Tuesday, June 30, 2020

The Things Kids Say



Sometimes kids really do say the darndest things. If Sofia wants to go swimming too soon after she eats lunch she says “Gramma my mom tells me first I have to digesttigate my food! Then one day we were playing with her Barbies and she said there was an accident and Barbie needed “ Crunches”. When I asked her what that was she said you know those sticks you put under your arms to help you walk. I didn’t have the heart to correct her. I said “ oh yes Crunches!

The Way Things Work





"Everything
 happens
 for a 
 reason." -Ransom Riggs

Monday, June 29, 2020

Goodbye Harold Hello Ken

I knew this day would come but I’m a little sad for it. It seems Harold the stuffed bear has really taken a back seat to Ken and Barbie.










Sunday, June 28, 2020

During our daily play date on face time Sofia and I used the “Frozen” figures I used for her 4th bday cake. She provides the voices and she directs where the characters should be. If I’m missing something like a farm animal for the farm she’ll say that’s ok gramma. We can used our imagination! 







 I’m so thankful we can play together despite the distance between us and that children remind us how wonderful it is to use our imagination.

Saturday, June 27, 2020

Easy Peasy Rhubarb Pie



Yesterday I made a rhubarb pie for the first time. It's my husband's favorite pie and I usually buy it at Polly's pies.  It is difficult to find a straight rhubarb pie so I was so pleased to find how easy this pie is to make. Here's the recipe:

Preheat over to 450 degrees
Ingredients:  
4 cups chopped rhubarb (cut in 1/2 inch pieces)
1 1/3 cups of sugar  *
6 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon butter
1 egg
1 Tablespoon Milk
Pie crust (your favorite recipe). I used ready made roll out pastry for double crust pie. 

Directions:
In a bowl combine sugar and flour
Line pie pan with pie crust and sprinkle 1/4 cup of sugar/flour mixture on top of pie crust.
Mix the rest of the sugar/flour mixture into the chopped rhubarb and place the rhubarb into pie pan. Dot with the tablespoon of butter. Place top crust over rhubarb. I did a lattice top but if you are using the top pastry crust whole just cut a few slits to let the pie filling bubble through.



Egg wash:  Mix one egg with the tablespoon of milk and brush over top pastry crust.  







Bake pie at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 and bake for 40-45 minutes. 




 *(I would use less sugar next time because my husband prefers a more tart pie. I will try 3/4 cup next time but you will need to adjust for your taste. I think 1 cup would work great for me.).

Friday, June 26, 2020

A Breakfast at Tiffany's Moment




 End of another full day of summer fun when the 5 year old looks more like a teenager (or a movie star)  in her moms sunglasses.

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Not Just About A Book Club Reads "The New Girl"

Our book club had its' 4th Zoom book meeting today. We read "The New Girl" by Daniel Silva.



The New Girl was an intriguing book centered on the abduction of a young girl, daughter of a wealthy Saudi Prince.  This is the 19th thriller novel by author Daniel Silva and features the Israeli spy master "Gabriel Allon, chief of Israeli Intelligence.  We had a great time meeting together with interesting conversation about the book.  The story line although fiction closely aligns with real events tying in aspects of modern day headlines and political intrigue. Another great zoom book club meeting.

Can You See Me?






We drove to the new outdoor shopping area “2nd and PCH . Mike had never been there. Very few pedestrians. Some shops boarded up. Some shops were open and Ola the Latin restaurant upstairs is open for dining inside and on the patio. Mike took this picture. Can you find me behind this sculpture? Hint; I’m wearing a yellow hat and mask.



Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Sofia and Her Ukelele





Sofia received a ukelele for her 5th birthday. When we face time she strums it for me. Today when we were talking she was trying to tie a string together around something.  I asked her "Do you know how to make a knot?




 She said, "No. Maybe you can teach me and I'll teach you how to play the ukelele."  



That's a good deal I said.

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Values


"Some values must be
universal, like human
rights and the equal 
worth of every human
 being."-Bjorn Ulvaeus


Monday, June 22, 2020

My Favorite Shape



Sofia said: "My favorite shape is a heart." My blanket has lots of hearts on it.

 It's you know  heartable." 

