 How about we make a nectar list! It's the opposite of a bucket list, and really rather fun! I think we all could use a distraction. Yes, a distraction from this pandemic. . . we're going into the seventh month of this. And we're right in the middle of a very contentious election. We need something fun, or at least different, for our brains and psyches. I think a "nectar list" is just the thing. What is a nectar list, you ask? I read about it in the Huffington Post a few years ago. The author of the article, Sierra Vandervort, describes it as making a list of things you've already done. She says, "We need to reflect on the good things that have come to us in our lives. Even if you don't feel like you've done anything huge with your life just yet, I guarantee you can find something to look back on and be proud of." She further stated that the idea for a nectar list came from an urban dictionary. She read "that sweet nectar was slang for 'to live' like kick the bucket is slang for 'to die.'" I started trying it out in my journal and it's rather fun, and frankly therapeutic. And you don't have to have traveled the world to put things in your list. It's places you've been/seen, people you've met, experiences you've had from childhood to now. I'm stashing my copy of my nectar list in my journal or smash book for my children and grandchildren to read after I'm gone. I'm putting silly things from my youth and childhood....mostly so they will know and come to realize that I wasn't always a stuffy old grandma. They need to know I was young once like them and lived for fun times and laughter. So trust me when I say it doesn't have to be things like, walking through the ruins of the Roman Senate or hiking up Pike's Peak. Here is just a silly list I made of my childhood. Oh yes, and be sure and embellish it with fun descriptive phrases--you want them to be able to SEE what you did. Tee hee. . . .  Loved looking at the night sky in the Texas Panhandle in my childhood. Back in the days when light pollution wasn't so bad, and you really could see a million stars in the sky!  Passing notes in fifth grade. Yes, I was a stinker. Examples from my list:
 My granddaughter in Palo Duro Canyon. And no, she wasn't sliding down Devil's Slide. Just a fun cave in the park. Making your list as an adult; you can embellish those too! Or not! Once again you can add typical adult things to your list, like giving birth to a baby using the Lamaze method. Or paddling canoes on Town Lake with your family and being unable to paddle because you were laughing so hard. The author of the article on nectar lists added some silly things to her list: spitting out a wad of gum from the top of the Empire State Building. Or finding the premier recipe for mac-and-cheese. The items you put on your bucket list can be such things. Makes it fun for you, and fun to read!  I'm guessing all my Texas friends will have seeing the bluebonnets on their nectar list! But wait! There's more! Maybe you HAVE traveled to some great places here at home and abroad. Of course, here's your chance to add them to your nectar list. Here's a peek at my list:
 Definitely an item on my nectar list. Traveling down into InnerSpace Caverns with my oldest grandson when he was little.  I've walked these stone steps to Old Acoma (Sky City), a ancient pueblo inhabited by the Acoma people for more than 2000 years.  I've watched skydivers fly out over the Pacific. I viewed this from the golf cart as my husband played golf at Torrey Pines.  Here are some of the rock carvings I saw at Three Rivers Petroglyphs in New Mexico.  Sunset as observed along the beach at Whidbey Island, WA.  Walking down the steps to the dungeon at Oxford Castle in Oxfordshire, England. Start your nectar list NOW! And during this pandemic when we are not getting out much is the perfect time to start such a list. I'll end with a family picture. This trip was on my bucket list. I always wanted to take my grandkids to a local state park that I loved as a child. And I've been able to take all four of my grands. So this trip was on my bucket list and now it's on my nectar list--one of the SWEETest things I've done. I encourage you to start your nectar list today.  Huffington Post article from which I got my nectar list idea from several years ago:
www.huffpost.com/entry/the-nectar-list_b_5753464
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 Calling all grandparents! Be sure to share your hobby with your grandkids no matter what it might be--quilting, snorkeling, painting rocks, golfing, tennis. It's all good, and very rewarding to share. My husband enjoyed teaching and playing golf with our oldest grandson. He was so enthusiastic about it that I asked him to do my blog a couple of years ago. Well, we've added to our in-town family since then, and he's been golfing with two more kids. Here, I'll let him tell you about it.  