Settling back in...

Yesterday I was at the Bank Tellers station and she looked a bit frazzled.  She asked the questions, that she'd been trained to do...about the weather...about the weekend...busy checking numbers and looking up accounts etc. etc.  

I asked her if her family was ready for school to start and she lifted both hands, in a gesture heavenward...One of thankfulness and relief.  She has 3 children that will be in school.  I commented that it must be difficult to work and have children at home.  

She shared that her Mother lives directly across the street from her and that was wonderful.  She is so great with the kids.  Not at all like how she was as my Mom.  She was so strict.  Now she is kind and gentle.

That brought a smile to my face.  I shared my philosophy with her...Being a Grandmother is almost like being granted a do-over on parenting.  All the things you wish you could have another chance at?...you have it!  

I was recently with some of my grandchildren and truly it is a wonderful thing to be a Granny!  I love them so much!  I enjoy them!  I'm not raising them or daily tending them.  I just get to visit and enjoy them.

Waxing sentimental today and feeling a bit emotional as this summer marked the end of the summer tradition of Cassie and Tori spending the time with us.  They will be 21 soon and are now college graduates.  Cassie is employed at NASA and it moving into intern training for her Masters.  Tori will be going to grad school in Connecticut at Quinipiac and will get a couple of short breaks.  They have come here every year of their lives since they were under a year old.  Tradition!

These girls love our old place.  I mean LOVE it!  They were sad and years ago didn't want us to even change some old wall covering that we did not like or want.  What did their Poppa do?  He left a wall in a cupboard above the washer untouched!  They can open it and see the beauty!  That is what grandparents do.

They loved this wall covering!!

This summer we reminisced about so many things that we have repeatedly done and enjoyed and it was such a great walk down that memory lane.

When they were young, maybe about 4 years old?, I wanted to get bedding for the bunks that we had purchased for them.  I found something that delighted them!  Matching sheets and pillowcases and comforter and 3 throw pillows.  It has worked all these years.  

the bright red heart of roses was hung on wall of bottom bunk.  

Today I laundered them and packed them up.  I will save them, as they want them for someday.  Who knows...they may, at some point end up at a Goodwill store, but for now they are special and precious on many levels.  As I folded them and put them up my mind reeled back and again I was reminded that memories can be made, as a family, by doing the same thing once each year.  Not something big and grand but just something simple, simply repeated.

Like, our annual family reunion this year... Cassie making sourdough pancakes and Kim making cinnamon rolls and the family eating Sunday Pot Roast with sauer kraut and visiting and finding that old family stories return again and again.  The torch of cooking has passed to the next generation.

As grandchildren grow... and eventually marry and education and jobs enter the picture... our family dynamic will change and already is starting to shift.  One of my friends annually went to Lincoln City (I think that was it) with her married children and grandchildren.  This summer we visited and that ended a couple of years ago, as the grandchildren married and employment and etc.  Her children now have their own reunions.  It's the cycle of life.  I'm so thankful that we are still trying to hang on to it.  For as long as possible.

Going to change the bunks to white sheets with pink flowers.  I've had the sheets for ages and not used them.  they are so soft!  Have matching sheets for the bunks and the Murphy bed.  I found a down-like comforter that is navy and looks like snowflakes in white for the bunks.  I have a navy comforter quilt, navy with pink cabbage roses, that I love and will use it on the Murphy bed.  also have several navy check pillow cases plus a vase of pink gerberer Daisy's that are awesome. The pale pink wallpaper that Terry hung years ago, is still hanging!, and will look great with Navy and pink plus we have a blue chair in there! 

Not true color on quilt.  it's darker navy.

(I can't access the pictures I wanted to share because "my drive is full".  I'll ask my go-to-tech-son to help me out of this fix!)