141 DAYS

Do you feel like retailers are skipping holidays just to start setting up for the next celebration?  We hardly get to enjoy the 4th of July because Halloween is already being advertised.

When I had the big house, there was a long, narrow sofa table at the top of the stairs.  Each month I would decorate and each year I would add something new to that month.  Even when Kate was in high school, she loved having that table.  Luckily, it was near an outlet so there were always tiny lights.

I have a friend who starts setting up Christmas right after Halloween.  Fortunately, I get invited over a few times every month so I get to enjoy the festive feeling early.  They also have a fire in the fireplace EVERY day, even in the summer if the temps go below 70.  SO cozy having a glass of wine and solving the world's problems.

I like to set up Christmas after Thanksgiving and keep it up til mid-January.  Everyone has a different way of doing things.  The Spy Elves don't come out till December 1.

Our condo has a bar height divider between kitchen and dining area, but I don't feel comfortable decorating there because of water and other stuff being splashed.  I think I'm going to start a monthly scene on the far side of our dining table.  Believe it or not, we RARELY all have meals at the same time.  Usually the boys have theirs earlier but I think this school year, I am going to sit with them whether I eat at that time or not.  They are in the habit of watching a movie together (which the love, of course) so maybe just during the weekend they can continue that tradition.

ENHANCED GRANDPARENTING

The NYT had an interesting article last week entitled Intensive Grandparenting.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/23/well/family/when-grandparents-help-hold-it-all-together.html  (In case you want to read it)

It was filled with lots of woe about grandparents commuting 2 hours to spend the day babysitting then commuting home making for a 10-12 hour day. Another woman gave up her life in another state to move closer to help out.  Some grandparents do lots of housekeeping and even mow the lawn.

The word INTENSIVE just has a negative connotation to me.  So I looked it up.

in·ten·sive

/inˈtensiv/     (adjective)

concentrated on a single area or subject or into a short time; very thorough or vigorous.  Thorough, in-depth, concentrated, rigorous, exhaustive ... 

Synonyms of intensive

acute, almighty, blistering, deep, dreadful, excruciating, explosive, exquisite, fearful, fearsome, ferocious, fierce, frightful, furious, ghastly, hard, heavy, heavyduty, hellacious, intense, keen, profound, terrible, vehement, vicious, violent

Contemporary grandparenting should be voluntary and reassessed every couple of months.  As well as be flexible as we perennials feel tired or worn down.  While we are not like the 65 year old grandparents WE had, we still have some limitations.

I rather like the term "enhanced" grandparenting  It sounds more positive .... like we are enjoying our level of grandparenting rather than fulfilling a commitment.  For me, anyway, I volunteer to help and am RARELY asked to watch the boys.  I can only do housework when the parents are away!  They always thank me and say "you didn't have to do that".  Yes, I know.  Which is why I like to help out when I can.  I am overly appreciated.

Embrace your vocation of being a grandparent.  

OLDER PEOPLE

For the past several years, many (many) people are trying to come up with a new term for older people.  Apparently it is not longer politically correct to say Senior Citizen.  I'm not sure why folks are so negative about this term.  I've loved growing up enough to use the Senior Citizen discounts!  Or Honored Citizen discount.  

As usual, I think the term is respectful and appropriate.  Or even older person.  These do not necessarily mean incompetent or a lesser human being.  Sorry but I am tired of having to say long, complicated verbiage rather than one descriptive word (unless it is widely determined to be negative).

I Googled "senior citizen" and got:

senior, 

old person, 

elderly person, 

elder, 

old fogey, 

dotard, 

Methuselah, 

patriarch; 

retiree, 

golden ager; 

superannuitant; 

old stager, 

old-timer, 

oldie, 

ancient, 

wrinkly, 

crock, 

crumbly; 

buffer, 

josser; 

oldster, 

woopie; 

geriatric;

senex; 

retirer, 
pensionary

I do agree that there is ageism bias when looking for jobs.  That's a whole different blog.  My husband was fired after 25 years with a company and he had to (embarrassingly) accept a position that was ten levels down on the ladder.  Because he was 50!!  He did and after a year or two, was back in the game.  Retired on his 75th birthday.  Took the new company from $1M in sales to $65M in sales.  See?  Older people can be beneficial!!

