Gram's Place

  Have I mentioned that I’m going to be a Gramma?  Have I mentioned that they have chosen a name but aren’t sharing it until after she is born?  Have I mentioned that it doesn’t matter because we (Grandma and Grandpa) have already named her what we will call her. In Shawn’s words, “You guys can call whatever you want.  It’s just the legal name anyway”.   We call her LuLu. This little LuLu is going to be one very special, smart, beautiful, amazing, talented young baby.  Of course. I started something that I’ve been dying to talk about.  It’s a Grandma’s journal for Lulu.  I want to give it to her someday…. I don’t know when… when she gets married? When she graduates? When she’s 6? When I die? I can’t decide that part.  But, it’s a bunch of letters I’m writing to her in journal format…. things that are cool… things… well, grandma-ish things.  Things that grandma’s know.  Because you know, there are things that grandma’s kno...

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is exactly what you think it is.  It is a disgusting, sticky, pull apart, fly catcher.  It’s current location is directly above the Dishwater kitchen sink.  I am not sure why, but the Dishwater household has been infested with flies, and well, desperate times call for desperate measures.  Summer brings with it doors opening and closing constantly. Summer ushers in the season of bugs and flying creatures.  These things, brothers and sisters, ought not to be so.  So, tonight, as I sat at the table wondering if I should have a family we met from church over for dinner some night, I thought… “I wonder if I should take down my sticky fly trap before I have them over.  Would that gross them out?” And then immediately I shook my head.  Because if I have to ask myself that question, then I surely have gone the wrong direction.

I can’t remember how to spell it…. but when I was a kid, I went to day camp in California when I was staying with my dad for the summer.  There was a son about it… “We welcome you to Camp Alohny we’re mighty glad you’re here…. we’ll sing you in we’ll sing you out and we will give a might shout! Hail! Hail! The gang’s all here and we welcome you to Alohny!” I can’t believe I can remember it.  My brothers and sister went too.  I just remember because they were older than me, and too cool for camp. So, they made up their own version of the song: “Camp Alohny, it’s a bunch of bologna. I don’t care what you say, I hate it every day.”  It was quite perfect since Alohny rhymed with bologna. I liked it at camp, but I never told them because they would have made fun of me. ha! Emily is at camp this week.  I suspect her adventure and fun at camp is much different than mine.  She is overnight for a whole week.  With a bunch of friends, some old some new, some...

One of my favoritist things about summer…. shared with one of my favoritist gals….

There is good news, and then there is bad news.  The good news is that I have a bumper crop in my garden! The bad news is that the bumper crop is weeds. We’ve had a very rainy busy spring.  Busy means we haven’t had time to weed.  Rainy means the weeds grow and grow and grow. (((((sigh))))) No pictures of my garden this time around ladies and gentlemen.  It’s bad.  Real bad.  I’m so ashamed. We have been picking spinach until the cows cOurome home.  But, unfortunately…. two entire rows have started to go to seed.  Waaah. The tomatoes are growing… and I haven’t had time to put the cages on them.  I think I will regret that when the sun starts to shine again. The city is officially OUT of the free compost we devoured last year.  Which means, our potatoes are suffering immensely.  Our brilliant plan is usually to NOT bury them deep and continue to compost and pile it on all summer long.  It works beautifully when we ...