Quick strategies for dealing with modern-day stress and anxiety:

We all suffer from this from time to time--even us grand folks and retirees. Yes, even those of us who have a record of life experience, and know that these moments of anxiousness or difficult days will pass. Today I'm writing for us and our younger friends who are going through times of stress.

I'm seeing more and more articles in the news and online about how to deal with this 21st century world. In my blog from May of this year, I wrote this and shared a quote:

"I saw this on a Facebook page I follow called, The Daily Positive: 'The world we live in IS changing faster than our minds have evolved to handle. And we are all getting to learn how to be more conscious and careful than ever before as to how we learn to manage our emotions and train our minds to handle all this energy it's taking on.' Tara Wagner" (See link at the end of this blog.)

Schools and even entire communities are meditating and doing yoga together to address this need!

There was an article in the Houston Chronicle recently sharing quick techniques to increase one's positivity now. I'll link the article below. In the meantime, I'll share two key points--using a mantra to get through the difficult time/moment, and writing a happiness journal.

Having a mantra is easy and most of you have been doing this for years. You either repeat a Bible verse, song lyric or just a phrase you heard from your mother or grandmother. I have a friend who came up with her own, "Right now, it's like this." She said by adding the "right now," it reminds her that nothing is permanent--even a difficult situation will pass.

So here we go. Here are some mantras I've gathered from friends, family and online. Maybe you can adopt one of these or come up with your own.

Kids use mantras too!

I've had my five-year-old grandson with me this summer, and of course that means watching some of the great children's programing on PBS. More than one show gives kids tips on dealing with various difficulties and gave examples of mantras that they could repeat when they are having a difficult time. I talked with my grandson about this and we tried to come up with mantras. For some reason, most of ours involved nursery rhymes, but hey! Whatever works!

This is a blog for grandparents, so my fellow grandparents, we can help our grands out with this.

Happiness journals:

My friend Kathy, told me about this one several years ago. I consider myself a fairly happy and positive person, but even this small strategy helped me out. We've heard it time and time again, that in reality, the key to happiness is gratitude, Consequently, these are also called gratitude journals. Another oh-so-simple technique that can make such a big difference in your life. 

Live and learn and pass it on!

I do this blog simply to share ideas. I never have come up with these things on my own. They are usually ideas that friends and family have shared with me, or something I've read about that I think others might like as well. Check out these articles and websites:

​www.thedailypositive.com/3-step-process-for-overcoming-anxiety/

​The article from the Houston Chronicle~
​
​www.houstonchronicle.com/lifestyle/renew-houston/wellness/feeling-matters/article/Here-are-2-ways-to-increase-your-positivity-now-14276864.php

Sending a friend or family member a care package!

I recently had a friend make a hospital visit with the usual recovery time of six weeks after she gets out. I knew she needed a care package. Someone sent me a "Box of Sunshine" years ago after a hospital stay, so since then, I've tried to pass this sweet custom on. I remember how fun it was to open the package of small little trinkets and favors--really made my day.

So here we go--it's really easy to do. I'm partial to finding items with a "sunshine" color, but you certainly don't have to do that. I just happen to find it fun to find items that fit in with my "sunshine" theme.

​You can find lists online or on Pinterest. You can brainstorm your own ideas for items and then go shopping. Or simply walk through a pharmacy or craft store and grab those items you think would be appropriate.

And that's it!

They even have websites where you can order a box of sunshine already prepared, but I like creating my own. That's half the fun! And you can personalize it with items you know your recipient would like. 

My friend lives out of town, so I used a box and mailed it. But if your friend is in town, you can use something else--maybe a sweet basket that they can use later. Or even a pretty gift bag. Let your imagination run wild.

With the recent events in our country, it's nice to walk away from the horrible news of the day, all the sad thoughts swirling in your head, and do something for someone else. You might even have a friend who's simply down in the dumps. Take her a box of sunshine! This whole world needs a box of SUNSHINE. Good for the recipient as well as the giver! 

Looking for a new hobby? I really recommend writing a blog. I find it very fun. Just pick out one or more of your current interests and do a blog about it. Gardening? Quilting? Needlepoint? Cooking? The list is endless.

And what does writing a blog entail? Well, the writing of course, but that can be minimal, especially if you're sharing recipes or sewing tips. Then there's the research which is also fun and can reenergize your brain. Finally taking photos. I get a kick out of that, especially if I can involve my grandkids. And that's what this week's blog is about--writing a blog and involving your grandchildren. It's important to share your hobbies with your grandchildren, no matter what that hobby is--it doesn't have to be blogging.

