New Article

This Writing Thing

Now that I have actually posted a few articles on PNN I kind of feel better about the whole writing thing. I admit that I have wanted to be a writer forever but honestly I scared myself out of it.

I started reading PNN articles a while before I actually attempted to write one of my own. I liked the easy going style of the articles ranging from the political to what the family did today and everything in between! It really impressed me that people were so easily able to express their thoughts.

So, now I think that I am in this writing thing for the long haul. Not only will I continue to blog, but I am going to dig out my old notebooks that have a variety of story ideas and see what I can do with them.

To use a quote from one of the many Disney movies I watch with the kids, "I laugh in the face of fear," I just can't remember which movie that came from....I'll have to ask one of my two little princesses who are experts on all things magical. Anyway, what I mean is Vee is on the move!!

New Article

Soccer Game

Yesterday evening the family attended one of my granddaughter's soccer games. The team players are in the seven and eight year old bracket. The games always provide an hour of pride, amazement and amusement.

You can't help but  be proud of the kids when they remember to work together as a team and the amazing part kicks in (no pun intended) when you realize that all these weeks the kids were really listening to the coaches and have learned to actually play the game.

My granddaughter is one that you can never be sure what she's up to. She may be performing a dance routine on the field (not coach sanctioned) and then she throws herself in front of the ball to block a goal by the other team! When did she even see the ball? She has also left the field to rescue or examine insects, do somersaults, or just say hello to someone she recognizes. The uncanny thing is that she will get right back in the game in time to block or kick the ball, usually flinging herself on the ground in the process. I know her coaches are always taken by surprise (I know we are) by her game play.

During practices the coaches spend a lot of time trying to bring my granddaughter's focus back to the team practice....they also laugh a lot. I'm glad they can appreciate both her performance art and curiosity with the world around her.

All in all the games and practices make for a lot of family fun and time well spent together.

New Article

Mother's Day

Mother's Day has become kind of a bittersweet thing for me. My own Mom passed on four years ago and that has added elements of sadness and longing. I miss this woman with whom I had the ultimate connection, this person who knew me from the beginning. She loved me without question, through the good and bad (and I gave her a run for the money in the teen years), more faithful than even the ex-husband. I won't say we had even a remotely perfect relationship, but we always knew the other was a phone call away. In her final years it was an honor for me to care for her as she once did for me, whether bathing her or preparing her favorite foods. I miss you Mom.

The other side of the coin is that I have two daughters who are mothers. It is truly amazing to me to see my babies with their babies. I see some of me in their parenting, but surprisingly a touch of their grandmother as well. I hope they continue to draw on the best memories they have of growing up and pass these memories on to their own girls...this is how my Mom and I will live on memory to memory, person to person.

New Article

Community Yard sale

We recently participated in a community yard sale event.  My kids and I set aside a lot of stuff we didn't need or want on a table set up in the driveway and waited for the fun to begin. We did forget to do several things though. No one thought about having any change on hand, so we had to borrow from piggybanks. Clearly none of us had studied up on haggling price diplomacy which ended making the yard sale more of a chore than fun.

 I had someone offer me $10.00 for an elliptical machine that I was willing to sell for $75. We also had several yard sale would be shoplifters...used this as an opportunity to talk about stealing with the younger kids. We did sell some good things, primarily toys, which made the kids happy. One thing that makes my kids happy is the clink of coins and rustle of paper money in their pockets.

When the sale was done, everyone had made a little money and was happy with that. I think the best part of the sale was that we hung out as a family and just talking and enjoying the beautiful day and that was priceless.

New Article

Spring Break

We are into day four of spring break. I share a home with my daughter and seven year old granddaughter and  my little princess has had a play date (at our house) everyday so far this week.  There has been a parade of small costumed people with lip glossed lips running through the house with a noise level that rivals a crowd cheering a game at a stadium. There has been much music, singing, and laughter as well as the unavoidable, spontaneous bickering little girls are prone too.

One day we had four girls over to play at the same time. We have vowed never to do this again unless it’s for a birthday party. The girls spent most of the time whining about each other and split into two groups of two spending the remaining visit time trying to outplay each other.

At this point we have two days of vacation to go and decided to spend this time on family only fun. Funny, but I think my week long headache is starting to go away.

New Article

                          Home Sweet Home

I always get panicky when someone is coming over for a visit. The house is too messy. There are toys everywhere. Magazines are scattered on the coffee table along with iPods, an assortment of library books, movies, video games and more toys. There is a pile of shoes by the front door where everyone has kicked them off upon entering the house.

So I race around like a madwoman picking up stuff trying to make the house "presentable" (usually at the last moment if possible) so that I am never quite done when the visitors show up! I bravely open the door usually clutching something or other behind my back and happily greet my guests.

It never fails to amaze me when visitors tell me that they feel right at home in my less than perfect home. It always serves to remind me that a home is not the stuff or correct décor, but the harmonious, friendly  atmosphere in the home. None the less, I guarantee that I will panic anyway the next time someone says they are coming to visit!!

Welcome to PNN!

This is your site, and what your are looking at is called an article box.  In fact everything on this page are in boxes like this one.  And, everything  can be moved, edited or deleted.

To move any box:
Put the cursor in the blue menu bar at the top of the box, click and  hold the mouse button, and drag it.  Let go of the mouse button to drop it where ever you want.

To edit something in a box:
To Edit this article box (or any item) just click the 'edit' link in the blue menu bar.  Edit the content, click 'save' and you're done.

To delete a box:
 Just click on 'delete' or the trash can icon to delete any box.

To change how the page looks:
If you look on the left you'll see a vertical tool bar.  Just click on 'Page Design' to change the style or layout.

Change your personal preferences:
Click on the 'My Broadcast' button.

Need a bit More Help?

Visit http://help.pnn.com or click on the question mark at the top of the page.