Sole model, plus GRAND Social No. 170 link party for grandparents

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Sole model

My daughter Megan has a great resource for buying and selling used goods. It's a Facebook community group called Swip Swap, and all those buying and selling are located in her community. You post something for sale or something that you want, and in no time there's a swap going on between folks mere minutes apart.

Megan has bought and sold quite a bit through Swip Swap. Saturday evening she texted me a photo of some great running shoes she wondered if I'd want that were just $10. I said, "Sure!" She said, "Sold!"

Soon after, she had the goods in hand and sent me this photo of Jak modeling Gramma's new K-Swiss size 7.5 running shoes:

toddler in running shoes 

I'm not sure which is better: having a daughter who...

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Saturday movie review: The Cobbler

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A mish-mash of themes, unexpected elements, and a surprisingly diverse cast are cobbled together to create an entertaining and engaging fable of sorts called THE COBBLER, released in March of this year.

The Cobbler movie

In THE COBBLER you'll find:

  • opening scenes featuring subtitles translating Yiddish conversation between craftsmen of a long-gone generation
  • a Jewish urban legend
  • New York gangsters and...
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Here and now: August 27, 2015

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clock and book 

On my mind...

Wondering how people without decent health insurance survive.

Reading...

Finished up The Mapmaker's Children last night. Starting Circling The Sun by Paula McLain tonight.

Watching...

Brianna's new puppy, Max, each day at lunch. The nine-week-old can't get through...

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Kids and cameras: 9 tips for beginner photogs, from National Geographic Kids

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Kids and cameras: 9 tips for beginner photogs, from National Geographic Kids

kids and cameras

As long as my grandsons have known me, I've had a camera in my hand more often than not. I may not be a pro, but taking photos is one of my favorite activities.

I like to think it's my penchant for taking pictures that encouraged my grandsons to enjoy using various cameras—from their kid camera to smartphones to my DSLR—for shooting shots around their place now and then. 

I'm pretty good about explaining to my grandsons the basics of using a camera, but as a true and untrained amateur photographer myself, I'm not the greatest at sharing with them sure-shot techniques for composition and more, in easy-to-understand snippets they'll understand and remember.

Enter National Geographic Kids book Guide To Photography by Nancy Honovich and National Geographic Photographer Annie Griffiths (which I...

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Birthday gals, plus GRAND Social No. 169 link party for grandparents

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Birthday gals

Welcome back! I hope your weekend was great!

My weekend was spent celebrating birthdays. Saturday's birthday gal was my oldest daughter, Brianna, who turned 33 last Tuesday:

mother and daughter 

Sunday's celebration was for my mom, who turns...

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Saturday movie review: Alex of Venice

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Watching blockbuster movies as they premiere at the theater can be the ultimate movie experience for movie lovers. That manner of watching movies isn't the norm for most folks nowadays, though. No, most folks are more like me—enjoying movies at home as soon as they premiere on DVD. Or later yet, on streaming services.

The relatively extensive lag between a blockbuster movie showing at the theater to appearing in my Netflix streaming queue means I spend a far amount of time searching streaming options for gems to watch between must-see movies I'm waiting on. I found a gem the other night: ALEX OF VENICE.

alex of venice movie

ALEX OF VENICE is the directorial debut of Chris Messina, whom many may know from TV's...

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Here and now: August 20, 2015

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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...

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