What are Little Thankfuls?

It was so much fun comparing the hashtags about myself from last year (I did this on the Grits) that I thought I would look back and compare my thankful list from 2015 with one I made today.

Last November, I wrote a post about the LITTLE things for which I am thankful. The big things are easy to come up with- friends, family, health, a home...It's the little things that be more difficult to find if we're not paying attention or not in a thankful frame of mind...

Think about those little things we might not even realize we appreciate. The little things that can turn a sour day into something calm and wonderful. The little things that bring happiness to our days. The little things that turn that proverbial frown upside down.

My list from November 2015:

Little Things for which I Am Grateful:

1. Deep down, in my gut, so hard I can hardly breathe and makes me cry laughter.
2. The way coffee smells and how the steam rises up from the cup when you first pour it. 
3. The way the lights on the Christmas tree sparkle.
4. The smell of rain. 
5. The way snow glistens during a full moon.
6. A song that reminds me of a love from long ago.
7. A memory that brings a smile to my face that begins in my heart.
8. The rhythm of poetry. Especially when it's being read to me. 
9. The sound of a cello, and fog horns, and those little grunts that puppies make. 
10. The smell of homemade bread and the memories it evokes. 
11. Pulling out that winter jacket and finding money in the pocket. 
12. Clean sheets. 
13. A surprise phone call from an old friend. 
14. Snuggling with your puppy. 
15. That thing you wanted is on sale and reduced even more at checkout.
16. Hot chocolate.
17. Sitting in front of the fire.
18. A handmade quilt.
19. Hayrides.
20. Farmers' Markets. 

My list for this year:

Little Things for which I Am Grateful:

1. Cool autumn weather that finally shows up.
2. Irish cream in front of a fire.
3. Just the right pen.
4. Music. 
5. A walk in the woods.
6. Red rain boots.
7. Stringed instruments, especially the cello.
8. A full moon.
9. Fog.
10. Snow.
11. Fall and winter trees.
12. Feeling safe.
13. Snuggling down into flannel sheets.
14. Polka dots.
15. Sudden ideas.
16. Feelings of accomplishment.
17. Rest.
18. Conversations with special people.
19. Laughter.
20. Books. 

Yes, my list could go on. But I'd be here a really long time and y'all don't want to read THAT much.

So, it's your turn. Share your lists in the comments or on your blog. I'd love to read them!

It's day 12 of NaBloPoMo!

Links to my first 11 days of NaBloPoMo in case y'all missed them (because they're so dang interesting and all...Ha!):

1. TWIGS AND ROOTS! Where I introduced y'all to Deanie's new business. 
2. THE BRAVE SIDE OF ME Where I shared my nonexistent bravery with y'all. 
3. BABY M'S NURSERY Where I finally show off the pictures of the nursery!
4. KEEPERS: FALL TELEVISION SHORT LIST Where I shared the few fall shows I watch.
5. SINGING ALONG WITH BABY M Where I shared some songs Baby M and I enjoy.
6. BABY M GOES TO CLEMSON where I shared a gazillion pix and commentary on Baby M's first ever college football game!
7. THANKSGIVING FAILS where I shared that I cannot make holiday meals as good as my grandmother did. 
8. IT'STHAT TIME! where I slacked off and just posted a voting clip art. Don't judge. This is hard. 
9. HOW TO ENTERTAIN A 4 MONTH OLD where I share what I'm doing with Baby M and asking for more ideas. 
10. MY MESSAGE TO MEAN PEOPLE where I give a message to mean people. LOL
11. STAY AT HOME GRANDMA GOES ETSY where I put myself out there and cringe.

Stay at Home Grandma Goes Etsy

I did it. I opened up an Etsy shop. Yep. Even though I struggled over it for months, I finally decided to go ahead and give it a go.

I'll give y'all a few examples of what this grandma who's taking the burden of the cost of daycare off her daughter and SIL but maybe forgot to consider her own source of income...

Just click on the pix to go to the shop if you'd like.

The photos I took are not great. They're not even good. But the shop is open. And I'll be working on improving those photos this weekend.

Anyway, if y'all feel so moved, head over to CoasterDoodles. Please feel free to share your hints, tips, thoughts, anything. I'm open to any and all advice.

Have a great weekend!

It's day 11 of NaBloPoMo!