The three young golfers. Earlier I wrote a blog (for my wife) on sharing my love of golf with my grandchildren. It actually focused on my experience of teaching and playing golf with my oldest grandson. What joy those days were. Last year my youngest granddaughter decided she wanted to learn the game. And as it was with my grandson, it was such a joy to teach her the game of golf and then actually play a favorite course. We started last summer, it was hot, she survived, but then school started, and it became difficult to find time to play. But this summer she made it clear to me it was time to start up again. We went to the driving range and then played. Like her brother, she is left-handed and so you can imagine how difficult it is trying to “reverse” your teaching to accommodate a lefty. And she has grown over the year. Then we noticed the clubs were too short—or she was too tall for them! What better birthday can you give a young athlete than a new set of clubs. She has a July birthday, so we surprised her with clubs. And then we were off to the golf course.  Our youngest granddaughter. She reports loving the game and plans to play in middle school. But there is another story. In my last blog, I mentioned I came across a set of starter clubs. At that time my youngest grandson was only four years old. But I decided I could not pass on these clubs, so I bought them, and they sat in the garage. Earlier this summer, my grandson, who is now six, asked when he could start playing. Six years old seems awfully young, but we went to a local park and he began to hit golf balls. Teaching him how to swing a club was a challenge at first, and then he just started hitting the ball—straight and with some distance. After three days, I decided he was ready for the big time—a real driving range at a real golf course. He continued hitting the ball with consistency. We tried the putting green. He did well. The next day we went back and spent time on the chipping hole. He was just developing a very good swing—both driving and chipping. So I felt he was ready to play the game. Of course, I am concerned about ensuring he does not slow down the golfers behind us. In the beginning he would tee off about 50 yards from the green. Then 75 yards. Then 100-125 yards. Each time he decided when it was time to move further back. And then he started hitting from the front tees on the par three holes. That was a big thing!  Our youngest grandson on the course. . .when he's not off and exploring the creeks and roughs.  Every grandchild has reported loving the ride in the golf cart. I was wondering how many holes he could play until he was ready to quit. Was he really going to enjoy this? Boy, was I surprised! The kid is six years old. He was focused. He consistently hit the ball straight and with some distance. He began to understand and analyze what club he needs—long iron or short iron. When to use his wedge. When to use his putter. I just loved to hear him say, when he was close to the green, and getting out of the cart— “wedge and putter.” And off he went and off I went to hit my ball. He never complained about the heat or the time it took to play. No matter what, he was going to play 18 holes. Now he does have his own rules. He is not sure of scoring other than he knows it just has to go into the hole. At the end of the day we are tied (I am not keeping score) only because we both got the ball into the hole. But he has decided his score should be based on how many putts it takes to get the ball into the hole after he gets on the green. And did I mention the front tees on the par three holes? He has had legitimate bogies from the front tees. He plays fast, sometimes running from one hit to another. No slow play—if anything we catch up to others. He just loves playing golf and each time we play he gets a better understanding of the game.   His daddy is watching from a distance. And what a joy it is to play with him. He is always talking and asking questions. And talking about anything that comes to his mind. We do have a problem though. He loves nature. We have been taking nature walks all year. And sometime on the golf course, he veers into taking a nature walk. He just wants to see those turtles and egrets. We have been taking care of our grandson on a daily basis due to the pandemic. So this has allowed us to play golf. Maybe twice a week. When my older grandkids heard about this, they wanted to play too! And having all three of them on the course at the same time is really a blessing and just a joy. They all play well together. My oldest grandson is always helping his sister and even helping his younger cousin. And of course, that six-year old cousin/grandson, is also giving them pointers—since he is a six year old and knows it all!  Brother and sister golfers.  This week's blog writer with his two grandsons. A big thank you to my husband for doing my blog this week. What a blessing for him to play golf with his grandkids. I'm thinking it's like heaven on earth for him. Please consider sharing your hobby with your grandkids. It will reward you tenfold! The first blog my husband wrote when he just had one golfer to accompany him to the course: www.gigisseasonings.com/blog/more-sharing-your-hobby-with-your-grandchildren Your children are your rainbows. Your grandchildren are your pot of gold.   How about creating a birthday video for a family member in another town? Or a family member in the same town, but socially distanced? I've gotten some ideas from many of you, and the one I'm writing about today is from my granddaughter. I've seen on Facebook and heard from friends about how they are coming up with new ideas for birthday greetings during this pandemic when most of us are practicing social distancing. I've loved the drive-by car lines with posters and streamers wishing the birthday boy/girl fun greetings for their day. Some of you have even done Zoom with family on a special day. My granddaughter came up with a birthday video for the honoree.  