Friday, October 7, 2011

Eli and The Elephant

I keep a small personal altar behind my writing desk. It displays a few special items that encourage and inspire me to write. A Ganesh incense holder is the centerpiece, and when I work on creative writing projects I light some Ganesh incense and read a mantra dedicated to the Lord of Removing Obstacles.

I was lighting a lot of incense when the kids first moved in -- determined to stick with a writing schedule that included the work that feeds my soul, not just that which feeds my creditors. Because they love fire of all kinds, the kids would come around and ask to blow out the incense or smell the smoke -- especially Eli. He wanted to light incense constantly and in my effort to show that it was meant to be a meaningful gesture I made him repeat the mantra with me each time:

Oh Lord Ganesh of large body, curved trunk, with the brilliance of a million suns, please make all of my work free of obstacles, always.

Today Eli asked to light some incense. I was busy looking for assignments. "Alright," I answered half-heartedly. "Do you want to blow it out?" I waved the burning incense in front of his mouth trying to hurry the ritual along. "Say the thing first," he said. "We have to say the Ganesh."

So we said the Ganesh, and instead of writing an article about how to find the best deals on Christmas decorations I wrote this poem.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

A Fallish Craft to do with the Kids

I can't take full credit for this project, I found something like it while researching an article for fall decorations. But I adapted it and made it work with the supplies we had on hand and realized it was really a great project to do with kids because there's a job everyone can handle -- big or little. The whole family could make it together and enjoy the chance to bond as they discuss a few of the things they’re thankful for. 

My favorite thankful thing came from our granddaugther. She was thankful that "the monsters under the bed didn't color her fingers while she was sleeping." Aren't we all!


Because they are so inexpensive to make these weaths are also a good project for the class room, a day care, scout troop or other organizations that involve young children.

If you make one, send me a photo and I'll post it with your grandkid's names!
Supplies for 1 Wreath:

     1 paper plate
        6 sheets of paper -- plain white or recycled from other projects

     Crayons and colored pencils in fall hues

     Children’s safety scissors

     Glue stick

Start the youngest children on covering a sheet of paper with fall color. Any combination of crayons and pencils can be used, and in fact the end result is best if several colors are used. Cover the paper with an even layer of color. If recycling paper from other projects use the backside or color over any designs that already exist.

An adult or older child can trace three of four leaf designs onto one of the blank pieces of paper. Make a variety of shapes such as a maple leaf, oak leaf and basic oval leaf.  Each leaf should be approximately 3 to 4 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide. Cut them out to use as templates.

Instruct an older child to trace the leaf designs onto the back of a colored piece of paper. Give the job of cutting out the leaves to children between the ages of five and eight – it’s great practice for their scissor skills.

Ask older children to trace around the edge of the cut leaf with a dark brown of russet felt marker. Include center and lateral veins on approximately half of the leaves for extra detail.

Cut the center out of a paper plate. Use a bowl or saucer to draw an even circle. Leave 1 ½ to 3 inches around the edge of the plate. Color or paint the paper plate in dark brown or dark green to provide a neutral background for your leaves.

Glue the leaves with veins around the wreath shape in a random design. On the remaining leaves, ask each family member to name one or two things they’re grateful for, and write it on the leaf with a bold marker. Condense their sentiments into one or two words to make it easier to read. Attach the remaining leaves to the form.  Use a removable, adhesive-backed hook to display your wreath on any door.

To help preserve your wreath year after year, wrap it in acid-free tissue paper before storing.

Starting Over -- Again

Alright, I'll do it. I'll have a Granny blog! Instead of trying to squeeze it in somewhere else I'll give the grandmothers a place of their own, as they deserve.

Funny how my dreams of beekeeping went kaput, and yet I now find myself "queen" of a busy little hive. Co-queen really. I happily share the title with my daughter and want very much for her to feel that she's in her "own" home and not just a guest in ours.

Here's the story:
Three years ago L and I were trying to figure out how to move ourselves to a part of the world we never wanted to live in again just so we could be close to our grandkids. We only have one child so we can play favorites like that. I was literally heartsick to miss out on all the big events in their little lives. My dream of grandmothering was to be a cookie-baking, car-pooling, soccer-game-attending kind of grandma who let you stay up late and eat pizza in the living room when you slept over. Not the kind you talk to on the phone a couple of times a month and get Christmas presents in the mail from.
Today we’re hands-on grandparents in our own cozy California home where we get to bake cookies, build impossibly complicated wooden models of dragons, (Ages 5 and up, really? C’mon, that thing has about 200 pieces!) car-pool, attend karate and tumbling classes and let the kids stay up late and eat pizza on the weekend.

But it's not ideal -- imagine that. We're exhausted, and just as we were getting our old-married-couple mojo back there's a houseful of people to contend with. The other day I heard Eli say to his grandpa 'You guys sure do have a small house." To which Pop-Pop replied, "Well it sure does seem a lot smaller than it used to."

We're figuring out how to live in a multi-generational home, to make room for toys and messes and naps and dinners that are hours earlier than we've grown used to and to a lack of privacy and having our possessions lost or stained or "accidental broken" every other day.

Adjusting, adjusting, adjusting. That's our motto. Pop-Pop and I help eachother to remember that whatever adjustments we're making our daughter and her children are making more and more difficult ones as they learn how to be a new kind of family without all the toys and space and people they were used to having.

Which brings me to this blog -- a place to write about the adjustments, share some laughs, some Granny projects and celebrate my new life living with grandchildren.

So, welcome to the Grandmother's Club. Membership is open!