Grandma is such a Sweet Name

After spending nearly a week with our sweet granddaughter Lola, I am already fantasizing about the days when she'll start to go beyond cooing and gurgling gleefully and start using words. I have been told that the first grandchild determines your "new name."

Some children come up with rather convoluted tongue-twisters for their grandparents, apparently meshing whatever adult names are thrown around with some form of "grand____." Hence, my sister-in-law is called "Mary-Ma" (not sure of the spelling). Sometimes it's an ethnic name. Those can be fun if they actually show lineage: Mormor, Farmor, Bestafar, Bestamor, etc. (again, forgive any spelling errors).Let's you know whether the grandparent is on mom's or dad's side. Right now we are taking the third common route: calling ourselves "Grandma Jody" and "Grandpa Bill." Whether these names stick or not will ultimately be up to Lola and her parents, but my guess is there is a good chance they will.

Funny thing is, before Lola was born I really didn't relish the moniker "grandma" in any way shape, or form. It wasn't the concept, it was the WORD. Too many connotations that rang of decrepitude in my mind. Funnier still, though, is how I flash that name around constantly now like a badge of achievement or a medal of honor. All it takes is a little dose of reality and a large dose of grandchild to change everything. :-)

Reunions, Part II

This reunion involved meeting up with many of Bill's father's side of the family. A good number of relatives gathered in Depoe Bay, Oregon for a weekend of fun at the beach with plenty of sunshine, conversation, and food. Will and Vanessa brought their pup LittleMissCareyNickels who enjoyed total freedom racing around on the lawn and by the ocean. She even had a pal, Kowe, our niece's dog, to keep her company.

The special treat for all of us was having the newest member of the family there. Meg brought Lola, our three and a half month old granddaughter, all the way out from Brooklyn! It was quite a task since Brett wasn't able to come at this time, so we were really impressed with how well Meg managed on her own. But we expected no less. :-)

Now we feel a bit empty: no baby to gush over or entertain us. We'll only have two months before we get to see Lola again (with both parents), but for now we'll have to contend with memories and Facetime.

Road Trips and Reunions

Bill and I are now on the return phase of a great summer road trip. Purpose? Ostensibly, to attend a family reunion of the descendants of my paternal grandparents, but also to just enjoy the beauty of North America.

The reunion was a smashing success. Our host cousin lives in Traverse City, Michigan, so we all trekked there to attend. Most of my relatives still live in the Midwest, but one brother came from Conn., one first cousin once removed flew in from California and another drove up from Atlanta, so we represented all parts of the US.

Bill and I decided to take the ultimate scenic route to get to Michigan: we drive through the Canadian Rockies and east on the Yellowhead Highway. Gorgeous! We eventually drove through the UP of Michigan and spent three days sharing stories and catching up with all the sibs and cousins.

Last night we relaxed on the carferry as it steamed across Lake Michigan from Luddington, MI to Manitowoc, WI. Fun and it saved us 400 miles of driving!

Bill has naturally been biking anywhere and anytime he can. Although we had a humungous thunder and lightning storm in the wee hours of this morning, it is clear again, so he's biking while I prepare to drive again.

As long as we get home safe and sound, I can call this a big success.

Joyful First Grandchild

Having just returned from 11 days with our new granddaughter Lola in Brooklyn, I can definitely confirm that being a grandmother rocks. Lola Bennett Camper-Lemke, daughter of our daughter, absolutely is the sweetest, cutest baby around, but I'll bet you hear that from all the grandparents. :-) All my cousins told me I'd love being a grandma, but I couldn't quite grasp it. After all, aren't I still a "youngie?" Is that coughing and gagging I hear?

Ok, admittedly I am definitely of age for grandparent status, I just wasn't sure about my maturity, but that proved fine when I cradled Lola in my arms and when I quickly mastered the new diapering techniques for cloth diapers. Whoever invented the "Snappy" is amazing. Everything felt right as if I possessed special grandparent wisdom that comes with 32 years of experience. Best of all, Meg and Brett are wonderful, loving, attentive parents, so Lola is a lucky little girl.

Here are a few pictures of our cutie patootie, so you can see for yourself just how adorable Lola is.

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!

Although 2010 weighed heavily on the world as a whole, my little corner remained happy and hopeful. My son married a wonderful young woman (coincidentally a former student of mine) in September and during the celebratory barbecue in our backyard our daughter and her husband announced that we would be grandparents in April!

Now things can't get much better, can they? Said son and now daughter-in-law spent two months roaming the world on a near-endless honeymoon. Said daughter and son-in-law celebrated a 5th anniversary and began studying all the latest information on pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing.

As the year ends, we all will enjoy family time together. Our daughter's baby bump looms prominently; our son and daughter-in-law announced that we will have a grand-weenie as they are getting a female dachshund puppy in January.

Bill and I will be visiting NYC in late Spring once our granddaughter arrives, and we've already started practicing how to be good, doting grandparents so we can be sure to spoil her royally.

Merry Xmas to all (as if anyone ever reads this), and to all a wonderful, better 2011!

Enough is Enough is Enough

This post will be short and to the point (nobody reads my writings anymore anyways, except my dear, sweet, wonderfully loyal husband).

ENOUGH WITH THE VENOMOUS, HATE-STREWN, LIES-FILLED CAMPAIGN ADS!