Links to my first 9 days of NaBloPoMo in case y'all missed them (because they're so dang interesting and all...Ha!):

1. TWIGS AND ROOTS! Where I introduced y'all to Deanie's new business. 
2. THE BRAVE SIDE OF ME Where I shared my nonexistent bravery with y'all. 
3. BABY M'S NURSERY Where I finally show off the pictures of the nursery!
4. KEEPERS: FALL TELEVISION SHORT LIST Where I shared the few fall shows I watch.
5. SINGING ALONG WITH BABY M Where I shared some songs Baby M and I enjoy.
6. BABY M GOES TO CLEMSON where I shared a gazillion pix and commentary on Baby M's first ever college football game!
7. THANKSGIVING FAILS where I shared that I cannot make holiday meals as good as my grandmother did. 
8. IT'STHAT TIME! where I slacked off and just posted a voting clip art. Don't judge. This is hard. 
9. HOW TO ENTERTAIN A 4 MONTH OLD where I share what I'm doing with Baby M and asking for more ideas. 
10. MY MESSAGE TO MEAN PEOPLE where I give a message to mean people. LOL

My Message to Mean People

Stop it. This is getting ridiculous and you're showing you asses.

The election is over (thank God!) and that's the best news that I've heard. This is not a post about my opinion about the results (some of you already know that anyway and the rest of you don't need to) this post is about what I find more disgusting than the election: the aftermath of hatred.

I have not 'unfriended' one single person during the campaign (though, in all honesty, I have chosen to 'see less' from a few). We all have our own opinions and, while I do not feel that social media is a place to spout those opinions and many friends do, I do not see the logic in 'unfriending' someone over an opinion. You don't have to agree with me to be my friend. I believe that having only friends who share my opinions would be lacking in thought-provoking conversations to say the least. Not to mention I appreciate and enjoy a good debate between friends as long as it's a real debate not a slathering of insults. Sharing thoughts and ideas is healthy, thought provoking and, I think, a learning experience. It can expose you to how others see the world allowing you to be empathetic. It can remind you that people from different walks of life and those who have had different life experiences see things differently from you. It can foster an appreciation and respect for the perspective of other people. I have always appreciated new ideas and sharing thoughts with others. I'm not sure where having differing opinions took a very wrong, very sad, very frightening turn. But it did.

And here we are.

I've heard and read things in just a couple of days that are making my skin crawl. And some of these things have come out of the minds of people I know PERSONALLY. I'm not sure how the spreading of fear and hatred is going to help anyone with anything. I've never seen either of those things help anyone or a situation. I've seen fear and hatred to just the opposite. Is this really the way people want to be? Besides, how can people be this crazy over an election and not have the slightest upset over the course the campaigns took? But that's another post altogether.

Just yesterday I saw a post that referred to the people who said they would leave the US if Trump won and the person who posted told those people, emphatically, to "start packing we don't need you here in this country." And that's one of the mildest posts. I'm not even going to tell y'all about a comment (that was based on an assumption) a teacher friend got. Then there's my friend who commented on a post showing youth protesting (this is what they do, they protest and that's better than sitting down not being heard at all) and my friend commented that these were the people who voted for her and how they were not Americans that she wanted to be associated with. Listen, friend, that's just like me saying that the Americans who voted for Trump are uneducated, white males...white supremacists...and the like. I take offense to anyone who lumps all who voted for one candidate or the other into one category of 'types' of Americans. Get over yourself.

These people are not speaking for me. I want you all here in this country. The people are what make this country great and we are still, because we've never stopped being, great.

Spouting comments like the ones above is a form of bullying. It's like telling someone who has fallen into such despair they feel like suicide is their only way out to go ahead and do it. That's not the way, y'all. That's what bullies do.

So today, I am considering 'unfriending' a few people who are posting bully-like remarks. I'm not going to support that behavior no matter who you are. Spreading hate is a good way to set us back decades and that's awful especially since we aren't there yet. We have a long, hard road to travel but I think it would be easier with the love and support of our fellow human beings.

This is not the first time an election has left people either upset or gloating. I'm pretty sure it happens about every four years. Not everyone gets their way every time there's an election. But this is the first time I recall everyone being so hateful about it. Let's not be sore 'losers' or worse 'winners.' Regardless of whether or not your candidate won, we're in this together so, take the high road.

I do not mean to sit there and let things happen to you. It is of the utmost importance that we pay close attention to what is going on in the form of FACTS. What I am talking about is not dragging others down. Our words carry a lot of weight. Choose them to lift people up instead of trying to destroy them.

