everything from their sandwich bread and cheese to tomatoes, carrots, apple juice, clementines and even chocolate chip cookies come from. You might want to pack a lunch before setting out to read it, for you will end up hungry.

 

FOR AGES 7 to 12

Electrical Wizard

Electrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World by Elizabeth Rusch, illustrated by Oliver Dominguez ($16.99 hardcover) Nikola Tesla is a former and much beloved resident of my city. Until a year or so ago, in fact, my city boasted a Tesla Historical Museum dedicated to honoring the man who pioneered modern electrical engineering. Tesla changed not only the course of local history, though, he rivaled Thomas Edison in his contributions to lighting up our world at large. This intriguing book tells of Tesla's seemingly magical powers that lit up not only the Chicago World's Fair and New York City of yesteryear, but that impact modern inventions used today.

 

FOR AGES 12 AND ABOVE

Bluefish

Bluefish by Pat Schmatz ($6.99 paperback) Travis is 13, a difficult age for any kid. Making matters worse, he's stuck living with Grandpa in a new town where he must attend a new school. Worst of all? Travis has a secret, something that makes him consider himself a Bluefish — stupid, angry and alone. Until, that is, an unorthodox girl nicknamed Velveeta offers blunt honesty and plenty of humor that shows Travis he is so much more. Though meant for middle readers, this coming-of-age story — winner of numerous awards and honors — will resonate with anyone who was 13 years old once upon a time.

 

FOR GRANDMOTHERS & OTHERS

Letters from Skye

Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole ($25 hardcover) Like I said, back-to-school time is great for grownups. As the kids toil away at school during the day and on homework come evening, grandmothers and others have more uninterrupted time to dedicate to good books of their choosing. I recommend Letters from Skye next time you're choosing. I was captivated by the love story played out in letters shared across continents between a Scottish poet and a feisty American college student, beginning in 1912 and spanning decades. The trailer:

 

Disclosure: I received the books above free for review, though that did not influence my opinions nor my desire to share them with you.

Today's question:

What book(s) are you currently reading?