The procedure: My granddaughter simply called or texted family members for her dad's birthday video. She asked us to do a short video greeting to him wishing him a happy birthday. Then she just took all the videos and edited them, putting them into a master video. She used the application InShot which is available from your app store. Previously for her videos, she used the application that is usually available on your iPhone called iMovie.  Here's a screenshot of my iPhone showing some of my apps. The iMovie app is the first one on the second row with a star. If you have that on your iPhone, give it a try. You can make your own movie. And there's more: My granddaughter also did a video for her sister on her birthday. She could easily add existing pictures on her phone of her sister besides all the family's birthday greetings. She also did a video on her uncle (we have a lot of July birthdays :) and added some childhood pictures of her uncle that her mother had. She simply scanned them and added them to the video.  Post the completed video on YouTube for all to see--well, for all the family to see. You can either send the link to your out-of-town birthday boy or show at the family birthday party. We actually went to my son's birthday party (wearing our masks of course), and watched the video in the comfort of their living room. It was fun and good for several laughs. Here are some links that might be of help. You can actually just google something like, "How to do a simple video for at-home viewing." What would we do without google? There's no need for me to explain the technical stuff of such an endeavor, when there is such wonderful online help. Here's the one for InShot: I'm sure most of you use YouTube, so you're very familiar with it. It's on YouTube that you'll want to post your video to view it on the big screen and so you can send the link to other family members so they can see the birthday video. Once you get to YouTube, if you haven't already subscribed to it, you'll want to do that so you can post your video and get the link. Just like on all apps and websites, there is the trusty "Help" button that will tell you all you need to know to do this. And since this is a blog for grandparents, you could just ask your grandkids--they'll know what to do. LOL www.youtube.com Happy creating! It's fun creating a family video. If you haven't ever done such in this age of wonderful technology, you'll want to start! And it further bonds your family. We all like to savor the great times of the past and celebrate each other on their birthday!  Add some fun to a family birthday celebration! Play a match game!! There are tons of such games and questionnaires online. I simply googled it, and came up with these questions. I gave everyone a sheet of paper with the questions on them, and we were off! We did three different questionnaires, and there were prizes for each game. Whoever matched the birthday guy got to select a prize from the treat basket. I took the easy way out. I just got candy that I knew were family members' favorites--everything from Junior Mints to Skittles.  Biography questions about the birthday honoree. I started with questions about my son's life. Oftentimes there are some obscure ones that his children might not know--like......what was the name of the family's dog? Or who was he named after? And the one that had us all trying to tally--how many first cousins does he have? That one was surprisingly tough!  What are his/her FAVORITES? This can be harder than it seems. Try it with your brother or sister or your spouse. Many times you'll be surprised even when you've been around them for years. For each of these games, after everyone had completed their questionnaires, we started with the birthday boy reading his answers. You checked off the ones you got right. Whoever had the most matches got to go to the bowl of candy treats.   The last game I billed as the Lightning Round! The final game we played was a quick one. I called it the "Lightning Round," but when you look questions up on line, it's often called, "This or That."   Have some fun! Yes, even during this pandemic. We managed to stay six feet apart and even wore our masks. And adults like party games and digging a favorite candy bar out of the prize treat bowl the same as kids. Honestly you could hear people saying things like, "Oh, a Snicker!" Or, "Gummy Bears! My favorite!" Remember what Michael J. Fox said, "Family is not an important thing. It's EVERYTHING!" "To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there." Barbara Bush FINAL NOTE: I almost forgot. A couple of years ago, we played such a game for my sister and brother-in-law's 50th anniversary. So a match game works for anniversaries too. Simply come up with questions about the couple and their marriage and you've got a fun time to be had by all. I even did a blog about it. Check it out: www.gigisseasonings.com/blog/trivia-game-for-a-milestone-family-event  A fun craft idea to do with the kids/grandkids as summer ends and those kids return to school! Here is another fairly easy craft to do that takes advantage of your kids' creativity and imagination. The items needed (besides art supplies) are your cell phone camera and a printer. You'll need to ask them to name all the jobs they'd like to have when they grow up. Or take advantage of the pretend time and your observations of that time--what are they always pretending they want to be? My grandson LOVES dinosaurs, so I was pretty sure he'd want to be a paleontologist or a dinosaur hunter. He also loves sharks, so I knew he would be up for a "pretend" encounter with sharks. We brainstormed some other ideas and then we were set to go!  