Sunday, June 21, 2020

The Value of Human Life

"A government cannot be
truly just without affirming
the intrinsic value of
human life." - Charles Colson

Saturday, June 20, 2020

Our Purpose

"The purpose of human life is to
serve, and to show compassion
and the will to help others." -Albert Schweitzer



Friday, June 19, 2020

Thursday, June 18, 2020

Compassion





"Our human compassion binds
us the one to the other.
 Not in pity or patronizingly, 
but as human beings who have learnt
 how to turn our common suffering 
into hope for the future." Nelson Mandela

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Hey Jude

May I share with you some happy news. It’s news that carries light and love in my heart.   My daughter Athena and her husband Mat’s first child arrived safely to our world. Their son was born at 6:03 a.m. on June 17th, just one day after his due date. As Athena related to our family, “ He was born after a long, tricky day of labouring and then finally an emergency C- section.” Despite not having things go as planned Athena and baby are thriving. Needless to say we, her parents, are much relieved and over the moon in love with our first grandson! And now about his name, Jude Ethan Oliver. His parents thoughtfully wrote: “We named him Jude after our favourite hopeful song (may he have poetry and music in his life!) and gave him the middle name Ethan meaning strong, so he can be resilient in and for this world, in these times. In this year of bushfires, a pandemic and social change and justice, we think of our little human as a Phoenix born from the ashes. “
Even though circumstances have led to the cancellation of our trip to meet our grandson in July and also the cancelled plans to be reunited with them in the U.S. in October (there were plans for Sofia, Aria , Daniele and Mike and I to meet Jude, Athena and Mat in Dallas) we are hoping that there will be a time in the not too far future that we can all be together. In the meanwhile we each carry one another in our hearts.
That thought brought the words of the poet e.e. cummings to mind.
“…and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)…” -e.e. cummings
Welcome sweet Jude to our family! And to my daughter Athena and my dear son in law Matthew we say this, “Jude chose wonderful parents.” You will share a sweet and most wonderful life together. We love you all!

Empathy


"The action of understanding, being aware of, being
sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the
feelings, thoughts, and experience of another 
either the past or present without having the feelings,
 thoughts, and experience fully
communicated in an objectively explicit manner." 



Tuesday, June 16, 2020

We Will Rise Up


"Mountains know the secrets we need to learn.
That it might take time, it might be hard,
but if you just hold on long enough, 
you will find the strength to RISE UP."

Monday, June 15, 2020

Our Light





"Sometimes our light goes out,
but is blown again into instant flame
by an encounter with another
human being." -Albert Schweitzer


Sunday, June 14, 2020

A Spiritual Journey





"The spiritual journey
is the unlearning of fear
and the acceptance of love." -M. Williamson


Saturday, June 13, 2020

A Delicacy






This week I've tried to get my mind off the heat by doing menial chores while listening to audiobooks but today I just needed to lose myself. Longing to be somewhere else. Feeling like everyone needing an escape from reality. I portion out my fantasies by treating myself to a few episodes of life on Corfu with the Durrell's. Yes I'm still at it because I hold myself from binging. I treat this family as a desperate delicacy. Like a last bit of chocolate I've tucked away. I'm not sure how long I can make this treat last but so far I'm good at nibbling through it. Midway now through season 3 with one more season left. How I love this family. It's a needed lovely escape for me today.




Friday, June 12, 2020

Miscellaneous June Fun with Sofia







Gold Shiny Pants

A pre Birthday gift Sofia opened today from her parents : gold Shiny pants. She face timed me so excited and said “oh Gramma I Love them... I’ve wanted these for years!” (That’s hard to believe but she was thrilled.) I then said “I love them too! Maybe I should get some like that for myself!” Her response “That might be a little silly Gramma!”



Thursday, June 11, 2020

Sofia and Moana

Sofia had gone to bed with braided hair and was brushing her curly do when she face timed me. She said "Gramma I'm not Sofia. I'm Moana!" I said, "You look like Moana but let me see your big eyes because you also look like my granddaughter(and she made big eyes in the 2nd picture). Then she laughed (3rd picture) and said "It's me Gramma, I'm Sofia!" this girl can bring a silver lining to any cloud in the morning gloom.










Wednesday, June 10, 2020

You Are Your Captain

"Start shaping your own day.
Start walking your own walk.
The journey is yous,
take charge of it." - Dr. S. Maraboli

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Life



"Sometimes life tumbles down a different path, one without a double-twist, and somersaults into a 
simple flip of where we thought we'd be..." -B. Hansen



Monday, June 8, 2020

Butterflies and Gramma Ruth

For a long time now since my mom passed away whenever we see butterflies we say that’s my mom coming to visit us because my mom loved butterflies. It’s nice and something that I’ve passed on to Sofia. Sofia refers to my mom as “Gramma Ruth” because that’s what her mom Aria, calls her. Today when we face timed I watched Sofia make a terrarium and she was so excited and said “ I’m making a butterfly garden for Gramma Ruth so she can visit us!” It was so much fun watching her make the garden decorations. I do think my mom will make the trip to Dallas. She will give her standard joke to Sofia: “ I just flew into town and boy are my arms tired!”











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