Pepsi and saving my pennies…

Posted by random olio

Yesterday was my grandma’s birthday. She would have been 102 years old. I was talking about her over the weekend with a good friend and Chris. She passed away over 9 years ago and she still has such an overwhelming place in our lives. I have written blogs about her quite a few times (just type Granny Smith in the search box for a few past ones). Sometimes she reigns in our thoughts because of her funny sayings, sometimes in conversations and experiences we had with her, and sometimes I am reminded about the times she was not there for me in the way I needed her. It is funny, Chris only knew her for about a year and yet he still has such fond memories of Granny Smith. What a lady. (In the photo below, she is wearing my graduation cap.)

granny smith at my college graduation…

I think I take after her in some ways. She ate the same meals over and over again. She had Total cereal every day and a glass of orange juice. For lunch some strange sandwich concoction that had ham in it. Sometimes just ham and cheese, and sometimes ham, peanut butter, and pickles. In addition to her sandwich, she had Pringles and a Pepsi. Always a Pepsi. She would never drink a Coke. Like my Granny Smith, I tend to be routine with my eating. Green smoothie for breakfast and a salad for lunch. No Pepsi for me.

I also learned a lot about saving from my Granny Smith. She lived every day like it was 1920. Then other days she would splurge and dote on us. She was not into “change.” She kept her finances just as her father set them up for her. You can imagine what that might have meant if she was around in our recent financial crisis. Having said all that, I learned a lot about being frugal.

She lived within her means, and was not incredibly extravagant. She also approached money as though it would not be there later. I think I have taken this ideal from her. I am working on looking at money in a new, none “depression mentality” way.

It makes me think about how we impact others in our lives. Do you have friends, colleagues, professors, bosses, etc. that you will never forget how they impacted your life? The ones that push you and challenge you to look at life differently. The ones that do not let you get away with your crap. The ones that are there for you when you need it the most. Or, the ones that were just there when you had no one else.

Happy Birthday Granny Smith!

Poofy sleeves, dresses, and guilt…

Posted by random olio

Do you remember times growing up when you told adults what they wanted to hear? Why did we do that? In our youth we should have felt free to say exactly what was on our mind.

I remember my grandma would buy my sister and me a dress each Easter. It was our Easter Sunday dress. Usually I hated it. I would wear it on Easter Sunday and then hide it in the back of my closet in hopes that she would never remember that she purchased it for me (or that I never wore it again). As I got older my mom encouraged me to just tell my grandma that I did not like it and that I would like to return it. It was always hard for me to tell her. I felt awful. I always thought I was hurting her feelings. Bummer, right?

a smile for the smurf cake, not sure about that dress though…

So…I wonder…what is it that makes kids feel they cannot be upfront? What made me just want to hide the dress and not discuss it with her? Partly I think it had to do with my dad who often would shut us down if we ever got the guts to confront him (which was rare). I think it imbedded into my thick skull that confrontation and speaking my mind was a bad thing. I was being disrespectful to my elders.

Something shifted inside me in college, almost to the opposite extreme, where now it is hard for me to keep my mouth shut. Now, that does not mean that I do not hold back. It also does not mean that I just steamroll everyone. I am pointed and thoughtful about my confrontation, but I feel less and less uncomfortable with saying what needs to be said.

What if we were able to raise children that had no fear of taking risks? Of speaking their mind and confronting their elders rationally? Does that teach them how to continue in their life with strength, poise, and determination? Sounds better to me than putting on that balloon dress to avoid confrontation.

What do you think?

“Does your face light up?”

Posted by random olio

I recently read a book called: “You Can Be Right [or You Can Be Married]” by Dana Adam Shapiro. While the book has more to do with marriage (which I might tell you about in a future post), the following quote is what inspired me today as I think about all the precious little munchkins that came by my house in their costumes last night. It makes me think about all the times my parent’s face did or did not light up when I came into a room.

