When You’re Right, You’re Right

Hi!  Remember me?  I haven’t blogged for a L O N G time.  No idea why, nothing good to say I guess.  Nothing that can’t be a short Facebook post anyway.  🙂

Here’s why I wanted to write to you today…

A few weeks ago we all saw this video go around Facebook:

Most of  us can agree that this is a good representation of what it’s like to be a woman in a world of undisciplined men.  That isn’t the point I want to make.

(Next slide please)

Today, this video is going around Facebook (sorry I cannot embed the video here):

Alex From Target on Ellen

Yesterday my 12-year-old granddaughter was talking about Alex.   We had a moment where we talked about how cute he is, until she realized she didn’t want to have that conversation with her grandma! 🙂 So, today I posted the Ellen interview video on her Facebook wall.  I don’t know if she’s seen it or not, but I deleted it.  And here’s why…

My son was good enough to point out to me tonight that it’s every bit as wrong as the first video of the woman being harassed by men on the street! When you’re right, you’re right.

Ask yourself…why is an audience of grown women “cougaring” a TEENAGE boy OK, but we are disgusted by the way men treated the NYC woman?  The answer?  IT’S NOT OK!  It’s ridiculously wrong.  And a perfect example of sexism, sexual harassment, and double standards.  Just think of the outrage we’d feel if there had been a 16 year-old girl put on display for men like that!

So friends, examine your own actions.  What are you saying, doing and posting online that would be considered a sexist double standard?  What does that teach our young women?  What was I saying to my granddaughter by talking about “Alex” and sharing the video with her?

Shame on me.  Thank you son, for teaching me the error of my ways.

P.S. I’m beginning to see stories now that the whole Alex thing is a publicity hoax.  Maybe it is.  Interesting, since our little town just found out our local Target store will be closing soon.  Guess the publicity won’t help us.

 

Vacation…All I Ever Wanted

Hello!

It’s that time of year.  When all your friends and family are taking vacations.  It begins as soon as school ends for the summer.  First, Facebook is full of graduation pictures from Preschool to College.  Then before you know it, everyone is talking about going on vacation!  Where they’re going, who they will see, where they eat, what they eat, the beach, the sun, the fun.

Well, now it’s MY turn!

We are leaving tomorrow to go visit 1) A daughter and her family and then 2) Good friends who are about to be stationed in Germany for maybe three years.  We’re going from the Midwest to the East Coast.  It’s going to be a beautiful, fun and busy trip and we’re so looking forward to it.

Now, my boss has a little tradition that he has to do before he goes on vacation.  He has to have a little in-office celebration (rubbing it in?) by playing the following song and having a little dance (remember it from National Lampoon’s Vacation?):

Me? I’m more of a Go-Go’s kinda girl:

Either way, I’m outta here.  Glad to be off work, traveling with my hubby and seeing family and dear friends!  And yes, if you are “friends” with me on my personal Facebook, there will be pictures of it all! 😀

Find Thoughts From a Real Life on Facebook.

Grandmothers

Hello everyone!

Spring is in full swing in the Midwest, USA.  The daffodils and tulips are gone and the vegetable gardens are beginning to thrive.

Today I want to talk about something that has bothered me for a long time.

GRANDMOTHERS

I became a grandma for the first time when I was only 37 years old!  My oldest daughter was 20.  Please don’t do the math 😉  From the very beginning of the grandmother adventure I noticed that society picture grandmothers the way MY grandmother looked.  See pictures below…

This is an illustration from 1949.
Source: http://www.americanartarchives.com/petersen.htm

This was posted TODAY by a Facebook page for a wonderful new movie called “Mom’s Night Out”.

 

BOTH illustrations show lovely older women.  Short gray hair, pearls, apron, domestic.  I’m here to tell you this is NOT what the grandmas of TODAY look like!  This is what MY grandma looked like! (below)

 

Grandma & Grandpa Smith. Grandma was born in 1904. She would be 110 now if she was alive.

Grandpa Smith doing quality control on the watermelon and corn. Grandma in the background … WORKING of course. Note the softly patterned dress and apron.

 

Again…grandmothers of today just DO NOT look like this.  The World Wide Web needs to get with the times.  It’s 2014, let’s update those grandma memes please!  Something like this would be nice:

 …… Um, well… I can’t FIND ANY young grandmother pictures online without using actual photos of my friends! haha Or cosmetically altered celebrities.  Thus, enforcing my point.  

GRANDMAS OF THE 21st CENTURY UNITE!  Get pictures of yourselves out there so the stereotypical mid-20th century grandma images can be banished!