I took this picture of him pretending to ride the surf and encountering some sharks. Take some fun photos! We got his boogie board and pretended it was a surf board. We tried to make it an action shot, like he was actually on the water. Then we printed that picture out, cut it out, and glued it on the drawing paper. He then filled in all the details of surf and sea and those dreaded sharks. We did the same with some poses of him pretending to hunt dinosaurs. We had the photo of him in an astronaut's suit that we had made at the museum last year, so we just went with that. He still had to draw the rocket, moonscape, and the view of Earth, the "Big Blue Marble."  We cut out another pose of him and then my grandson added two sharks in the water.  In a world of dinosaurs and on a hunt!  We used this photo of him from a museum visit last year. We cut it out and he drew all the details to make it look like the moon. Another variation of this theme: An added idea is to take a portrait shot of your child or grandchild. Then just use this headshot. Enlarge it quite a bit. Glue that on the art paper, and then your child has to create a headpiece around it. Again, we brainstormed: Indian chief, Roman gladiator, king, or action hero.  A Roman gladiator. We had to do some research on this one.  The king himself. My grandson commented that it looked like the king was in his bed rather than on his throne. Just have FUN! And let your imaginations run wild! His grandfather and I actually participated in this last assignment. His poppa took his headshot and became a native American chieftain. I drew Cleopatra's wig, headpiece and jewelry around my headshot. We had a laughing good time! I know many of you are not having close contact with your grandchildren at this time because of Covid-19. And many of you do not live in the same town as your grands. Simply send them an art box with details for this project. How fun to mail them an art box as a fun summertime surprise. Include crayons, paints and craft paper. It can still happen. And then when everyone finishes their masterpieces, you can share on FaceTime. As my sister always says, "Life is what you make it!" Life with your kids and grandkids should be fun--even during a pandemic!   One way to deal with stress--A BRAIN DUMP! I've had this idea for a blog for a while. Originally it was before the pandemic, when we were so busy with life and a myriad of activities. Then Covid-19 hit, and we were sheltering-in-place, and I thought I didn't need to write such a blog--we weren't going anywhere. But of late, I've realized that during this pandemic, our stress levels have heightened. Probably more than ever, people need some tips on how to deal with all this. So I've decided to proceed. . . One way to deal with this time is a "Brain Dump." It's basically what it sounds like--just pour out your thoughts and worries in your journal or on a piece of paper. The seed of this idea started with a gal I taught with years ago. She taught fifth grade, and when her students would come in the classroom stewing over something that happened either last night or during their morning, she would encourage them to write it down on a piece of paper. She called them, "Stinkin' Thinkin' Thoughts." After they had written what was bothering them, she asked them to wad them up and throw them in the wastebasket. Actually she might have even had a basket specifically for this purpose with the label, "Stinkin' Thinkin' Thoughts".  Another way to deal? A "Brain Dump" worksheet! My friend simply had her students throw the paper away, but another way to do it, is write down all those things that are bothering you, or else all those "to-do" items that are nagging at you. Write it all down and take a look at your list. Are there some items that you can deal with? Make a plan for them. Are there some things simply out of your control? Put them in your prayer box or journal, and leave them to God, and get on with your life. And as always happens when I'm researching ways to deal with stress and those thoughts that are racing through one's mind, I discovered a technique called a brain dump worksheet. There are tons of articles on line about this, and lots of examples of brain dump worksheets. I'll give you some links at the end of this blog. But I've also included my own worksheet above. This way, you can organize those chores, worries, and concerns in an organized manner and make a plan to deal with them. What could be better?  