Grandma's Gleanings
Words and Thoughts from Grandma
Don’t forget to get signed up for our January Dairy Queen Blizzard Bonanza! Deadline is Monday, January 20th; that’s only a week away! But I wanted to give you all a February giveaway teaser– no details yet, want to keep you all guessing. Sign up via email or Facebook messenger today!
So here’s a test of age for all of you. Do you remember green stamps? If you don’t, you have my deepest sympathy, because they were such great fun. Sperry and Hutchinson green stamps, aka S & H, were a line of trading stamps dating back to 1896, but reached the peak of popularity …
I have always loved dogs, often finding some wayward stray to welcome unannounced into my home, irritating not only my parents, but later in life, my husband. I then passed the gift of pooch rescue on to my son, who was always on the lookout for some sappy stray to re-home. Dogs are faithful …
Our young grandson shares his grandpa’s toy addiction, LEGO’s. He loves taking the instruction booklet, separating all the pieces, and meticulously constructing the finished product. As an occasional treat, grandpa and grandson will make a pilgrimage to the local LEGO store together, checking out all the newest designs and compiling a mental wish lists …
What a crazy culture we have created for ourselves! Young couples escape to a quiet restaurant for a well-deserved date, then spend the evening on their cell phones ignoring each other; teenagers meet for a day of fun and fellowship, but rarely take a time out from their phone addiction to talk to each …
I’m not much of a Civil War buff, but something caught my eye recently while researching one of the bloodiest battles of that ugly war, the Battle of Antietam. Major General George McClellan would be the commander with the charge over the Union forces as they battled General Lee and his Confederate army. I learned …
On this blustery, snowy day, I want to take an opportunity to remind you that a BLIZZARD IS ON THE WAY! Grab a warm blanket, because the latest forecast has that blizzard arriving on Monday, January 20th, at 8:00 pm. That’s a pretty specific prognostication, now isn’t it? So cozy on up by the fire …
I had anticipated this trip to our local mall for weeks. Armed with my coupons, some mail promotions, and a list of special email offers, I wanted to use this opportunity to get a head start on some serious Christmas shopping. My husband, who does not share my mall excitement or coupon enthusiasm, willingly …
Mercy, how did we ever survive childhood without car seats? As a grandparent, figuring out these modern-day safety seats is tantamount to understanding rocket science; a degree in engineering must be required to understand this mess. My hubby and I resemble the Keystone Cops as we try to maneuver these contraptions, and by the …
Is there any greater joy for a woman than to receive a fragrant bouquet of roses to mark an anniversary, a birthday, or simply to express love and appreciation? Roses-deep in color and texture, exquisitely aromatic, perfect in form and beauty. When my sweetheart gifts me with roses, I treat them with such gentle …
Sundays are always special days at our local church, but we experienced a stand-out day this fall. Weeks of planning and preparation were invested, along with fervent prayer that God would bless our efforts and receive the glory. Invitations were sent with the hope that new families would take the opportunity to visit, partake in …
I was a novice at this whole teaching thing, full of enthusiasm, optimism, and excitement, but sadly lacking in experience and wisdom. The year was 1975, I was fresh out of college and would be the new elementary music instructor at my former public school district, sharing the gift of music with sweet little ones …
Best yard sale find ever! While cruising some local garage/yard sales many years ago, we found a huge, used wood burner that would be perfect in our newly-purchased country home. After installing our low-cost find, we set about the task of gathering, splitting, and stacking wood for the upcoming winter. How wonderfully cozy that …
It was merely another time-consuming assignment for a required college credit, you know, one of those courses NO ONE wants to take, but everyone is required to endure by some unseen, mystical force in order to qualify for your degree. Since I attended a liberal arts college, those courses were unfortunately in excess! One …
This is an update for those of you who may not be aware of the purpose of my daily blogs. I have been burdened for years as to what I could leave behind for my grandchildren and my future great-grandchildren. What could I do so that they would always know how much I love them, …