I truly cannot stand any of them, and I am quite positive that they do nothing except affirm the votes of the decided. NO ONE could possibly be miraculously and suddenly swayed to vote for the person based on these idiotic pieces of propaganda. Unless, of course, one is shallow, stupid, and unwilling to check facts. Hmmmmmmmm... damn. They'll never go away, will they?

What a Summer

My summer has been both a visit to the past and an anticipation of the future. Bill and I traveled back east and back in time in early summer to attend a family reunion in Lexington, Kentucky. We traveled east through the flat, hot middle of America and came home west through the rugged, hot north of America. Along the way we visited historic sites both natural and man-made, and we also spent time in our old home stomping grounds.

Yup. We relived some of our youth. After the reunion, we headed north into Illinois, stopping in Champaign/Urbana, home of the University of Illinois and birthplace of our relationship. Nearly 42 years ago Bill and I met by accident at the U of I. Finding out we were from the same hometown (Evanston, IL), I quickly finagled a Thanksgiving ride home from the cute law student, and that began our lives together. It was love at first sight for me, and 40 years of marriage have only increased my feelings for my old hubby. :-)

Our trip continued north to Evanston, and there I met up with three friends from junior high and high school. I spent time with each amazing woman, chatting about politics, life, and anything current. They have all accomplished so much in their lives and careers, so it was great fun to hear the latest from each. We caught up with one of my brothers and some other family members while in the Chicagoland area and headed home for a short travel break. The Reuniting theme continued in August. This time Bill and I drove to Oregon, hitting the coast and communing with family before heading to Crater Lake and communing with nature.

Now I am in the anticipatory phase. Will and Vanessa have decided to privately get married Labor Day Weekend (as totally private as you can get) and throw a celebratory barbecue at our place for family and friends. We're so happy and we look forward to relaxing and enjoying all who are able to come to the party. Cross your fingers for good weather! Meg and Brett are coming in for the barbecue, and then they'll soon be celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary. Hard to believe it's already been that long. Bill and I look forward to seeing our whole family together, and we feel lucky to be able to travel as much as we do. Put me behind the wheel of an efficient little car and I'm always ready to go. :-)

Old Fogy-ism Sets In

For many years I chuckled at the predictability of my parents' generation. My ability to foretell the stories, comments, and complaints of anyone born before 1930 would have awed "The Mentalist." I am sure that all Baby Boomers can recite the litany of problems that our parents and their peers blamed on us. Every time I heard the words, "The trouble with ... " I could almost lip-synch the finish.

You can imagine my chagrin whenever I hear those words slip off my tongue now. I cannot escape the fact that I (and pretty much every Baby Boomer) have become an old fogey. Oh, I pretend to be with it, valiantly keeping up with technology advances, style changes, and celebrity doings, but I'm losing my edge. I'm actually saying, OUT LOUD, "You know, the trouble with..." OMG. Worst part? I MEAN it! Whatever my target, I truly blame it for the latest ills in my life.

Take electronic technology. I cannot imagine being without computers, TV, GPS, cell phones, and all other such creature comforts. I love all of it. The trouble with technology today is the cost, and I mean dollars, not its toll on humanity. Why, our mortgage payments on our first home were less than my Triple Play Comcast bill today. It's a damn stranglehold those big money-grabbin' companies have on us old folks, yes sirree Bob. Oops. Old fogey-ism sets in.

The trouble is, I know I'm right. You just wait. Some day when you're older, you'll see things my way. Just as sure as I'm standing here, I know that you, too, will one day repeat the mantra of old fogies everywhere, and as you gasp and clutch your heart when you realize that you have become the older generation, Baby Boomers everywhere will let out a sigh of relief, knowing that there is order in the universe and wisdom will prevail.

Volcano

About thirty years ago Mt. St. Helens blew her top twice in as many weeks, and the resulting ash clouds wreaked havoc on the neighboring areas. Still, after removing the fine layer of ash from our Chehalis house (I still have a baby food jar filled with it), life pretty well went back to normal for us. We were living in Seattle by then, and I really don't recall too many disruptions to our lives or to the world. I do remember much was written about the cloud basically making its way around the world, but I don't remember the kind of air traffic nightmares that this Icelandic volcano has caused!

Personally we know several people trapped wither in the States or in Europe, wishing to be on the other's end. About thirty singers from Rochester England were supposed to fly back home on Thursday, and they are still holed up in the Seattle area, happy for the kindness of new-found friends but anxious to return home. My cousin's son-in-law, my choir director, and several other business travelers are all languishing in foreign ports with no real idea when they'll be able to return to the States. It is truly a mess.

I'm somewhat surprised the religious ultra-fundamentalists haven't decreed this the wrath of God and somehow blamed it all on Obama or at least on all of us LIBERALS! After all, they've already blamed some pretty incredible stuff on our president and on those of us with a functioning brain, so why not a spewing volcano disrupting world travel?

I am grateful that none of my immediate family is caught up in this mess, nor are any of us (to my knowledge) planning any overseas travel, so I can relax and leave the hyperventilating to others. I'll take my chances with more big road trips and leave the flying to more adventurous souls.

Lazy Way Out

I have definitely taken the lazy way out as far as communicating these days. Facebook has become my main tool for keeping in contact with friends and acquaintances.This requires little thought or effort and reaches a larger audience than my blog (which appears to have an audience of zero, so that's not much of an accomplishment). Plus, Facebook has the added advantage of hosting simple-minded addictive games to waste my time while I peruse the pithy, meaningless posts of people far and wide. Clever, eh?

In case anyone out there actually reads this message, take heart. At least I went beyond 420 characters!