Find a cozy spot for writing. I like my little recliner in my den. I keep my ink gel pens at the ready and my basket of journals. You can tuck your brain-dump worksheet in your journal so it's always handy. Writing your thoughts down in a comfortable retreat is all a part of bringing down your stress level. Add some easy listening music from Pandora and you're set. If I'm really trying to be serious about my organization, I might sit at my dining room table. That spot (at the dining room table) has been a favorite since I was a kid, and sat at my mother's table to do homework. I like my dining table as it affords me a view of our front flower garden. Sorry that the morning sun was streaming through that window today. You can't see the flowers in this photo. Oh well, another blog perhaps. :)  Your dining room table is another good spot to write and get organized. Hopefully it affords you a pretty view which can also reduce stress. One more item to share! Again, as always happens, I saw an item this week in the Houston Chronicle from one of my favorite columns by Marci Sharif. I'll include a link to her column, "Feeling Matters," at the end of this blog. One of her tips for dealing with an item on that nagging to-do list is to "JUST DO IT." That can clear up a lot of stress in your life and calm your racing mind if you'll simply get it done! Here's what she said in her column this week mostly addressed to busy moms (But hey! We grandmothers are busy too! And for sure we have stress.) If this doesn't inspire you to get a handle on stress and those racing thoughts in your head, I don't know what will: "If you tend to carry a lot in your mind or do multiple things at once, you're probably used to feeling stressed and overwhelmed. It's exhausting, I know. This way of operating is a recipe for being less effective all around. It eats away at spontaneity, creativity, and availability to the people around us... So, I've done some reflection and research." Ms. Sharif goes on to say that she wanted to know the best ways to clear out mental clutter. "I'm less interested in tips like meditation, and getting more sleep and minding my diet. These are good pieces of advice, but I've yearned for practical strategies on how to orient and and action steps for a clearer head." You've got to read her article. Here's the link: www.houstonchronicle.com/lifestyle/renew-houston/wellness/article/Feeling-Matters-Tips-for-a-clear-head-15420699.php More websites about brain dumps: Go forth and conquer those racing thoughts in your head. These are trying times what with the pandemic and political unrest. We all need some tips on how to deal. Hope this blog has helped. I'll close with a quote from George Burns: "If you ask what is the single most important key for longevity, I'd have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn't ask me, I'd still have to say it."  Hello! I've been gone a while!! No, I didn't have Covid-19, but I did homeschool my grandson when the schools closed. That kept me really busy. Besides, during this difficult time, I didn't think my readers would want to read a blog about. . . Fun with Gramma. We had other things on our mind, didn't we? How about some summer crafts with the grands? I would often do arts and crafts with my grandson during homeschooling. Makes the day go faster, and hey! Who doesn't like art? Seriously, as we all know creative arts and music are just as important as the core subjects, often enhancing those subjects. I visited other blogs and good ol' Pinterest to find ideas. Today I share some of them with you that you might do them with your grandkids when they visit. And if your grandkids are not in town, or still not visiting because of the coronavirus, put some art supplies in a box and mail to them. You can tell them about it during phone calls and FaceTime. Do whatever you can to have some share time with your beloved grandkids or great-grandkids. I picked out these art and craft activities as they mostly just involve markers and color books or drawing paper. Things you probably have on hand when they visit. Now that most of the states are open again, perhaps you can visit a craft store to get any other supplies you might need. Can't get into the public swimming pools or the parks? All the more reason to do some crafts at home. Kids need to have some fun this summer. Arts and crafts with parents or grandparents seem the way to go. So let's get started. # 1 Tracing your hand and then coloring:  Yes, the old standby--tracing the child's hand and coloring. I saw this on Pinterest. Have them trace their hands in black marker on one page of those design color books. And then all they have to do is color within the black line. Fun for the kids and a very striking piece to put on your refrigerator or their parents' refrigerator. We just put on some favorite songs, relaxed, and colored away. Very nice activity for a hot summer afternoon when they can't go outside anyway.  They trace their hand in black marker on a design color book page, but then only color the spaces within their hand.  