Grumbles From Granni39
Archive January 25, 2002

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Keepin' busy - Enjoying life! Time's a-flyin' and that's not good when you get to be Granni's age! Good grief, I should be takin' it slow - savoring every moment, so why am I enjoying it so? Is that a convoluted reason to grumble --- or what?

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December 15, 2001 to January 25, 2002
Ooooo-eee! Time sure flies! If it weren't for this little www space, granni wouldn't even bother keeping a journal of any kind - there doesn't seem to be enough time to do such things! Well okay, maybe some of it is brought on by my own zeal, but...

There was all that Christmas shopping. Not the "typical" woman, whatever that is, I dislike shopping with an intensity! Got through it, though. It IS harder to shop for your family when they are grown up and gone. Being pretty much like their parents (no matter what they think), they buy what they want when they want it. Little children - FUN to shop for! Approaching and throughout the teen years - even their PARENTS can't be sure what they want.

Granni's solution? Buy bonds. The fifty dollars you spend will be $100 when they're ready to use it. Big or small, this is one gift they understand. They love the concept and learn a little about the value of investing and saving money. This year's bonds also instill a sense of pride in our country with the new "Patriot" theme. Of course, a good granni can't resist a few trinkets for the kids... just because.

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Janice came up north to be with us for ten days. Interesting going to the airport these days. At the short-term parking area we were greeted by a National Guardsman, who looked in the back of my pickup truck, then let us through. One gets a strangely mixed feeling of danger and pseudo-security seeing the guards, also posted inside the terminal. It brings home the fact that we truly are at war again - and it's TOO close to home. It also brought childhood memories - hearing the adults talk about Nazi prisoners of war, imprisoned in quonset huts at that very same airport.

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We all enjoyed our modest mid-Michigan snowfall while Janice was here. It added that "traditional" feeling to holiday festivities. We like our adult children to enjoy their own families on Christmas Day, unemcumbered by obligations to spend half the day traveling around to gratify us, so our family holiday celebration takes place the weekend after Christmas. The "hustle and bustle" is gone and we all unwind together. Everybody brings a dish. We use only the finest disposable dishes and utensils. Large garbage bags are available for after dinner cleanup. More garbage bags are ready for gift-opening time. Everybody enjoys - even the host and hostess! Cameras abound. After all, many of us are scrapbooking enthusiasts. When everybody goes home and it's quiet time again, cleanup is minimal. Now, that's granni39's guide to entertainment, folks!

During Janice's visit some of us got together to work on our Creative Memories scrapbooks. Janice, new to CM, achieved her goal. She started and completed an entire album about her trip to Monterey, Mexico. It's absolutely beautiful. It was a delight having Patti work with us on her scrapbooks, instead of for us, now that she's no longer a CM consultant. Nat and Alex moved right along on their projects and I'm finally getting caught up. Many of us have set goals for regular CM sessions in 2002, including family group sessions. It's surprising how much we get done with the interplay of ideas, not to mention the camaraderie.

January to date: was so involved that I completely forgot to send e-messages to loved ones on the eleventh - a custom started after September 11, 2001. Thought about sending Lisa a birthday greeting AFTER her birthday...

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At least GRAMPA sent her cards. No wonder she plans to take him sailing in the Gulf of Mexico on her 75 foot yacht when he is 91. Better be careful what you promise, Lisa, that's only twenty four years away now! Oh-oh, that reminds me. HIS birthday is coming up this month. Now THAT'S one I'd better not forget!

Not missing the lake too much so far this winter. While some people are getting ready to "Shiver on the River", an annual ice-fishing event in our area, I've been celebrating my "geekness" by creating a new website. Hey, you can never have too much of a good thing, I say. I'm getting ready to give a little presentation next month at the Saginaw Valley Computer Association general meeting. The topic - How to Build a Website - no HTML Required. The new website served as my "outline" for the presentation! Plan to link it up to my other sites after the presentation - February 14, 2002 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Zauel Library in Saginaw, MI. Public is always invited to general meetings, so I'm hoping to get at least a few non-members to attend.

Well that about wraps it up for now. Y'all come back now, hear? ...and as the kids say when we run across each other on the net... LOL!

WAS Kilroy here? Was KILROY here? Was Kilroy HERE?