Get ideas from your grands.

Since my blog is about grandparenting, I often get ideas from my grandkids. Either something they are currently involved with or something that interests them. For example, that's how my blogs about a costume box came about, and the one about sewing--they wanted to learn how to sew.

They can help with the photos for your blog.

This is mainly how they help me. Oftentimes I will decide to do a blog about some activity we've already done together, But then I discover I have no pictures. We will get together and re-stage it. Sometimes we do an activity together specifically for my blog, and we'll take the pictures as we go. And lastly, I might do a blog on a particular subject, and text them that I need pictures. They are always so sweet to oblige. For instance, I did a blog on yoga, and simply called them requesting pictures. Another time I needed pictures for my "kindness rocks" blog, and once again, they obliged with the photos.

Getting together to work on a blog.

Our "kindness rocks" project involved a lot of togetherness. We got together to paint, and of course, that was fun. I fixed lunch for us that day. Another time, we passed out the rocks down by the waterway, and that enabled us to go on a little excursion. We had lunch at one of our favorite restaurants down there, and then hid our rocks along the boardwalk. Involving your grands in your hobby is ever so much fun!

​Getting together is the best, and your grandchildren can learn to be supportive of YOUR hobby all the while everyone is having fun!

Bottom line: whether it's a family activity wherein you take photos as you go, or re-staging a previous event, or specifically taking pictures as needed for your blog, it's all good and it's all FUN!

​I started doing a blog just for ME. Who knew it would eventually involve my entire family. 

I asked my granddaughter to share her thoughts on helping me with my blog:

"I love helping my Gigi with her blog. Sometimes she will call and ask me to take some pictures that she needs to complete her blog. And being the lovely granddaughter that I am, I graciously agree ;)

For instance, she once asked me for pictures of my sister and me writing in our journals. On another occasion for Gigi's mindfulness blog, I took pictures of my sister doing yoga. Another topic she blogged about was the grounding technique to handle anxiety. I took a picture of our playroom to demonstrate that you look around your surroundings, and find something you see, feel, hear, and smell.

On another time for a blog about kindness rocks, she had me take pictures of us placing rocks around our neighborhood.

I think it's a great opportunity for me to pinch in and help her with her blog, and give you readers some examples."

Lastly~

If I have convinced you of the fun of blogging, your next question might be, how do I begin? Simply google "creating a blog," and you'll get lots of online help with various sites for making your blog. If I can do it, you can do it. You'll notice at the end of my blog the site that I use. It's very user friendly.

And as always, if you already blog, share the name of your website. I'll share the address on here. And if you do a hobby with your grands, share that as well. We're always looking for new ideas!

As my oldest son's first grade teacher said about him, "He's a spoon. He's always stirring the pot." So I say to you, let's be spoons and stir the pot! It makes for an interesting life!

Until next week!

It's almost back-to-school time! But you still have two or three weeks to take a fun road trip with your older grandchildren. The possibilities of places to go are endless! And the length of time can vary as well, from a short day trip, to a few days, to two-three weeks!

I've taken road trips with my grandchildren when they were pre-schoolers. I've even done a blog about that. Here's the link: www.gigisseasonings.com/blog/road-trips-with-the-grands

But last year my husband and I took a road trip with our pre-teen granddaughters. Instead of zoos and a children's theater, we looked for things that would appeal to these young ladies and their interests. They are both actors who are involved with a local theater group, so we were pretty certain the destination had to be an outdoor theater production in Palo Duro Canyon, Texas. We were off!

My retired friends have done this as well, and I have their testimonies.

One friend took her grandson on a one-day trip to a famous and historical ranch here in Texas. Besides exploring and learning about the Goodnight Ranch and Charles Goodnight, there is the matter of the sweet conversations between a grandmother and grandson in the car. That's priceless. So even a day trip can be fun. Don't rule that out!

My sister-in-law took her daughter, granddaughter and two great nieces on a road trip to the next town a little over a hundred miles away. Who says it has to be some great, grand trip? It's the time together that counts! And while they visited restaurants and a museum, she reports that the girls' favorite part was the hotel stay. They loved ordering pizza and hanging out by the pool. What teenager wouldn't?

Now....about those car games!

