Legacy of Innovation Continues at 97

Ever the innovative thinker, Grandpa Tony was determined to help me load into my trunk the:
• 4-foot tree
• Containers filled with ornaments
• Festive wreath

…that I had just packed away for another year.

I grew nervous as he rolled his loaded up walker out of the apartment entryway and on to the sidewalk.

Too bad, Grandpa silently declared, there was no stopping him now that he had on his ear flap hat and winter coat fully zipped. Lucky for me, he stopped just a few steps outside and allowed me to transfer the bounty from the sidewalk to my car.

Glimpsing the icy walk just 12-inches away, he shrugged and deftly wheeled back inside.

"This makes a pretty handy cart, too," he declared as we headed back down the hallway. "I really can't get around without it, you know. But it works great for more than just than just walking."

The Crowning Glory of Christmas Cheer

Christmas at my sister's is always filled with fits of laughter, spectacular food and gingerbread creations.

When the kids were little we had raucous competitions in gingerbread house building and decorating. These days, two are out of the house and one is looking forward to departing soon. That means my sister and niece undertake their design/build plans with no restrictive time limits (and creative, detail-oriented glee).

This year's project was truly a team effort. Niece Emily constructed the beautifully detailed 'nilla roof, wafer by wafer, while her mother brought the structure to life with painstakingly applied bits of candy flair.

The crowning glory was the sweetly swifted "snow" covered roof.

Results of the IKEA adventure

Back in Time: Shopping with Grandma Rose

"Pleeeeeeease Grandma!"

I couldn't resist traveling back 40 years in time on a recent trip to the grocery with my Grandma, Rose.

She got a real kick out of it too as I begged for a pack of plastic sparkly kiddie toys displayed at eye level in the cereal aisle.

At 95, she leans a little more on the cart than she used to but who cares? Spending time with her and my Grandpa Tony, 97, has shown me first-hand the joyful results of a life fully lived.