What a QUIET house we have this afternoon! The grandkids left with Mom about noon. Mom and Dad are probably hearing a lot of “Are We There YET?” from the back seats of the car — family was headed to the coast for a long weekend. We were left in charge of taking care of their pet , REX, a bearded dragon lizard.

Taking care of Rex means that we:

• turn on two special lights each morning about 9:00 and off each night about 9:00
• feed him crickets each morning being sure that they aren’t too large or else he might choke and die (at least we don’t have to hunt for them — they come in a special cricket container from the pet store — but he shouldn’t get more than 10 a day, so we must count them as we drop them into his aquarium)
• chop up some lettuce and/or carrots each morning also so that he gets some veggies with his protein
• change his two water bowls and clean out the itty, bitty “poop” in his cage
• and . . . “most importantly” (says Brielle) “take Rex out and hold and rub him at least twice a day — he really likes that.”

I wonder if Terry got all that down!

Our grandchildren’s parents tell us that it takes them a few days to get “their children” back to normal after visiting with us. Seems we do things to/for/with the grandkids that makes every day living with them a little bit tough. We just chuckle and keep doing things that grandparents do — does it REALLY matter that they get a chocolate malt every night before bed, even if it’s late; or that they can eat on trays in front of the tv; or that they don’t have to take a bath here EVERY night; or that the Tooth Fairy at our house gives $5 for a tooth (the first lost tooth); or that we laugh when we shouldn’t at some comments or behaviors; or that we do just about anything to please our grandchildren?

The question has several answers:

• it doesn’t matter at all when you consider what effect it might have 100 years from now
• it doesn’t matter at all when you consider how special these blessings from God are to us grandparents
• it doesn’t matter at all when you consider some of the special moments and memories these children will have for the rest of their lives
• it doesn’t matter at all, unless you are the parent trying to teach your children the proper ways to eat, to act, and to become responsible adults
• it doesn’t matter at all, if you remember being a grandchild and experiencing some wonderful times with Mamo, Papo, Grandmother, Nanie, Mam, or GranDad (sorry, can’t list them all) — you know it didn’t do any real harm to be spoiled by them.

So, now that THAT is settled . . . back to the quietness at our house.

Hear that noise in the hall? . . . just the a/c unit cycling . . .
Is that someone coming down the hall? . . . no, it’s just our old deaf and blind poodle dog, Beau, bumping into things . . .
Where is that sound of running water coming from . . . oh, the ice maker . . .
The tv has a news program on, what happened to the cartoons . . .
The only things coming in and out the front or back door are sunshine and Beau . . .

While I comtemplate the quietness, Terry and “partners” take advantage of it:

It’s just me and Rex awake, looking around, already missing the noise of precious children . . .

Living outside the city limits and in the middle of several acres allows our grandchildren to do things like “we used to do.”

As a kid in the 50’s, I’d get up in the morning, hop on my bike and be gone for hours. Mother knew I was closeby — just didn’t have to worry about my safety as far as strangers were concerned. So, if we kids wanted to stop playing with dolls, cars, ball, or whatever and ride off on our bikes to surrounding fields, we did. Kids in suburbia don’t get to have that experience today.

So, if the outside temp’s aren’t too high, our g’kids like to go outside at our place. They hunt — and catch — lizards and keep them in Mayonnaise jars for a day. If the lizards are hiding, they look for other “critters.” Continue reading →

Missing “cousin Dale” (as McKenna calls him)! Enjoyed his guitar pickin’ and singin’ so much. Wondering if there are any Round Rock donuts left in his truck — and also the whereabouts of the “plastic bag”?

Ever been to Branson? “Since 1959, The Baldknobbers Jamboree Show, Branson’s first show, has been entertaining folks for over 45 years from around the world.”

Well, Baldknobbers Beware . . . our family’s musical talent is trying to blossom. It is just a matter of days weeks months time before we’ll be performing our Jamboree close by you.

Cousin Dale’s recent visit here from Missouri started it all. He is an “Old Boone County picker,” and we consider him the best! Loved his pickin’ and singin’ and the free concerts he gave. It wasn’t long before he let me play a few tunes with him on my “new” 1926 Steinway baby grand. Now that I think about it, I’m sure he let me play along because of the piano — it is so pretty and sounds great, even when played by a novice. Continue reading →