Earlier in the summer, I was trying to plan another trip with my granddaughters, and was researching car games for older kids online. Here are some I think that would appeal to older grands:

• Board games like Parcheesi and checkers with magnetic pieces that enable you to play in the car.
• Boggle is another good game and doesn't require buying a special travel edition. It's already portable and self-contained.
• The old standby--the A-Z game wherein the players have to find the letters from A-Z on billboards and signs. I found a variation to that which sounds like fun. Each player writes an 8-letter word on a piece of paper for their opponent. Then you exchange papers, and you have to find those letters in signs and billboards. First one to complete their list of 8 letters is the winner. And yes, you can Google 8-letter words that you can use. Be warned. The list includes words like dazzling. Finding "z's" on the highway can be hard. You might want to make a rule limiting the use of such words. (Insert chuckle here.)
• Twenty Questions. You are all familiar with this one. Just Google if you're not.
• This store-bought game I purchased one Christmas, and my grandkids like to play this in the car. It's called Joe Name It,  and you roll the dice and whatever number you roll has to be applied to your question. Let's say you roll a five. Then you draw a card which might read, "Name ____ state capitals." In which case you would have to name five state capitals. I agree with my granddaughters, it is a good game to play in the car, and even the driver can play!

Enjoy yourself. It's later than you think!! And this bit of wisdom certainly applies to grandparents, and the time they have with their grandkids. Just do it! It's very rewarding and downright FUN! I hope I've given you ideas and a bit of inspiration.  Remember, the whole point of this is to go without their parents! It's your time together! 

And as always, please write me about road trips you've taken with your grands. I love to hear, love to get more ideas, and I promise to share here on my blog. Until next week!

"Everyone needs to have access to both grandparents and grandchildren in order to be a full human being." Margaret Mead

Police Appreciation Bags!

I've done this subject before in my blog and with my grandkids, but I can never cover community service enough in my blog. Besides being a great activity to do indoors with your grandchildren in this oppressive heat, you're teaching these impressionable youngsters the importance of appreciating and showing gratitude to our community helpers.

Talk with your kids about all the things these men and women do for us. They often only think about the police as monitoring our roads and highways for speeders. They don't realize all the other jobs they do as far as keeping us safe and intervening in difficult situations. 

I like the above quote by John Kennedy. And I need to be reminded of this myself. In these difficult days of our nation where there is so much hate,  it is often not enough to just voice our appreciation, but show it by our actions. Do something good for those unsung heroes around us!

This community service project is pretty much straightforward. After you've had the talk about what these members of our community do for us, then plan out what you want to include in their individual bags. You want your grandkids to have ownership of this project too!

We bought some plastic zip-lock bags, laid out all our goodies on the dining room table and began to fill our bags. Of course my grandson helped. Then we invited a cousin to join us when we delivered our appreciation bags to our local police station. 

Seriously, this is a great activity to do with your kids and grandkids, We're often looking for things to do with them on these long, hot summer days. It does involve a trip to the grocery store to get the supplies, but it's well worth it to model SHOWING appreciation and not just mouthing the words. "Actions speak louder than words."

And for you grandparents who don't have visiting grandchildren, you can still do this activity. So many of my peers are bakers and lament not having anyone to bake for anymore. Bake some treats for your neighborhood police department. It will absolutely make their day. And yours as well!!

Thank you for reading my blog. Please share it with others. And please share any community service projects you have done with your children and grandchildren. I love to hear and quite often share on this blog.

​Until next week: Be the GOOD you wish to see in this world!

Added note: You can get online to find lists of items to include in your bags. It's always helpful to get other ideas and suggestions I know.

Skills kids need for life!

I'm sure you've read the articles and even seen the print-out on Facebook. The one called "40 Old-Fashioned Skills that Kids Need to Know Today." Here's the link:
​cdn.frugalfun4boys.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Old-Fashioned-Skills-for-Today.pdf

Or even read the articles about local high schools having "adulting" classes for teens, especially seniors going off to college or career. The schools might spend a day or even a week on such classes, and kids can sign up for those they are interested in and feel they might need. During this time, there might be classes on how to change a tire, how to keep a checkbook, how to cook, and even how to apply for a job. 

I see your posts on Facebook about how such things are needed by today's generation and even lamenting that young adults today don't have these basic life skills. But we, as grandparents, can help. In this hectic, modern world, parents can't do it all. That's where grandparents can come in. And even if you don't live in the same town, when they come to visit is another time wherein you can carve out a bit of time for instruction of such skills. 

