Stepping Into Autumn

Usually after a long, cold winter many people are thrilled when summer finally arrives; the warmer temperatures, the playful days at the beach, and the many colors of the green grass and beautiful flowers. I love the season of summer as much as the next person and enjoy getting a little color on my skin on a sunny day. But truth be told, by the time August rolls around and we've had 90 degree days for literally weeks I am ready for some cooler nights and the chance to wear a sweater.

I love to grow a variety of outdoor flowers and enjoy the vibrancy of the pinks and purples and yellows in my summer flower pots. My husband laughs at me because if I find a new ceramic pot or a see an annual on sale at a local store I can't help but adopt it and find a new home for it on my porch or patio. Then ... September arrives. Children go back to school, schedules change, my husband and I celebrate our anniversary, and then suddenly it's the end of the month and the leaves on the trees are starting to show their first signs of color changes; just a splash here and there of reds and yellows and oranges.

The cider mills are open, pumpkins are being picked in the fields, high school football games are being played on Friday nights, tailgating is taking place as college rival games are being played on Saturday afternoons, teenagers are getting dressed up and going to homecoming dances, and the temperatures are finally not quite as warm meaning I can finally throw on some jeans to cover my pale legs that have lost whatever tan they had from the summer.

Everyone in Michigan knows we have the best state because we get to enjoy four wonderfully different seasons; each of which has their own unique qualities. I like all four for their own reasons, but of the four autumn has to be my absolute favorite. Taking a Sunday afternoon drive in the country is like looking at a beautiful canvas created by God. Trees adorn a palette of fiery colors; crimson, oranges, and sunny yellows. The leaves blow off the trees and literally chase you down the road as your car drives by. It's breathtaking and peaceful and relaxing, all at the same time. Yep, it's definitely my favorite.

What's your favorite part of autumn? The cider and donuts? The walks in the park?

What special traditions have you created with your family and friends? Hayrides? Pumpkin picking? 

It's A Badge of Honor

Today I officially begin a new chapter in my life. I've been a student, a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter, an employee, a cancer survivor and now ... a grandmother. Six weeks ago my son and his wife brought a beautiful baby girl named Jane into the world, into our family, and into our hearts. Today I am on Day 1 of 'grandma duty'. I took a week's vacation to come and stay with the family and watch over little Jane while her mom went back to her job as a teacher today. She has students who depend on her, but I know her heart was home here with Jane. Jane and I are doing just fine and will be glad to see them when they get home. Although I was given strict instruction that if she conquered any milestones while they were gone to not tell them.

With my new found grandparenthood has come 2 major comments/questions from the people I see. I've either been told I look too young to be a grandma; which could be highly flattering. The other question is 'What do you want to be called?' That one threw me off balance at first, because my first response has always been 'Call me GRANDMA'. I guess I just didn't realize that there were so many choices; there's actually a website with 120 top grandparent nicknames. We could go with Grammy, Gram, Nana, Mee-maa, G-ma, Mimsy, Nanny, or Oma. But let's not leave the men out of the equation, they have options too; Gramps, Grandad, Papa, Grandpapy, and Pop.

Whatever Jane decides to call me when the time comes will be music to my ears, but the traditional 'Grandma' suits me just fine. I consider it to be a badge of honor; a badge that I will proudly wear.

What did you call your grandparents when you were growing up and why? I remember my kids refer to my mom as 'Grandma with the piano'.

It's Good Not To Be Alone

If I sit back and read through some of my own past blog posts even I can notice some common themes ... doing what's right, honoring values, helping your fellow neighbor, and holding on to traditions and what some would call 'old-fashioned' ideas. Last night I tuned in for a portion of the CMA Awards on TV. I don't tend to listen to country music all the time, but when channel flipping in my car I have been known to stop on the occasional country song because it has a good beat, great harmonizing, and some amazing musicality. I like to think that my music tastes are varied.

 

I listened to a few of the acceptance speeches from various artists; some have won the awards repeatedly and for others this was their first time. It's not always why we do what we do in life, but truth be told I think we'd all like a little validation at times just to let us know that we're not alone and that we're on the right track.

 

We all know that I have no problem sharing my opinion, when asked. I've often written in my blog about technology being both a blessing and an opportunity to make us lazy. I've written about today's society having an 'instant gratification' mentality. Whether you, as the reader, agree with my viewpoints or not isn't the point. We all have opinions and they may all be different, but how refreshing it was to turn on my radio this morning while driving to work and hear a recap of last night's award show followed by the playing of a Miranda Lambert song called 'Automatic'. For me it was an epiphany. I always try to listen carefully to the lyrics; after all I love words and how they're used and the impact they can have. This song (that I'd never really heard before this morning) validated my views and let me know that 'I AM NOT ALONE'. That's a nice feeling to have.

 

Listen for yourself. Miranda may or may not have been the songwriter (I don't actually know so I wouldn't want to say), but for me the words are absolutely perfect.

 

 

An Olympic Wardrobe

 

I'm sitting here watching the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics. I'm seemingly fascinated with the importance of the wardrobes. Each country has their moment in the spotlight as they march in as a group. It amazes me the number of athletes there are and the ratio of athletes vs. country population, but the wardrobes seem to be a big deal. Imagine being the solo athletes who are representing their countries as individuals, the pressure is really on them to wear it well.

Some countries choose to dress very plain and dignified, matching the colors of their country's flag. Others attempt to be a bit bolder in colors, and others seem to tell a story. For example, Mexico's uniform resembled a matador. Germany's was multi-colored stripes. The U.S. is presently doing their walk in. Their Christmas-style sweater has been getting a lot of attention on the Internet and as usual opinions will vary. I've read everything ranging from 'add some jingle bells and some ornaments and you've got a winning ugly Christmas sweater' to 'the pattern is like a quilt, symbolic and telling a story.'

So 'who' gets the all-important task of designing the wardrobes? I'm not sure if I would welcome that role or not. I don't think I could be that creative. What do you think? Yay or nay?

Thanksgiving Traditions: What's Yours?

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I have many things to be thankful for ... my husband, my children, my job, a roof over my head, my health, and my faith. Sure, we all have days that we're stressed or overwhelmed, but all in all things are good.

 

I'm looking forward to a Thanksgiving holiday weekend, good food, spending time with family, and permission to turn our outside Christmas lights on. With Thanksgiving comes special family traditions. Some people will cook their favorite dishes. Some will sit at the dinner table and each person will take a moment to share what they're thankful for. Many will watch football, others will engage in the annual kids vs. the dads ping pong match, while some make peruse the Black Friday advertisements.

 

What's special for me and my family? Many of the above items for sure, but we'll definitely have to throw in an episode of  'Extreme Pumpkin Chuckers'. It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it.

 

How about you? Any special Thanksgiving traditions you can share?