My grandson posed for this picture when I told him I was going to use it for my blog. He wanted you to get the idea it was HIS hand. :)  You can trace other things. It doesn't have to be your hand. My grandson loves dinosaurs, so we traced that. It's a work-in-progress for his bedroom. #2 Tracing random items from around the house to make a design and then COLOR:  Another super easy one! Just trace the shape several times on the paper being sure to overlap the shapes. Then color with markers, crayons or colored pencils. Another project that turned out so pretty. We just gathered up cookie cutters, and cutters from the Playdoh set, as well as some of our craft sticks. Another easy project, but also very zen-like. It will get grandmother and the child in a very relaxed state. (Insert chuckle here.)  Various items we found around the house.  Trace them, being sure to overlap. Then color each separate space that's created by the overlapping. #3 Crayon-resist with crayons and watercolor:  Watercolors seem to be in every grandparent's craft box for when the grandkids come. But if you're like me, you've probably discovered that watercolors can be frustrating for the younger kids. Watercolors go all over the page, and not where the child wants it. Drawing your picture in crayon first eliminates this frustration. Another idea I found on a teacher's blog. I drew the small rectangle first and then all my grandson had to do was draw (in black crayon) the grid-like lines and then put a shape in the middle. My six-year-old grandson happens to be very adept at drawing hearts. But the child colors the heart first, and then uses different watercolors on the outside of that shape. This enables the center shape (in this case, a heart) to show up. This is another one that turns out so well. My grandson was very pleased with his creation. I even found an old frame, and we framed one for his dad and one for his Poppa. I also made photo-copies of his hearts as they are the perfect size to send notes to his great-grandmothers.  Painting each space within the black crayon lines.  We framed one for Poppa. #4 Stringing beads for a wall-hanging:  My grandson loves to string beads. I think perhaps he developed his interest from watching his big sister make bracelets. Nevertheless, before this coronavirus even hit, he asked me for some beads. So this is something we had on hand, and when I saw this idea on Pinterest, I knew we had to give it a try. We found the small branch on our morning walk, and his Poppa drilled some holes for the strings, but I don't think that would even be necessary. Just wrap the string around the branch, and you're good to go. It doesn't even require a long string of beads. We just knotted the string after five or six beads and skipped a space. Another one that's fun, relaxing, and you've got a great sun catcher for your patio when you're finished.  Very focused on stringing those beads.  Great activity for fine motor skills and coordination.  I love it on my patio! And there you have it--four fun and relatively easy craft projects with the kids or grandkids. Such a fun summertime activity with our grandchildren. If they come to visit, and your time is limited, each of these tasks took only one hour to complete. Honest. And if you're lucky enough to have those grandkids visit, it's a nice memento to take home in remembrance of your time together. Please feel free to share my blog with your grandparent friends. But of course, these ideas are for any kid, parent, grandparent or great-grandparent. So share! Thank goodness others shared with me. Until next week, as they always said on "Hill Street Blues," let's be careful out there. "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." Pablo Picasso  Calling all grandparents! Are your grandchildren visiting for spring break? It's a good time to embrace the principles of hygge!* I always think of hygge as a winter time occupation. Something the Danish people came up with to get through those dark, cold winter months up north. But it's a year-long philosophy and to me, it's about embracing whatever season you're in. And in doing my research for this blog, I've come to realize it's what we're all told to do time and time again--live in the moment. Enjoy "the NOW." Actually when you see the list of hygge suggestions for spring, you'll realize that you've been observing most of the items in the list for a long time. Things like spring cleaning, planting flowers in your garden, getting outside more, and so on. My mother was a whirling dervish in the spring, throwing open those windows, cleaning house, and putting away our winter clothes. I'm betting we all continue those traditions. But I've culled the internet and found a few more spring time things to add to our lists.  Components of Hygge for Spring Here are a few I was able to find. I'll post some of the websites that I visited about hygge for spring. There are some great ones. Here are a few spring components that I found:
