Grandma's holiday helper: 2015 Toyota Rav4 Limited

As a freelance writer working from home, I don't have to do a lot of driving. Until holiday time, that is. There's all the shopping, the visiting, the touring holiday displays that light up the neighborhood, and more.

toyota rav4 

For all that extra driving on my itinerary this past Christmas, I had the pleasure of tooling about in a 2015 Toyota Rav4 Limited AWD SUV, courtesy Toyota and Rocky Mountain Redline. The vehicle...

Read More

Bagpipes for a brother-in-law

Jim got the phone call yesterday morning that his brother-in-law had passed away in his sleep Monday night. Richard had battled health issues for a very long time, so the news wasn't surprising. It was, though, heartbreaking.

Jim and I last saw Richard and Sue, Jim's oldest sister, in November. We're deeply grateful for that...

Read More

Salvaging content from disappointment

When I review products, my policy is to post reviews on those products my readers will appreciate. I prefer to not bash goods from good folks with good intentions whose only downfall is wares warranting a lukewarm "meh" in my opinion; I simply don't publish reviews on such products. (Though I do promise to publish warnings to steer clear of dangerous or deceptive goods, if such come my way.)

baby tub time

With that in mind, my grandsons recently reviewed a product they — and their mom — didn't find...

Read More

Saturday movie review: 'Unfinished Song'

Vanessa Redgrave and Terence Stamp star in a lovely, poignant film that deserves far more attention than it's been given. UNFINISHED SONG is a 2012 movie that never played in my town, possibly never played in yours either. It's now playing on Netflix Streaming, though, and I urge you to add it to your queue. Heck, don't just add it to your queue — watch it this weekend!

 Unfinished Song

UNFINISHED SONG was originally titled "Song for Marion," which seems a far more appropriate title. Vanessa Redgrave brilliantly plays Marion, the terminally ill...

Read More

For the grandma in me

Everyone knows grandmas have multiple personalities. Not in a "Sybil" sort of way, just in that we have many facets, many interests, many hats that we wear that make us the grand women that we are. Right?

 grandma apron

Well, those varied parts that make up the "Grandma" package mean that loved ones bestowing gifts upon us must take into consideration which personality they hope to...

Read More