You can start when the grands are small~

I started with some of the items on the list when my grands were small, and I'm sure you did too. Things like GARDENING:

​Here's a fun one I'm sure every grandparent has participated in teaching: How to attend a concert or performance and use proper theater etiquette~

How to wash dishes~

Honestly, this is one we shouldn't neglect. Sometimes the electricity goes out. Sometimes that first apartment doesn't have a dishwasher, or at least a functioning one. And those times when there are not enough dishes for a load. You know the drill. Grandkids need to know this simple skill.

How to weigh pro's and con's of a decision~

I pulled this one off the list linked above, and I think it's a good one. I've bought my grandkids journals and even wrote with them, so they'd have some ideas on how to journal. Their journal is a perfect spot for weighing pro's and con's of a decision. Just divide that page in half with a "plus" on one side and a "minus" on the other and start listing...this way you can see which list is longer.

Check out this link for yourself and find out which ones you can help with when you're with your grandkids. It's a good list. And you'll probably be surprised which ones you've already done:

​​cdn.frugalfun4boys.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Old-Fashioned-Skills-for-Today.pdf

A final word from this blogger:

I've been gone a couple of months. I've missed doing this blog, and I've missed hearing from my readers. I love to share grandparenting ideas, and I REALLY like hearing YOUR ideas and thoughts. It's good to be back. Hope to hear from you soon. And if you've got teenage grandchildren, ask them about "adulting" classes at their school. More and more schools and communities are doing this--even local libraries! Check it out! Remember that African proverb, "It takes a village." And to my way of thinking, we grandparents are the most important members of that village!

Happy July and Happy Grandparenting!

I think we all need this now...another blog about mindfulness and handling stress.

It's true. I was watching the national news the other night and there was a report about the US being the most stressed country in the world. Can you imagine? According to a recent Gallup poll, Americans are feeling stressed and overwhelmed--even angry. (I've posted the magazine article at the end of this blog.)

And then this on a Facebook page I follow called, The Daily Positive: "The world we live in IS changing faster than our minds have evolved to handle. And we are all getting to learn how to be more conscious and careful than ever before as to how we learn to manage our emotions and train our minds to handle all this energy it's taking on." Tara Wagner (I've included this website at the end of my blog.)

I've done a couple of blogs about teaching our grandchildren how to handle stress in this modern world we live in. With these two news reports, it got me to thinking that I also need to stress with my grandkids that how to handle stress is a LIFE SKILL. They need to learn it now and carry the techniques with them their entire life.

As I was researching online for tips for children on how to deal with stress, I found a wonderful poster on a website I'll include at the end of this blog. It had some great ideas for kids on dealing with anxiety including~

• Create some art
• Climb a tree
• Make and play with slime
• Journal time
• Play outside

I realized my grands do so many of these activities, and I know you grandparents have seen your grands involved in these things too. In fact, you probably encourage many of these things when they visit your home. 

Point out to your grandchildren that these things they enjoy doing can help them deal with stress. Instead of yelling at your big sister, or picking on your little brother, go to your room and get out your Legos or do a puzzle. Calming down is a skill they need their entire life.

So I took a page from my teacher book, and my grandson and I made a book with tips on dealing with stress. You might want to consider doing this with your kids, grandkids, and great-grandchildren. Such a nice token when you've been sent to your room for an inappropriate outburst. (Insert chuckle here.) Just grab your "Calm Down" book you made with your grandma or grandpa.  Here's the one we made:

Make a book about dealing with stress~

And more!

I also found a great little book at the bookstore entitled, "Breathe with Me," by Mariam Gates. In it she describes various breathing techniques with such names as, rainbow breath, dandelion breath, counting breath, and belly breath. It's a good book.

And there you have it! More tips for your youngsters to learn and use to deal with the stress of our modern-day world. I bet you can use some of these too. I know I do!

​​www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/americans-are-some-most-stressed-out-people-world-reporting-negative-emotions-highest-rates-decade-180972047/

​www.thedailypositive.com/3-step-process-for-overcoming-anxiety/

​www.pinterest.com/pin/282037995400650555/

​And how to make that neat little 8-page booklet with NO STAPLES~

​www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Booklet-from-Paper

My previous blog with mindfulness and breathing techniques for kids. It includes the handouts that we used in our book. Write me via my "Contact Page" and I'll send the handouts.

