This one takes the prize!

Out of the mouths of babes. Charlie is two-years-old, very talkative, emotive, and so doggone cute. I was sitting on the patio when he asked me to help buckle his sandals. I leaned over and he held onto my shoulder. 

" I like you shirt, Nanny. These are so cute." He was referring to the ties on my scoop neck peasant style blouse with beads hanging on the ends. 

"Thank you, Charlie." I said.

As the blood rushed to my head, still fumbling with his sandal, he backed up a bit with his foot in my hand.

"OH, Nanny, don't be gross! Don't show you butt like this!" He pointed to my  smooshed cleavage which looked like a baby's butt.

I said, "THAT is not my butt!"

He looked at the seat of my chair. "How did you get you butt UP there?"

I said, "Those are my boobs!"

We laughed and laughed.

He's been acting up

This man of mine is a laugh a minute! He twisted his ankle and limped or sat in his recliner while I waited on him all day. I went to bed before 10:00, so he turned off his Netflix flick that has lots of grunting, groaning, and violence in it, perpetrated by a drug lord and a queen. He came to bed early. 

It takes me a while to fall asleep. Not him. He was snoring two minutes after his head hit the pillow. I was watching the news when he shouted, "Come on! Come on! Come on!"

I asked, "ME?"

"Yes."

"Where are we going?"

"To blow up trailers."

"With people in them?"

"No empty. Come on! BLOW. IT. UP!"

I think he watches too much TV. He does not usually talk in his sleep.

Few minutes later he woke himself coughing. I asked, "Are we still blowing up trailers?"

"NO! We did that yesterday." 

At least he's following a time line.

Not a four leaf clover, but I'm charmed

We were both much younger in this photo, but it is one of my favorites. Mom did not like having her picture taken. 

 Happy heavenly birthday to my mom on her 91st birthday. When I was five, I sat in the grass with her one hot summer's eve, and she showed me how to make clover flower necklaces.

I just came outside to read, and found a single white clover flower with long stem on my patio chair. Maybe the wind blew it. Maybe a bird dropped it. Maybe Mom stopped by to say hello.

Yeah. That's what I believe. I can see her smiling face.

Readers around the world will soon discover my mom

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Chicken Soup for the Soul Navigating Eldercare and Dementia

Parenting a parent, or have a loved one suffering from memory loss? This wonderful book contains 101  inspirational, hopeful, sweet, sad, humorous, and helpful true stories.

Yes, I do read every single story in the books in which I am published. This makes 31 Chicken Soup books where you can find my stories. I am proud to be a part of the CSS family. 

My Story, Social Butterfly is about my mom who did NOT have dementia. She was smart as a fox and out smarted each of her immediate family members when she moved into a senior apartment building. 

Read my story to learn about my mom who was shy all her life, but in her elder years became a social butterfly.  I was shocked to learn she had become a boot scooting deputy. 

 

Brotherly love and aggravation

 My great-grandsons are leaving their marks... on each other and PawPaw's shed. 

Liam (almost 7) sneaked up on two-year-old Charlie and left his handprint in shaving cream. Charlie freaked out after I showed him the photo on my cell phone. He tried to douse his back with water, but soon forgot about it when I brought out the paints. Three-year-old Alex loves painting outdoors.

These boys are going to leave their marks on this world, I just know it!

What about you? Are you doing anything creative, or helpful?  Everyone leaves a legacy, a lasting impression. Let kindness be yours. 

If you have never read  Orange Cheeks, a very short story by Jay O'Callahan, do check it out. This simple story about a small boy and his grandma has resonated with me for years since I heard the author speak. I'm sure it will touch you, too. 

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Orange Cheeks

by 

Jay O'Callahan,

 

Patricia Raine (Illustrator)

 4.71  ·   Rating details ·  7 ratings  ·  3 reviews

Four-year-old Willie loves visiting his Grandma, but his mother has warned him -- if he gets into trouble again, there'll be no more overnight visits for an entire year. Planning to be very, very good, Willie (in the way of all four year olds), actually gets into yet another situation he can't get out of -- but it's Grandma to the rescue! A wonderful story about a boy's relationship with his beloved grandmother, and about the love we feel for the special people in our lives.

Still running towards goals

My story is on page 4

 http://www.prairietimes.com/June2021.pdf

I hope you can take a moment to read about an incident that happened when my little go-getter grandson was four. He is now 19 and taking me to lunch today. So proud of Nicholas who is still a high achiever and proud owner who restored his Mustang.