“Ms. Morrison explained that it’s interesting to watch what happens when a child walks into a room. She asked, “Does your face light up?” She explained, “When my children used to walk in the room when they were little, I looked at them to see if they had buckled their trousers or if their hair was combed or if their socks were up…You think your affections and your deep love is on display because you’re caring for them. It’s not. When they see you, they see the critical face. What’s wrong now? Her advice was simple, but paradigm-shifting for me. She said, “Let your face speak what’s in your heart. When they walk in the room my face says I’m glad to see them. It’s just as small as that, you see?” page 223

Aww…this almost brings tears to my eyes. I can feel the tears there, just waiting. This is such a great reminder of how we need to be present and aware of how we come across to little bambinos. Having said all that, I think this still applies to adults too. What if our face lit up when we saw our spouses, family, and co-workers walk into a room. How would it feel if others reacted in that way towards us? Would we feel more loved and connected to others if we saw them light up when we arrived?

I thought about this yesterday when I answered the doorbell for those costumed munchkins. I knelt down with my bowl of candy and talked to them at their level. I looked at them face-to-face. I saw their excitement and energy for Halloween. I was inspired by their exuberance. That is my challenge to myself, to approach the munchkins and bambinos I encounter with the light in my eyes, and my heart on my face. I will let that all speak for itself.

Are you with me!?

Tears of gratitude…

Posted by random olio

Chris and I moved over the weekend. I had not mentioned it before because it is not official until it is OFFICIAL! Saturday morning Chris was meeting the movers, and I was getting the keys to our new place. On my drive over it was pouring down rain. Ah, Portland fall weather. Everyone is driving under the speed limit. Ah, Portland fall weather…

In any case, I am driving to our new place, and Bob Marley comes on the radio, and I start to cry. Now, here is the thing. I do not cry that often. When I do it usually hits me hard. At first I cannot figure out why I am crying. I think oh it is this mellow song. Then I think oh you are just utterly exhausted. Then it hits me.

They are tears of gratitude. Oh gosh, they are coming down now as I write this blog post. Gratitude of the adventure that Chris and I just started. Each step we take in life together is always better than the last experience. We have been living in a townhouse, so buying a house has been something we have wanted to do for a few years. The real estate market had not been in our favor, but that has gradually changed. Without boring you with all the details, we just purchased a beautiful house.

What brought tears to my eyes was the excitement for what is next, gratitude for how smooth the transaction went, and awe of what “home” will be for many years to come. Lastly, I think the tears were just a glimpse of what my life was as a child to now. It is not that I never had an imagination for what was possible as a kid, but my life has given me so much more than I could have ever imagined growing up poor in the Midwest. I am so grateful for what life has given me. My husband, my family, my job, my home. Tears of gratitude. I wiped them away, and drove into my new driveway to meet my realtor.

By the way, if you live in Portland and need an amazing realtor, send me a note.

Sometimes it is better from the can…

Posted by random olio

Fall is here. It is raining like we just set foot on Noah’s ark. Not sure when it will stop. So far it has not bothered me too much, as there is so much going on in my life right now, that I do not have time to think about the rain! What the rain has brought though is the leaves changing color and they are beginning to fall to the ground. That also means pumpkin time. I absolutely love the fall, mostly for the colors outside, the crisp air, and the food. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice lattes, squash soups, yum, yum, and YUM! I made some pumpkin bread over the weekend and it make me think about food I only have once a year.

Sometimes when we start doing things a certain way, that it becomes a habit. It is ours, and even as much as others try to get us to do things differently, we stick to our ways. What I am speaking of is: CANNED CRANBERRY SAUCE.

I am strange. I like canned cranberries at Thanksgiving. I know, I know, it is weird. It means there is an imprint of a can on the jellied gross looking cranberries. But see, some things just make you feel nostalgic. When I was young I had issues with textures. Yes, for those of you who know me now, you know that I still do. But, I have grown up a bit. I have a much wider range of food interests and I am much more open-minded than I ever have been before. Yet. Yes, there is a yet. I still like canned cranberries. While it is a bit gross, the taste is what I like best. It has a smooth texture, without all these chunky cranberries. Do not get me started on whether it is good for you or not. I could not care less. I just look forward to Thanksgiving that is a month away, so I can have cold canned cranberries, with warm, buttery mashed potatoes, and the rest of that yummy Thanksgiving dinner goodness.