My question: What in the actual hell is wrong with people?

It's day 10 of NaBloPoMo and I'm still alive. :)


Links to my first 9 days of NaBloPoMo in case y'all missed them (because they're so dang interesting and all...Ha!):

1. TWIGS AND ROOTS! Where I introduced y'all to Deanie's new business. 
2. THE BRAVE SIDE OF ME Where I shared my nonexistent bravery with y'all. 
3. BABY M'S NURSERY Where I finally show off the pictures of the nursery!
4. KEEPERS: FALL TELEVISION SHORT LIST Where I shared the few fall shows I watch.
5. SINGING ALONG WITH BABY M Where I shared some songs Baby M and I enjoy.
6. BABY M GOES TO CLEMSON where I shared a gazillion pix and commentary on Baby M's first ever college football game!
7. THANKSGIVING FAILS where I shared that I cannot make holiday meals as good as my grandmother did. 
8. IT'STHAT TIME! where I slacked off and just posted a voting clip art. Don't judge. This is hard. 
9. HOW TO ENTERTAIN A 4 MONTH OLD where I share what I'm doing with Baby M and asking for more ideas. 

How to Entertain a 4 Month Old

One thing I've learned, and I learned it fast, from providing daycare for Baby M is, even though I have a MS in Early Childhood Development, I have forgotten just about everything. Ha! Now that Baby M is 4 months old and not sleeping most of the day but not yet mobile, what in the world do I do with her? Because seriously, THIS KID DOES NOT SLEEP.

Here's my TOP TEN on the short list:

1. Take more walks. Because Baby M loves going outside and walking and grandma could use more activities that make her get off her rear. Now that the fall temps have defeated those horrid summer ones, we can do this. 
2. Tummy time. Except that Baby M has been having tummy time for many weeks already and she gets bored with that pretty quickly. She has been turning over now so maybe that will help entertain her little stinker self.
3. Sitting up. This is what Baby M seems to want to do RIGHT NOW even though she's just not developmentally ready. Her mind is far ahead of what she can physically do right now. This is frustrating to both of us. So we sit in about a million different ways until she's bored with that. 
4. Crib time. Baby M LOVES her crib time whether you stand there and talk to her or just leave her for a bit. She enjoys her alone time too. But I feel bad that she's not being entertained or held and...well, y'all know.
5. Bouncy seat. Never mind. She's no longer entertained by this thing.
6. Put ballet on the television. Yes, I do this. We sit together and enjoy the ballet and, BONUS, it usually sends Baby M drifting off to dreamland.
7. Put Raffi (or baby videos) on television. Yes, I do this too. It holds her attention for about 20 minutes. I think this lasts so long because she's trying to figure out what that sound is coming out of Grandma's mouth when she sings along. 
8. Hold Baby M and kiss her all over her face and blow raspberries on her tummy. Yep, she loves this. For about 10 minutes. When those 10 minutes are up, switch to talking to her and blowing those raspberries on her fingers. She will squeal with delight. For about 10 minutes. 
9. Get one of those baby floor mat gyms and hope for the best. 
10. Get a dog. Baby M is entertained by Tucker and I am constantly trying to get him to just walk back and forth across the floor. He is convinced I have lost my mind. 

Always, when all else fails and you know exhaustion is going to be the reason for your death because you are GRANDMA and old-ish: this phase doesn't last forever. :)

I know there are so many things to do with babies but we need some good advice for those grandparents out there who don't have the energy or stamina we did when we had our babies. By the time I've gone through my TOP TEN list up there, it's only 9:00 in the morning. She gets here at 7:30. 

Baby M loves to sit in front of the computer and she goes crazy if I pull out my phone but I have some issues with her being in front of digital devices at her age. I don't mind the television as long as I approve of what's on it and we use it for less than one hour every day. The digital age and I are at odds right now. 

What do y'all do to entertain 4 month old babies?

Links to my first 8 days of NaBloPoMo in case y'all missed them (because they're so dang interesting and all...Ha!):

1. TWIGS AND ROOTS! Where I introduced y'all to Deanie's new business. 
2. THE BRAVE SIDE OF ME Where I shared my nonexistent bravery with y'all. 
3. BABY M'S NURSERY Where I finally show off the pictures of the nursery!
4. KEEPERS: FALL TELEVISION SHORT LIST Where I shared the few fall shows I watch.
5. SINGING ALONG WITH BABY M Where I shared some songs Baby M and I enjoy.
6. BABY M GOES TO CLEMSON where I shared a gazillion pix and commentary on Baby M's first ever college football game!
7. THANKSGIVING FAILS where I shared that I cannot make holiday meals as good as my grandmother did. 
8. IT'STHAT TIME! where I slacked off and just posted a voting clip art. Don't judge. This is hard. 