Thank you for listening…

GARDEN UPDATE

How are your gardens doing?  Ours is really taking off.  Well, most of it.

Just a few of the things we currently have thriving.

 

Have a wonderful first week of June!  Please remember to visit me on FACEBOOK and post pictures of your gardens and YOU with your GRANDCHILDREN!  I’d love to see some smaller container gardens and hear how they’re doing.

 

So it Begins – Spring

Hello everyone and HAPPY SPRING!!

It’s been a wonderful spring in our family.  We were all reunited with a grandgirl we hadn’t seen for four years!  She’s now 10-years-old and just as precious as ever.  It was a blessing to have 10 of the 11 grandchildren together just before Easter.  We hope to see much more of her this year.

Our yard has been alive with flowers and trees.  Although, not nearly as many tulips as we used to have (see this page’s top photo).  They just seem to have disappeared.  The daffodils were plentiful and beautiful.  And the lilacs! Oh the amazing lilacs!  (I hope Heaven smells like that.)  I’m even adding a few new bird feeders.  Later this spring or summer I’ll tell you about my birdbath project.

If you recall, last year my husband built a brand new raised garden.  This is probably the biggest project we’ve ever undertaken.  Also, a huge blessing to our family.

This year we are adding to the garden space and putting up a new fence.  And when I say “we” I, of course, mean “my husband”.

Planted so far in our raised garden are (in no particular order and some plants/some seeds): lettuce, green beans, carrots, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, jalapenos, kale, arugula, onions, cucumbers…gosh I must be forgetting something.  Yet to be planted are: tomatoes, asparagus (which we will hopefully harvest next spring), spinach, Brussels sprouts, and all the herbs.  I’m also planting peanuts in two large containers and strawberries in a great salvage yard find which you’ll see in the pictures below.  I know it’s late for the strawberries, but we have the plants and should get a nice crop next spring for sure.

So, are you planting anything this spring?  Do you have raised beds or containers?  Or a good old fashioned garden patch right in the ground?   I urge you to plant SOMETHING this year!  Even if just one tomato plant in a container.  Be sure to give it something to vine on.  You won’t regret it!  PLEASE share your gardening stories and photos with us on my FACEBOOK PAGE!

HAPPY GARDENING!

 

Our beautiful spring tree. It seemed to be much fuller and lush than usual.

 

The lilac! This is a very old bush that faltered for a while. But the last few years it’s been glorious! Yes, the little dog is cute. You want him? No, seriously.

 

I hope Heaven smells like this…

 

We get our plants and seeds at a local Heirloom market. I encourage you to search for heirloom seeds and plants in your area. No GMO!

 

 

One of our little helpers. She did a great job digging the little holes and getting the plants in the dirt just right. And, she’s little enough that she can stand right in the garden to get it done.

 

It won’t be long and this lettuce will be much larger and on our plates!

 

We had a couple of onions reappear on their own this spring. But had to plant new seeds. My daughter talked me into buying kale this year. Wish me luck.

 

And THIS is our fun salvage yard find! A large metal gutter-type contraption. I’m told it’s a chicken feeder. It’s going to sit there on our NEW FENCE and be home to our strawberry patch!

 

We have this great space available now too!! But for this year it will be hold a row of sunflowers and the containers of peanuts. We’ll mulch over it this year. Plenty of other projects to keep us busy.

 

Don’t forget to visit my Facebook page and let me know how your garden grows! 🙂

 

Milestone

Hello everyone!!  It’s been ages!

Today is the two-year mark since my first knee replacement surgery.  Hard to believe it’s been so long.  Probably because it’s only been a little over eight months since my second one.

I really don’t have anything profound to say today.  I just wanted to acknowledge this milestone.  And encourage those of you who are approaching, or have just had, this type of surgery.

IT WILL BE OK!  Things do get better!  I promise!  Stay strong! My first surgery was not a happy experience.  Recovery was a long, difficult process.  So I know what I’m talking about.  However, the second time went much better!

TIME TO GARDEN:

It’s spring in the Midwest, USA.  Well, according to the calendar it is.  The weather is slow to catch up.  Burrr!  We hope to have some sunshine this Saturday so we can get some garden prep and yard work done.

What are your plans for a garden this spring?  Raised beds?  In ground?  In containers?  Share your garden ideas and plans with us as spring progresses!

As always, you can find me on FACEBOOK and share your vegetable and flower garden pictures! 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!  I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve got planned for the spring.