​www.gigisseasonings.com/blog/teaching-your-grands-mindfulness-to-deal-with-this-modern-world

Finally, another great book to read to your kids:

"Breathe with Me. Using Breath to Feel Strong, Calm, and Happy," by Mariam Gates. Illustrated by Sarah Jane Hinder

Looking for fun treats to add to your grandkids' Easter basket? Be sure to include some books!

I recently went shopping for my youngest grandson's Easter basket. Besides the religious books that I wanted to include, I found some good secular books as well. 

​

Easter weekend fun!

Just like you I'm sure, we always dye Easter eggs, bake and decorate cookies with a springtime theme, and of course hide those eggs after church on Sunday. Since my grandson will be with us the entire weekend, I decided we needed to add another activity to the mix. And one that went with the fun books I bought, 

A Reading/Art Connection~

Since a chick figured prominently in two of the Easter books I bought, I thought we could make an Easter chick finger puppet. Both books have a familiar plot line and pattern, so besides the craft, we could then use the puppet/puppets we make to act out the story from the book. This is such a good literacy experience for my 5-year-old! It includes reading, art, and dramatics. Anytime you can extend one of your child's favorite books in this way, it makes for a very rich experience for him.

I got online and found a website with instructions on how to make a chick hand puppet:

​iheartcraftythings.com/chick-finger-puppets.html

So I was off to the craft store, my home away from home!

Another idea!

Another idea with this craft project is to include it as a station during your afternoon of decorating eggs. I don't know about your family, but Saturday's the day we decorate eggs. We make an entire afternoon of it--decorating eggs and cookies. One year we had 2-3 stations in our backyard so that when the grands and cousins completed one task, they could move on to another station. This puppet idea could be added as a station. Then at the end of the party, they could put on a puppet show using the finger puppets and paper sack puppets they have made. 

It's all about adding to your family traditions. And what can be better than using a good book for inspiration and fun. 

I found these two books at the book store and I think my five-year-old will really like them:

"There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick" by Lucille Colandro and illustrated by Jared Lee. Patterned after Rose Bonne's story, "I Know an Old Lady." Kids of all ages love this cumulative story and song.

"The Night Before Easter," by Natasha Wing. This one is of course patterned after "The Night Before Christmas." Another good story that children love.

And you don't have to wait till Easter to do this. You can add an art activity to ANY book you and your grandchild read together. Things like that just enrich the grandparent/grandchild experience. I'm guessing it's something they'll always remember.

​
Have fun and Happy Easter!

Website with instructions for making the bunny paper sack puppet:

​gluesticksgumdrops.com/bunny-paper-bag-puppet/

This old world is different from the one that we were raised in. It's even different from the world in which our own children were raised. Our kids and grandkids DO have to deal with the stress and anxiety that comes with our modern-day world. Parents and grandparents can help.

In a previous blog I addressed helping your grandchild deal with stress by using breathing and mindfulness techniques. In this one, I'll show you some yoga poses I've gleaned from various websites. Let's begin!

A good starting place for me is a good book, and they have some appropriate ones out there:

The premise of Mariam Gates' book, "Goodnight, Yoga," is quieting your mind and body before bed. She uses things in nature to show the young child yoga poses. My grandson and I looked at traditional yoga poses and came up with our own animal names for some of the poses. My grandson does not live with me, so by using these animal names, he can remember the poses after he gets home to his house. Hopefully he can try them before bedtime to calm himself after a busy day. Here are some we copied from websites and some of our own.

Next we decided to use super heroes or athletes for some of our poses. These could be used to energize when he gets home from school or even to start his day BEFORE he goes to school.

Next we decided that it was easy to remember some of the poses if we named them after OBJECTS. The "cat" pose above, for example, could be renamed as the "table" pose. Here are more examples of what we came up with for poses named after objects:

The suggestions for children regarding how long to hold these poses is about 10-15 seconds. If you're a grandparent that keeps your grandchild after school, these are some great wind-down poses. You can also teach your grandchildren when they come for the weekend or an overnight. We grandparents should help with the raising of children any way we can. And help them deal with stress in their lives. My last blog about helping our grandchildren deal with stress was about mindfulness and breathing techniques. Those go hand-in-hand with yoga. You'll also have to show them how to breathe as they are doing each of these poses. 

Besides the above book, I found a website that deals with bedtime yoga for kids. It even suggested that parents start a ritual at their house of the WHOLE FAMILY doing yoga together before bed. Wouldn't that be great! And as I said, grandma could do bedtime yoga with her grandchildren when they come to visit. 