You get the idea! Go forth and add some components of hygge to your spring!  Who wouldn't be inspired to add a bouquet of fresh flowers to your home when confronted by such a beautiful display.  Buy a new welcome flag for your front door. I did!  Change out those afghans and throws out on the patio to something lighter. I found these at a big box discount store for $5! They are perfect--inside the house or out.  Add those new throws on the patio. (Sorry. You can see we are still in the process of cleaning our patios.)  Add bouquets of fresh flowers to several rooms in your house. It will cheer you and welcome visitors.  Continue to light candles throughout your home. Warm lighting is a big part of hygge.  Add some twinkling lights to your home, and not just outside. My sister adds these lights inside her home.  Clean, refurbish, and bring in the spring. Look at these gorgeous pillows my sister added to her garden room.  Spring is a great time for a tea party with the grandchildren.  Picnics are a big part of spring hygge. Even if you have to bundle up like my great nieces and nephews are doing here. Spring is almost here! Hope this week's blog has inspired you to get ready for it. I know when I visited some of the websites posted here, I was inspired. And you can't walk into most big box grocery stores without being confronted with bedding plants and beautiful flowers in the floral section. Grab a bouquet for your house--it will really lift your spirits and get you out of the winter doldrums! Great spring hygge websites and blogs: lifegoalsmag.com/hygge-for-spring/ “We cannot stop the winter or the summer from coming. We cannot stop the spring or the fall or make them other than they are. They are gifts from the universe that we cannot refuse. But we can choose what we will contribute to life when each arrives.” – Gary Zukav  Welcome SPRING! *Definition of hygge (pronounced hue-guh)-A Danish word used to describe the feeling of coziness whether alone or with friends, that one tries to create and capture. Components include decor to embrace this feeling, as well as foods and anything that will enhance relationships with friends and family.
 Every generation has witnessed some unique and historic events in this world. We should tell those stories to our children and grandchildren. It happened again. I was talking to a friend and they said something like. . .I wished I'd asked my dad about Vietnam and his time in the army. We all lament not asking our parents, grandparents and other relatives about BIG world events. Don't wait for someone to ask you. Tell your stories and eyewitness accounts now. In a previous blog, I suggested to my readers to brainstorm a list of world events you have lived through. Write down all the things that pierce your brain as far as historical events you have witnessed--everything from the JFK assassination to the one I'm writing about today, Beatlemania and the British invasion. I think that was truly unique to our culture and one worth sharing. And besides, all the stories you record do not have to be serious. Writing about this one is a fun one! And it will give your children and grandchildren a glimpse into your teen years.  I started by going to the library to do some research. I got this picture from a great book on the subject by Bob Spitz--Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! The Beatles, Beatlemania, and the Music That Changed the World. I decided to do my essays on historical events of my day, by patterning them after the old (really old) television show of the 1960's called "You Are There." I think there was also a show called "Eyewitness to History." (These were shows wherein the producers recreated events from history, such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence.) Both of those titles would work, and I've actually used them interchangeably in my accounts. Of course I changed the name to "I Was There."  The cover of my mini-book on the Beatles. I'm making mini-books for my essays about my life and times, but you could certainly simply add your eyewitness accounts to your journal. Or you could have some fun with this subject and go buy a gorgeous new journal from your friendly, neighborhood bookstore and record your eyewitness-to-history stories in there. You might design a pretty cover page and just hand-write your stories in that journal.  Meanwhile, back to the Beatles! I chose to document this bit of history for my kids and grandkids as I found it (and still find it) truly phenomenal. I witnessed their first American performance on the Ed Sullivan Show just as many of my generation did. I was fascinated by the hysteria that accompanied that group all over the world. I wanted to capture that on paper.  The Beatles before performing on the Ed Sullivan Show. Picture from the book, "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! The Beatles, Beatlemania, and the Music That Changed the World," by Bob Spitz.  Picture of girls' hysteric reaction to seeing the Beatles. Photo from the book, "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! The Beatles, Beatlemania, and the Music That Changed the World" by Bob Spitz. I'm recording my "Eyewitness to History" stories in little 4 1/2 by 6 inch mini-books made from a single sheet of 12x18 inch paper. I've written about these little mini-books before, and you can certainly write me if you'd like those instructions. I'm also adding these little mini-books to a big box that I'm filling with my stories.  Adding my mini-book to my box of stories about my life and times and those of my ancestors. A peek inside my book on the Beatles~ Please understand. I'm not trying to impress you with my creativity. I've never had an original idea in my life. I copy, copy, copy. I've read so many articles about the importance of sharing our stories for our children. I so want to encourage my other grandparent readers to do this. I got the idea for mini-books from friends--one who is a teacher and one who makes the most beautiful greeting cards and mini-books of inspiration. I decided to combine those two ideas and capture my memories in mini-books. I share simply because it might inspire you, my readers, as well.  