Several of the terms above ARE derogatory although I have never encountered them in conversation or print.  But I just don't agree that we need to come up with a new generalized group name.  A fellow blogger suggested we be labeled as levels ..... like I would be Level 67. Then the higher we get, (like a video game), the better we sound! 

I did read a great article (reprinted from The Washington Post ... who would not let me read it on their website).  It was called "A New Term for Active Seniors:  Call us Perennials".

Now THAT I could go with!

THURSDAY MUSINGS

I feel so grateful.  About so many things.

Maybe because I've been watching the series Little House on The Prairie for a few weeks.  Which reminds me of growing up in my large, lower middle class family with six children.  I don't know HOW they did it but I never felt "poor" even though we went without so many things that other kids had.  

We lived in a 3 bedroom one bath ranch style home on about 1/4 acre.  (Until I was in high school and then they added on a master suite and a tiny family room).  Somehow they came up with the money for some of us to attend Catholic school.  Although I didn't have room for sleepovers or even play dates, I had a houseful of people to play with.  We had four huge maple trees which were perfect for climbing up and reading a book.

My Mom (my Dad next to her) is on the right, holding my older brother 

(I was still a gleam in my father's eye)

My Mom came from a family of 11 children and so we have lots and lots of cousins.  One Aunt had a large basement so Christmas was always celebrated there.  We had one Aunt who never married and had a lifelong "roommate" who always joined us for holiday feasts.  My Mom was an amazing and adventurous cook!  She loved cooking and all six of her kids love cooking.  I think even my four brothers do all the cooking for their families.  I still have some handwritten recipe cards.  From my mother-in-law also.  

My Mom is 3rd from left.  The two just left of her 

are the only remaining Whipples of that generation.

Until most of the kids had flown the nest, their only vacations were camping.  For their 25th anniversary, they did indulge on a week long cruise!  Then vacations were to visit the out of state kids!  Three of us moved to the San Francisco area and Mom said if one more moved, they'd be right behind!  Now that I have my own kidlet, I sure know how she felt.

Luckily, my kidlet and I are very attached and will always have our nests close together, if not the same nest as we have now.

And for this relationship, I am most grateful.

FIRST WORLD PROBLEM

Our internet was down off and on yesterday.  We are already living like Green Acres as the kitchen GFI popped and we could not get it up and running (even after talking with the Owner).  Fridge is using an extension cord into dining room.  Microwave is on dining table as well as toaster.  You can only use microwave OR toaster or it pops off the other GFI.

Alas, Mr. Son in Law got things working with wifi this morning.  We depart tomorrow with a ton of great memories, bags of sea glass as well as beautiful rocks....

Looking for sea glass on Driftwood Beach

Just digging it!

Relaxed Gramma

Cozy boy waking up slowly

OOOOPS!

This island is very big ... about 170 square miles!  Long (40 miles) and skinny with lots of harbors and inlets and different kinds of beaches.  It's mostly rural and has six large towns.  We are staying in Coupeville.

It's about ten minutes from our rental to the heart of downtown  Coupeville.  Someone recently bought the old, outdated bookstore and brought it back to life.  Coupeville has many, many restaurants from a hot dog stand by the dock to the $$$$ Oystercatcher .. with many in between.  Yesterday we ate at the end of the dock, explored the low tide (found a live mussel) and spent part of the $5 gift certificates to the candy store, bestowed on each boy from Aunt Janet.

Oh my, did it take time to choose!  All the old fashioned stuff from my childhood ... wax bottles filled with sugar water, realistic seashells filled with chocolate, and lots of things in big jars to choose from.

This morning, the boys slept in (9:30!) and made their own breakfast which gave them enough energy to play on the stairway for over an hour!

Now the four of them are off to explore Fort Casey.  It's sunny and 70 and vacation perfect!

NOT AGAIN!

We finally arrived on Whidbey Island at 9pm Sunday.  It was an eight hour trip because we stopped about every hour to run off some energy for the boys and the dog.  Despite not getting to sleep until LATE, the boys bopped in at 8:30 to say "Gramma, just look at the scenery"!!

They played at the house for an hour (so I could have a cup of coffee) then we went to look for sea glass. 

After a quick stop for milk and necessities (donuts!), they are happily running up and down the two flights of stairs.