The Three Minute Grandparent

I want.   I must have.   Just gotta’ get that!   I can’t live without that. Do you hear yourself?  Have you expressed a similar sentiment recently? I hear this Grandpa in these phrases.  Before thinking through an issue or perceived need, one of these phrases tumbles out of my mouth and I have fallen into the trap of the immediate.  I find that I am not willing to wait, and I want it…NOW. But those who trust (wait) in the   Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.  Isaiah 40:31 (HCSB) What a wonderful verse for the consistently impatient.  This verse speaks volumes to me when I grow impatient.  The word for wait is more of trusting over the long haul, looking to God for all of our needs and the divine patience to know that God has our best interests at heart.  God loves me; why would he not want the very best for me?  So, ca...

Snowy days are fun.  22 degrees below zero is fun once in a while. Multiple days of below zero weather tend to be depressing and get just plain tiring after a while!  We have experienced the below zero weather on multiple occasions at this Grandparent's home, and it is now tiring!  Thanks to Ezra Jack Keats ,  the author of  The Snowy Day ,   a favorite book of our children, we have a wonderful picture of snow from a child's eye.  With mountains of snow to surf down, climb and tumble in, every child dreams of days of play in the white, powdery stuff.  Who doesn't want to climb the highest hill and coast down on a layer of snow? Not meaning to burst your romantic view of snow, however...the stuff is   COLD . After countless hours and years of clearing cars of snow, slipping on ice, shoveling walking paths, and tromping through feet of snow just to pick up some milk at Safeway, I must say...I still like snow. Yes, I am a romantic wh...

Moses was an old man by 21st century standards when he received the call from God to lead a nation of people out of slavery and into the Promised Land.  Exodus 3-4 is the Biblical account of Moses' call by God at the burning bush and his subsequent ascension into the leadership position and savior to over a million Hebrew people.  As I reread the account in Exodus, I was struck by the fact that Moses tried 3 tactics trying to persuade God to send someone else, He said: I'm not believable, I'm not a good speaker, and I really don't want to do this.  God had an answer for each of his positions: I will make you believable with signs and wonders, I will speak through you, and I will send your brother with you as a helper.  Moses eventually listened to God and became the leader he was meant to be. This is such a familiar story to many people and as a child and young adult, I felt that Moses should have jumped at the opportunity to be God's Man, after all, God was ...

Party Mix - the very name makes your mouth start watering.  Visions of nuts, cereal, pretzels and flavorings set off a hunger that can be satisfied only with a bowlful of Party Mix. The name sounds like a houseful of happy people celebrating something wonderful, perhaps a favorite winning football team. This is the second batch of Party Mix that began with a trip to WalMart and shopping for all of the correct ingredients.  Buying the "Named brand" will gave a formula touted as the "Original" Chex Mix.  While doing a google search, I found several original mix recipes, including one for Cats!  Can you imagine making Chex Mix for Cats? The Chex Mix is now in the oven and smelling wonderful all over the house.  Should you make it over to our home in the next few days, we will offer you some fresh Party Mix, after we send some to the youngest daughter overseas.  Come quickly, it won't last long.

The new schedule has begun at work and I like it!  Start time is 5:45 AM, yes I did say AM.  Breakfast is around 4:20 AM and leaving quickly thereafter.  Having worked all of 3 days, I am discovering some things: a light breakfast is best then eat a little more later on, and breaks are perfect for light snacks.  So...here it comes; First break is more like Sevenses, Meal break or lunch as it is called is more like Ten-ses and Second break is Twelveses. Perhaps you are wondering what these sevenses and Ten-ses are all about.  Do you remember the first of the Hobbit movies, "The Fellowship of The Ring?" and Pippin asked Aragorn about 2nd breakfast and 11-zies (Meal breaks) and Aragorn threw him an apple.  I have become Hobbit-like in my work and break times.  First break, Ten-ses, Second break or Second Breakfast..and it works for me.  I am eating less and spreading it over more break times. One problem is developing, the hair is growing on m...

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.  Not only the opening line to a famous book, this descriptor fit October 26, 1983 for this Grandpa.  Word was received that my Father died suddenly and the world as I knew it changed.  Daddy was my rock, my stability.  He had always been with me and suddenly, was gone.  We had just spent a week with Mom and Dad at the beach, walking swimming, fishing, laughing, reading books to our children…and he was gone, in an instant.  I was devastated, lost, and grieving.  How could I continue to live a normal life? Daddy was thirty years older than me and the past 30 years had always brought an introspective look each October 26.  I knew that one year, I would be my Father’s age…and this is the year, this is the day; an anniversary that has been dreaded and thought about through the years.  I miss my Daddy even after 30 years. Speaking of contrasts, it was the best of times when Grandson made me...

The car is warm as is the outside air, This would be a good time to turn on the AC and spread some joy as I drive.  The car’s weather control moves in a circle, controlling placement of magic weather, from cooling the car’s windshield, to cooling the passengers’ faces and right down to the feet.  I adjusted the knob to cool my face then turned the other knob that controls how fast my face is cooled. The fan control has 4 settings: very little air flow, a little more air flow, almost enough air flow and finally, feeling the blast of air!  I set the fan to almost enough, and nothing happened, nada!  In fact, as I rotated the fan control, nothing worked, until I got to the last setting to which the fan roared to life.  Being the curious person, I backed up and tried all the settings, again, with the same results. After 5 repetitions of scientific research, I concluded that only the high fan setting worked.  Check the fuse?  Yes.  ...