I just used my phone to take photos of our Beatles albums.  Other albums of bands from Great Britian--part of what came to be called, "The British Invasion." Go forth and write your stories! Hey, our winter seems to be hanging on for a bit longer. This is a nice project for those long winter days. And if you are like me, you read where we should be writing our stories for generations to come, but WHERE TO START? Telling our stories is all well and good, but difficult to do. Thinking in terms of historical events seemed to help me. And as I said in my opening paragraph above, we all lament not asking our parents and grandparents about certain events that they witnessed. Let's not let that happen to us.  A friend sent me this picture of her daughter and granddaughters going through letters and photos their grandmother/great-grandmother had saved. It truly is important for you to save your stories for your children. Just look at that reaction! "The best loved stories are not from books or films, but those from our own families." Jayne McGarvey  Spreading good cheer with kindness rocks and do it with your grandkids. I've written about kindness rocks before. I love the concept: leaving a message on a rock for someone to find on their walk. So the purpose of this blog today is twofold--create some kindness rocks and do it with your grandchildren. You can either paint kindness rocks with them or just paint them yourself and have your grandchildren help you hide them around the neighborhood. And we have an extra day this year--it's LEAP YEAR! So celebrate Leap Day this year by hiding messages of goodwill and encouragement for others to find and be cheered.  The concept of Kindness Rocks~ The Kindness Rock Project was started by Megan Murphy. She was missing her deceased parents and on her walks along the beach, she would often look for signs that they were watching over her from above. She would look for seashells, pretty rocks, and sea glass. She felt comforted by what she found. She considered that others probably do the same on their walks. So one day on a lark, before she left the house on her daily walk, she grabbed a marker and wrote some short messages on some rocks she had collected.  I often paint something on the front of the rock--a flower or a ladybug--just to catch the walker's attention. Then I might put the inspirational word or words on the back. My thoughts on kindness rocks~ I was recently with a family member when he got some bad news. He left the house saying, "I just need to go for a walk." That spurred me to create some kindness rocks once again. Now I realize the odds of someone going for a walk to clear their head and finding one of my kindness rocks might be pretty slim, but you never know. Anytime someone is out in nature and taking a walk might just need that little spark or a word of encouragement. Or they might pass it on to someone who does.  I often just put a silly creature on the rock. The message on the back of this one was, "Stick your neck out." Rocks with a Leap Day/Leap Year theme~ I often paint rocks with a seasonal theme--Christmas, Halloween, St. Patrick's Day. This month I painted rocks with a leap year theme--it just might be the time someone needs some extra encouragement, so I painted rocks with the "take a LEAP," idea. Maybe it would encourage someone to try something or change something. Anyway, that's what I did.  Here's one of my rocks for Leap Year with the message on the back. We need SPRING! While I was in my craft room painting kindness rocks, I also began painting rocks to welcome spring. It's been a long, cold winter, so even though it's not spring yet, people might need to find a sign of spring on their walk. Why not on a rock?   The back of this one said, "Take just one step at a time." Leap Day with the grands~ This kindness rock project all started when my grandson and I were looking for ideas on how to celebrate Leap Day. As always, one only has to google something like, "Leap Day activities with the kids. . . " And you can do the same. I found things like:
 One final appeal! I've written before about all the blessings of painting kindness rocks. It makes you feel good to spread some good cheer and words of inspiration around your town and neighborhood. But it's also fun for the painter when you're involved in the act of painting. As so many of you already know, when you're working on your hobbies and crafts, it makes you forget your troubles and focus on your creation. It's good for us! As our mothers always told us, busy hands are happy hands. So if you're looking for an additional hobby, I recommend painting kindness rocks.  Previous blogs about kindness rocks~
www.gigisseasonings.com/blog/kindness-rocks-project-with-the-grandkids |
AuthorRetired school teacher and now full time grandmother sharing ideas and looking for new ones about grandparenting! Archives
August 2020
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