Grandma's Jungle

I Wonder: presidential polls after debate, face the nation

2008-09-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

Digg 1: Bamboo Bike Maker Grows His Frames, Bonsai Style

Digg 2: State of California Warning: DO NOT Flush Pharmaceuticals

I Wonder sometimes what our news media is thinking. We have a presidential election coming up, the economy is at an all time low, people are losing their homes and we are losing our soldiers on a daily basis in a war that we should not be in. And yet, I click on the news and the top stories are heather locklear arrested or a report on the marriage of scarlett johansson and ryan reynolds. Big deal! It is time we started paying attention to the important stuff like this ridiculous bailout bill , pharmaceuticals in our drinking water, the low economy or the presidential polls after debate . Quite honestly, I would rather hear about the college football rankings (and I am not a sports fan) than the heather locklear latest news. Maybe I should just quit watching the new!

My Own Way: master of disguise, goonies cast

2008-09-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

Digg 1: I wonder: dream dinners, nick carpenter

Digg 2: Special delivery: Snakes, spiders found in parcel

Halloween is coming and I intend to celebrate and enjoy it My Own Way. I remember when it was such a fun night. Trick or Treaters coming to the door in all kinds of costumes, passing out candy treats, and watching the clock for 10pm when I could turn off the lights and relax again.

Its not so simple these days. Treats are highly suspect so you have to be careful what you buy or they could just end up in someone's trash. Costumes have become so pricey and all the kids want a store bought one. I used to make my kids costumes and then I saved them all in our "Holloween Box". The next year the kids would dig in the box and try to become a master of disguise by putting different parts of costumes together. Then they would go out and come home with so much candy that we could have opened a candystand.

Today, however, it is just not safe to send your kids out alone so I hope parents take care. Stay at home and invite some friends in for a small party. Watch a movie like the goonies or spy kids 3 that are not so scary they give nightmares. Let the kids raid your closet and come up with their own costumes. Whatever you do, just be safe and enjoy the fun. I will buy my wrapped candy and hope to see some really cute costumes come to my door. I will probably still be glad to turn off my lights at 10pm but I will enjoy it while it lasts.

Talk2Me: paul newman cancer updat

2008-09-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

Digg 1: I WONDER: Homecoming hairstyles online

Digg 2: 5 Things You Didn't Know About Paul Newman

Talk2Me about why we who of a certain age (I refuse to say old) start becoming obsessed with illnesses and death when we should be enjoying living life instead. I checked the online news this morning and was greeted with the headline about the paul newman cancer update. I learned that he lost his battle with cancer and it felt like an old friend died. When I look at the paul newman movies list, I find that I have seen almost all of them and enjoyed most of them.

He was a true movie star and managed to avoid many of the pitfalls that some stars fall into when they achieve wealth and fame. His work as a star and a director will be missed but that is not what bothers me. He was 83 at the time of his death. I look around and see that many of the people in my life are getting closer to their eighties. I know that death is part of life and is going to happen no matter what but each time I hear of a death of someone in that generation I get nervous thinking "who will be next?". I think about it way too much. But when you start seeing the names of your friends and associates in the obituaries, you just can't help it. How do others cope with this?

I Wonder: babies r us

2008-09-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

Digg 1: I DIDN'T KNOW: airtel call home, free international calling

Digg 2: People's airbag 'prevents injury'

I Wonder sometimes how any of us "older generation" parents raised our kids without all the fancy gadgets and equipment that are deemed necessities today. I recently received an invitation to a baby shower and it included a registration with babies r us for gift suggestions. I went online and looked at the list in utter amazement.

My first shock was at the prices of the items listed. You would have to be a power ball winner to afford some of these items. In my day, a shower gift was something practical and small. A nightgown, some undershirts, or maybe a basket of baby toiletries. Now the expected gifts are baby monitors, changing tables, strollers that cost almost as much as as we used to pay for our hospital stay. They have to have a breathing monitor, an electric food/bottle warmer, teddy bears with heartbeats, or high chairs that do everything but feed the baby for you. We changed the baby on our beds, we were lucky to have a stroller at all, and we heated things up in a pan of hot water. However did we manage to raise our kids using such atiquated methods? I wonder.

Talk2Me: galveston island,ike radar,galveston cam

2008-09-12T08:29:00.000-07:00

Digg 1: COMMON THREAD: nfl scores, nfl fantasy, hello kitty jewlery

Digg 2: Awesome pic of approaching hurricane [PIC]

Talk2Me about why people would stay on galveston island when the headlines in todays news states that they should "flee or die"? There is also talk of the great storm of 1900 where over 6000 died when the hurricane hit. The galveston news is urging all residents to leave. The galveston web cameras are showing the storm. And yet 25% of the residents are choosing to stay. One would only have to step outside to see that the galveston weather is getting worse as the ike storm surge increases. What would make them stay. Do they not believe the predictions or do they just enjoy the excitement? I don't know but I hope we don't see headlines in the galveston news reporting that the galveston seawall failed and that thousands are dead. I think that if I were there I would be listening to the advice given and be leaving well before the storm hits. I am praying that the residents there do just that.