Perhaps as a yoga practitioner yourself, you know these bedtime poses. They are great for relaxing before bed and help with such things as restless leg syndrome or those nighttime leg cramps we often have. You can do them with your grandchild!

Websites to visit for great suggestions and tips:

​childhood101.com/yoga-for-kids/

​www.kidsyogastories.com/yoga-for-anger/

​www.kidsyogastories.com/superhero-yoga-for-kids/

My previous blog about helping your grandchildren deal with stress:

​www.gigisseasonings.com/blog/teaching-your-grands-mindfulness-to-deal-with-this-modern-world

You have some interesting tidbits about past family members, but not enough information to tell a good story? I think I can help you out with this. Read on!

In a previous blog, I told you about a great website that has suggestions for how to write an ancestor story. I've included the website at the end of this blog. One of the things they suggest is to pick out ONE ancestor and ONE story to tell. Don't try to write about all your ancestors, and even when you pick out just one interesting ancestor, don't try to tell their WHOLE story. But I love their advice: one ancestor, one story. 

I loved sitting with my mother when she was still alive, and reminiscing about our youths and childhoods. But I also liked hearing about grandparents (her parents) whom I barely knew. I savored everything she told me. One story that I loved and always wanted to tell was about my great-great grandfather. Mother told me he had been in the Civil War. The information I found so fascinating was that, when the war was over, he had to walk home, and on his way back to Texas, he spent some time in Arkansas. There he met his wife, married, and eventually brought her to Texas. I loved that story! But that was all I knew--those few sketchy details. 

Getting more details!

I know it sounds ridiculous, but I was fascinated that the man had to walk home. All the way to Texas. He didn't take the train? I grew up in the 1950's and '60's, and had seen my fill of TV westerns--no stagecoach for him to get a ride? He didn't ride home on a horse? Of course the answer is "no," to all these questions. Those Confederate soldiers walked home. They had a difficult life on the front lines of battle, they had a difficult time getting home, and Reconstruction brought its own set of pain and heartache. I want my children and grandchildren to know this story. To know what their ancestors had to endure.

​So it was off to the library for me!

What I discovered!

​First of all, the Union soldiers had a little easier time of it. Not easy you realize, just easier. After all, they won the war, and they had a government in place. There was a system to address the mustering-out of Union soldiers. They stayed with their units until they got word to travel to various cities to be mustered out, usually Cincinnati or New York City. And travel included returning to those cities where they had mustered-in, usually via train or water transportation. There they would receive their papers and a paycheck. Then they could return home.

Confederate soldiers~

Confederate soldiers didn't have it like that. No official mustering out. No lining up to get paid. No money to travel home by boat or coach. Mostly just that long walk home. If calvary soldiers could prove they had brought their own horse, or had been in the calvary and provided a horse, oftentimes they were allowed to keep the animal. And it's important to remember, they had no government to help out. The Confederacy of America no longer existed. And the U.S. government felt no obligation to help out these soldiers. They simply turned in their weapons, received their parole and walked home.

This photo I copied from the book, Civil War Journal, The Legacies edited by William C. Davis, Brain C. Pohanka and Don Troiani. It's a great reference book on this war. 
​

 And that's a story I want to tell.

I can imagine after the war, these men walked home along dusty country roads, either alone or in groups. I'm sure they often stopped in little towns or small farms and looked for work. Perhaps their only pay was to sleep in their barn and get 2-3 meals a day from generous farmers. I'm guessing that's where my great-great grandfather met his wife. This story with these details is one I want to write for my kids. 

And that's it! Just flesh out any story you have with some historical background. Do you have an ancestor that was in World War I? Make that trip to the library like I did, and get some background on that war. Have a great-grandparent that lived through the Great Depression? Again, spend an afternoon in your public library! It's fun poring through those big volumes and visiting with the librarians. And speaking of the librarians, one sweet lady told me about a library not far from my home that has a great Confederate soldier research center. I plan to visit!

I just believe telling stories of ancestors is important to our children and grandchildren. They need to know they come from "good stock," and that their forefathers and mothers were strong people and endured many hardships, but came through it all. Now that's a story to tell!

And the website with tips on writing your own ancestor story:

​www.familyhistorywritingstudio.com/how-to-write-your-first-ancestor-story/

​
​"Individually, every grain of sand brushing against my hands represents a story, an experience, and a block for me to build upon for the next generation." Raquel Cepeda

And this quote from previous blogs about writing about your ancestors...I just love it: ​"You are the fairy tale told by your ancestors." Toba Beta