It's That Time!

I'm out voting! See y'all tomorrow! 

Thanksgiving Fails

Can you believe it's Day 7 of NaBloPoMo and I'm already using the prompts? Actually, this is not the first one I've used. I'm trying to do this on two blogs and it's wearing thin already.

Today's prompt is: What was your worst Thanksgiving food fail?

I'm pretty sure it was the year I decided we would have a carb free Thanksgiving. Oh, and any year I decide Thanksgiving is the right time to try a new-to-me recipe.

The year I went carb free wasn't that long ago, just a few years and I'm quite sure I do not care to go down that road again. Not that the recipes were bad, a couple of them were quite delish but, it wasn't my grandmother's Thanksgiving. If you're not having her Thanksgiving, why bother?

Ever since I was a little girl my grandmother and mother were in charge of holiday meals.  Even on those Thanksgivings and Christmases when everyone came to our house, they prepared the meals.  And I was super duper ok with that arrangement. However, no one bothered to tell me that, as we all got older, I would be expected to take over.  So now, when they come to my house, I prepare the holiday meals which are still not my grandmother's holiday meals. But I try.

At Thanksgiving, Grandmother always got out the good china and the silver (which she used on Sundays and holiday, I use paper plates sometimes) and served up a feast of turkey, cornbread dressing, sweet potato casserole (the kind with the marshmallows on top), green beans, corn, potatoes, rice and gravy, homemade rolls (it's just NOT a southern holiday without the carbs!), broccoli casserole, cranberry sauce etc.  Luckily, Granddaddy's blessings were short and sweet and eating commenced rather quickly. I prepare the same dishes but they just don't taste as good as hers did. Do y'all think it would help if I used the good china? Where can I get some? Ha!

The first time I prepared Thanksgiving here by myself there was that moment when our youngest asked if there was mac and cheese.  "Yes!" I replied enthusiastically since I know it's her fave.  "Did Mimi make it, or did you?" she asked. 

Oh well, here's to the coming of Thanksgiving this year when I will, once again, prepare the family Thanksgiving meal to the best of my ability.

Do you prepare your family's Thanksgiving meal?

Baby M Goes to Clemson

For a football game. I mean, we think she's brilliant but we aren't unrealistic. Not much. We realize she won't go to college until she's 8. ANYWAY, what better place to share Baby M's first football game than on Day 6 of NaBloPoMo?

Her parents had tickets and they were so excited to take Baby M up there.

Step one was purchasing a set of noise canceling head set for Baby M's little ears. Oh, and sunglasses because, we're cool like that.

Y'all, seriously. 

Of course, this was our first weekend of experiencing fall temps and it's way cooler in the upstate than it is here so, she had to be bundled up.

We're going where?

Clemson? I thought we were going to Disney. 

Was there any doubt what color Baby M's stroller is? I didn't think so.

The gang! Listen y'all, I've met these folks and these are the people that make you realize your grown up kid has the most wonderful friends! Especially the one standing beside Birdie and Baby M. She's a dream! Everyone should be blessed with a friend like M.

Notice the light shining on Baby M's head and no where else? I told y'all she was an angel! 

As the day went on, temps warmed up. Notice her tiger onesie and orange pants. I hope this child likes Clemson when she grows up. Else her parents will be crushed.

There's a reason she's yawning. Did y'all see the game? BORING.

Some of y'all might have caught the Clemson game yesterday. No one was in danger of having a heart attack due to a close game. Even Baby M couldn't believe it.

Wait, WHAT'S the score?

No, it couldn't be.  

Seriously? THIS is the game you bring me to see my very first time? 

So, Baby M went to sleep. 

For the rest of the game.

Because 54-0. In favor of Clemson.

Someone was proud to bring his baby girl to her very first Clemson game.

All in all, I'm pretty sure Baby M enjoyed her first Clemson football game. What do y'all think?

Of course, my dad would say she's probably happy to be out of that tiger onsie and orange pants. ;)

Enjoy your Sunday!