I Didn't Know: miley cyrus dead,miley cyrus car accident,did miley cyrus die

2008-09-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

Digg 1: MY OWN WAY: caribou barbie, walter reed middle school, heart

Digg 2: Countdown of the Top 12 Most Powerful Musicians of Today

I didn't know that people on the internet could be so cruel. Today there is a rumor on the net declaring miley cyrus dead. It is said that there was a miley cyrus car accident resulting in her death. But in reality, did miley cyrus die? The answer is NO!

This was just another internet hoax done in incredibly bad taste. How awful to spread such a rumor and for what? Don't they realize that she is a person. She is someones daughter, someones granddaughter, someones friend. How awful for her loved ones to read this bunk. Someone obviously thought this was a fun game but I say it is just plain cruel. The people who do these kinds of sick hoaxes must really have no life of their own so they love to destroy the lives of others.

Talk2Me: Did you call your Grandma lately?

2008-09-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

Digg 1: Talk2Me - This is intelligent politics?

Digg 2: 50 Great Things About Women Over 50

Talk2Me about grandparents, in particular grandmas.

Now I don't mean to slight grandpas, they are very special indeed, but as a grandma of 7 my thoughts today are on the role grandmas play and the place they deserve to have in the lives of their grandkids.

As mothers, we grandmas were the ones to nurture and care for our kids. We kissed the boo boos, cooked the meals, did the laundry and raced to the school when they left half their science project at home. Then the kids are grown and we take on a new role as mentor, spoiler, and lover to a pack of wonderful grandkids. We love our new role. I always say it is better to be a grandma then a mom because we can just have fun without all the day to day stress. Plus, when the fun is over, the kids go home! You can't beat that.

We make super suppers , help to create wonderful birthday celebrations, and try not to get bored when our teen grandkids talk for an hour about how fashion rocks. And yet, sometimes we are sad because sometimes we feel forgotten. Our grandkids don't call us often, they don't write or even send emails. Sometimes they just get so engrossed in their own lives that they forget about this wonderful person who just wants to be a part of it. I am not trying to make you feel guilty....well maybe just a little, but honestly, how hard is to make a five minute phone call?

Now we have grandparents day coming up. Do you know what the grandparents day 2008 date is? I can tell you. It is Sunday, Sept. 7. National Grandparents Day is observed on the first Sunday after Labor Day, and its purpose is to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to express and show their love for their children's kids, and to help children become aware of the strength, guidance, and information that our senior population can offer. And this isn't just for little grandkids. It is especially important for you grown grandkids to remember that wonderful woman who is your grandma.

So, this Sunday, take your nose out of that copy of investors business daily, stop worrying about the unemployment rate or surfing the net looking for the sarah palin bikini pictures. That will all still be there on Monday. Take time on Sunday to call your grandma. Take her out to lunch or dinner or sit and play a game of cards with her. It is only a little time out of your busy schedule but it will mean so much to her. And by the way, be sure to include grandpa if he is around. Its his day too.

I Wonder : the sarah palin bikini pics

2008-09-02T14:21:00.000-07:00

Digg 1 -TALK2ME play: ourwwworld pilot game sample

Digg 2- McCain's Selection of Palin as VP is the Epitome of Tokenism

I wonder if there really are sarah palin bikini pics out there somewhere and when we will see them pop up on the internet. Seems to me the vetting process wasn't very thorough with all these new juicy tidbits coming out. When they were vetting they did find her membership in the
alaska independence party but didn't seem to find anything on bristol palin drinking and being arrested. Or Bristol's pregnancy. Sounds more like an episode of the new 90210 cw instead of a presidential race.

I wonder what does vetted mean anyway. Such a strange sounding word. But I'll wager that whatever it means, the GOP committee is vetting away in a frenzy to try and fix this mess.

about the ourwwworld game

2008-08-31T03:19:00.000-07:00

grandmaswwworld is a player blog in a virtual poker-like wordgame that plays on the current google top 100 search trends. A small global group of good citizens are piloting the ourwwworld game to share the game's ad revenues with their favorite cause. For more detailed information about the ourwwworld pilot game, visit http://ned.com

I WONDER: ourwwworld pilot game sample play

2008-08-30T05:29:00.000-07:00

your post title: I WONDER: ordinal, revelation generation, mega millions winning numbers

Digg 1: PREGAME: Datasettlement.com to the rescue for millions of US consumers
Digg 2: 10 Words That Will Help You Win at Scrabble

I WONDER if ordinal, revelation generation, and the federalist papers aren't all related in a big conspiracy theory.

Or is ordinal actually just the twitter name of a guy at Second Life? You've heard of Burning Man? Well at Second Life, a guy who calls himself ordinal on twitter is cooking up something called Burning Life. Should be interesting. Google tells me that revelation generation is a christian music festival. I wonder if the twittering ordinal is a singer? Actually sounds more like a bird!

Wikipedia tries to explain to my non-scientist mind that ordinal refers to something about numbers. So I wonder if the ordinal that people are looking for on google has something to do with the mega millions winning numbers, texas high school football scores , or the gallup daily tracking poll.

Something in the federalist papers mentions ordinal vows. Maybe that's it! But to be honest, I am still wondering what it all means, and why people are looking up ordinal today!